ORIGINAL RESEARCH
Effects of Fertilization on Physiological
and Biochemical Parameters of Wumeng Sheep
in China’s Wumeng Prairie
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1
School of Life Science and Engineering, Southwest University of Science and Technology, Mianyang, China
2
State Engineering Technology Institute for Karst Desertification Control, Guizhou Normal University, Guiyang, China
3
World Bank Poverty Alleviation Project Office in Guizhou, Southwest China, Guiyang, China
Submission date: 2018-08-15
Final revision date: 2018-11-24
Acceptance date: 2018-12-03
Online publication date: 2019-08-09
Publication date: 2019-10-23
Pol. J. Environ. Stud. 2020;29(1):79-85
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ABSTRACT
To explore the effects of fertilization on physiological and biochemical parameters in the blood
of the Wumeng semi-fine wool sheep and select the optimum fertilizer type, we carried out fertilization
and grazing experiments on the perennial artificial grassland in Wumeng Prairie. The content of mineral
elements in soil, forage and animal tissues was analyzed by atomic emission spectrometry. The blood
parameters were analyzed by automatic blood cell analyzer and the blood biochemical parameters
were detected by automatic biochemical analyzer. The results showed that fertilization significantly
increased nitrogen content (P<0.01), but there was no significant difference between different fertilization
treatments. Ammonium sulfate substantially increased the sulfur content of forage (P<0.01) and
dramatically decreased the selenium content of forage (P<0.01). At the end of the grazing experiment,
the content of copper, iron and selenium in the blood of the Wumeng sheep in the grassland enriched
with ammonium sulfate was significantly lower than that in the grassland enriched with ammonium
nitrate and the control group (P<0.01), and the sulfur content in the blood of the animals was obviously
higher than that in the prairie enriched with ammonium nitrate and the control group (P<0.01).
Ammonium sulfate fertilization evidently reduced the hemoglobin and erythrocyte hematocrit capacity
of the sheep (P<0.01), while serum ceruloplasmin content, serum superoxide dismutase activity,
serum glutathione peroxidase activity and serum catalase activity were significantly lower than that in
the prairie enriched with ammonium nitrate and the control group (P<0.01). There were no significant
differences in other trace elements, blood parameters and serum biochemical parameters between
the fertilization treatment and the control group. Consequently, it is concluded that ammonium sulfate
fertilization inhibit the metabolism of trace elements and decline some of the blood physiological
and biochemical parameters in the sheep, which has a negative effect on their health, so we have
suggested that the use of ammonium sulfate fertilizer should be reduced in pastures with low selenium,
iron and copper contents.