Effects of light-emitting diode light v. fluorescent light on growing performance,activity levels and well-being of non-beak-trimmed W-36 pullets

More energy-efficient, readily dimmable, long-lasting and more affordable light-emitting diode (LED) lights are increasingly finding applications in poultry production facilities. Despite anecdotal evidence about the benefits of such lighting on bird performance and behavior, concrete research data were lacking. In this study, a commercial poultry-specific LED light (dim-to-blue, controllable correlated color temperature (CCT) from 4500 to 5300 K) and a typical compact fluorescent light (CFL) (soft white, CCT=2700 K) were compared with regards to their effects on growing performance, activity levels, and feather and comb conditions of non-beak-trimmed W-36 pullets during a 14-week rearing period. A total of 1280-day-old pullets in two successive batches, 640 birds each, were used in the study. For each batch, pullets were randomly assigned to four identical litter-floor rooms equipped with perches, two rooms per light regimen, 160 birds per room. Body weight, BW uniformity (BWU), BW gain (BWG) and cumulative mortality rate (CMR) of the pullets were determined every 2 weeks from day-old to 14 weeks of age (WOA). Activity levels of the pullets at 5 to 14 WOA were delineated by movement index. Results revealed that pullets under the LED and CFL lights had comparable BW (1140±5 g v. 1135±5 g, P=0.41), BWU (90.8±1.0% v. 91.9±1.0%, P=0.48) and CMR (1.3±0.6% v. 2.7±0.6%, P=0.18) at 14 WOA despite some varying BWG during the rearing. Circadian activity levels of the pullets were higher under the LED light than under the CFL light, possibly resulting from differences in spectrum and/or perceived light intensity between the two lights. No feather damage or comb wound was apparent in either light regimen at the end of the rearing period. The results contribute to understanding the impact of emerging LED lights on pullets rearing which is a critical component of egg production.     

延长光照时间对烟草叶片生长发育及光合特性的影响

以烤烟品种‘云烟87’为材料,采用夜间人工补光的方式,以自然光照时间为对照,设置增加1h、2h和3h光照3个处理,研究延长光照时间对烟草生长发育、叶绿素含量及光合作用、叶绿素荧光参数和光响应曲线的影响。结果表明:(1)与对照相比,延长光照时间2h处理下烟株叶长、叶宽、株高显著增加,1h、3h处理影响不显著。(2)延长光照处理显著降低比叶面积,提高叶片叶绿素a、b、叶绿素a+b、类胡萝卜素含量,但1h、3h处理的变化幅度小于2h处理。(3)延长光照时间1h和2h处理下叶片净光合速率(Pn)、气孔导度(Gs)、胞间CO2浓度(Ci)显著升高,3h处理影响不大;延长光照处理显著提高了PSⅡ最大光化学量子效率(Fv/Fm)、PSⅡ实际光化学量子效率(ΦPSⅡ)、光化学淬灭系数(qP),降低了非光化学淬灭系数(NPQ),其中2h处理影响幅度最大,但对初始荧光强度F0影响不显著;延长光照处理下烟草叶片的最大净光合速率(Pmax)和光饱和点(Isat)均升高,但光补偿点(Ic)没有明显的变化。研究表明,适当延长光照时间有利于叶片生长发育和干物质积累,提高叶绿素含量,促进光合作用,缓解光抑制现象,充分利用光能,提高叶片光合同化效率。     

The enhanced effect of supplemented lighting on nutrient removal by an aquatic vegetables (lettuce) purification system from rural domestic sewage

Abstract

Aquatic plant treatment system (APTS) is a widely used sewage purification technique; however, it requires a large area of land due to its long hydraulic retention time. In order to improve the economic value of APTS in the treatment of rural sewage, an aquatic vegetables (lettuce) purification system strengthened with a set of supplemented lighting was evaluated. The effect of supplemented lighting of blue and red light on lettuce growth and sewage purification was studied by batch experiments. The results showed that the lettuce growth and the removal rates of pollutants were enhanced by supplemented lighting, of which red light is superior to blue light, and the increase of red light intensity further promoted the growth of lettuce and the removal rate of pollutants. Supplementary light is a suitable method which could improve the purification effect of APTS in most weather conditions especially in countries where day-night light patterns change substantially between winter and summer. The results would be useful for the APTS design for treating rural domestic sewage.     

Photoluminescence of Alq3‐ and Tb‐activated aluminium–tris(8‐hydroxyquinoline) complex for blue chip‐excited OLEDs

The tris(8‐hydroxyquinoline)–aluminium complex is the most important and widely studied as electron transporting and green light emitting material. Alq₃ and Tb_xAl_(1‐x)q₃ have been synthesized (where x = 0.1, 0.3, 0.5, 0.7 and 0.9) and blended films of Alq₃ and Tb_xAl_(1‐x)q₃ with PMMA and PS at different percentage weight (wt%) concentrations (e.g., 0.1, 1, 5, 10, 25 and 50 wt%) have been prepared. The synthesized materials and their blended thin films have been characterized by a photoluminescence (PL) technique; the synthesis and PL characterization are reported in this paper. The synthesized metal complex shows bright emission of green light with blue light excitation (440 nm) and the prepared Tb_xAl_(1‐x)q₃ phosphor may be applicable in blue chip‐excited OLEDs for the newly developed wallpaper lighting technology. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Tuning the white light spectrum of light emitting diode lamps to reduce attraction of nocturnal arthropods

Artificial lighting allows humans to be active at night, but has many unintended consequences, including interference with ecological processes, disruption of circadian rhythms and increased exposure to insect vectors of diseases. Although ultraviolet and blue light are usually most attractive to arthropods, degree of attraction varies among orders. With a focus on future indoor lighting applications, we manipulated the spectrum of white lamps to investigate the influence of spectral composition on number of arthropods attracted. We compared numbers of arthropods captured at three customizable light-emitting diode (LED) lamps (3510, 2704 and 2728 K), two commercial LED lamps (2700 K), two commercial compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs; 2700 K) and a control. We configured the three custom LEDs to minimize invertebrate attraction based on published attraction curves for honeybees and moths. Lamps were placed with pan traps at an urban and two rural study sites in Los Angeles, California. For all invertebrate orders combined, our custom LED configurations were less attractive than the commercial LED lamps or CFLs of similar colour temperatures. Thus, adjusting spectral composition of white light to minimize attracting nocturnal arthropods is feasible; not all lights with the same colour temperature are equally attractive to arthropods.     

Light pollution alters the phenology of dawn and dusk singing in common European songbirds

Artificial night lighting is expanding globally, but its ecological consequences remain little understood. Animals often use changes in day length as a cue to time seasonal behaviour. Artificial night lighting may influence the perception of day length, and may thus affect both circadian and circannual rhythms. Over a 3.5 month period, from winter to breeding, we recorded daily singing activity of six common songbird species in 12 woodland sites, half of which were affected by street lighting. We previously reported on analyses suggesting that artificial night lighting affects the daily timing of singing in five species. The main aim of this study was to investigate whether the presence of artificial night lighting is also associated with the seasonal occurrence of dawn and dusk singing. We found that in four species dawn and dusk singing developed earlier in the year at sites exposed to light pollution. We also examined the effects of weather conditions and found that rain and low temperatures negatively affected the occurrence of dawn and dusk singing. Our results support the hypothesis that artificial night lighting alters natural seasonal rhythms, independently of other effects of urbanization. The fitness consequences of the observed changes in seasonal timing of behaviour remain unknown.     

测墒补灌对冬小麦氮素积累与转运及籽粒产量的影响

2007-2009年,在田间条件下,以冬小麦品种济麦22为材料,以0-140 cm土层平均土壤相对含水量为指标设计4个测墒补灌试验处理:W0(土壤相对含水量为播种期80%+拔节期65%+开花期65%)、W1(土壤相对含水量为播种期80%+拔节期70%+开花期70%)、W2(土壤相对含水量为播种期80%+拔节期80%+开花期80%)和W3(土壤相对含水量为播种期90%+拔节期80%+开花期80%),研究不同水分处理对冬小麦氮素积累与转运、籽粒产量、水分利用效率及土壤硝态氮含量的影响。结果表明:(1)成熟期小麦植株氮素积累量为W1处理最高,W3处理次之,W0和W2处理最低,W0和W2处理间无显著差异;氮素向籽粒的分配比例为W2处理显著低于W1处理,W0、W1、W3处理间无显著差异。开花期和成熟期营养器官氮素积累量、营养器官氮素向籽粒中的转移量、成熟期籽粒氮素积累量均为W1>W3>W2>W0,各处理间差异显著。(2)随着小麦生育进程的推进,0-200 cm土层土壤硝态氮含量先降低后回升再降低,在拔节期最低。成熟期W0和W1处理0-200 cm土层土壤硝态氮含量较低,W2和W3处理120-200 cm土层土壤硝态氮含量较高。(3)W0处理小麦氮素吸收效率、利用效率和氮肥偏生产力最低;随灌水量的增加,氮素利用效率呈先升高后降低趋势;W1处理小麦对氮素的吸收效率和利用效率较高,氮肥偏生产力最高。W0处理水分利用效率较高,但籽粒产量最低;灌水处理籽粒产量、灌溉水利用效率和灌溉效益两年度均随测墒补灌量的增加而显著降低。在本试验条件下,综合氮素利用、籽粒产量、灌溉水利用效率及土壤中硝态氮的淋溶,W1是高产节水的最佳灌溉处理,在2007-2008年和2008-2009年度补灌量分别为43.83 mm和13.77 mm。     

黄板、黄盆及灯光对麦长管蚜和禾谷缢管蚜的诱捕效果

通过黄板、黄盆及灯光的监测,研究了其对麦长管蚜Sitobion avenae(Fabricius)和禾谷缢管蚜Rhopalosiphum padi(L.)诱捕作用,结果表明2种麦蚜对黄盆的趋性最好,黄盆诱捕量分别为黄板诱捕量的7.94、2.13倍。黑光灯和荧光灯对2种麦蚜的诱捕作用比较试验表明,黑光灯对2种麦蚜的诱捕效果较好。黄盆和黑光灯2种监测手段的结合能够为预测预报提供准确可靠、适时的测报结果。