Genetic improvement of forage crops – past, present and future

2005 ◽  
Vol 143 (6) ◽  
pp. 441-448 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. O. HUMPHREYS
Keyword(s):  
Nutritive Value ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Red Clover ◽  
Farming Systems ◽  
Animal Production ◽  
N Fixation ◽  
Forage Legumes ◽  
Livestock Farming ◽  
Forage Crops ◽  
Livestock Farming Systems

Grass is a complex crop and its value for agriculture must be assessed in terms of the quantity and quality of downstream livestock products (milk, meat and wool). In addition to being a natural low-cost feed for ruminants, grassland protects soil and water resources and enhances the landscape. Temperate grasslands support a major share of the world's milk and beef production but now there is increasing emphasis on sustainability in livestock farming systems rather than maximizing outputs. The economic sustainability of livestock producers in many developed temperate regions is increasingly linked to production from fewer animals giving a higher quality product. A key element in the efficiency of all grassland systems is to optimize the protein/energy balance of forage and value it in a similar way to other livestock feeds. Grasses are rich in energy comprising structural and non-structural carbohydrates while forage legumes are rich in protein. The main forage legumes used in Europe are white and red clover, and lucerne, which form an essential part of sustainable farming systems because of their high nutritive value and ability to fix nitrogen. The productivity of grasslands containing legumes generally reflects the amount of N fixation, which is 65–280 kg/ha/year in W. Europe. Animal production from white clover-based pastures in Europe can be 0·8 that obtained from grass pastures fertilized with 400 kg N/ha/year, and that from lucerne and red clover can be equivalent to animal production from such pastures.

Performance of indigenous and exotic×indigenous sheep breeds fed different diets in spring and the efficiency of feeding system in crop–livestock farming

2014 ◽  
Vol 153 (3) ◽  
pp. 554-569 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. ATES ◽  
G. KELES ◽  
F. INAL ◽  
A. GUNES ◽  
B. DHEHIBI
Keyword(s):  
Nutritive Value ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Farming Systems ◽  
Early Spring ◽  
Late Spring ◽  
Feeding System ◽  
Feed Conversion ◽  
Livestock Farming ◽  
Spring Period ◽  
Sheep Production

SUMMARYGenetic variation in feed efficiency may have a significant impact on sheep production in integrated crop livestock farming systems in dry areas, where the shortage and poor quality of feed is widespread. Thus, the present study was carried out to investigate the effects of sheep genotype and feed source on liveweight gain, feed conversion efficiency and dry matter (DM) intake in feedlot lambs finished on diets based on low-cost forages or a high-cost concentrated feed as a means of assessing the efficiency of this feeding system. Early weaned lambs of the purebred fat-tailed Akkaraman breed were compared with synthetic Anatolian Merino (0·80 German Mutton Merino×0·20 Native Akkaraman) breed. The lambs were kept in individual pens for 8 weeks and fed four diets: daily harvested forages of triticale (T), Hungarian vetch (HV), a triticale-Hungarian vetch mixture (T+HV), and a concentrate-based feed (CF). Lamb liveweight gain (LWG) was monitored during the early (18 April–16 May) and late (17 May–13 June) spring periods. Diet×period and diet×breed interactions were detected in LWG of the lambs. Lambs from both genotypes on the concentrate-based diet had higher liveweight gains, DM intakes and better feed conversion ratios compared with lambs finished on the forage-based diets. The LWG of lambs offered triticale forage decreased from 177 g/head/day in the early spring to 95 g/head/day in the late spring period, as plant maturity increased. Liveweight gains did not change for the other forage rations during the same period. The LWG of Akkaraman lambs were similar for both the early (189 g/head/day) and the late (183 g/head/day) spring periods, whereas Anatolian Merino lambs gained 41 g/head/day less LW and had 3·8 higher feed conversion rate for the late spring period compared with the early spring period. The present study showed that fat-tailed Akkaraman lambs were better able to utilize forages with low nutritive value compared to Anatolian Merino lambs, and may be better suited to semi-arid areas, where crop and livestock are highly integrated in the farming system.

Forage brassicas have potential for wider use in drier, mixed crop–livestock farming systems across Australia

2020 ◽  
Vol 71 (10) ◽  
pp. 924
Author(s):  
Lindsay W. Bell ◽  
Lucinda J. Watt ◽  
Rebecca S. Stutz
Keyword(s):  
Health Risks ◽  
Nutritive Value ◽  
Animal Health ◽  
Farming Systems ◽  
Arid Environments ◽  
Livestock Farming ◽  
Potential Health ◽  
Livestock Farming Systems ◽  
Pratylenchus Thornei ◽  
Mixed Crop

Forage brassicas are currently widely used in temperate–humid livestock systems; however, they offer potential to diversify crop rotation and forage options in the drier, mixed crop–livestock zone of Australia. A literature review highlighted that in these hotter and more arid environments, forage brassicas are more likely to fit as autumn-sown forage crop where they offer an energy-rich, highly digestible feed source that could be used during periods of low production and nutritive value of other forage sources. However, brassicas can also accumulate several anti-nutritional compounds that require gradual introduction to livestock diets, thereby reducing potential health risks and optimising animal performance. Preliminary experimental and commercial evaluations in subtropical Australia found high production of some forage brassica genotypes (>5 t DM/ha with growth rates of 50–60 kg DM/ha.day), comparable or superior to widely used forage cereal or forage legume options. Several forage brassicas showed moderate to high resistance to the root-lesion nematode, Pratylenchus thornei, and hence are likely to provide break-crop benefits compared with susceptible species (e.g. wheat). Together, this evidence suggests that forage brassicas have significant potential for wider use in crop–livestock farming systems in Australia. However, research is needed to identify genotypic adaptation and to match different forage brassica genotypes to production environments or system niches, especially some of the new genotypes that are now available. There is also a need to develop regionally-relevant recommendations of agronomic and grazing management that optimise forage and animal production, and mitigate potential animal health risks.

scholarly journals Agroecological practices to support tropical livestock farming systems: a Caribbean and Latin American perspective

2021 ◽  
Vol 53 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Gisele Alexandre ◽  
Lylian Rodriguez ◽  
Javier Arece ◽  
José Delgadillo ◽  
Gary Wayne Garcia ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Latin American ◽  
Farming Systems ◽  
Livestock Farming ◽  
Livestock Farming Systems ◽  
American Perspective

scholarly journals Nanotechnology and Reproductive Management of Farm Animals: Challenges and Advances

Animals ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (7) ◽  
pp. 1932
Author(s):  
Nesrein M. Hashem ◽  
Antonio Gonzalez-Bulnes
Keyword(s):  
Management Strategies ◽  
Farming Systems ◽  
Biological Molecules ◽  
Farm Animals ◽  
Physiological Status ◽  
Livestock Farming ◽  
Reproductive Management ◽  
Livestock Farming Systems ◽  
Reproductive Disease ◽  
Nutritional Strategies

Reproductive efficiency of farm animals has central consequences on productivity and profitability of livestock farming systems. Optimal reproductive management is based on applying different strategies, including biological, hormonal, nutritional strategies, as well as reproductive disease control. These strategies should not only guarantee sufficient reproductive outcomes but should also comply with practical and ethical aspects. For example, the efficiency of the biological- and hormonal-based reproductive strategies is mainly related to several biological factors and physiological status of animals, and of nutritional strategies, additional factors, such as digestion and absorption, can contribute. In addition, the management of reproductive-related diseases is challenged by the concerns regarding the intensive use of antibiotics and the development of antimicrobial resistant strains. The emergence of nanotechnology applications in livestock farming systems may present innovative and new solutions for overcoming reproductive management challenges. Many drugs (hormones and antibiotics), biological molecules, and nutrients can acquire novel physicochemical properties using nanotechnology; the main ones are improved bioavailability, higher cellular uptake, controlled sustained release, and lower toxicity compared with ordinary forms. In this review, we illustrate advances in the most common reproductive management strategies by applying nanotechnology, considering the current challenges of each strategy.

Options for the better use of less nitrogen on livestock farms

2014 ◽  
Vol 5 (s1) ◽  
pp. 59-67
Author(s):  
J.-L. Peyraud ◽  
P. Cellier ◽  
P. Dupraz ◽  
F. Aarts ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Water Framework Directive ◽  
Farming Systems ◽  
Aquatic Environments ◽  
Ammonia Emissions ◽  
Ecological State ◽  
Livestock Farming ◽  
Livestock Farming Systems ◽  
Northern European ◽  
International Regulations ◽  
Nitrates Directive

The previous articles have shown that preoccupations concerning discharge of nitrate emissions are not recent, even if they have not yet resulted in expected reductions. The Water Framework Directive, which aims at a ‘good’ ecological state of all aquatic environments in 2015, enlarges the objectives of the Nitrates Directive. We are currently witnessing the broadening of objectives for reducing emissions of all forms of nitrogen from livestock farming systems to other compartments, in particular the atmosphere. The reduction of ammonia emissions, which was a little concerned by the French context until now, is a priority for animal systems in several northern European countries. It is a subject of intense efforts of international regulations.

scholarly journals Evolution of livestock farming systems and landscape changes

2009 ◽  
Vol 4 (3s) ◽  
pp. 19 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maurizio Ramanzin ◽  
Luca M. Battaglini ◽  
Luciano Morbidini ◽  
Mariano Pauselli ◽  
Giuseppe Pulina
Keyword(s):  
Farming Systems ◽  
Landscape Changes ◽  
Livestock Farming ◽  
Livestock Farming Systems

Novel approaches to evaluate sustainability of pasture-based livestock systems

2016 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 185-190
Author(s):  
A. Bernués
Keyword(s):  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
Public Goods ◽  
Policy Design ◽  
Economic Value ◽  
Market Price ◽  
Farming Systems ◽  
Agricultural Landscapes ◽  
Livestock Farming ◽  
Livestock Farming Systems ◽  
Livestock Systems

Pasture-based livestock systems, often located in High Value Nature farmland areas, hold the greatest potential to deliver public goods across European agricultural systems. They play an important role in preserving agricultural landscapes, farmland biodiversity, cultural heritage, and in sustaining rural development. However, many of these functions are ignored in evaluation frameworks because public goods do not have market price and are often ignored in policy design, so farmers do not get the appropriate incentives to provide them. Different conceptual frameworks can be utilized to evaluate the multiple functions or services of these systems: Multifunctional Agriculture, Ecosystem Services, and Total Economic Value. We analyze the common characteristics of these concepts (e.g. they place human benefits and societal demands at the core of their definitions), their specificities (e.g. use of different units of analysis and spatial-temporal scales), and how they can be embedded in the wider concept of sustainability. Finally, we illustrate how the different concepts can be combined to evaluate pasture-based livestock farming systems from a socio-cultural and economic perspective. The public goods (ecosystem services) provided by representative case studies in Mediterranean and Nordic regions are quantified (also in monetary terms) under different environmental/policy scenarios. The results show that there is a clear underestimation of the socio-cultural and economic values of ecosystem services provided by these farming systems. They also show that the social welfare loss linked to further abandonment of livestock farming, and the associated environmental degradation, is very large. From a societal perspective, it is necessary to jointly measure the biophysical, socio-cultural and monetary values of ecosystem services (market and nonmarket) in order to promote the sustainability of pasture-based livestock systems.

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