scholarly journals Heat stress mitigation strategies for beef cattle under intensive finishing in the Mexican dry tropics

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ana Citlaly Zazueta Gutierrez ◽  
Ana Mireya Romo Valdez ◽  
Beatriz Isabel Castro Perez ◽  
Francisco Gerardo Ríos Ríncon
Keyword(s):  
Heat Stress ◽  
Beef Cattle ◽  
Agricultural Sector ◽  
Climatic Conditions ◽  
Mitigation Strategies ◽  
Tropical Region ◽  
Housing Conditions ◽  
Living Space ◽  
Dry Tropics ◽  
Beef Cattle Production

Objective: Review the heat stress mitigation strategies in intensive cattle feedlots in the tropical region of México.Approach: Beef cattle production is one of the principal activities of the agricultural sector; therefore, to maintain the inventory in intensive finishing pens, a considerable number of cattle are moved to geographic areas where climatic conditions are not always favorable for most of the year. High environmental temperature combined with relative humidity create heat stress conditions andconsequently affecting the productive indicators by compromising the physiologicalstability of the cattle.Implications: The improvement of housing conditions to mitigate the effects of heat stress in beef cattle in intensive finishing involves considering living space, available shade area, feeding and watering space that assure the cattle welfare during their stay in livestock production units. Conclusions: Heat stress mitigation strategies in beef cattle during intensive finishing in practical conditions should contribute to animal welfare and them improvement of the productive indicators at the Mexican dry tropics.

PSVIII-19 Greenhouse gas emissions from beef cattle production in Brazil: how we can mitigate from animal operations?

2021 ◽  
Vol 99 (Supplement_3) ◽  
pp. 430-430
Author(s):  
Andre Pastori D Aurea ◽  
Abmael S da Silva Cardoso ◽  
Lauriston Bertelli Fernandes ◽  
Ricardo Andrade Reis ◽  
Luis Eduardo Ferreira ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Carbon Dioxide ◽  
Beef Cattle ◽  
Agricultural Sector ◽  
Average Daily Gain ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Primary Data ◽  
Cattle Production ◽  
Production Chain ◽  
Beef Cattle Production ◽  
Carbon Dioxide Equivalent

Abstract In Brazil beef cattle production is one of the most important activities in the agricultural sector and has an important impact on environmental and resources consumption. In this study assessed greenhouses gases (GHG) impacts from on farms representative productive system and the possible improvements of the production chain. Primary data from animal production index and feeding were collected from 17 farms, which covers 300.000 animals and 220.000 hectares. Emissions of methane, nitrous oxide and carbon dioxide were made using intergovernmental panel on climate change (IPCC) guidelines for national inventories. The GHG inventory included emissions from animals, feeds and operations for animal operation from “cradle to farm gate”. Emissions of each farm were converted to carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2eq) and divided by carcass production. Regression analysis between carbon dioxide equivalent and productive index was run to identify possible hotspot of GHG emissions. A large variation between farms were observed. The GHG yield ranged from 8.63 kg to 50.88 CO2eq kg carcass-1. The productive index age of slaughtering (P < 0.0001), average daily gain (P < 0.0001) and productivity (P = 0.058) per area were positive correlated to GHG yield. While no correlation was found with stocking rate (P = 0.21). Improvements of the production chain could be realized by accurate animal management strategies that reduce the age of slaughtering (feeding and genetic improvements) and gain individual or per area using strategic animal supplementation and pasture management, in order to obtains reduction of GHG emissions of beef cattle.

scholarly journals Methane Emissions and the Use of Desmanthus in Beef Cattle Production in Northern Australia

Animals ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (8) ◽  
pp. 542 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bénédicte Suybeng ◽  
Edward Charmley ◽  
Christopher P. Gardiner ◽  
Bunmi S. Malau-Aduli ◽  
Aduli E. O. Malau-Aduli
Keyword(s):  
Beef Cattle ◽  
Agricultural Sector ◽  
Production Systems ◽  
Methane Emissions ◽  
In Vivo Studies ◽  
Northern Australia ◽  
Cattle Production ◽  
Beef Cattle Production ◽  
The Impact

The Australian beef industry is a major contributor to the economy with an estimated annual revenue generation of over seven billion dollars. The tropical state of Queensland accounted for 48% of Australian beef and veal production in 2018. As the third biggest beef exporter in the world, Australia supplies 3% of the world’s beef exports and its agricultural sector accounts for an estimated 13.2% of its total greenhouse gas emissions. About 71% of total agricultural emissions are in the form of methane and nitrous oxide. In this review, an overview of the carbon footprint of the beef cattle production system in northern Australia is presented, with emphasis on the mitigation of greenhouse gases. The review also focuses on the tropical legume, Desmanthus, one of the more promising nutritional supplements for methane abatement and improvement of animal growth performance. Among the review’s findings is the need to select environmentally well-adapted and vigorous tropical legumes containing tannins that can persistently survive under the harsh northern Australian conditions for driving animal performance, improving meat quality and reducing methane emissions. The paper argues that the use of appropriate legumes such as Desmanthus, is a natural and preferred alternative to the use of chemicals for the abatement of methane emanating from tropical beef cattle production systems. It also highlights current gaps in knowledge and new research opportunities for in vivo studies on the impact of Desmanthus on methane emissions of supplemented tropical beef cattle.

scholarly journals Review: Impacts of shade on cattle well-being in the beef supply chain

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lily N Edwards-Callaway ◽  
M Caitlin Cramer ◽  
Caitlin N Cadaret ◽  
Elizabeth J Bigler ◽  
Terry E Engle ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Heat Stress ◽  
Beef Cattle ◽  
Production Systems ◽  
Construction Materials ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Third Party ◽  
Ambient Temperatures ◽  
Stress Susceptibility ◽  
The Impact

ABSTRACT Shade is a mechanism to reduce heat load providing cattle with an environment supportive of their welfare needs. Although heat stress has been extensively reviewed, researched, and addressed in dairy production systems, it has not been investigated in the same manner in the beef cattle supply chain. Like all animals, beef cattle are susceptible to heat stress if they are unable to dissipate heat during times of elevated ambient temperatures. There are many factors that impact heat stress susceptibility in beef cattle throughout the different supply chain sectors, many of which relate to the production system, i.e. availability of shade, microclimate of environment, and nutrition management. The results from studies evaluating the effects of shade on production and welfare are difficult to compare due to variation in structural design, construction materials used, height, shape, and area of shade provided. Additionally, depending on operation location, shade may or may not be beneficial during all times of the year, which can influence the decision to make shade a permanent part of management systems. Shade has been shown to lessen the physiologic response of cattle to heat stress. Shaded cattle exhibit lower respiration rates, body temperatures, and panting scores compared to un-shaded cattle in weather that increases the risk of heat stress. Results from studies investigating the provision of shade indicate that cattle seek shade in hot weather. The impact of shade on behavioral patterns is inconsistent in the current body of research, some studies indicating shade provision impacts behavior and other studies reporting no difference between shaded and un-shaded groups. Analysis of performance and carcass characteristics across feedlot studies demonstrated that shaded cattle had increased ADG, improved feed efficiency, HCW, and dressing percentage when compared to cattle without shade. Despite the documented benefits of shade, current industry statistics, although severely limited in scope, indicate low shade implementation rates in feedlots and data in other supply chain sectors do not exist. Industry guidelines and third party on-farm certification programs articulate the critical need for protection from extreme weather but are not consistent in providing specific recommendations and requirements. Future efforts should include: updated economic analyses of cost versus benefit of shade implementation, exploration of producer perspectives and needs relative to shade, consideration of shade impacts in the cow-calf and slaughter plant segments of the supply chain, and integration of indicators of affective (mental) state and preference in research studies to enhance the holistic assessment of cattle welfare.

scholarly journals Differential Morpho-Physiological and Transcriptomic Responses to Heat Stress in Two Blueberry Species

2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (5) ◽  
pp. 2481
Author(s):  
Jodi Callwood ◽  
Kalpalatha Melmaiee ◽  
Krishnanand P. Kulkarni ◽  
Amaranatha R. Vennapusa ◽  
Diarra Aicha ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Heat Stress ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Stomatal Closure ◽  
Enrichment Analysis ◽  
Leaf Size ◽  
Vaccinium Corymbosum ◽  
Climatic Conditions ◽  
Differentially Expressed ◽  
Transcriptomic Changes ◽  
Go Terms

Blueberries (Vaccinium spp.) are highly vulnerable to changing climatic conditions, especially increasing temperatures. To gain insight into mechanisms underpinning the response to heat stress, two blueberry species were subjected to heat stress for 6 and 9 h at 45 °C, and leaf samples were used to study the morpho-physiological and transcriptomic changes. As compared with Vaccinium corymbosum, Vaccinium darrowii exhibited thermal stress adaptation features such as small leaf size, parallel leaf orientation, waxy leaf coating, increased stomatal surface area, and stomatal closure. RNAseq analysis yielded ~135 million reads and identified 8305 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) during heat stress against the control samples. In V. corymbosum, 2861 and 4565 genes were differentially expressed at 6 and 9 h of heat stress, whereas in V. darrowii, 2516 and 3072 DEGs were differentially expressed at 6 and 9 h, respectively. Among the pathways, the protein processing in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) was the highly enriched pathway in both the species: however, certain metabolic, fatty acid, photosynthesis-related, peroxisomal, and circadian rhythm pathways were enriched differently among the species. KEGG enrichment analysis of the DEGs revealed important biosynthesis and metabolic pathways crucial in response to heat stress. The GO terms enriched in both the species under heat stress were similar, but more DEGs were enriched for GO terms in V. darrowii than the V. corymbosum. Together, these results elucidate the differential response of morpho-physiological and molecular mechanisms used by both the blueberry species under heat stress, and help in understanding the complex mechanisms involved in heat stress tolerance.

Environmental impacts of Brazilian beef cattle production in the Amazon, Cerrado, Pampa, and Pantanal biomes

2021 ◽  
pp. 127750
Author(s):  
Milene Dick ◽  
Marcelo Abreu da Silva ◽  
Rickiel Rodrigues Franklin da Silva ◽  
Otoniel Geter Lauz Ferreira ◽  
Manoel de Souza Maia ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Beef Cattle ◽  
Environmental Impacts ◽  
Cattle Production ◽  
Beef Cattle Production

scholarly journals Experiments on Energy-Efficient Evaporative Cooling Systems for Poultry Farm Application in Multan (Pakistan)

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (5) ◽  
pp. 2836
Author(s):  
Khawar Shahzad ◽  
Muhammad Sultan ◽  
Muhammad Bilal ◽  
Hadeed Ashraf ◽  
Muhammad Farooq ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Heat Stress ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Evaporative Cooling ◽  
Thermal Exposure ◽  
Climatic Conditions ◽  
The Body ◽  
Dew Point ◽  
Sweat Glands ◽  
Cooling Systems ◽  
Humidity Index

Poultry are one of the most vulnerable species of its kind once the temperature-humidity nexus is explored. This is so because the broilers lack sweat glands as compared to humans and undergo panting process to mitigate their latent heat (moisture produced in the body) in the air. As a result, moisture production inside poultry house needs to be maintained to avoid any serious health and welfare complications. Several strategies such as compressor-based air-conditioning systems have been implemented worldwide to attenuate the heat stress in poultry, but these are not economical. Therefore, this study focuses on the development of low-cost and environmentally friendly improved evaporative cooling systems (DEC, IEC, MEC) from the viewpoint of heat stress in poultry houses. Thermodynamic analysis of these systems was carried out for the climatic conditions of Multan, Pakistan. The results appreciably controlled the environmental conditions which showed that for the months of April, May, and June, the decrease in temperature by direct evaporative cooling (DEC), indirect evaporative cooling (IEC), and Maisotsenko-Cycle evaporative cooling (MEC) systems is 7–10 °C, 5–6.5 °C, and 9.5–12 °C, respectively. In case of July, August, and September, the decrease in temperature by DEC, IEC, and MEC systems is 5.5–7 °C, 3.5–4.5 °C, and 7–7.5 °C, respectively. In addition, drop in temperature-humidity index (THI) values by DEC, IEC, and MEC is 3.5–9 °C, 3–7 °C, and 5.5–10 °C, respectively for all months. Optimum temperature and relative humidity conditions are determined for poultry birds and thereby, systems’ performance is thermodynamically evaluated for poultry farms from the viewpoint of THI, temperature-humidity-velocity index (THVI), and thermal exposure time (ET). From the analysis, it is concluded that MEC system performed relatively better than others due to its ability of dew-point cooling and achieved THI threshold limit with reasonable temperature and humidity indexes.

scholarly journals A comparative UHPLC-Q/TOF–MS-based eco-metabolomics approach reveals temperature adaptation of four Nepenthes species

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Changi Wong ◽  
Yee Soon Ling ◽  
Julia Lih Suan Wee ◽  
Aazani Mujahid ◽  
Moritz Müller
Keyword(s):  
Heat Stress ◽  
Metabolic Response ◽  
Natural Habitat ◽  
Climatic Conditions ◽  
Temperature Adaptation ◽  
Altitudinal Distribution ◽  
Distinct Temperature ◽  
Survival Mechanisms ◽  
Metabolite Regulation ◽  
Tof Ms

AbstractNepenthes, as the largest family of carnivorous plants, is found with an extensive geographical distribution throughout the Malay Archipelago, specifically in Borneo, Philippines, and Sumatra. Highland species are able to tolerate cold stress and lowland species heat stress. Our current understanding on the adaptation or survival mechanisms acquired by the different Nepenthes species to their climatic conditions at the phytochemical level is, however, limited. In this study, we applied an eco-metabolomics approach to identify temperature stressed individual metabolic fingerprints of four Nepenthes species: the lowlanders N. ampullaria, N. rafflesiana and N. northiana, and the highlander N. minima. We hypothesized that distinct metabolite regulation patterns exist between the Nepenthes species due to their adaptation towards different geographical and altitudinal distribution. Our results revealed not only distinct temperature stress induced metabolite fingerprints for each Nepenthes species, but also shared metabolic response and adaptation strategies. The interspecific responses and adaptation of N. rafflesiana and N. northiana likely reflected their natural habitat niches. Moreover, our study also indicates the potential of lowlanders, especially N. ampullaria and N. rafflesiana, to produce metabolites needed to deal with increased temperatures, offering hope for the plant genus and future adaption in times of changing climate.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document