scholarly journals The Potential of Using Temperate–Tropical Crossbreds and Agricultural by-Products, Associated with Heat Stress Management for Dairy Production in the Tropics: A Review

Animals ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 1
Author(s):  
Predith Michael ◽  
Clement Roy de Cruz ◽  
Norhariani Mohd Nor ◽  
Saadiah Jamli ◽  
Goh Yong Meng
Keyword(s):  
Heat Stress ◽  
Dairy Production ◽  
Crossbred Cattle ◽  
Tropical Regions ◽  
Feed Resources ◽  
The Future ◽  
Feed Costs ◽  
Increasing Demand ◽  
The Tropics ◽  
By Products

The demand and consumption of dairy products are expected to increase exponentially in developing countries, particularly in tropical regions. However, the intensification of dairy production to meet this increasing demand has its challenges. The challenges ranged from feed costs, resources, and their utilization, as well as the heat stress associated with rearing temperate–tropical crossbred cattle in the tropics. This article focused on key nutritional and environmental factors that should be considered when temperate–tropical crossbred cattle are used in the tropics. The article also describes measures to enhance the utilization of regional feed resources and efforts to overcome the impacts of heat stress. Heat stress is a major challenge in tropical dairy farming, as it leads to poor production, despite the genetic gains made through crossbreeding of high production temperate cattle with hardy tropical animals. The dependence on imported feed and animal-man competition for the same feed resources has escalated feed cost and food security concerns. The utilization of agricultural by-products and production of stable tropical crossbreds will be an asset to tropical countries in the future, more so when scarcity of feed resources and global warming becomes a closer reality. This initiative has far-reaching impacts in the tropics and increasingly warmer areas of traditional dairying regions in the future.

scholarly journals Breeding Temperate Japonica Rice Varieties Adaptable to Tropical Regions: Progress and Prospects

Agronomy ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (11) ◽  
pp. 2253
Author(s):  
Myrish Pacleb ◽  
O-Young Jeong ◽  
Jeom-Sig Lee ◽  
Thelma Padolina ◽  
Rustum Braceros ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
The Philippines ◽  
Tropical Region ◽  
Japonica Rice ◽  
Rice Varieties ◽  
Temperate Japonica ◽  
Tropical Regions ◽  
Tropical Environments ◽  
Increasing Demand ◽  
Northeast Asian ◽  
The Tropics

Temperate japonica rice is mainly cultivated in temperate regions. Many temperate japonica varieties have a superior grain quality that is preferred in Northeast Asian countries such as Japan, Korea, and China. The changes in consumers’ preferences in Southeast Asia and Western countries has contributed to increasing the demand for temperate japonica. Most temperate japonica varieties developed in temperate regions typically exhibit extra-early flowering under the short-day conditions in the tropics, which usually results in severely reduced yields. Since 1992, we have been developing temperate japonica varieties that can adapt to tropical environments to meet the increasing demand for temperate japonica rice, having released six varieties in the Philippines. Especially, the yield of one of the temperate japonica varieties, Japonica 7, was comparable to the yields of leading indica varieties in the Philippines. Here, we discuss the current breeding initiatives and future plans for the development of tropical-region-bred temperate japonica rice.

scholarly journals More perceived but not faster evolution of heat stress than temperature extremes in the future

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Audrey Brouillet ◽  
Sylvie Joussaume
Keyword(s):  
Heat Stress ◽  
Human Body ◽  
Stress Index ◽  
Human Populations ◽  
World Population ◽  
Tropical Regions ◽  
Annual Variability ◽  
The Future ◽  
Perceived Change ◽  
Heat Stress Index

<p>Global warming is projected to intensify during the 21st century. This warming will be more readily perceived by human populations if it occurs rapidly and if it induces a thermal heat stress on the human body. Yet, only few studies investigate how climate change could be felt by future populations. Here we assess this possible perceived evolution between 1959 and 2100 only combining thermodynamic and statistical indicators. We analyse extremes of temperature (T<sub>99</sub>) and simplified Wet-Bulb Globe Temperature (WBGT<sub>99</sub>), a common heat stress index assessing the combined effect of elevated temperature and humidity on the human body. For each year of the period, we define the speed of change as a difference between two successive 20-year periods (i.e. with a moving baseline), and assess how these running changes emerge from each last 20-y inter-annual variability.</p><p>According to a subset of 12 CMIP5 Earth System Models and the RCP8.5 scenario, the change of T<sub>99</sub> and WBGT<sub>99</sub> will be twice as fast in the future compared to the current speed of change in the mid-latitudes, and by up to four times faster tropical regions such as Amazonia. Warming accelerations are thus similar for both T<sub>99</sub> and WBGT<sub>99</sub>. However, in tropical regions by 2080, the speed is projected to be 2.3 times larger than the recent inter-annual variability for WBGT<sub>99</sub>, and only 1.5 to 1.8 times larger for T<sub>99</sub>. Currently, speeds of change are only 0.2 to 0.8 times as large as the recent year-to-year variability for both metrics. We also show that 36% of the total world population will experience an emergent WBGT<sub>99</sub> intensification in 2080, but only 15% of the population for T<sub>99</sub>. According to future projections, the accelerated warming of future heat extremes will be more felt by populations than current changes, and this perceived change will be more severe for WBGT<sub>99</sub> than for T<sub>99</sub>, particularly in the tropics.</p>

scholarly journals More perceived but not faster evolution of heat stress than temperature extremes in the future

2020 ◽  
Vol 162 (2) ◽  
pp. 527-544
Author(s):  
Audrey Brouillet ◽  
Sylvie Joussaume
Keyword(s):  
Global Warming ◽  
Heat Stress ◽  
Interannual Variability ◽  
Stress Index ◽  
Cmip5 Models ◽  
Tropical Regions ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Globe Temperature ◽  
Heat Stress Index ◽  
The Tropics

Abstract Global warming is projected to intensify during the twenty-first century. Yet, only few studies investigate how global warming could be perceived by future populations. Here, we propose an assessment of how climate change could be perceived by combining climatological indicators. We analyse extremes of temperature (T99) and simplified Wet-Bulb Globe Temperature (WBGT99), a heat stress index assessing the combined effect of elevated temperature and humidity on the human body. The speed of change is defined for each year as the difference between the previous 20 years and the twenty upcoming years (i.e. with a moving baseline), and we assess how these speeds emerge from each last 20-year interannual variability. Using a set of 12 CMIP5 models, speeds of change of T99 and WBGT99 in 2080 are both twice as fast compared with current speeds in mid-latitudes, and by up to four times faster in the tropics under the RCP8.5 scenario. Warming accelerations are thus similar for T99 and WBGT99. However, these speeds in tropical regions in 2080 are projected to be 2.3 times larger than the last 20-year interannual variability for WBGT99, and only 1.5 to 1.8 times larger for T99. According to the models, the WBGT99 intensification will be more emergent from the recent year-to-year variability than the T99 warming. This analysis suggests that the accelerated warming of heat extremes will be felt more strongly by populations than current changes for RCP8.5, and that this evolution will be more perceived in heat stress than in temperature, particularly within the tropics.

scholarly journals Heritability of Flower Number and Fruit Set under Heat Stress in Tomato

HortScience ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 53 (9) ◽  
pp. 1294-1299 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dilip R. Panthee ◽  
Jonathan P. Kressin ◽  
Ann Piotrowski
Keyword(s):  
Heat Stress ◽  
Crop Production ◽  
Fruit Set ◽  
Crop Improvement ◽  
Research Station ◽  
Narrow Sense Heritability ◽  
Tomato Production ◽  
Tropical Regions ◽  
The World ◽  
The Future

The growing volatility of the climate, and its potential impact on crop production, has prompted several physiologic and genetic analyses under high-temperature conditions. Tomato is grown in warm temperate, subtropical, and tropical regions of the world, where daytime and nighttime temperatures regularly exceed the optimum temperatures for tomato growth during the summer, exerting stress on tomato production. Recent trends indicate more frequent extreme summer temperatures, which may grow even greater in the future, impacting crop growth. The objective of the current study was to estimate the heritability of flower and fruit set ability of tomato populations under heat stress conditions so that improvement for these traits can be planned. We developed two tomato populations using contrasting parents from the North Carolina State University (NCSU) tomato breeding program and the World Vegetable Center (formerly Asian Vegetable Research and Development Center). The F2 and F2-derived F3 families (F2:3 populations) were grown at the Piedmont Research Station (PRS), Salisbury, NC, where summer growing temperatures are warmer than optimum for tomato production. Heritability estimates of the number of flowers per cluster, the number of fruit per cluster, and fruit set (measured as a percentage) were determined in two populations of tomato—NC10137 (NC714 × CLN-2413A) and NC10418 [230 HS-1(99) × NC 1CS]—by regression analysis using the offspring-on-parents method. Broad-sense heritability across the traits was high (47.2%–100%), whereas narrow-sense heritability was very low (1.4%–22.5%). There was a positive correlation between the number of flowers and the number of fruit per cluster (r = 0.50, P < 0.05), which was in close agreement with previous findings. These findings will be useful in investigating the genetic control of heat stress tolerance in tomato and in facilitating crop improvement in the future.

scholarly journals Feeding Models to Optimize Dairy Feed Rations in View of Feed Availability, Feed Prices and Milk Production Scenarios

2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 215
Author(s):  
Othman Alqaisi ◽  
Eva Schlecht
Keyword(s):  
Milk Production ◽  
Dairy Production ◽  
Feed Ingredients ◽  
Feed Resources ◽  
Ch4 Production ◽  
Feed Cost ◽  
Feed Costs ◽  
Daily Milk Production ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Daily Milk

In the global dairy production sector, feed ingredient price and availability are highly volatile; they may shape the composition of the feed ration and, in consequence, impact feed cost and enteric methane (CH4) emissions. The objective of this study is to explore the impact of changes in feed ingredients’ prices and feed ingredients’ availability on dairy ration composition, feed cost and predicted methane yield under different levels of milk production. To meet the research aim, a series of multi-period linear programming models were developed. The models were then used to simulate 14 feed rations formulations, each covering 162 months and three dairy production levels of 10, 25 and 35 kg milk/d, representing a total of 6804 feed rations altogether. Across milk production levels, the inclusion of alfalfa hay into the feed rations declined from 55% to 38% when daily milk production increased from 10 to 35 kg, reflecting the cows’ increased energy requirements. At a daily milk production level of 35 kg, CH4 production (per kg milk) was 21% and 53% lower than in average and low milk producing cows, respectively, whereas at 10 kg of milk production the potential to reduce CH4 production varied between 0.6% and 5.5% (average = 3.9%). At all production levels, a reduction in CH4 output was associated with an increase in feed costs. Overall, and considering feeding scenarios in low milk producing cows, feed cost per kg milk was 30% and 37% higher compared to that of average and high milk production, respectively. The feed ration modeling approach allows us to account for the interaction between feed ingredients over time, taking into consideration volatile global feed prices. Overall, the model provides a decision-making tool to improve the use of feed resources in the dairy sector.

Big Questions in Ecology and Evolution

2009 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas N. Sherratt ◽  
David M. Wilkinson
Keyword(s):  
Partial Solution ◽  
Fundamental Importance ◽  
Evolutionary Perspective ◽  
Text Book ◽  
Broad Audience ◽  
The Future ◽  
The Tropics ◽  
Made In ◽  
Do So

Why do we age? Why cooperate? Why do so many species engage in sex? Why do the tropics have so many species? When did humans start to affect world climate? This book provides an introduction to a range of fundamental questions that have taxed evolutionary biologists and ecologists for decades. Some of the phenomena discussed are, on first reflection, simply puzzling to understand from an evolutionary perspective, whilst others have direct implications for the future of the planet. All of the questions posed have at least a partial solution, all have seen exciting breakthroughs in recent years, yet many of the explanations continue to be hotly debated. Big Questions in Ecology and Evolution is a curiosity-driven book, written in an accessible way so as to appeal to a broad audience. It is very deliberately not a formal text book, but something designed to transmit the excitement and breadth of the field by discussing a number of major questions in ecology and evolution and how they have been answered. This is a book aimed at informing and inspiring anybody with an interest in ecology and evolution. It reveals to the reader the immense scope of the field, its fundamental importance, and the exciting breakthroughs that have been made in recent years.

scholarly journals Dipole patterns in tropical precipitation were pervasive across landmasses throughout Marine Isotope Stage 5

2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Katrina Nilsson-Kerr ◽  
Pallavi Anand ◽  
Philip B. Holden ◽  
Steven C. Clemens ◽  
Melanie J. Leng
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Marine Isotope Stage ◽  
Convergence Zone ◽  
Inter Tropical Convergence Zone ◽  
Tropical Regions ◽  
Tropical Precipitation ◽  
Rainfall Patterns ◽  
Marine Isotope Stage 5 ◽  
Climate Cooling ◽  
The Tropics

AbstractMost of Earth’s rain falls in the tropics, often in highly seasonal monsoon rains, which are thought to be coupled to the inter-hemispheric migrations of the Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone in response to the seasonal cycle of insolation. Yet characterization of tropical rainfall behaviour in the geologic past is poor. Here we combine new and existing hydroclimate records from six large-scale tropical regions with fully independent model-based rainfall reconstructions across the last interval of sustained warmth and ensuing climate cooling between 130 to 70 thousand years ago (Marine Isotope Stage 5). Our data-model approach reveals large-scale heterogeneous rainfall patterns in response to changes in climate. We note pervasive dipole-like tropical precipitation patterns, as well as different loci of precipitation throughout Marine Isotope Stage 5 than recorded in the Holocene. These rainfall patterns cannot be solely attributed to meridional shifts in the Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone.

scholarly journals Heat Stress and Goat Welfare: Adaptation and Production Considerations

Animals ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 1021
Author(s):  
Veerasamy Sejian ◽  
Mullakkalparambil V. Silpa ◽  
Mini R. Reshma Nair ◽  
Chinnasamy Devaraj ◽  
Govindan Krishnan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Heat Stress ◽  
Body Condition Score ◽  
Heat Exposure ◽  
Stocking Density ◽  
Production Performance ◽  
Farm Animals ◽  
Meat Production ◽  
Important Species ◽  
Tropical Regions ◽  
Tropical Climates

This review attempted to collate and synthesize information on goat welfare and production constraints during heat stress exposure. Among the farm animals, goats arguably are considered the best-suited animals to survive in tropical climates. Heat stress was found to negatively influence growth, milk and meat production and compromised the immune response, thereby significantly reducing goats’ welfare under extensive conditions and transportation. Although considered extremely adapted to tropical climates, their production can be compromised to cope with heat stress. Therefore, information on goat adaptation and production performance during heat exposure could help assess their welfare. Such information would be valuable as the farming communities are often struggling in their efforts to assess animal welfare, especially in tropical regions. Broadly three aspects must be considered to ensure appropriate welfare in goats, and these include (i) housing and environment; (ii) breeding and genetics and (iii) handling and transport. Apart from these, there are a few other negative welfare factors in goat rearing, which differ across the production system being followed. Such negative practices are predominant in extensive systems and include nutritional stress, limited supply of good quality water, climatic extremes, parasitic infestation and lameness, culminating in low production, reproduction and high mortality rates. Broadly two types of methodologies are available to assess welfare in goats in these systems: (i) animal-based measures include behavioral measurements, health and production records and disease symptoms; (ii) resources based and management-based measures include stocking density, manpower, housing conditions and health plans. Goat welfare could be assessed based on several indicators covering behavioral, physical, physiological and productive responses. The important indicators of goat welfare include agonistic behavior, vocalization, skin temperature, body condition score (BCS), hair coat conditions, rectal temperature, respiration rate, heart rate, sweating, reduced growth, reduced milk production and reduced reproductive efficiency. There are also different approaches available by which the welfare of goats could be assessed, such as naturalistic, functional and subjective approaches. Thus, assessing welfare in goats at every production stage is a prerequisite for ensuring appropriate production in this all-important species to guarantee optimum returns to the marginal and subsistence farmers.

scholarly journals Evaluating the role of contracting and expanding rainforest in initiating cycles of speciation across the Isthmus of Panama

2012 ◽  
Vol 279 (1742) ◽  
pp. 3520-3526 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brian Tilston Smith ◽  
Amei Amei ◽  
John Klicka
Keyword(s):  
Bird Species ◽  
Tropical Regions ◽  
Isthmus Of Panama ◽  
Species Pairs ◽  
The Matrix ◽  
High Species Richness ◽  
The Rich ◽  
The Tropics ◽  
The Impact

Climatic and geological changes across time are presumed to have shaped the rich biodiversity of tropical regions. However, the impact climatic drying and subsequent tropical rainforest contraction had on speciation has been controversial because of inconsistent palaeoecological and genetic data. Despite the strong interest in examining the role of climatic change on speciation in the Neotropics there has been few comparative studies, particularly, those that include non-rainforest taxa. We used bird species that inhabit humid or dry habitats that dispersed across the Panamanian Isthmus to characterize temporal and spatial patterns of speciation across this barrier. Here, we show that these two assemblages of birds exhibit temporally different speciation time patterns that supports multiple cycles of speciation. Evidence for these cycles is further corroborated by the finding that both assemblages consist of ‘young’ and ‘old’ species, despite dry habitat species pairs being geographically more distant than pairs of humid habitat species. The matrix of humid and dry habitats in the tropics not only allows for the maintenance of high species richness, but additionally this study suggests that these environments may have promoted speciation. We conclude that differentially expanding and contracting distributions of dry and humid habitats was probably an important contributor to speciation in the tropics.

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