A Weld experiment was conducted to investigate the eVects of white clover living mulch on the arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungus colonization of corn roots and the yield of silage corn. The following seven treatments were setup in a Weld that had been kept bare by rotary tillage from August 2003 to July 2004: two white clover living mulch treatments without phosphorus (P) application, with the white clover shoots clipped and removed or allowed to lie in place before sowing corn; one no-tillage treatment without P application; and four rotary tillage treatments with diVerent P application rates. White clover was broadcasted in the living mulch treatments in August 2004. In June 2005, the white clover shoots in the living mulch treatments were clipped. After tilling the four rotary tillage treatments, corn was sown in all the treatments. The fallow period before sowing corn was 0 month (living mulch treatments) and 22 months (no-tillage and rotary tillage treatments). At knee high stage, the AM fungus colonization of the corn roots and the P concentrations of the corn shoots in both the living mulch treatments were increased relative to those in the other treatments. The yield of corn tended to increase in the no-tillage and rotary tillage treatments with an increase in the P application rate. On the other hand, the yields of corn in the living mulch treatments without the P application were not signiWcantly diVerent from the maximum yield among the no-tillage and rotary tillage treatments. These results suggested that the white clover living mulch increased the yield of corn by facilitating the AM fungus colonization and improving the P nutrition of corn.

The influence of the application rates of cellulase preparation and glucose on silage fermentation at different temperatures was studied with the straw of naked barley (Hordeum vulgare L. emand Lam) and guineagrass (Panicum maximum Jacq.). Addition rate of cellulase and glucose, temperature and their interaction had significant effects on pH value, lactic acid content, butyric acid content and propionic acid content of naked barley straw silage and significant effects on all the parameters of guineagrass silage (P < 0.01). Temperature and interaction had significant effect on acetic acid content (P < 0.05) and no significant effect on NH(3)-N content of naked barley straw silage (P > 0.05). Under all the temperatures, the pH values of barley straw and guineagrass silages were reduced by cellulase and glucose addition even at the lowest rate (P < 0.05), compared with their corresponding control. Lactic acid contents of silages were the highest within the same temperature and same additive when glucose and cellulase were added at the highest rates, whereas the effect of cellulase and glucose addition on butyric acid production varied with their application rates and silage storage temperature. The addition rate of restricting butyric acid fermentation was lower at 20 degrees C than that at 30 degrees C, and it was the lowest at 40 degrees C where cellulase and glucose addition restricted butyric acid fermentation even at 0.1 g/kg and 10 g/kg, respectively, when compared to the control. While the addition rate was lower than the above level, cellulase and glucose addition also promoted butyric acid fermentation.

The fermentation quality of tea grounds silage added with a selected strain of lactic acid bacteria, Lactobacillus plantarum FG+ and acremonium cellulase (AUS) as additives with a drum silo was studied. Four Su#olk sheep were fed the basal diet with timothy hay and commercial concentration at. : + ratio in dry matter basis. The nutritive value of the tea grounds silage was estimated. After ,1* days of fermentation, tea grounds silages treated with both strain FG+ and AUS were well preserved and exhibited significantly (P῍ *.*/) lower pH values and organic cell wall and acid detergent fiber constituent and significantly (P῍*.*/) higher contents of lactic acid and organic cellular contents and tannin as compared to the control silage. It was estimated that the total digestible nutrient and digestible energy of tea grounds silage treated with both strain FG+ and AUS were 1+.+ῌ and +-.. MJ/kg in dry matter.

Twelve sheep were used in a 3 × 3 Latin square design to evaluate the effect of substituting wheat bran with forage soybean silage in the diet on apparent digestibility and nitrogen balance. Forage soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merrill) was cultivated in a no-till, no-herbicide cropping system with Italian ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum Lam.) as a living mulch. Forage soybean and Italian ryegrass were wilted and ensiled in round bales without additives, respectively. The experimental diets were based on corn silage supplemented with protein sources (tow silages or wheat bran). The crude protein and the acid detergent insoluble protein contents of forage soybean silage were the highest among the protein sources. The apparent digestibility of crude protein and the nitrogen balance did not significantly differ among the diets. In addition, the phytoestrogen content of forage soybean silage was below the level at which animal reproductive performance would be negatively affected. These results suggest that forage soybean silage has comparable feeding value to wheat bran, and can be given at an inclusion level of 17% (dry matter basis) as an alternative protein source to wheat bran without adverse effects on digestion or nitrogen balance in sheep fed a corn silage-based diet.

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We examined the walking parameters of milking cows in relation to hoof trimming. The hooves of eight Holstein cows were trimmed. Two days before and after the hoof trimming, walking behavior, limb angles, back posture and vertical movement of the back while walking were measured. Walking rate (1.27 vs 0.87 m/s; P = 0.003), step length (1.46 vs 1.33 m; P = 0.009) and stepping rate (0.78 vs 0.65 steps/s; P = 0.046) were found to increase significantly after hoof trimming. Limb angles at the start and end of the support phase changed significantly after hoof trimming, thus indicating an improvement in the 'on tiptoe' appearance. The parameters relating to backline indicated that the marked arched shape of the back diminished after hoof trimming. Before hoof trimming, the positions of the withers varied widely and irregularly while walking; however, it changed after hoof trimming as the sinusoid curve and the range of vertical movement of withers decreased significantly. Overall, it has been quantitatively indicated that walking characteristics are improved after hoof trimming. The parameters used in the present study are expected to be useful for monitoring the walking characteristics of cows.

We examined the effect of a living mulch with white clover on the growth of maize in an Andisol. Maize was grown using a living mulch without fertilizer application, or by conventional cultivation with or without fertilizer application. Although the living mulch did not affect the amount of available phosphate in soil, the phosphorus concentration of maize shoots increased due to the living mulch compared with conventional cultivation without fertilizer application. Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) colonization of maize roots was higher with the living mulch than with conventional cultivation. These results suggested that a living mulch with white clover enhanced the phosphorus uptake by maize through AM colonization.

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