intensive farming
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CATENA ◽  
2022 ◽  
Vol 210 ◽  
pp. 105930
Author(s):  
Dalei Peng ◽  
Qiang Xu ◽  
Limin Zhang ◽  
Huilin Xing ◽  
Ping Shen ◽  
...  

HortScience ◽  
2022 ◽  
Vol 57 (2) ◽  
pp. 239-246
Author(s):  
Krishna Nemali

Modern greenhouses are intensive farming systems designed to achieve high efficiency and productivity. Plants are produced year-round in greenhouses by maintaining the environment at or near optimum levels regardless of extreme weather conditions. Many scientific discoveries and technological advancements that happened in the past two centuries paved the way for current state-of-the-art greenhouses. These include, but are not limited to, advancements in climate-specific structural designs and glazing materials, and temperature control, artificial lighting, and hydroponic production systems. Greenhouse structures can be broadly grouped into four distinct designs, including tall Venlo greenhouses of the Netherlands, passive solar greenhouses of China, low-cost Parral greenhouses of the Mediterranean region, and gutter-connected polyethylene houses of India and African countries. These designs were developed to suit local climatic conditions and maximize the return on investment. Although glass and rigid plastic options are available for glazing, the development of low-cost and lightweight plastic glazing materials (e.g., polyethylene) enabled widespread growth of the greenhouse industry in the developing world. For temperate regions, supplemental lighting technology is crucial for year-round production. This heavily relies on advancements in electro-lighting during the 19th and 20th centuries. The development of hydroponic production systems for the controlled delivery of nutrients further enhanced crop productivity. This article addresses important historical events, scientific discoveries, and technological improvements related to advancements in these areas.


2022 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sophie Attwood ◽  
Cother Hajat

A shift in how we obtain protein from our diets, away from intensive farming and fishing, towards cleaner sources, be they animal or plant-based, will form an essential part of the solution to achieving the pledges formalised following COP26. This can be achieved through many different approaches including reduction, substitution, reducing the frequency of consumption, blending into hybrid products, and without the necessity of a complete eschewal of animal-based products. The new paradigm of ‘planetary health’, which focuses on the interdependence of human health, animal health and environmental health, will greatly facilitate meeting the ambitious and near-term targets set. This commentary discusses these issues in depth, with a focus on solutions to promote both planetary and human health in unison.


2022 ◽  
Vol 82 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. R. Jones ◽  
K. R. Lall ◽  
G. W. Garcia

Abstract Reproductive diseases have been well documented in domestic livestock such as sheep, goat, cattle and pigs. However, there is very little information on these diseases in the agouti (Dasyprocta leporina). The agouti is used for its meat in South America and the Caribbean. More recently, intensive farming of this animal is being practiced in the Neotropics. There is dearth of information on dystocia and vaginal prolapses in the agouti. This document reports on three cases of reproductive diseases in captive reared agoutis in Trinidad and Tobago. The first case was a female agouti weighing approximately 3 kg that was in the last stage of pregnancy, which was found dead in its cage. The vulva of the mother had the protruding hind-limbs of the fetus. Necroscopic evaluation of carcass revealed little fat tissue and the mother had two fetuses in the right horn of the uterus. Each fetus weighed approximately 200 g. The fetuses were well formed with fur, teeth and eyes. The placenta was attached to each fetus. The pathological findings suggested that dystocia resulted from secondary uterine inertia which was the cause of death of the adult female agouti. The second case was that of an adult female agouti weighing 2.5 kg. This female had given birth to an offspring three weeks prior and was observed to have had a vaginal prolapse. Surgery was performed and the prolapsed vagina was placed back into the pelvic cavity. Further to this intervention, the vagina prolapsed twice. Subsequent to the re-insertion of the vaginal tissue the agouti was euthanized. The third case was also that of a dystocia. However, the fetuses weighed 235 g and 165 g respectively and were in normal presentation, posture and positioning. The fetus however was unable to pass via the vagina and was trapped in the pelvic cavity. This caused secondary uterine inertia which was the cause of death. The causes of reproductive diseases in these cases are unknown but the feeding management and space allowance given to the agouti in late gestation may be contributing factors.


2022 ◽  
Vol 335 ◽  
pp. 00004
Author(s):  
Edoardo Fiorilla ◽  
Alice Cartoni Mancinelli ◽  
Marco Birolo ◽  
Cesare Castellini ◽  
Dominga Soglia ◽  
...  

Poultry biodiversity represents a key factor to improve poultry resilience and promote sustainable and low input farming systems. The EU and member states promote protection of livestock biodiversity and the development of alternative farming through funding projects such as “Local Chicken Breeds in Alternative Production Chain: Welfare, Quality and Sustainability” (funded by the Italian Ministry of Research and University). The aim of the present research was to identify among five different poultry genotypes Bionda Piemontese (BP), Robusta Maculata (RM), RM x Sasso (RMxS), BP x Sasso (BPxS) and a commercial hybrid (Ross 308) the best suitable breed in terms of productivity and welfare for alternative housing system. A total of 300 (60 x genotype), 21 days old male birds were randomly allotted in two housing systems: 1) standard intensive farming (controlled environment, 33 kg/m2 and standard diet) and 2) free-range (“natural” environmental conditions, 21 kg/m2, access to outdoor area and low-input diet). Slaughtering was performed at 81 days of age. During the trial, the productive performance and behaviour of the animals were evaluated. The housing system, the genotype and their interaction significantly affected many of the studied variables, showing broiler not the ideal genotype for extensive farming system, which is more suited for low/medium performance strains.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chaitanya Gokhale ◽  
Nikhil Sharma

Abstract Rotating crops is a sustainable agricultural technique that has been at the disposal of humanity since time immemorial. Switching between cover crops and cash crops allows the fields avoids overexploitation due to intensive farming. How often the respite is to be provided and what is the optimum cash cover rotation in terms of maximising yield schedule is a long-standing question tackled on multiple fronts by agricultural scientists, economists, biologists and computer scientists, to name a few. Dealing with the uncertainty in the field due to diseases, pests, droughts, floods, and impending effects of climate change, is important to consider when designing the cropping strategy. Analysing this time-tested technique of crop rotations with a new lens of Parrondo's paradox allows us to improve upon the technique and use it in synchronisation with the burning questions of contemporary times. By calculating optimum switching probabilities in a randomised cropping sequence, suggesting the optimum deterministic sequences and judicious use of fertilisers, we propose methods for improving crop yield and the eventual profit margins for farmers. Overall we also extend the domain of applicability of the seemingly unintuitive paradox by Parrondo, where two losing situations can be combined eventually into a winning scenario.


Author(s):  
Svetoslav Karamfilov

The present study examined the temperament of 699 cows of the Aberdeen Angus cattle breed, reared in 14 farms in Bulgaria. It was carried out within the period 2017–2020. The animals subject to the study were between two and eight years old. The temperament was visually evaluated following a scoring system from 1 to 5. The assessment method involved the behavioural reaction of the cows upon manipulation, passing through a chute and fixation into a cattle crush. The temperament of cows reared in two different systems – intensive and semi-intensive farming was compared. The temperament of the Aberdeen Angus cows had an average rate of 2.74 ± 0.04. The cows which had frequent contact with people had a calmer temperament. The manner of rearing (P < 0.001) as well as the age group (P < 0.001) had a significant influence on the parameter examined. The young animals were calmer and got accustomed to working in a crush more easily when they were reared together with cows of different ages.    


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Barbara Szpakowska ◽  
Dariusz Świerk ◽  
Anna Dudzińska ◽  
Maria Pajchrowska ◽  
Ryszard Gołdyn

Abstract Land use significantly affects the function of waterbodies in landscape. Although there have been numerous studies on the influence of the catchment area on the trophic and ecological status of waterbodies, still is not reached an agreement on the width of the buffer zone that is necessary for effective protection of waterbodies. The aim of the study was to show whether small waterbodies are predominantly influenced by land use in the entire catchment area or only in the zone extending 100 or 200 m away from the shoreline. For two years the waters in six small waterbodies located in the Wielkopolska region (Poland) were analysed. The canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) showed that the influence of land use, especially agricultural land, was much greater within the zone extending 100 m from the shore line of the waterbodies than in the total catchment area. Therefore, it would be advisable to move the border of intensive farming areas beyond the entire 100-metre-wide buffer zone, or at least to reduce the intensity of agriculture and to introduce diversified and perenial vegetation creating effective biogeochemical barriers.


2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (24) ◽  
pp. 13952
Author(s):  
Yiyang Liu ◽  
Sigbjorn Tveteras ◽  
Jinghua Xie

Aquaculture supply from China has been a remedy to meet the growing global demand for seafood in the last decades. However, output growth has decreased dramatically in China in the 2000s. Previous literature focuses on the ecosystem problems arising in intensive farming in China. In this study, we used stochastic production analysis (SPA) to estimate the technical efficiency of Chinese large yellow croaker farming, which provides implications for impediments to the sustainable development of Chinese aquaculture. Data were collected from 430 large yellow croaker farmers in nine farming areas located along the coastline of southeastern China. The technical efficiency of large yellow croak farming is estimated to be 0.829, suggesting that farming is operated close to the production frontier with a maximal margin of 17% for improvement under the current technology. It further suggests that Chinese aquaculture growth is geared by conventional factors, expansion of fishing sites, and intensive farming, and is not sustainable under the constraint of farming areas and environmental problems in China. For the sustainable development of Chinese aquaculture, it is necessary to adopt new technology through innovation. The family-based farming model is a hinder to adopting new technology that requires systematic significant investment. Large-scale industrialized farming based on research and new technology development thus should be a modern trend in the future.


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