PSIX-4 Comparison of water footprint in roughage-fed and grain-fed beef cattle finishing systems

2021 ◽  
Vol 99 (Supplement_3) ◽  
pp. 443-444
Author(s):  
Aghata Elins Moreira da Silva ◽  
Arturo Macias Franco ◽  
Felipe Henrique de Moura ◽  
Kelli Noelle Bangert ◽  
Aaron B Norris ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Beef Cattle ◽  
Water Use Efficiency ◽  
Water Use ◽  
Water Footprint ◽  
Random Effect ◽  
Experimental Period ◽  
High Water ◽  
Water Usage ◽  
Angus Cattle ◽  
Use Efficiency

Abstract Beef cattle production has been argued to represent a massive player on water usage given the high-water footprint (WF) attributed to the livestock sector. From a water usage mitigation standpoint, at the animal level, manipulation of drinkable water is possible since major differences in water utilization are highly related to diet composition and feed quality. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of two cattle finishing systems, grain-finished versus roughage-finished on dry matter intake (DMI), water intake (WI), WF and water use efficiency (WUE) of Angus cattle. Twenty-four steers (385 ± 10.80 kg) were fed either alfalfa only (roughage-finished) or predominantly whole grain (80% corn and 20% alfalfa). Individual DMI and WI were measured for 105 days. Water footprint was expressed as amount of green (rainwater; WFg), blue (surface and groundwater; WFb), and grey (waste; WFgy) water used for feed production and WI of animals, and the sum of all three represents the total WF (TWF). The WUE was calculated as the integral between water used during the experimental period, and then converted into water efficiency as divided by cold carcass weight (CCW). Differences amongst treatments were compared via orthogonal contrast using the GLIMMIX procedure of SAS (version 9.4) with treatment as fixed effect and animals as a random effect. Roughage-fed animals presented significantly higher WI and DMI (P = 0.0005 and P < 0.0001, respectively), 80 kg lighter CCW (P = 0.0005) when compared to grain-finished animals. Grain-finished animals had a lower WFb WFgy, and TWF (P < 0.0001), but a higher WFg (P < 0.0001). Water use efficiency was twice as high for roughage-fed animals. Therefore, for the finishing phase, steers finished on a grains had a lower WF when compared to roughage-fed animals.

scholarly journals Environmental and Economic Sustainability Assessment for Two Different Sprinkler and A Drip Irrigation Systems: A Case Study on Maize Cropping

Agriculture ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (9) ◽  
pp. 187 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eros Borsato ◽  
Marco Martello ◽  
Francesco Marinello ◽  
Lucia Bortolini
Keyword(s):  
Growth Rate ◽  
Water Use Efficiency ◽  
Water Use ◽  
Drip Irrigation ◽  
Water Footprint ◽  
Irrigation Systems ◽  
Environmental Aspect ◽  
Irrigation Practice ◽  
Center Pivot ◽  
Use Efficiency

Water scarcity is worsened by climate change. Water savings can be reached by improving irrigation efficiency both on farm and on water supply. To do that, the choice of the best irrigation technology is not always straightforward, because farmers need to renew and implement farm infrastructures for irrigation. This study compares three irrigation systems, one drip irrigation and two sprinkler (center pivot and hose-reel) systems, on environmental, economic, and energetic performance under irrigated and non-irrigated maize cropping. The study combines impact and efficiency indicators, addressing a sustainability analysis for the irrigation practice under the three different irrigation systems. The sustainability for the irrigation systems was assessed using water-related indicators (water use efficiency, irrigation water use efficiency, and water footprint), biomass (crop growth rate, relative growth rate, harvest index, and yield response factor), and energy indicators (energy footprint, performance, and energy cost footprint) for the environmental aspect; and the economic-based indicators (water productivity and economic water footprint) for the economic aspect. Main results address the center pivot system as the best solution for irrigation practice since it demonstrated higher economic and environmental performance. Moreover, maize under the pivot system allowed a higher biomass production, economic benefits, and water use efficiency.

Water-use efficiency on irrigated dairy farms in northern Victoria and southern New South Wales

2000 ◽  
Vol 40 (5) ◽  
pp. 643 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. P. Armstrong ◽  
J. E. Knee ◽  
P. T. Doyle ◽  
K. E. Pritchard ◽  
O. A. Gyles
Keyword(s):  
Water Use Efficiency ◽  
Milk Production ◽  
Water Use ◽  
Milk Fat ◽  
Large Range ◽  
New South ◽  
Dairy Farms ◽  
High Water ◽  
South Wales ◽  
Use Efficiency

A survey of 170 randomly selected, irrigated, dairy farms in northern Victoria and 9 in southern New South Wales was conducted to examine and benchmark the key factors influencing water-use efficiency. Water-use efficiency was defined as the amount of milk (kg milk fat plus protein) produced from pasture per megalitre of water (irrigation plus effective rainfall). Information on water-use, milk production, supplementary feeding, farm size and type, pasture management, and irrigation layout and management was collected for each farm by personal interview for the 1994–95 and 1995–96 seasons. The farms were ranked in the order of water-use efficiency with the average farm compared with the highest and lowest 10% of farms. The range in water-use efficiency was 25–115 kg milk fat plus protein/ML, with the highest 10% averaging 94 kg/ML and the lowest 10% averaging 35 kg/ML. The large range in water-use efficiency indicated potential for substantial improvement on many farms. The high water-use efficiency farms, when compared with the low group: (i) produced a similar amount of milk from less water (387 v. 572 ML) (P<0.05), less land (48 v. 83 ha) (P< 0.05) and a similar number of cows (152 v. 143 cows); (ii) had higher estimated pasture consumption per hectare (11.5 v. 5.5 t DM/ha) (P<0.01) and per megalitre (1.0 v. 0.5 t DM/ML) (P<0.01); (iii) had higher stocking rates (3.2 v. 1.8 cows/ha) (P<0.01); (iv) used higher rates of nitrogen fertiliser (59 v. 18 kg N/ha.year) (P<0.05) and tended to use more phosphorus fertiliser (64 v. 34 kg P/ha.year) (P<0.10); (v) used similar levels of supplementary feed (872 v. 729 kg concentrates/cow); (vi) had higher milk production per cow (396 v. 277 kg fat plus protein) (P<0.05); and (vii) directed a higher proportion of the estimated energy consumed by cows into milk production (53 v. 46%) (P<0.05). The survey data confirmed that irrigated dairy farm systems are complex and variable. For example, the amount of feed brought in from outside the milking area varied from 0 to 74% of the estimated total energy used by a milking herd. There was a large range in the level of supplement input amongst the farms in the high water-use efficiency group, and in the low water-use efficiency group. This indicates that the management of the farming system has a greater impact on the efficiency of water-use on irrigated dairy farms, than the type of system. The data from the survey provide information for individual farms, a measure of the water-use efficiency of the industry, and an indication of the quality of regional land and water resources.

Mutual physiological genetic mechanism of plant high water use efficiency and nutrition use efficiency

2007 ◽  
Vol 57 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hong-Xing Cao ◽  
Zheng-Bin Zhang ◽  
Ping Xu ◽  
Li-Ye Chu ◽  
Hong-Bo Shao ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Water Use Efficiency ◽  
Water Use ◽  
High Water ◽  
Genetic Mechanism ◽  
Use Efficiency

High crop productivity with high water use in winter and summer on the Liverpool Plains, eastern Australia

2008 ◽  
Vol 59 (4) ◽  
pp. 303 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. R. Young ◽  
P.-J. Derham ◽  
F. X. Dunin ◽  
A. L. Bernardi ◽  
S. Harden
Keyword(s):  
Water Use Efficiency ◽  
Soil Water ◽  
Water Use ◽  
High Water ◽  
Crop Productivity ◽  
Transpiration Efficiency ◽  
Eastern Australia ◽  
Use Efficiency ◽  
Water Outflow ◽  
Almost All

We report exceptional productivity and associated water-use efficiency across seasons for commercial crops of rainfed spring wheat and grain sorghum growing on stored soil water in Vertosols on the Liverpool Plains, central-eastern Australia. Agreement between the independently measured terms of evapotranspiration (ET) and the soil water balance (in-crop rainfall + δsoil water) was achieved within acceptable uncertainty across almost all measurement intervals, to provide a reliable dataset for the analysis of growth and water-use relationships without the confounding influence of water outflow either overland or within the soil. Post-anthesis intrinsic transpiration efficiency (kc ) values of 4.7 and 7.2 Pa for wheat and sorghum, respectively, and grain yields of 8 and 7 t/ha from ET of 450 and 442 mm (1.8 and 1.6 g/m2.mm), clearly demonstrate the levels of productivity and water-use efficiency possible for well-managed crops within an intensive and productive response cropping sequence. The Vertosols in which the crops were grown enabled rapid and apparently unconstrained delivery of significant quantities of subsoil water (34% and 51% of total available) after anthesis, which enabled a doubling of pre-anthesis standing biomass and harvest indices of almost 50%. Durum wheat planted into only 0.30 m of moist soil and enduring lower than average seasonal rainfall, yielded less biomass and grain (2.3 t/ha) with lower water-use efficiency (0.95 g/m2.mm) but larger transpiration efficiency, probably due to reduced stomatal conductance. We argue that crop planting in response to stored soil water and management for high water-use efficiency to achieve high levels of average productivity of crop sequences over time can have a significant effect on both increased productivity and enhanced hydrological stability across alluvial landscapes.

scholarly journals Introducing Cereus into an Arid Region as a New Fruit Crop

HortScience ◽  
2004 ◽  
Vol 39 (4) ◽  
pp. 753C-753
Author(s):  
Ahmed ElObeidy*
Keyword(s):  
Water Use Efficiency ◽  
Water Use ◽  
High Water ◽  
Arid Environment ◽  
Water Shortages ◽  
Drought Tolerant ◽  
Species Characteristics ◽  
Use Efficiency ◽  
Healthy Growth ◽  
Very High

One of the major steps in responding to imminent water shortages in the Middle East is improving water use efficiency. Drought-resistant crops would be an effective technology to curb rising demands of water. Columnar Cactus species characteristics fit with most of the requirements of a drought tolerant crop with very high water-use efficiency. Cereus cacti have physiological and morphological methods of exploiting environments that would soon desiccate other plants. Four Cereus species were introduced into UAE deserts and could be ideal for establishing crop plantations in the arid environment. The introduced fruiting cacti are Cereus hexagonus, C. pachanoi, C. peruvianus, and C. validus. Plants were propagated by cuttings in the greenhouse. Cuttings developed roots within 2*&8211;4 weeks of planting. The propagated plants were acclimatized and transplanted into the field in the desert. C. peruvianus was the most promising in the new environment in terms of its high adaptability and healthy growth in the new environment. C. pachanoi grew very fast, averaging up to a fifteen centimeter a month of new growth. C. pachanoi was recommended as a rootstock for other species. C. validus could not survive the new environment.

PSXIII-9 Effects of lipid and starch isoenergetic supplementation as mitigation techniques on water footprint and health of nursing Holstein calves

2021 ◽  
Vol 99 (Supplement_3) ◽  
pp. 462-463
Author(s):  
Arturo Macias Franco ◽  
Aghata Elins Moreira da Silva ◽  
Felipe Henrique de Moura ◽  
Karin Van den Broek ◽  
Aaron B Norris ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Water Use Efficiency ◽  
Water Use ◽  
Corn Starch ◽  
Water Footprint ◽  
Randomized Design ◽  
Diet Formulation ◽  
Bull Calves ◽  
Spent Grains ◽  
Use Efficiency ◽  
Ad Libitum

Abstract Water footprint (WF) of livestock can be manipulated to improve water use efficiency. The dynamics of water use by Holstein nursing bull calves (HBC) is not very well stablished. The physiological and anatomical status of HBC permits for precise-diet manipulation aiming to decreasing voluntary water intake (WI); however, WI mitigation raises concerns about potential adverse effects on hydration and health. The goals herein involve investigation of the effects of two isoenergetic supplements top-dressed on ad libitum non-medicated milk-replacer (MR) on health, hydration, and WF of HBC. A total of 23 HBC weighing 94.67 ± 12.07 kg, 2 months old, were distributed in a completely randomized design receiving one of three diets for 67 days: control (CON; n = 7) received MR only, the lipid (FAT; n = 8) received MR supplemented with fish oil (3%), and the carbohydrate (CHO; n = 8) received corn starch (7%). All animals were offered mineral mix and water ad libitum, and 120 g daily dried brewer’s spent grains. Data were analyzed with the GLMMIX procedure of SAS 9.4 with diets as fixed effect. The WF was significantly decreased for the CHO group (P &lt; 0.01). When WF values were adjusted by cold carcass weight (CCW), the CHO and FAT groups displayed a 100 L decrease in WF values compared to the CON. Though statistically significant differences were observed for Neutrophil count, lymphocyte count, and their ratio (NLR, as well as for total protein and fecal fluidity score (P &lt; 0.05), the observed ranges were within healthy thresholds for HBC. Skin hydration was assessed through use of a skin moisture meter which resulted in the CHO group having significantly higher skin capacitance of 5.30 compared to CON = 3.76, and FAT= 3.99. These results evidence the possibility of increasing water use efficiency with precision diet formulation without adverse health and hydration effects.

Water Use, Grain Yield, and Osmoregulation in Wheat

1986 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 523 ◽  
Author(s):  
JM Morgan ◽  
AG Condon
Keyword(s):  
Grain Yield ◽  
Water Use Efficiency ◽  
Soil Water ◽  
Water Use ◽  
Harvest Index ◽  
High Water ◽  
Total Water ◽  
Water Deficits ◽  
Turgor Maintenance ◽  
Use Efficiency

Genotypic differences in turgor maintenance in wheat were shown to be associated with differences in grain yield in the field at both high and Low water deficits. High water deficits were produced by growing plants in field plots using water stored in the soil at sowing, and excluding rain with a rain cover. At low water deficits plants received rainfall, and irrigation was supplied before and immediately after sowing, at tillering, at jointing, at ear emergence, and during grain filling. Yield differences were analysed in terms of harvest index, water use, and water use efficiency. Water use was calculated from changes in soil water contents. At high water deficits all three factors were associated with differences in turgor maintenance. However, only the variations in water use and harvest index could be logically associated with differences in turgor maintenance. Analysis of the soil water extraction data showed that the differences in water use efficiency were due solely to differences in water use at depth while surface water losses were the same, i.e. the ratio of transpiration to soil evaporation would have been higher in low-osmoregulating genotypes. At low water deficits, no differences were observed in harvest index, though there were non-significant correlations between turgor maintenance and total water use efficiency or total water use. A similar result was obtained when the water use and yield data were related to osmoregulation measurements made in the glasshouse. It is therefore concluded that effects of turgor maintenance or osmoregulation on grain yield were primarily associated with differences in water use which were, in turn, due to differences in water extraction at soil depths between 25 and 150 cm.

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