Survey of long-term productivity and nutritional status of Leucaena leucocephala-grass pastures in subtropical Queensland

2016 ◽  
Vol 56 (12) ◽  
pp. 2064 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alejandro Radrizzani ◽  
H. Max Shelton ◽  
Olena Kravchuk ◽  
Scott A. Dalzell

A survey of the productivity and nutritional status of leucaena (Leucaena leucocephala subsp. glabrata) pastures of different ages was conducted in subtropical Queensland from 2006 to 2008. Four leucaena stands (aged 8, 20, 31 and 38 years) growing on the same Vertosol soil type at Brian Pastures Research Station were surveyed. In the higher rainfall season of 2007–2008, leucaena yields and rainfall-use efficiency were highest in 8-year-old stands [2128 kg total dry matter (DM)/ha or 4.0 kg DM/ha.mm] and lowest in 38-year-old stands (978 kg total DM/ha or 1.9 kg DM/ha.mm). The reduced productivity in the 38-year-old leucaena pasture was associated with a decline in stem number/plant and leucaena plant density due to observed plant mortality. The reduced yield and vigour of aging leucaena was associated with nitrogen deficiency related to declining phosphorus and sulfur availability for adequate symbiotic N2 fixation and leucaena plant growth. Nutrient deficiencies of phosphorus and sulfur in leaf tissue were related to low to medium initial soil fertility (7–27 mg/kg of bicarbonate extractable phosphorus in the top 20 cm), coupled with inherent subsoil constraints (shallow soils, sodicity and high pH), and exacerbated by both long-term removal of nutrients by grazing animals and a reduction in soil phosphorus and sulfur availability over time. To maintain the productivity of leucaena pastures, plant nutritional status needs to be monitored in order to determine strategic fertiliser application.

2010 ◽  
Vol 50 (10) ◽  
pp. 961 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alejandro Radrizzani ◽  
H. Max Shelton ◽  
Scott A. Dalzell

A series of fertiliser trials were conducted on leucaena (Leucaena leucocephala subsp. glabrata) pastures growing on a range of soil types in south-east and central Queensland. The primary objective was to determine the extent of phosphorus (P) and sulfur (S) deficiencies in leucaena-grass pastures established on either virgin soils or previously cropped soils. Two experiments were conducted across nine sites and confirmed that, for many soils in Queensland, leucaena growth was restricted by P and S nutrient deficiencies, which limited plant growth directly and suppressed symbiotic N2 fixation. The major factors contributing to the P and S deficiencies and thus affecting leucaena response were: (i) inherent low soil fertility, (ii) nutrient removal by cropping and grazing, (iii) shallow soils, (iv) soil acidity, and (v) grass competition for available water and nutrients. A secondary treatment, inter-row cultivation, had little effect on leucaena growth but significantly increased grass growth in some soils. In all these experiments, leaf S concentrations and N : S ratios in index tissue were inconsistent indicators of adequacy of S. Similarly, leaf P concentrations were not useful indicators of P deficiency due to inappropriate (drought) leaf sampling conditions experienced in these experiments. The experiments demonstrate that the productivity of leucaena-grass pastures, especially in older leucaena plantations, will be limited by nutrient deficiencies on many soils in Queensland. While leucaena yield was suppressed, no foliar symptoms of nutrient deficiency were observed. Growers need to monitor the nutrient status of their leucaena-grass pastures by leaf tissue analysis using a new sampling protocol. Strategic fertiliser application has the potential to increase rainfall use efficiency by 50% with an expected parallel increase in cattle liveweight gain.


1988 ◽  
Vol 28 (5) ◽  
pp. 577 ◽  
Author(s):  
DG Cooksley ◽  
EA Goward

Leucaena (Leucaena leucocephala cv. Peru) was sown at 5 plant densities with 2 spatial arrangements at Brian Pastures Pasture Research Station, Gayndah, to determine the effects of these factors on leucaena and inter-row grass dry matter yield. During the 2 year establishment phase, yields of edible leucaena (leaves, pods, flowers and stems to a diameter of 5 mm) averaged 4400 and 2440 kg/ha respectively. Yields in subsequent years stabilised to an overall mean of 1360 kg/ha, with the amount of edible leucaena increasing with increasing leucaena plant density from 640 to 2260 kg/ha at 6000 and 62 500 leucaena plants/ha respectively. Edible leucaena yield for the mean of the 5 plant densities was increased by 38% when row spacing was doubled. Yields of both total and senesced leucaena were directly related to the annual rainfall. At the end of each growing season in May, edible leucaena yield remained stable between rainfall extremes of 492 and 878 mm while the amount of senesced leucaena litter increased. Edible leucaena yield was directly related to leucaena plant density (R2= 0.86). Annual total leucaena yield (edible leucaena yield plus leucaena litter) was best related to the plant parameters leucaena plant volume (R2 = 0.92), leucaena stem numbers (R2 = 0.90) and leucaena stem diameter (R2 = 0.90). Number of green panic (Panicum maximum var, trichoglume) shoots showed a marked increase at the 3 higher leucaena densities (mean of 28 shoots/m2) compared with the 2 lower leucaena densities (mean of 7 shoots/m2). Total soil nitrogen also increased at the 3 higher leucaena densities (mean of 0.186%) relative to the 2 lower leucaena densities (mean of 0.170%). Inter-row grass and grass litter yields both declined from 4640 and 4010 kg/ha to 31 10 and 2420 kg/ha respectively with increasing leucaena density. Maximum yields of edible leucaena were obtained when leucaena was grown at a density of 62 500 plants per ha in rows 0.8 m apart.


Nutrients ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (5) ◽  
pp. 1626
Author(s):  
Catalina Ballestero-Fernández ◽  
Gregorio Varela-Moreiras ◽  
Natalia Úbeda ◽  
Elena Alonso-Aperte

The only available treatment for celiac disease is life-long gluten exclusion. We conducted a cross-sectional age- and gender-matched study in 64 celiac adults on a long-term (>1 year) gluten-free diet and 74 non-celiac volunteers from Spain, using dietary, anthropometric, and biochemical parameters, as well as assessing bone mineral density and physical activity. Celiac adults had deficient intake (below 2/3 of the recommended intake) for folates, vitamin E, and iodine and low intake of calcium (below 80% of the recommended intake). Iron intake was also below 2/3 of the recommended intake in celiac women. Vitamin D intake was extremely low, and 34% of celiac patients had moderately deficient plasma levels. According to bone mineral density, celiac women may be more prone to osteopenia and osteoporosis. However, we found a perfectly analogous nutritional status scenario in celiac as compared to healthy volunteers, with the dietary deviations found being similar to those of the Spanish population, i.e., both groups followed a high-lipid, high-protein, and low-carbohydrate diet. Values for biochemical parameters were found within the reference ranges. Celiac disease had no influence on body weight, but body fat in celiac patients tended to be higher. According to our results, vitamin D, calcium, folates, vitamin E, iodine, and iron nutritional status should be specifically assessed and monitored in the celiac population.


2021 ◽  
Vol 57 (4) ◽  
pp. 499-511
Author(s):  
Guohui Wu ◽  
Kai Wei ◽  
Zhenhua Chen ◽  
Dongqi Jiang ◽  
Hongtu Xie ◽  
...  

Cancers ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (14) ◽  
pp. 3598
Author(s):  
Ga Hee Kim ◽  
Kee Don Choi ◽  
Yousun Ko ◽  
Taeyong Park ◽  
Kyung Won Kim ◽  
...  

Background/Aim: We investigated the oncologic outcomes in elderly patients who underwent endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) for early gastric cancer (EGC) by focusing on the impact of comorbidities, sarcopenia, and nutritional status. Methods: Between 2005 and 2016, 280 patients aged ≥ 80 years with 289 EGCs underwent ESD at a tertiary care center. The short- and long-term survival outcomes were assessed. Cox regression analysis was used to identify factors associated with survival, including clinicopathologic factors and abdominal muscle area measured by computed tomography. Results: The rates of en bloc, R0, and, curative resection were 99.3%, 90.0%, and 69.2%, respectively. The rates of post-ESD bleeding and perforation rates were 2.1% and 3.1%, respectively, and no cases showed significant life-threatening adverse events. Over a median follow-up period of 70.5 months, the 3- and 5-year overall survival (OS) rates were 89.5% and 77.1%, respectively; of the114 patients who died, only four (3.5%) were due to gastric cancer. A total of 173 (61.8%) had sarcopenia, and they had lower rates of 3-year (88.4% vs. 91.4%) and 5-year (73.1% vs. 84.0%; p = 0.046) OS than did those without sarcopenia. In multivariable analyses, prognostic nutritional index (hazard ratio [HR], 0.93; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.90–0.98; p = 0.002) and Charlson comorbidity index (HR 1.19; 95% CI: 1.03–1.37; p = 0.018) were significant factors associated with overall survival. Conclusions: ESD was a feasible and safe therapeutic method to use in elderly patients, whose long-term survival was significantly associated with nutritional status and comorbidities. These results suggest the need for a possible extension of the curative criteria for ESD in elderly patients with EGC.


2008 ◽  
Vol 36 (6) ◽  
pp. 1258-1261 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lorraine Gambling ◽  
Henriette S. Andersen ◽  
Harry J. McArdle

During development, the fetus is entirely dependent on the mother for its nutrient requirements. Subsequently, it is a period when both are vulnerable to changes in dietary supply, especially of those nutrients that are marginal under normal circumstances. In developed countries, this applies mainly to micronutrients. Even now, iron deficiency is a common disorder, especially in pregnancy. Similarly, copper intake in the U.K. population is rarely above adequate levels. It is now becoming clear that nutrient deficiencies during pregnancy can result in problems for the offspring, in both the short- and long-term. Early studies showed that lambs born to mothers on copper-deficient pastures developed ‘swayback’, with neurological and muscular symptoms that could not be reversed by postnatal supplementation. Our own findings have shown that prenatal iron deficiency results in increased postnatal blood pressure, even though the offspring have normal dietary iron levels from birth. These observations emphasize the importance of iron and copper in growth and development. Complicating the situation further is the fact that copper and iron are known to interact with each other in many ways, including absorption and intracellular transport. However, their interactions during the pregnancy appear to be more complex than during the non-pregnant state. In the present review, we examine the importance of these metals and their interactions, the consequences, both short- and long-term, of deficiency and consider some possible mechanisms whereby these effects may be generated.


2014 ◽  
Vol 54 (2) ◽  
pp. 67
Author(s):  
Conny Tanjung ◽  
Johannes Bondan Lukito ◽  
Prima Dyarti Meylani

Background Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), the mostcommon malignancy of childhood, has an overall cure rate ofapproximately 80%. Long-term survivors of childhood ALL areat increased risk for obesity and physical inactivity that may leadto the development of diabetes, dyslipidemia, metabolic syndrome,as well as cardiovascular dis eases, and related mortality in theyears following treatment.Objective To evaluate the physical activity and the propensityfor developing obesity longer term in ALL survivors.Methods This retrospective cohort study included all ALLsurvivors from Pantai Indah Kapuk (PIK) Hospital. We assessedtheir physical activity and nutritional status at the first time ofALL diagnosis an d at the time of interview.Results Subjects were 15 ALL survivors aged 7 to 24 years. Themedian fo llow up time was 6.4 years (range 3 to 10 years). Only2 out of 15 survivors were overweight and n one were obese.All survivors led a sedentary lifestyle. Most female subjectshad increased BMI, though most were not overweight/obese.Steroid therapy in the induction phase did not increase the riskof developing obesity in ALL survivors.Conclusion Lon g-term survivors of childh ood ALL do not meetphysical activity recommendations according to the CDC (Centersfor Disease Control). Howevei; steroid therapy do not seem tolead to overweight/obesity in ALL survivors.


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