Commercial Livestock Farming Research Articles

Glyphosate effects on seed bank and vegetation composition of temperate grasslands

AbstractQuestionsIntensification of livestock production has led to the increasing input of agrochemicals, mostly herbicides, in natural and semi‐natural grasslands. Glyphosate application shifts vegetation composition of grasslands of the Flooding Pampa region. Consequently, we asked two questions: (1) does the application of glyphosate affect the size, composition and diversity of the seed bank of these grasslands; and (2) to what extent does seed bank determine the vegetation composition of grassland communities affected by glyphosate application?LocationTemperate‐humid grassland of Flooding Pampa region, Buenos Aires, Argentina.MethodWe studied paddocks dominated by native grassland on a commercial livestock farm. Glyphosate is usually applied in late summer to promote winter annual grasses in native grasslands. We chose three paddocks that had never been exposed to any herbicide and three paddocks that had been treated with glyphosate in late summer during the previous 5 years. We extracted soil cores to evaluate seed bank composition from 2007 to 2009 and recorded basal cover of above‐ground vegetation from 2008 to 2010 from the upper and the lower position of each paddock.ResultsGlyphosate treatment caused a dramatic shift in seed bank composition, so that seed densities of cool‐season annual grasses increased while cool and warm‐season perennial grasses, sedges, legumes and dicotyledonous herbs decreased. Richness and diversity of the seed bank were lower and dominance was higher under the glyphosate treatment. Similarity between the seed bank and floristic composition was higher in glyphosate‐treated paddocks in the upper position. Strong correspondences between the seed densities of cool‐season annual grasses and species composition of glyphosate‐treated paddocks and between the seed densities of cool‐ and warm‐season perennial grasses and legumes with the species composition of untreated paddocks were found.ConclusionsBecause the seed bank changes in response to glyphosate treatment involved the local extinction of several native perennial species, community restoration of these grasslands would depend mainly on propagule dispersal from adjacent areas. Our results raise awareness of the risks of widespread herbicide application for biodiversity conservation in the last semi‐natural habitats in the Pampas grasslands.

Crecimiento en pastoreo rotacional de toretes de razas criollas Romosinuano y Blanco Orejinegro en Colombia

RESUMENObjetivo. Evaluar el crecimiento de toretes de las razas Romosinuno (ROMO) y Blanco Orejinegro (BON) en una prueba de comportamiento en pastoreo rotacional. Materiales y métodos. La prueba fue desarrollada en la Estación Experimental El Nus, en la Región Andina Colombiana, donde se evaluaron 20 toretes BON y 16 ROMO provenientes de quince ganaderías comerciales, los cuales fueron mantenidos en un solo grupo durante 221 días en pastoreo rotacional en franjas con periodos cortos de ocupación, de los cuales 56 días fueron en pastoreo no suplementado y 165 días bajo tres diferentes fases de pastoreo suplementado en el potrero. Se realizaron pesajes cada 28 días y se evaluaron variables como: la evolución en peso, la ganancia total y diaria, la diferencia entre pesajes, la relación consumo peso vivo y la tasa de consumo. Resultados. El peso inicial en la raza BON fue 180.4±36.9 kilos con 9.6±1.74 meses de edad y en la raza ROMO fue de 171.8±32.6 kilos con 10.1±3.2 meses de edad. El incremento general de los individuos entre pesajes fue 0.497 kilos por día para los individuos de raza BON, y 0.366 kilos por día para la raza ROMO. En la prueba de eficiencia la tasa de consumo de suplemento alcanzada fue 64.8% y 71% para BON y ROMO respectivamente, equivalentes a una ingestión de materia seca de 0.47% y 0.53% con relación al peso vivo. Conclusiones. Este trabajo evidencia un mayor desempeño de los individuos de la raza BON comparados con los animales de la raza ROMO e indica una alta variabilidad en la respuesta a un manejo semi-intensivo en las poblaciones en evaluación.

Glyphosate effects on floristic composition and species diversity in the Flooding Pampa grassland (Argentina)

Temperate grasslands of Argentina are extensively grazed by domestic livestock. Primary production follows a seasonal pattern, with maximum vegetation growth in late spring and minimum in winter. During the last decade, winter forage productivity has been encouraged by promoting the growth of cool-season annual grasses through late summer applications of glyphosate. The aim of this study was to describe structural changes in grassland vegetation associated with glyphosate treatments, as applied in a commercial livestock farm in the Flooding Pampa. Vegetation composition was assessed from spring 2006 to late summer 2008, in three paddocks that had never been exposed to any kind of herbicide, and three other paddocks treated with glyphosate in late summer in the previous 5 years. In the paddocks treated with glyphosate, basal cover of cool-season annual grasses and forage value in spring were greater but basal cover of cool-season perennial grasses, warm-season tussock grasses, warm-season legumes, total basal vegetation cover and forage value in summer were much lower respect to untreated paddocks. The shift in floristic composition resulted in less rich and even assemblages, dominated by an annual species and impoverished in native and perennial species. These structural changes may alter ecosystem processes through the increase of soil salinization and water losses in summer, may affect the seasonal pattern of productivity and may threaten biodiversity conservation and sustainability of wild life.

Commercialization of Agriculture and Role of Agricultural Extension

Today commercialization of agriculture is an inevitable reality throughout the whole world. There are a number of factors affecting the commercialization process in agriculture. Some of them could be named as rapid growth of economies in the both developing and developed countries, introducing of new technologies, market expansion, market liberalization, urbanization, rapid increase of demand for food, decreasing of farming population, liberalized and open economic policies, bilateral and multilateral economic agreements, developed infrastructure facilities in farming areas and government agricultural policies. However, commercialization in agriculture is not a new phenomenon and it is not a surprise to the farming community. Since the nineteen fifties, farmers in most of the countries have moved towards commercial agriculture. Their major objective was surplus production aiming market prospects. Agricultural extension plays a major role in agricultural production. Role of agricultural extension in a commercialized agricultural system is different from such service in subsistence farming system. In the commercialized agriculture the extension service will mainly concentrate on the resourceful big farmers, with favorable environmental conditions and higher socio-economic status. Under the commercialized agriculture the number of farmers is to be reduced and the size of the farm land should be increased. This is a generally accepted concept in commercial agriculture. Do we have to accept this concept under each and every situation? We think the answer is "no". By using improved technologies farmers can move towards commercial agriculture without considering the size of land. Under protected agriculture, farmers follow concepts of the commercial agriculture. Commercial livestock farming does not rely on the farm size except diary farming. However, the role of agricultural extension in the commercialized agricultural system is mainly dependent on the type and way of commercialization in a given society. We have to expect that agricultural extension services are supposed to fulfill many aims, from reducing rural poverty and improved livelihoods for rural households to increasing the overall production and contributing to foreign exchange earnings from exports. But the level and percentage of this contribution may vary from one situation to another. DOI: 10.4038/suslj.v6i1.1686 Sabaragamuwa University Journal, vol 6, no. 1, pp 13-22

Farm intensification and drivers of technology adoption in mixed dairy-crop systems in Santa Cruz, Bolivia

The expanding demand for livestock products in developing countries is expected to drive changes in livestock farming systems, such as intensification and technological development. However, while large commercial farms can take advantage of these new opportunities, semi-subsistence agriculture will be the main option for many poor livestock keepers. Development pathways may depend on local and farm-specific conditions. In this paper we: 1) typify mixed crop-dairy systems in Santa Cruz (Bolivia) from the point of view of their structural and socio-economical characteristics; 2) deepen the analysis of farm economics and level of intensification and 3) identify factors associated to the adoption of technologies. Three farming systems (specialized large commercial livestock farms, medium-size agricultural farms, and small semi-commercial mixed farms) were clearly differentiated in terms of structure, production orientation, economics and intensification level. The adoption of technologies (use of concentrates, pasture fertilization, cultivation of cut and carry pastures and use of dairy breeds) was related to distance from the farm to the nearest population, farmer education, farmer age and income. Policies directed towards improving market access and rural infrastructure would reduce transaction costs and increase non-farm employment opportunities. Similarly, investments in education and training would improve management capacity and technology adoption. However, current extension services do not seem to have an effect on technology adoption and, therefore, need to be improved/ better targeted.

Perceived constraints to private veterinary practice in India

We used an exploratory study in two districts of West Bengal State, India to find out the constraints of private veterinary practice. Privatization of veterinary services is being seen as an alternative to government-sponsored veterinary services to livestock. In December 2000 to February 2001, 50 private veterinary practitioners were interviewed from the districts. Their opinion was that weak regulations about competition from illegal practitioners and the use of veterinary drugs, competition by animal-health technicians (who are likely to charge less than veterinarians), absence of efficient diagnostic-laboratory support, and lack of commercial livestock farming were the main constraints faced.

Habitat utilization and home range of the redwing francolin, Francolinus levaillantii , in highland grasslands, Mpumalanga province, South Africa

The effects of intensive commercial livestock farming on the distribution and habitat use of the redwing francolin, Francolinus levaillantii, was investigated to identify habitat constraints that may contribute towards the observed decline of this species on livestock farms. Data on the size, placement of the home ranges and compositional habitat use from ten radio-tracked individuals, five in commercially grazed (and frequently burned) and five in protected (and infrequently burned) highland grasslands, was collated to determine habitat preferences. Mean home range size within protected and grazed grassland study sites were similar and ranged between 7.6 and 15.4 hectares. However, habitat use by groups in grazed grasslands was restricted to areas of greater cover and food availability. Group sizes were significantly larger in protected (mean 3.77, n = 111 coveys) than in grazed and frequently burned grassland (mean = 2.96, n = 135 coveys). Smaller coveys in grazed habitats had smaller home ranges and were further spaced from one another. It is therefore suggested that habitat degradation, through excessive defoliation of the grassland from heavy grazing and frequent burning, both fragments francolin subpopulations and reduces the ecological availability of suitable habitat. Thus, undermining the metapopulation structure of the redwing francolin in these commercially grazed grasslands.

Perceived constraints to privatization of delivery of veterinary services in Ghana.

Ghana is on the verge of privatizing selected activities in the delivery of animal health services. However, various constraints are being encountered. The aim of this paper is to identify these constraints so as to help find and solutions to them. Questionnaires were administered to veterinarians in Ghana to elicit their responses on various issues concerning privatization. A significant proportion (61%) of government veterinarians, who formed 94% of the respondents, were unwilling to go into private practice. Among the reasons given were that private practice was too risky, that farmers were unwilling or unable to pay for services, that capital to start practices was lacking and that the societal value for animals was low. Also, low livestock densities in many areas and the absence of commercial livestock farming were perceived as deterrents to the sustainability of private practice. Furthermore, the poor macroeconomic environment of high inflation, high interest rates and unstable currency discouraged investment. If privatization of veterinary services is to succeed in Ghana, these perceptions have to be addressed and solutions found, since veterinarians are the targets of the privatization process.

Crafting an Alternative to Capitalism

Crafting an Alternative to Capitalism Paul G. E. Clemens (bio) Edward S. Cooke, Jr. Making Furniture in Preindustrial America: The Social Economy of Newtown and Woodbury, Connecticut. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 1996. xiii + 295 pp. Illustrations, appendixes, notes, glossary, notes on sources and methods, index. $45.00. Early Americans lived, we increasingly believe, amidst a “consumer revolution.” Efforts to explore consumer behavior in the early modern economy have given the study of material culture, particularly household objects—how they were made, how they were used, their multiple meanings, their ownership and accumulation—new importance, and focused inquiry on the artifact collections at places such as Colonial Williamsburg, the Winterthur Museum, and Historic Deerfield. Concern with the consumer revolution has led, as well, to exciting new work—one thinks of Ann Smart Martin’s studies of ceramics and pewterware, Adrienne Hood’s and Marla R. Miller’s on the clothing trade, and now Edward S. Cooke Jr.’s carefully wrought investigation of joiners, the furniture they made, and the neighbors to whom they sold it. 1 The current exploration of this consumer revolution builds upon a generation of community studies, on material culture studies, and on the work of historical archaeologists. It is Cooke’s greatest strength that he has mastered the literature and investigatory traditions of several fields and used them to his advantage. Cooke’s study unfolds as a comparison between 1760 and 1820 of two southwestern Connecticut towns, Newtown and Woodbury, situated along the Housatonic River. Both were farming communities; neither was particularly prosperous. Hilly terrain and soil of modest fertility meant that most householders made ends meet through a mix of livestock husbandry, grain cultivation, and craft work, and that they relied more on their neighbors than on external markets for what they did not produce themselves. In both towns, handyman carpenters, house carpenters, and furniture builders were a numerous and significant part of the community. Cooke’s concern is to show how the two communities differed in their response to the market (or, as he occasionally states, to capitalism), and to explore the role of furniture makers [End Page 200] as mediators between “traditional household values and modern market forces” (p. 10). Newtown was a “yeoman town.” Its political order was egalitarian; its households were of modest size and sparsely furnished. Farmers seldom produced surpluses for export and craft work supplied local needs. The population was remarkably stable. The town looked inward. In contrast, Woodbury was a “gentry town.” Its founders had been relatively prosperous migrants from Stratford, and their descendants dominated Woodbury politically and economically. There was more commercial livestock farming, more wage labor, more large houses, and wider ownership of more elegant consumer goods than in Newtown. Woodbury’s population was more mobile; its town looked outward, to the less-settled northern reaches of the Housatonic River for which it served as a “gathering point for agricultural surpluses” (p. 85). The difference was, perhaps, more of degree than of kind, yet it was an important difference. Cooke sets out to relate the production of furniture to its consumption in these two similar but contrasting locales. His initial chapters provide the technical vocabulary needed to compare artisanal techniques in the two towns, but they also lay out his central assumptions. The first, which contradicts much of the previous literature, is that rural artisans were every bit as skilled as their contemporary cosmopolitan counterparts, and often, in fact, exercised greater care in making furniture. This assumption is crucial if we are to follow Cooke in attaching great significance to small differences in furniture design. The second is that New England furniture, already the subject of an extensive literature written for collectors and museums, is of interest to historians primarily as a way of understanding a human community. This leads to a third assumption, which links his study to work by James Henretta, Allan Kulikoff, Christopher Clark, and others on the “transition to capitalism” in early New England, that neither the skills nor the furniture of Connecticut joiners were fully market commodities; rather, joiners were part of a social economy, and the work they did was linked to a family tradition and a community of neighbors...

Towards a sustainable livestock production in developing countries and the importance of animal health strategy therein.

Livestock and animal health development projects have not always led to substantial increases in animal productivity or in farmers' welfare. Some have even resulted in unsustainable systems, when they were not based on an understanding of (livestock) production systems. The multipurpose functions of livestock and complex relationships between the biological, technical and social components require a systems approach, whereby nutrition, animal health, breeding, biotechnology knowhow, inputs and technologies are used to optimise resource use. The challenge for developed and developing countries is to reverse the current degradation of the environment, and arrive at sustainable increases in crop and livestock production to secure present and future food supplies. For rural development, governments should show long term commitment and political will to support the rural population in development programmes, because smallholders (including women and landless livestock keepers) represent a large labour force in developing countries. Different systems need different approaches. Pastoral systems must focus on effective management of grazing pressure of the rangelands. Communal rangelands management involves not only the development and application of technologies (e.g. feedlots, vaccination campaigns), but also land tenure policies, institutional development, economic return and a reduction in the number of people depending upon livestock. Smallholder mixed farms must aim at intensification of the total production system, in which external inputs are indispensable, but with the emphasis on optimum input-output relationships by reducing resource losses due to poor management. Resource-poor farming systems must aim at the improved management of the various livestock species in backyards and very small farms, and proper packages for cattle, buffaloes, sheep, goats, rabbits and poultry should be developed. Specialised commercial livestock farming systems (poultry, pigs, dairy or meat) can only be sustainable with adequate marketing, supply of quality feed, veterinary services, labour, management and control of pollution. Animal health programmes play a keyrole in the proposed system approach.