The effect of tillage systems and crop rotation on microbial biomass phosphorus (MBP) and acid phosphatase (P‐ase) activity, and the amount of different phosphorus (P) forms measured by 31P‐NMR spectroscopy were studied on a field experiment carried out in a temperate Ultisol from southern Chile. Two tillage systems, no tillage (NT) and conventional tillage (CT) and two crop rotations, oat–wheat (OW) and lupine–wheat (LW) were evaluated 4 yr after the start of the experiment to determine the effects of such management on some soil biological parameters and P forms at three depths (0–5, 0–10 and 10–20 cm). Microbial biomass P ranged from 6.5 to 22.6 mg/kg, whereas the mean total P (PT) was 1995 mg/kg for all treatments (OW and LW). Microbial biomass carbon (MBC) and surface P accumulation (at 0–5 cm depth), including Olsen P, MBP, orthophosphate monoesters (monoester‐P), were larger under NT than CT. Tillage effects were greater than crop rotation effects in enhancing P availability. The LW rotation showed enhanced P‐ase activity and increased monoester‐P forms (57 vs. 30% of the total integral area of the spectra, in average) compared with OW. Nevertheless, OW rotation increased orthophosphate (ortho‐P), especially at 10–20 cm. Microbial biomass carbon ranged from 532 to 2351 mg/kg, which represented 1.2–4.5% of total organic C (Co). Furthermore, MBP correlated positively with MBC (r = 0.80), Olsen P (r = 0.77), Co (r = 0.77), pH (r = 0.65), PT (r = 0.65) and P‐ase activity (r = 0.57), suggesting the importance of the microbial biomass on soil P availability.

Changes in the fatty acid composition of egg-yolk fat of hens fed diets with increasing fish meal content are studied by total fatty acid analysis. The fatty acid composition of the major lipid fractions in egg-yolk fat after feeding a highlevel fish meal diet was determined by a combination of thin layer chromatography (t.1.c.) and gas-liquid chromatography (g.1.c.) The changes produced show a fatty acid pattern similar to those of the diets themselves. Long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids are deposited preferentially in the phospholipids, reaching the highest concentration in cephalin and lecithin.

No abstract

Fatty acid residues higher in weight and of different composition than those obtained by the official AOAC method, 17.011(b), are obtained when the following 2 changes are made in this method for the determination of fat in dried egg yolk: (1) the replacement of the recommended HCl (4 + 1) solution by HCl (1 + 1) solution and (2) a mild boiling of the sample-HCl mixture for 20 min instead of heating in a boiling water bath for 30 min. Each yolk fat determination was followed by a GLC fatty acid analysis.

A residual lipid which is not removed by solvent extraction was detected and determined after enzymatic hydrolysis of defatted egg yolk protein. Free fatty acids were found to be the type of lipid bonded to the egg yolk protein. The mode of attachment of these fatty acids to the egg yolk protein is suggested and the composition of the fatty acids is reported.