Bovine Anti-leukemic Measures for Improving Live-Stock Farms in Belgorod and Kemerovo Regions of Russia

Bovine leukemia remains one of the most urgent viral diseases in veterinary medicine, and potentially dangerous for humans. The strategy of combating it is aimed at improving the existing measures and full recovery of agricultural enterprises. The quality of animal products is a priority in the field of food safety. The aim of the research was to develop effective antileukemic measures for the improvement of livestock farms in the Belgorod and Kemerovo regions. The proposed antileukemic measures are to increase the frequency of serological studies from 6-th months to the 2-3th months among animals in areas with poor leukemia in cattle, as well as to increase the sensitivity of immunodiffusion test (AGID) due to highly centrifigation of the tested samples and an increase in the temperature of incubation samples close to the physiological norm for animals. The improved technique of staging an immunodiffusion reaction (AGID) allows detecting an average of 12% more infected animals with BLV in comparison with the approved method of staging a serological reaction AGID. Intensive introduction of PCR diagnostics to identify the causative agent of bovine leukemia in young calves, after the neonatal age period, will allow detecting early infection of animals and adjusting the program of antileukemia measures in disadvantaged farms. The introduction of PCR diagnostics in calves in the postnatal period of development in permanently dysfunctional livestock farms will contribute to the recovery of young animals from cattle leukemia in dysfunctional farms. The proposed antileukemia measures for the improvement of livestock farms in the Belgorod and Kemerovo regions made it possible to develop effective preventive measures for disadvantaged farms, improving the epizootic situation in the regions. So, in 2021, it was possible to completely improve the permanently dysfunctional economy of the LLC « Pobeda» in the Belgorod region.

Influence of Manure Application on the Soil Bacterial Microbiome in Integrated Crop-Livestock Farms in Maryland

As a traditional agricultural system, integrated crop-livestock farms (ICLFs) involve the production of animals and crops in a shared environment. The ICLFs in the mid-Atlantic region of the United States practice sustainable manure aging or composting processes to provide an on-farm source of soil amendment for use as natural fertilizer and soil conditioner for crop production. However, crop fertilization by soil incorporation of aged manure or compost may introduce different microbes and alter the soil microbial community. The aim of this study was to characterize the influence of aged or composted manure application on the diversity of soil bacterial community in ICLFs. Soil samples from six ICLFs in Maryland were collected before (pre-crop) and during the season (2020–2021) and used to analyze soil bacterial microbiome by 16S rDNA sequencing. Results showed that both phylum- and genus-level alterations of soil bacterial communities were associated with amendment of aged or composted manure. Particularly, Proteobacteria and Actinobacteria were enriched, while Acidobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Planctomycetes, Firmicutes, and Chloroflexi were reduced after manure product application. Meanwhile, the relative abundance of Bacillus was decreased, while two zoonotic pathogens, Salmonella and Listeria, were enriched by manure amendments. Overall, animal manure amendment of soil increased the phylogenetic diversity, but reduced the richness and evenness of the soil bacterial communities. Although manure composting management in ICLFs benefits agricultural sustainable production, the amendments altered the soil bacterial communities and were associated with the finding of two major zoonotic bacterial pathogens, which raises the possibility of their potential transfer to fresh horticultural produce crops that may be produced on the manured soils and then subsequently consumed without cooking.

Problems and possible solutions repa

The article briefly shows the main ways and directions in improving repair and servicing base of livestock farms and complexes, as well as the direction in terms of improving the technology and equipment in the repair and service industries in the livestock industry in the Republic of Belarus.

Land tenure and profitability among young farmers and ranchers

PurposeThe purpose of this article is to investigate how land tenure correlates with measures of profitability among young farmers and ranchers in the United States. The authors hypothesize that young producers who own a larger proportion of their operation face different incentives between short- and long-run returns than young producers who primarily rent their land. The authors analyze whether these differing incentives result in observable differences in various measures of profitability.Design/methodology/approachThe authors use state-level data from the Agricultural Resource Management Survey (ARMS) from 2003 to 2018 to estimate fixed-effects panel models correlating land tenure with the value of farm production, expenditures on repairs and maintenance, net farm income, total operator household income from farming, rate of return on assets (ROA) and rate of return on equity (ROE).FindingsThe authors find different correlations for crop farms and livestock farms, as well as different correlations for farms with the lowest and highest gross sales. For crop farms, renting land is associated with higher production, higher income, higher ROA and higher ROE. For livestock farms, renting land is associated with lower production.Originality/valueThis study rigorously investigates the role of land tenure specifically among young farmers and ranchers in the United States. By better understanding how land ownership affects profitability among beginning farmers and ranchers, policymakers will be able to better target public resources to support the next generation of producers.