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Showing papers in "Mesopotamia Journal of Agriculture in 2017"


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The study revealed that the (BCS) exerts an important effect on milk yield, greasy fleece weight and birth weight, and it was found that the superiority of Mamesh ewes were found to be highly significant.
Abstract: This study aimed to estimate the effect of breed, Body Condition Score (BCS) and age on some economic traits of local flock’s ewes. The ewes studied in the present investigation represent three local breeds (53 karadi, 44 Awassi and 47 Mamesh) bred in Erbil plain during the period from January/ 2009 to June /2010.The results showed a highly significant breed effect (p <0.01) on all the studied traits. Mamesh ewes surpassed both Karadi and Awassi ewes in milk yield (102.269, 88.254 and 92.684 kg), respectively, besides the lambs of the same breed were superior in birth weight (4.885kg) and weaning weight (27.612kg) compared with karadi and Awassi lambs. Greasy fleece weights of the Karadi, Awassi and Mamesh ewes were 2.220, 1.829 and 2.585kg respectively. The superiority of Mamesh ewes were found to be highly significant (p <0.01). The study also revealed that the (BCS) exerts an important effect on milk yield, greasy fleece weight and birth weight. Ewes with (BCS) 4 showed a higher milk yield (102.883kg) as comparing with ewes having (BCS) 3(95.083kg) and that having (BCS) 2 (86.391kg) .Correlation coefficient highly significant (p <0.01) between birth weight and milk yield was 0.32and between birth weight and weaning weight was 0.38and between ewes body weight and greasy fleece weight was 0.43.

3 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the effect of rumen degradable protein (RDP) to rumen undegradable protein(RUP) ratio on milk yield, composition and some blood metabolites was studied.
Abstract: Twenty-four lactating Karadi ewes, 3-5 years old and 54±0.69 kg in body weight were used to study the effect of rumen degradable protein (RDP) to rumen undegradable protein (RUP) ratio on milk yield, composition and some blood metabolites. Ewes with their lambs were placed in individual pens and fed ad libitum on three rations containing different levels of RDP:RUP namely 68:32 (T1), 56:44 (T2) and 50:50 (T3). Milk yield was recorded in two successive days at biweekly intervals commencing at 2 nd week post lambing by using hand milking and lamb suckling technique. Also, blood samples were withdrawn at start, mid and at the end of the experimental period (84 days). Daily milk yield and total milk yield averaged 1.16±0.038 and 98.31±4.44 kg, respectively. Feeding ewes protected soybean meal (SBM) resulted in a nonsignificant increase in milk yield in T3 (15.22%), and 12.06% in fat corrected milk (FCM) in T2 as compared to control. A significant (P<0.05) effect of treatment on both percentage and yield of fat and protein was observed. However, the highest fat percent and yield was recorded in T2, whereas, the highest percent and yield of protein was noticed in T2 and T3, respectively. Cholesterol and urea levels was significantly (P<0.05) lower in T1 as compared to other groups.

3 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the effect of four sources of organic manures (alfalfa residue, cow, chicken and sheep) and their concentrations (0, 1 and 2%) on the enzymatic activity of three calcareous soils from Northern Iraq have been studied in a 45-day incubation experiment at 28C and 90% of the field capacity.
Abstract: The effect of four sources of organic manures (alfalfa residue, cow, chicken and sheep) and their concentrations (0, 1 and 2%) on the enzymatic activity of three calcareous soils from Northern Iraq have been studied in a 45-day incubation experiment at 28C and 90% of the field capacity. During this period, the activity of urease, asparginase and glutaminase have been measured at a 2-week intervals. Results indicated that the more the concentration of the added manure, the more the activity of the enzymes. Addition of alfalfa residue resulted in more activity, followed by chicken manure, then sheep. The least effect was obtained in soils treated with cow manure.

3 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The result of interaction among sowing dates, cultivars and plant population showed that the highest seed yield was obtained in Syrian cultivar sown in November using plant population of 50000 plants, therefore, Syrian cultivars sown at second sowing date in two seasons 2008-2009 and 2009-2010 is recommended.
Abstract: To determine the optimum sowing date and plant population for safflower crop (Carthamus tinctorius L.), a factorial experiment was conducted by using randomized completed block design with three replications in AL-Rashidia location about (20 km) west north Nineveh province, Iraq, during the 2008-2009 and 2009-2010 winter growing seasons. Three sowing dates (1 st , 3 rd October, 4 th , 5 th November and 2 nd ,1 st December for two seasons 2008-2009 and 2009-2010 respectively) and two plant populations (50000 and 100000 plants.ha -1 ) were selected. Hartinan, Syrian and Gila cultivars were used. The results showed that the different sowing dates had significant effect on growth characters, yield, yield components and quality, except linoleic acid in 2009-2010 season, the highest mean values were obtained at second sowing date in the two seasons 2008-2009 and 2009-2010. Safflower cultivars significantly differed for all the studied yield, its component and seed quality traits in both seasons, the highest mean values were obtained from Syrian cultivar in both seasons. Seed yield and oil yield influenced by different plant population significantly. Plant population of 50000 plants.ha -1 gave the highest mean for seed oil content and oil yield, while increasing the plant population to 100000 plants.ha -1 caused a significant increase of plant height and palmitic acid percentage in both growing seasons. The result of interaction among sowing dates, cultivars and plant population showed that the highest seed yield was obtained in Syrian cultivar sown in November using plant population of 50000 plants.ha -1 . Therefore, Syrian cultivar sown in November with plant population of 50000 plants.ha -1 is recommended for this region.

2 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the kinetics of ascorbic acid (AA) degradation and nonenzymatic browning (NEB) of heat-treated single strength orange juice (OJ) over a temperature between 70-95 o C for 2-10 min.
Abstract: The kinetics of ascorbic acid (AA) degradation and nonenzymatic browning (NEB) of heat-treated single strength orange juice (OJ) over a temperature between 70-95 o C for 2-10 min. and stored under opaque condition at 4 and 20 o C for 2 months have been studied. Analysis of kinetic data by measuring absorbance at 420 nm (A420) suggested a zero-order reaction for NEB, while AA degradation followed a first-order reaction. The temperature dependence of NEB and AA degradation were adequately modeled by the Arrhenius equation. Activation energy of NEB and AA degradation as affected by heat-treatment and storage condition followed the same trend. The obtained results indicate that AA degradation can be evaluated by the intensity of brown colour development of OJ.

1 citations



Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the effect of soil moisture state on the runoff volume and soil loss by using standard flumes with dimension of 100*12*30 cm was evaluated and the results of the statistical analysis by regressing rainfall depth against runoff depth showed that threshold value of the surface runoff resulted from moist soil state were less than that of dry state.
Abstract: Field experiment was preformed to determine the effect of soil moisture state on the runoff volume and soil loss by using standard flumes with dimension of 100*12*30 cm. The flumes were filled with soil materials <4mm in diameter and leveled at a slope 2%. Some of the flumes were moistened and others were left dry. All the flumes were exposed to the natural precipitation. The results of this study pointed out that the moist state primarily appeared increasing the runoff volume and soil loss in comparison with dry state. The rate of soil loss under water erosion was found to be proportionally related with the soil moisture content. Also the results of the statistical analysis by regressing rainfall depth against runoff depth showed that threshold value of the surface runoff resulted from moist soil state were less than that of dry state.

1 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Goat's (including Merize) number reached at 2973000 animals in Iraq (Planning Ministry of Iraq, central statistical division (1976) and there is no other information about the number, type, strain, and any studies about the Iraqi goats.
Abstract: Eighty Hundred individual's morning and evening milk samples were collected from sixteen Iraqi merize goat mothers for five weeks (35 days) milking and lactating period at spring season with climate temperature ranged between 14-23°C. Milk samples were analyzed for fat, protein, lactose, total solids (TS), and solid nonfat (SNF) percentages, and pH value. The general average of merize goat's milk composition were 3.91, 3.39, 4.60 , 85.52, 8.84, and 12.81% for fat, protein, lactose, water, SNF, and TS respectively. While the pH value was 6.73 at milking time. Those milk chemicals constituents were affected by the Merize goat age. Which affect all the milk chemical constituents, while the pH value was not affected with the goat's age. The fat and lactose of goat's milk distribution along the lactating period were elevated from the first week to the maximal values 4.95 and 4.73% respectively in the second and third weeks for fat and lactose alternatively, and then declined to the minimum values 3.31 and4.44% respectively at the fifth week of lactating period. While the milk water content was adversely proportional to the protein, SNF, and TS percentages. The water percent elevated from the minimum value 83.10% in the first week to the maximum value 87.25% in the fifth week, while the protein, SNF and TS were declined from the maximum values 3.78, 9.38, and 14.16% respectively in the first week to the minimum values 3.25, 8.42, and 11.20% respectively in the fifth week. The milk pH distribution value was elevated from 6.71 in the first to the maximum value 6.78 at the third week then declined to the minimum value 6.66 at the fifth week along the studied lactating period. Received: 3/6/2013, Accepted: 11/11/2013. INTRODUCTION Among all foods, milk is the most complete and balanced in nutritional contents (USDA, 1990). In Iraq, goats and merize (small animal body goats) are mostly lived with the sheep cattle's and widely spread in the northern region of Iraq specially the mountain region, and in few numbers in the meddle region. Goat's (including Merize) number reached at 2973000 animals in Iraq (Planning Ministry of Iraq, central statistical division (1976). From that time till now, there is no other information about the number, type, strain, and any studies about the Iraqi goats (unless the Ph.D. studies of Al-Hammdany in Baghdad University, on the Sannen and Al-Shami goats). The merize goat body weight is less than the normal goat mass weight; it is ranged between 12-15kgs. The Iraqi merize goat color is the white, red or brown and in some cases the black. The main purpose for merize production is the thin hair (mohair) production, which is mainly used for cloth, blancked, and carpet manufacturing, in addition, the merize goat used for the meat and milk production (Alkass and Abdul Razzak, 1982). The numbers of various breeds of goats (including نــٌدـفارــلا ةـــعارز ةـــلـجـم ( دلجملا 54 ) ( ددعلا 5 ) 7102 ISSN: 2224 9796 (Online) ISSN: 1815 316 X (Print) Mesopotamia J. of Agric. Vol. (54) No. (5) 7102 322 Merize goat) in the different areas and countries of the world are presented in the following Table (1): Area and country Million goats Area and country Million goats Africa: 204 North and Central America: 13 Sudan 37 Mexico 9 Nigeria 24 United states 1 Ethiopia 17 South America: 25 Asia: 439 Brazil 13 China 138 Argentina 3 Iraq* 3 Europe: 18 India 121 Greece 6 Pakistan 49 Spain 3 Bangladesh 33 All the Word: 700 Source: Anonymous, (1998). * Planning Ministry of Iraq, central statistical division (1976). There are five major kinds of domesticated goats and Merize goat: 1-The dairy goats. 2-The angora (mohair) goats. 3-The meat goats. 4-The cashmere goats. 5-The pygmy goats (Devendra and MarcaBurns, 1983). Milk produced by dairy goats differs from other domesticated animals milk in that all carotene has been converted into Vit. A in goat milk. The type of curd formed from goat's milk is different from the curd of the other animals milk, because of differences in the major caseins; milk fat in goat's milk is in smaller globules than in other's milk, does not rise or coalesce as readily, and fatty acids. Goat's milk is more readily digested and assimilated by people and animals, because of these differences (Taylor and Field, 2001). Chemical composition of Merize goat milk: The studies of the chemical composition of goat milk was very few, on the other hand, it was absent for the small body goat breed (merize goat), therefore, this study considered to be the first one in Iraq. Recently the Merize goat milk and meat were economically considered to be a benefit values. Jenness and Sloan (1970) reported that the percentage of goat milk total solid, fat, protein and lactose was 13.2, 4.5, 2.9, and 4.1% respectively. The goat milk fat percent was ranged between 3.1 7.7%. Many researches were concluded that, the chemical composition of the goat milk was affected by the goat breed, seasons of the year, climate temperature, feeding on the concentrate materials or grazing on the plants and branches of trees, as well as the goat milk total solids and fat percent were lower values at summer season, especially when goat grazing on plants. While the goat milk total solids and it fat contents elevated at winter and spring, especially when feeding on the concentrate materials (Alkass and Abdul-Razzak, 1982). The milk chemical composition of Turkey Angora Merize goat were 6.0, 4.4, 4.8 and 15.17% for fat, protein, Lactose, and TS, respectively (Devendra and MarcaBurns, 1983). Influence of mother age on the milk chemical composition: The effect of parity and goat age of doe on milk yield are well established. Amble and Jacobi (1959) analyzed 800 lactation records and they found that, milk yields declined from the first to the second lactation, then rose to the fifth, then declined in later lactations. Milk production in the fifth lactation was less than in the first. The data of Mittal et al., (1977) indicated that, milk yields of four years mother age was higher than the yields of younger does. Singh and Acharya (1980) using 3829 lactation records from 1439 Beetal does breed. They found that milk yield was maximum in the third lactation, and نــٌدـفارــلا ةـــعارز ةـــلـجـم ( دلجملا 54 ) ( ددعلا 5 ) 7102 ISSN: 2224 9796 (Online) ISSN: 1815 316 X (Print) Mesopotamia J. of Agric. Vol. (54) No. (5) 7102 323 then declined in the fourth and fifth lactation period. Despite variation in detail, there is a degree of consensus that milk yield reaches a maximum by four or five years old, and does not fall drastically for at least a further three years. Years of age and lactation number do not of course always coincide, particularly breeds which may kid more than once per year, but almost the breeds currently regarded as milk breeds are annual breeders. Few studies showed that, the goat mother age at the delivery time affected the quantity of milk yields, as well as, maximum amount of milk production especially when the goat age reached 15 months, then declined with the continuous aging(Alkass and Abdul-Razzak, 1982). Therefore, the milk yields quantity negatively proportional with the age mother (Alkass and Abdul-Razzak, 1982). In other studies for the Australian goat, Sannen and Toggenburg breeds, the milk production reached the maximum quantity at goat age ranged between 5-7 years (Ronningen, 1964; Alkass and Abdul-Razzak, 1978). The aim of this study firstly was to know the normal milk chemical composition of merize goat lived in Iraq under the tropical Iraqi climate conditions, in normal feeding, and grazing. Secondly was to evaluate the effect of merize mother goat age on its milk chemical constituents. MATERIALS AND METHODS Eight hundred individuals morning and evening of daily milk samples were separately collected from sixteen merize goat mothers (white, black, red, and brown hair breed colors) for five weeks (continuously 35 days) milking and lactating period at spring season (march, 2002) in climate temperature ranged between 14-23° C lived in the Nimrod Institute animal farm / Nineveh state. Merize goat mothers aged 2-5 years old and doe body mass ranged between 12-14 kgs, representing all the doe's mothers in this farm at that time. All the animals were apparently healthy. Those goat mothers were daily fed about 2% of the body weight feeding materials which represented 45% grazing pasture and 55% concentrate ration and straw ad labium (Haenlein, 1999). Representative milk individuals separate samples were quantitatively analyzed daily for the fat by using the original Gerber method according to the British Standard Institution, (1951). Total solids (TS.) were determined according to Ling (1963). Solids nonfat (SNF) was calculated by difference between TS and fat. Protein was determined as milk total nitrogen by the semi-microkjeldahl method according to the Anonymous (A.O.A.C., 1980). Lactose percent was determined according to Anonymous (A.O.A.C., 1980) method. In addition, milk pH value estimated by using the (CORNIN Model 10) pH meter with a glass double electrode. Statistical analysis: All the data were statistically analyzed for the means character of milk chemical constituents using the variance analysis and standard error for those means using the multiple range tests according to Steel and Torrie (1980) following the computer spss program. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION Table (2) showed the milk chemical composition of merize goat individual mothers for five week lactating period. All the goat milk constituents are significantly (p< 0.05) differed with differencing individual mothers and constituents values along the lactation period, These differences were agreed with the conclusion of Mittal (1978); Verma and Chawla (1983), they concluded that, the milk composition of نــٌدـفارــلا ةـــعارز ةـــلـجـم ( دلجملا 54 ) ( ددعلا 5 ) 7102 ISSN: 2224 9796 (Online) ISSN: 1815 316 X (Print) Mesopotamia J. of Agric. Vol. (54) No. (5)

1 citations



Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Morphological examination of piceces confirmed that the patient was affected with the broad fish tapeworm Diphyllobothrium latum which is cause diphyllOBothriasis and was treated with antihelminthes.
Abstract: A man of 42 yare, from Merga -Sur village (135km to the northwest of Erbil city, Kurdistan Region, Iraq) was complaining of the presence a small white fragments in his stool. Morphological examination of these piceces, macroscopically and confirmed that the patient was affected with the broad fish tapeworm Diphyllobothrium latum which is cause diphyllobothriasis. He was treated with antihelminthes (praziquantel, 10mg / Kg single dose) in the hospital.

1 citations



Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, the histological effects of aflatoxin and Toxoplasma gondii on some organs like liver, heart, kidney and brain in mice were examined.
Abstract: This study was conducted for examine the histological effects of aflatoxin and Toxoplasma gondii on some organs like liver, heart, kidney and brain in mice. Were , mice divided into six equal groups; group 1 (untreated control), group 2 were injected intraperitonealy with T. gondii tissue cysts, group 3 fed diets contaminated with 0.5 ppm of aflatoxin, group 4 were fed diets contaminated with 1 ppm aflatoxin, group 5 were fed 0.5 ppm of aflatoxin and injected with T. gondii cysts and group 6 were fed 1 ppm aflatoxin with injected T. gondii tissue cysts. The experiment maintained for 40 days. At the end of the experiment, histological changes were increased specially at groups 5 and 6 including necrosis and lymphocytic infiltration, there are significantly increased in the level of MDA and significantly decrease of GSH level in liver tissue specially in groups (2) and (4) as compared with group (1) normal healthy control.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, the authors determined the morphometric characteristics and sediment size distribution as affected by position of the gullies at northern region of Iraq, and measured the plan area, maximum depression depth, maximum length L and severity index for each gully unit.
Abstract: The objective of this study was to determine the morphometric characteristics and sediment size distribution as affected by position witin the gullies at northern region of Iraq. The plan area, maximum depression depth, maximum length L and severity index for each gully unit were measured. The size distribution of each gully unit was analyzed mechanically for major grain size fractions and were characterized statistically using various type of statistical measures (median size, sorting, and skewness). The results showed that the addition of finer/coarse materials in 1 st and 2 nd catchments was deposited under the prevailing low and high energy conditions respectively. Moreover the ability of the surface soil to accept the accelerated erosion, in these catchments was related to the stability of aggregates to the shearing force of running water. On the basis of this assumption, we can be expected that, the soil loss in the 1 st gully catchment was greater than compared to 2nd, and it seems that the morphometric characteristics and sediment-grain size distribution alone would be insufficient for predicting soil loss from gullies.