ALBERT

Notes: Field-wilted lucerne was chopped with a forage harvester at 33 ± 1·5, 43 ± 2·0 and 54 ± 1·8% dry matter, treated and ensiled in laboratory silos during four cuttings in each of two years. Treatments were control (C), sugar addition at 2% of fresh weight (S), inoculum applied at 3 × 105 bacteria g−1 herbage (I), and sugar and inoculum combined (IS). Duplicate silos were opened and analysed after 1, 2, 3, (4 or 5), 7, 14 and 60 d of fermentation. The initial rate of proteolysis of lucerne protein decreased with increasing dry matter (DM) content of the lucerne, and was not influenced by the year, cutting or silage treatment. Inoculation increased (P〈0·05) the rate of pH decline for all silage dry matters, and shortened the lag time prior to pH decline with 33 and 43% dry matter silages. Sugar addition had no effect on rate of pH decline or lag time. Inoculation and sugar addition both lowered final pH, acetic acid, ammonia (NH3), free amino acids (FAA) and soluble non-protein N (NPN) in silages (P〈0·01) and increased lactic acid content with 33 and 43% dry matter silages. Only inoculation was beneficial at 54% DM with no difference between I and IS. The influence of forage characteristics (epiphytic lactic acid bacteria, buffer capacity and sugar:buffer capacity ratio) on treatment effectiveness varied with dry matter content.

Notes: Malting quality and winter-hardiness in barley are ‘ultimate’ phenotypes composed of constituent quantitatively inherited traits. A synthesis of molecular-marker linkage data and field phenotyping to reveal the location of quantitative trait loci (QTL) may assist in the development of winter-habit malting barley varieties. One-hundred doubled haploid progeny from a winter x spring cross were evaluated under fall and spring-planted conditions. Malting quality phenotypes and a 76-point map were used to identify QTL and to assess the effect of spring-and autumn-sowing on QTL expression. Many QTL effects were common to both environments and corresponded to QTL detected in other barley germplasm. While there were significant differences in the magnitude of effects across environments, there were no changes in the favourable allele phase. QTL effects for grain protein and diastatic power level coincided with the locations of known function genes. Coincident QTL for a number of mailing-quality traits on chromosome 7 suggests either the presence of a multi-locus cluster of genes controlling components of malting quality or a regulatory gene or genes controlling the cascade of enzymatic processes that function during the malting process. Based on these results, simultaneous selection for malting quality and cold tolerance should be possible in this genetic background.

Notes: A carboxylesterasc from wild oat (Avena fatua L.) which hydrolyses benzoylprop ethyl [ethyl N-benzoyl-N-(3,4-dichlrophenyl)-2-aminopropionate] to thc herbicidally active bnzoylprop acid, was partially purified by (NH4)2 SO4 fractionation and Sephadex G-100 gel filtration A 8.3-fold purification was obtained with 46% recovery. The rate of de-esterification of 14C-benzoylprop ethyl was 0.1 ηmoles/16 h at standard assay condition of 1 mg lyophilized enzyme preparation in 0.1 ml phosphate buffer (0.1 M. pH 7.0). substrate 5ηM The wild oat esterase was stable and activity as a function of reaction time. enzyme and substrate concentration was charaterized Incubation with a-chymotrypsin reduced wild oat esterase activity as did the presence of ethanol in reaction mixtures Esterase actvity for14C-benzoylprop ethyl was not detected in preparations from wheat (Triticum aestlivum L.). Evidence was obtained which suggested the presence of an inhibitor in wheat. Hydrolyse de l'herbicide benzoylprop éthyle par l'estérase de la folte-avoine Une carboxylestérase de la folle-avoine (Avena fatua L.) qui hydrolyse Ie benzoylprop éthyle (N-benzoyl-N-(3.4-dichlorophényle)-2-aminopropionate d'ethyle) en acidc benzoyprop, actif sur les mauvaises herbes, a été partiellement purifiée par fractionnement au moyen de (NH4)2 SO4 et filtration sur gel Sephadex G-100 Une purification de 8.3 folis a étéobtenue avec 46% de récupération Le taux de dé-estérification du 14C-benzoylprop éthyle a été de 0.1 ηmole en 16 h aux conditions standard d'essai: 1 mg de préparation d'enzyme lyophilisé dans 0,1 ml de tampon au phosphate (0, 1 M pH 7,0) pour 5ηM de substrat L'estérase de LA folle-avoine a été stable et il a pu étre monlré que son activitéétait fonction de la durée de réaction ainsi que de la concentration de l'enzyme et du substrat. L'incu-bation avec de l'o-chymotrypsine a réduit L'activité de l'estérase de la folle-avoine de méme que la présence de l'éthanol dans les mélanges en réaction. ll n'a pas été décelé dans des préparations dc blé (Triticum sativum) d'activité d'une estérase pour le 14C-benzoylprop-éthyle. Certainsfaitls ont été observér qui sug-gerént la présence d'un inhibiteur dans le blé Hydrolyse des Herbizids Benzoylprop-äthyl dunh Flughafer- esterase Es wurde eine Carboxylesterase von Flughafer (Avena fatua L.), die Benzoylprop-äthyl [Äthyl N-benzoyl-N-(3,4)-dichlor- phenyl)-2 aminopropionat] zur herbizidwirksamen Benzoyl- prop-Säure hydrolysiert. dureh (NH4)2 SO4 -fraktionierung und Gelfiltration an Sephadex G-100 teilweise gereinigt Dabei wurde eine 8,3-fache Reinigung bei einer Wiederfmdungiirate von 46% erzielt. Die Hydrolyserate von 14C-Benzoylprop-äthyl betrug 0.1 ηmol/16 h unter Standurdbedingungen von 1 mg lyophilisienetn Enzympräparat in 0.1 ml Phosphatpuffer (0.1 M, pH 7.0) und 5 ηm Substrat Die flughaferesterase war stabil und die Enzymaktiviät war von der Reaktionszeit abhängig. Das Enzym und die Substratkonzentration wurden beschrieben. Inkubation mit α-Chymotrypsin verringerte die Esteraseaktivität. DurcH die Gegenwart von Äthanol in den Reaktionsgemlschen wurde die Aktivität ebenfalls reduziert. In Weizenpräparationen (Triticum aestivum L.) konnte keine Esteraseaktivität fur 14C-Benzoylprop-äthyl festgestellt werden. Es gab Hinweise dafur, dass in Weizen ein Hemmstoff vorkommt.

Notes: Aeolian processes may cause shoreward tilting of discoidal pebbles in a beach sequence. Subsequent covering by washover, back-berm, plane-laminated sand may give a spurious indication of palaeo-sea position unless a regional sedimentological analysis is undertaken.

Notes: The application, rationale and process of habitat evaluation methods are discussed in the context of present day fisheries management. The need to consider habitat features at site and catchment level is stressed.Development of habitat evaluation techniques for assessing brown trout habitat in Welsh streams is reported, and examples of these approaches are given: qualitative (visual assessment), semi-quantitative (a combination of subjective and quantitative measurements) and quantitative (measurements on transect system). Habitat attribute-fish population models were based on functional linear regressions and multiple regression (for the quantitative method). Quantitative models explained up to 80% of the variance in abundance of medium sized (10–20 cm) trout in hard water (〉25mgl-1 CaCO3), but were less effective when data from soft waters were included. Testing of the qualitative and semi-quantitative methods on independent data demonstrated that the latter was more effective in predicting habitat quality.Survey costs varied considerably but, although the more precise methods were more costly per site, they were the most cost-effective because fewer sites were required for a given level of precision.The problems associated with soft-water sites are discussed in terms of factors affecting site carrying capacity; and selection of methods is briefly considered in the light of current management practise.