Drinking hydrogen-rich water shows a remarkable antioxidant effect in preventive and therapeutic applications. However, there is no previous report information on ammonia (NH3) production duck litter quality when hydrogen was supplied to ducks. This study verified the effects of supplying ducks NH3 rearing environment. A total 1,200 0-d-old Pekin were divided into 2 groups similar body weight (...

The behaviour, welfare, growth performance, and meat quality of deep-litter, large group-housed pigs were compared to pigs raised in a conventional housing system. Castrated males were housed from 9 weeks of age in a conventional housing (15 pigs/pen; 1.0 m/pig) or deep-litter, large group housing system (90 pigs/pen; 1.7 m/pig). Behavioural observations and stress physiology measurements were ...

Amazonian forest fragments and secondgrowth forests often differ substantially from undisturbed forests in their microclimate, plant-species composition, and soil fauna. To determine if these changes could affect litter decomposition, we quantified the mass loss of two contrasting leaf-litter mixtures, in the presence or absence of soil macroinvertebrates, and in three forest habitats. Leaf-lit...

The microbial decomposition respiration of plant litter generates a major CO2 efflux from terrestrial ecosystems that plays a critical role in the regulation of carbon cycling on regional and global scales. However, the respiration from root litter decomposition and its sensitivity to temperature changes are unclear in current models of carbon turnover in forest soils. Thus, we examined seasona...

Residues from cereal grain production are important feedstuffs for ruminants throughout the world. They are, however, low in protein and high in fiber, which limit feed intake and digestibility. The nutritive value of cereal crop residues can be improved by various processing methods, such as treatment with alkalis like sodium hydroxide or ammonia. Another means of improving nutritive value of ...

Surface application of broiler litter to no-till cotton could lead to degradation of water quality. Incorporation of broiler litter into the top surface soil (0.05 m) could alleviate this risk. A 2-yr field study was conducted on a silt loam upland soil to determine the effect of incorporation of broiler litter into the soil surface on nutrient and bacterial transport in runoff. The experimenta...

Humid tropical forest soils are characterized by low and fluctuating redox, conditions which are thought to inhibit organic matter degradation by microbes. However, evidence suggests that soil microbial communities are adapted to the redox conditions in these ecosystems. In this study we tested the hypothesis that soil oxygen (O2) availability as an index of redox conditions structures patterns...

Organic farming has been on an upward trend in recent years. However, the manures used like broiler litter have variable nutrient content, making it important to establish optimal application rate, for maximum crop yield and quality. Additionally, some states like Alabama restricts the amount of broiler litter to control excessive nutrients accumulation which can lead to surface and ground wate...