The effects of grazing intensity and the time of harvesting on pasture utilization were investigated during the grazing seasons of 1997-1999. Meadow fescue (Festuca pratensis Huds.) and perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) were used as pastures in this study. Holstein cows and heifers grazed each pasture type rotationally, and both pastures were harvested once a year in either June or July. The efficiency of pasture utilization increased from 85.8% to 89.7% and the percentage of above-ground dead materials decreased with the increase in grazing intensity regardless of the pasture type. However these factors were not affected by the harvesting time. Higher post-grazing herbage mass resulted in a higher percentage of dead materials in the next grazing rotation; an increase in dead materials resulted in the decrease of herbage nutritive value. These results suggest that high grazing intensity plays an important role in the maintenance of herbage nutritive value by decreasing the post-grazing herbage mass, thereby reducing the percentage of dead materials.

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In order to contribute to rationalization fertilizer application on pasture, we investigated urine excretions in each 10-m square mesh on the sloping pasture (1.5 ha) and calculated urine nutrients according to the number of the urine excretions and urine nutrient content. The annual average urine excretion was negatively correlated with the slope and positively correlated with the relative altitude of the pasture. An intersecting straight line model between the urine excretions and slope showed that the point of intersection was at 10.7°. The urine excretions around the fence and shelter woods were significantly larger than that in the meshes in which grazing facilities were not included (p <0.05). Multiple regression analysis showed that the annual average urine excretions was affected by the presence of more than two adjoined mesh with slopes of 10.7° or less, relative altitude and fence. In 84% of the area of the pasture, urine supplied N and K_2O in quantities that were more than 25% of the fertilizer levels (120 and 30kg/ha of N and K_2O, respectively). The percentages of areas in which urine supplied excess N and K_2O as compared to the fertilizer levels were 29% and 84%, respectively. Potassium fertilizer level on the pasture was originally determined to be lower than that on grassland in the region in view of excretion potassium accumulation to soil. The percentage of areas in which urine supplied excess K_2O as compared to the levels (100-120 kg/ha) in grassland were 29%. These results of urine nutrients were similar to results of excretion nutrients calculated according to dung (Yamada et al. 2011) and urine nutrients. These results indicate that the use of nitrogen and potassium fertilizer can be reduced in wide areas with gentle slope, areas at relatively high altitude and areas around fence.

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The effects of processing, moisture control, crushing of grain, formic acid additive, formic acid plus propionic acid additive, lactic acid bacteria additive and glucose additive on the fermentative quality of fully ripened rice grain silage were analyzed. Storing experiments were conducted using a small-scale silo. The fermentative quality of rice grain silage after 120 days of storage was compared with that after 40 days of storage. We found that the fermentative qualities of fully ripened rice grain silage followed a trend similar to that of yellow-ripened rice grain silage. The formic acid plus propionic acid additive prevented fungi without moisture control. During the long storage period, not only lactic acid but also butyric acid and volatile basic nitrogen increased. The addition of lactic acid bacterium can inhibit increases in butyric acid and volatile basic acid.

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Forage rice production has increased in the rice fields in Japan. In addition, ammonia-collecting equipment has recently been developed. Liquid ammonium sulfate fertilizer (LASF) is produced through a system involving chemical cleaning (by sulfuric acid) and ammonia volatilization from compost. This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of LASF top-dressing for forage rice. The tested rice varieties included 'Haenuki', 'Fukuhibiki', and 'Bekoaoba'. We assigned the varieties to 4 types of top-dressing treatments :1) Conventional method-chemical fertilizer, 3 kgN/10 a (CF); 2) Small amounts of fertilizer-LASF, 3 kgN/10 a (SF); 3) Moderate fertilizer-LASF, 6 kgN/10 a (MF); and 4) Large amounts of fertilizer-LASF, 9 kgN/10 a (LF). Through these treatments, the leaf color in the LF group was approximately 50% brighter than that of the CF group (p < 0.05). Plant length, the stem number and culm length in the MF and LF groups tended to show higher values than those in the CF and SF groups. Moreover, in top dry weight and crude brown rice production, MF and LF groups showed approximately 15 % higher yield than the CF and SF groups. Therefore, LASF is a suitable topdressing treatment for forage rice, and MF is suggested to be the most effective rate of application.

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This study examined the effect of the ensuing season, storage period, and mixture ratio of shochu condensed distiller grain (SCDG) on the fermentation quality of a fermented total mixed ration (TMR). During the ensuing season, TMR fermentation was vigorous in the summer, but it was restricted during the winter, irrespective of the SCDG type. During the storage period, fermentation advanced immediately during the summer and was almost completed in 3 weeks, although it was insufficient in 3 weeks during the winter. The SCDG mixture ratio showed that TMR mixed with rice or barley SCDG was well preserved irrespective of the mixture ratio, which suggests that 10-20 % of the mixture per dried matter was suitable to obtain the desired fermentation quality and for the occurrence of aerobic deterioration. In contrast, when sweet potato SCDG was added to TMR, the fermentation quality of TMR was excellent, as demonstrated by the high Flieg score, but fermentation was inhibited. In winter, TMR mixed with sweet potato SCDG showed high pH and less lactic acid content.

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Chemical control treatments of American black nightshade (Solanum americanum Mill.) in silage corn were evaluated. Field experiments were conducted to determine the effects of three herbicide application systems and one was left untreated. Treatments consisted of atrazine+metolachlor (7.4+11.0g ai/a (gram active ingredient per are)) pre-mix formulation applied at PRE, dimethenamid+linuron (7.0+6.0 g ai/a) pre-mix formulation applied at PRE followed by atrazine+metolachlor (7.4+11.0 g ai/a) pre-mix formulation at POST, and nicosulfuron (0.6 g ai/a) applied at POST. Weed dry weights were decreased to 11-26% of that in the untreated plots by each herbicide treatments. American black nightshade plant number and its proportion in residual weeds were larger compared with the others for POST nicosulfuron treatment. PRE atrazine+metolachlor, and PRE dimethenamid+linuron with POST atrazine+metolachlor application exhibited effective American black nightshade control. POST nicosulfuron alone would increase American black nightshade, instead.

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