Productivity and Quality of Mulberry Leaves under Cattle Grazing in a Wasted Mulberry Plantation

Shin-ichiro Ogura,Shusuke Sato,Shigefumi Tanaka,Shin Matsumoto,Kunihiro Abe,Toshio Shimizu,Yoshihiro Takahashi,Hiroshi Yoshida 한국초지조사료학회 2009 한국초지조사료학회 학술대회논문집 Vol.2009 No.08

Mulberry (Morus sp.) plantations have been deteriorating in Japan due to decline of silk industry. In mountainous areas, large part of the mulberry plantations has been wasted. Cattle grazing in the wasted mulberry plantations is a practical system to reuse the wasted areas for food production, because mulberry leaves are highly nutritive (Ezenwa and Kitahara, 2001), productive (Kitahara et al., 2002) and palatable to cattle (Ogura et al., 2008). In this study, the productivity and quality of mulberry leaves were investigated for 3 years in a wasted mulberry plantation grazed with beef cows, in Minamisanriku town, Miyagi, Japan. Cattle grazing started in September 2005 (paddock A, 44 a) and June 2006 (paddock B, 96 a). For each paddock, two pregnant cows were grazed from June to August-October in 2006-2008. In the paddocks A and B, four mulberry trees were chosen and the leaf mass and chemical composition were measured in mid-June and late August (pre-grazing leaf mass) during 2006-2008. A non-grazed paddock was also measured in 2007-2008. Leaf productivity of mulberry trees significantly decreased with cattle grazing; pre-grazing leaf mass changed from 246.8 g to 10.4 g DM/tree and 286.2 g to 17.6 g DM/tree in the paddock A and B, respectively (Fig 1). In contrast, 149.2-365.1 g DM/tree of leaves was produced in the non-grazed paddock. Chemical composition was stable during the three years in all paddocks. It is concluded that cattle grazing gives severe damage to leaf production of mulberry trees in three years.

Improvement of Understory Vegetation by Seeding of Herbage Plants in a Wasted Mulberry Plantation under Cattle Grazing

Shin-ichiro Ogura,Shigefumi Tanaka,Shin Matsumoto,Kunihiro Abe,Toshio Shimizu,Yoshihiro Takahashi,Hiroshi Yoshida 한국초지조사료학회 2009 한국초지조사료학회 학술대회논문집 Vol.2009 No.08

Our previous study conducted in a wasted mulberry plantation showed significant decline of leaf productivity of mulberry (Morns sp.) by cattle grazing in three years (Ogura et al., 2009). This means t㏊t improvement of understory vegetation is essential to use such wasted areas as grazing lands. In this study, the mixture of seeds (Dactylis glomerata, Lolium perenne, Poa pratensis and Trifolium repens, 15:15:5:2) was seeded on 18 Sep. 2007, in nine experimental plots (6 m × 6 m each) with different seeding rates (L: 37 ㎏/㏊, M: 56㎏/㏊ and H: 74㎏/㏊, three replications) in the wasted mulberry plantation described in the previous paper (paddock A) (Ogura et al., 2009). Two cows were grazed in the paddock for 42 and 54 days in 2007 and 2008, respectively. No fertilizer nor herbicides were applied in the paddock. The coverage of the sown species and weeds, and the proportion of bare area were recorded on 19 Sep. 2007, 16 Nov. 2007, 21 May 2008 and 21 May 2009. T. repens rapidly covered the understory; the coverage ranged 49.4-71.7% in 2008-2009 (Fig. 1). D. glomerata and L. perenne also increased to 10.6-18.3% and 20.6-33.9% in 2009, respectively, regardless to the seeding rates. In contrast, the proportion of bare area rapidly decreased. The quick establishment of the sown plants probably due t㏊t defoliation and trampling of cows suppressed the growth of native plants. In conclusion, the seeding rate of 3.7 ㎏/㏊ is sufficient to establish herbage plants in wasted mulberry plantations under cattle grazing.

Distribution of Radioactive Cesium in Soil and Its Uptake by Herbaceous Plants in Temperate Pastures with Different Management after Fukushima Dai-Ichi Nuclear Power Plant Accident

Shin-Ichiro Ogura,Takae Suzuki,Masanori Saito 한국토양비료학회 2014 한국토양비료학회 학술발표회 초록집 Vol.2014 No.6

Effect of Suckling Systems on Serum Oxytocin and Cortisol Concentrations and Behavior to a Novel Object in Beef Calves

Siyu Chen,Shigefumi Tanaka,Shin-ichiro Ogura,노상건,Shusuke Sato 아세아·태평양축산학회 2015 Animal Bioscience Vol.28 No.11

We investigated differences between effects of natural- and bucket-suckling methods on basal serum oxytocin (OT) and cortisol concentrations, and the effect of OT concentration on affiliative and investigative behavior of calves to a novel object. Ten Japanese Black calves, balanced with birth order, were allocated evenly to natural-suckling (NS) and bucket suckling (BS) groups. Blood samples were collected at the ages of 1 and 2 months (1 week after weaning) calves, and serum OT and cortisol concentrations were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and enzymeimmunoassay tests, respectively. Each calf at the age of 2 months (2 weeks after weaning) was released into an open-field with a calf decoy, and its investigative and affiliative behaviors were recorded for 20 minutes. In 1-month-old calves, the basal serum OT concentration (25.5±4.9 [mean±standard deviation, pg/mL]) of NS was significantly higher than that of BS (16.9±6.7) (p<0.05), whereas the basal cortisol concentration (5.8±2.5 [mean±standard deviation, ng/mL]) of NS was significantly lower than that in BS (10.0±2.8) (p<0.05). Additionally, a negative correlation was noted between serum OT and cortisol concentrations in 1-month-old calves (p = 0.06). Further, the higher serum OT concentration the calves had at 1 month old, the more investigative the calves were at 2 months old but not affiliative in the open-field with a calf decoy. Thus, we concluded that the natural suckling method from a dam elevates the basal serum OT concentration in calves, and high serum OT concentrations induce investigative behavior and attenuate cortisol concentrations.

Effect of Suckling Systems on Serum Oxytocin and Cortisol Concentrations and Behavior to a Novel Object in Beef Calves

Chen, Siyu,Tanaka, Shigefumi,Ogura, Shin-ichiro,Roh, Sanggun,Sato, Shusuke Asian Australasian Association of Animal Productio 2015 Animal Bioscience Vol.28 No.11

We investigated differences between effects of natural- and bucket-suckling methods on basal serum oxytocin (OT) and cortisol concentrations, and the effect of OT concentration on affiliative and investigative behavior of calves to a novel object. Ten Japanese Black calves, balanced with birth order, were allocated evenly to natural-suckling (NS) and bucket suckling (BS) groups. Blood samples were collected at the ages of 1 and 2 months (1 week after weaning) calves, and serum OT and cortisol concentrations were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and enzymeimmunoassay tests, respectively. Each calf at the age of 2 months (2 weeks after weaning) was released into an open-field with a calf decoy, and its investigative and affiliative behaviors were recorded for 20 minutes. In 1-month-old calves, the basal serum OT concentration ($25.5{\pm}4.9$ [mean${\pm}$standard deviation, pg/mL]) of NS was significantly higher than that of BS ($16.9{\pm}6.7$) (p<0.05), whereas the basal cortisol concentration ($5.8{\pm}2.5$ [mean${\pm}$standard deviation, ng/mL]) of NS was significantly lower than that in BS ($10.0{\pm}2.8$) (p<0.05). Additionally, a negative correlation was noted between serum OT and cortisol concentrations in 1-month-old calves (p = 0.06). Further, the higher serum OT concentration the calves had at 1 month old, the more investigative the calves were at 2 months old but not affiliative in the open-field with a calf decoy. Thus, we concluded that the natural suckling method from a dam elevates the basal serum OT concentration in calves, and high serum OT concentrations induce investigative behavior and attenuate cortisol concentrations.

The effect of daily calf stroking frequency during the postnatal period on the establishment of the human-calf relationship

Wada, Satoko,Fukasawa, Michiru,Chiba, Takashi,Shishido, Tetsuro,Tozawa, Akitsu,Ogura, Shin-ichiro Asian Australasian Association of Animal Productio 2021 Animal Bioscience Vol.34 No.10

Objective: Stroking calves during the postnatal period could effectively improve human-calf relationships. The objective of this study is to examine how daily calf stroking frequency during the postnatal period affects the establishment of human-calf relationships. Methods: Six calves were stroked by a trainer for 6 minutes once daily for 5 days after birth (D1). Six calves were stroked by a trainer for 3 minutes twice daily for 5 days after birth (D2). A further four calves were stared at but not stroked as the control group. The overall stroking or staring duration was the same for all groups, at 6 min/d and 30 min over 5 days. The tests for reactions to the stationary trainer in an unfamiliar environment and avoidance distance measurements for an approaching trainer were conducted at 1 month and 3 months after the treatment. Results: Calves in both stroking groups approached significantly closer to the stationary trainer, vocalized less, and looked at the trainer shorter than the control group at 1 month. However, at 3 months, there was no significant difference between the D1 and the control group, whereas the D2 approached significantly closer to the trainer and vocalized less, and looked at the trainer for a shorter time than the control group. For the avoidance distance, the trainer could approach closer to both stroking groups than the control at 1 month, however, there was no difference among groups at 3 months. Conclusion: Our results suggested that the difference in the calf stroking procedure affected the established human-calf relationships, even though the total stroking duration was the same for all stroked calves. It is likely to be more effective to stroke more frequently than intensively when the aim is to establish better human-calf relationships within limited labor time.