Dairy Area Research Articles

Turning food loss and waste into animal feed: A Mexican spatial inventory of potential generation of agro-industrial wastes for livestock feed

It is estimated that 37 % of all food produced in Mexico for human consumption is lost or wasted, while the national dairy herd consumes approximately 455,000 tons of feed annually. This study proposes a method to carry out a national inventory of food losses (FL) from the agro-industry that can replace conventional feed in livestock diets. FL chosen should meet criteria such as documented evidence of its use as livestock feeds, knowledge of existing treatments to transform them into by-product feeds, information on its availability, nutritional composition data, and proximity to dairy farms. The method was applied in Mexico, considering national agricultural statistics data and livestock production statistics at the municipal level. FL estimation was made using the Commission for Environmental Cooperation method, considering the pre-harvest, post-harvest, and processing stages of the agri-food supply chain. The interaction between milk production and FL generation was calculated using the global desirability function and spatially assessed using geographic information systems. Twenty-nine potential “strategic food loss” were identified, including maize, carrots, broccoli, cotton, and potato. The highest opportunities to use FL as by-product feeds are in 52 municipalities, mainly in the West Central region, where the Bajio dairy area is located. This research is the first step toward developing a market for by-product feeds in a circular economy scheme that reduces the environmental impacts and costs in the dairy industry.

Comparison of the therapeutic efficacy of five anthelmintics against natural Fasciola hepatica infections in dairy cattle from the Mantaro Valley, Peru.

The intensive use of anthelmintic drugs to control Fasciola hepatica infections in dairy cattle has resulted in the emergence of anthelmintic resistance. Cases of resistance to triclabendazole (TCBZ) have been reported worldwide. The main goal of this research was to evaluate the main five fasciolicides to control fasciolosis in dairy cattle in the Mantaro Valley, Peru. Two fecal egg count reduction tests were performed. In a first study, 24 naturally F. hepatica infected cattle were randomly grouped into three experimental groups (n=8). Groups were treated with either TCBZ, nitroxynil (NTX) or closantel (CLOS). In a second experiment, 55 naturally infected cows were grouped into three experimental groups and treated with either TCBZ (n=18), rafoxanide (RFX)+albendazole (ABZ) (n=19) or clorsulon (CLN)+ivermectin (IVM) (n=18). Therapeutic efficacy was determined following the WAAVP guidelines by measuring reduction in fluke egg output at days 15 and 30 post-treatment. Bootstrapping method was used to obtain the 95% confidence intervals. The efficacy of TCBZ was inadequate in both studies (≤80.8%). Closantel showed high efficacy (≥ 90%) at both days, while NTX showed 92.9% (83-100) and 82.1% (53.6-100), efficacy, at days 15 and 30, respectively. Efficacy for RFX were 92.1% (79.6-98.9) and 97.4% (94.1-99.4); and for CLN, 98.8% (97.6-100) and 80.1% (44.7-99.4), at days 15 and 30, respectively. The outcome of this study indicates reduced therapeutic efficacy of TCBZ against F. hepatica in an important dairy area of the Peruvian central highlands but also demonstrates the validity of four alternatives.

Epidemiological evidence for early-onset of enzootic bovine leukosis by L233-Tax-carrying bovine leukemia virus in Japanese Black cattle.

Bovine leukemia virus (BLV) is the causative agent of enzootic bovine leukosis (EBL), of which annual number has rapidly increased in Japan, and it can be divided into two categories based on the amino acid at position 233 in the Tax protein. Here, we conducted a nationwide surveillance of Japanese Black cattle between 2008 and 2021 in Japan. Among 237 tumor samples, 131 (55.3%) and 101 (42.6%) were harbored L233- and P233-Tax, respectively. Onset of EBL under the age of 3 years by L233-Tax-carrying BLV was frequently observed, especially in the animals born via embryo transfer. We also found that L233-Tax-carrying BLV was more prevalent in dairy areas than non-dairy areas. These findings give insight into prevention of EBL.

Pathogenic Leptospira spp. Seroprevalence and Herd-Level Risk Factors Associated with Chilean Dairy Cattle.

Simple SummaryLeptospirosis is a ubiquitous distributed infectious disease present in wild and domestic animals that can be transmitted to humans. This study aimed to estimate the burden of the bacteria in dairy cows from southern Chile and identify the factors associated with the herd-level status. We studied 147 herds and 4876 lactating cows from the area, and an infected herd was defined when at least one serologically positive reactor to MAT was detected. An epidemiological survey was applied to the herd’s owner. The estimated overall individual prevalence was 5.3% (95% CI 2.9–7.7), the overall herd-level prevalence was 42.2% (95% CI 34.2–50.2), and there was variation in both between different herd sizes. L. borgpetersenii serovars Hardjo and Tarassovi and L. interrogans serovar Pomona were the more frequent serovars in Leptospira non-vaccinated herds. Attenuated Leptospira vaccine usage was assessed as a factor that decreases the risk of a farm being infected (OR = 0.04; 95% CI = 0.02–0.11), and variables that increase that risk were using bulls for mating (OR = 3.43; (95% CI = 1.1–10.1) and continuous calving distribution (OR = 3.4; 95% CI = 1.3–8.8). The results from this study will contribute to unravelling the infection burden in the main dairy area of the country and designing control strategies.Leptospirosis is a ubiquitous distributed zoonotic infectious disease present in wild and domestic animals. This study aimed to estimate within-herd and herd-level seroprevalence against pathogenic Leptospira spp. in dairy cows from southern Chile and identify risk factors associated with the herd-level status. We used a multi-stage strategy combined with a stratified sample strategy for randomly sampling 147 herds and 4876 lactating cows. We considered as infected a herd with at least one positive reactor to MAT. In addition, an epidemiological survey was applied to the herd’s owners and a logistic regression (LR) model was constructed to analyze it. The overall within-herd prevalence was 5.9% (95% CI 4.9–6.8), the overall herd-level prevalence was 42.2% (95% CI 9.2–47.9), and there was variation in both between different herd sizes. L. borgpetersenii serovars Hardjo and Tarassovi and L. interrogans serovar Pomona were the more frequent serovars in non-vaccinated herds. A factor that decreases the risk of a farm being infected was Leptospira vaccine usage (OR = 0.04; 95% CI = 0.02–0.11), and variables that increase risk were using bulls for mating (OR = 3.43; 95% CI = 1.1–10.1) and continuous calving distribution (OR = 3.4; 95% CI = 1.3–8.8). The study’s results will contribute to unravelling the infection burden in the main dairy area of the country and designing control strategies.

The Influence of Agricultural Farmers' Entrepreneurial Behavior on the Business Performance of Dairy Farmers in Andhra Pradesh

In the present worldwide serious business and industrialization, entrepreneurs can assume a larger part. The innovative movement has an immediate bearing on the country's financial development. It fills in as an impetus during the time of industrialization and monetary turn of events. Entrepreneurship is the focal power of monetary action, which is needed for the advancement of the country. The innovative characteristics contribute to pay, fearlessness and a wellspring of accomplishment. Entrepreneurs are the critical people of any country in advancing financial development and innovative change. The dairy area plays a multi-faceted part in the financial improvement of country family units. Animals’ raising emphatically affects value regarding pay; and work and neediness decreases in provincial territories. Dairy is a significant aspect of farming development and is additionally considered as a possible area for trade income. India has the biggest milk maker of milk on the planet. Dairy endeavor turns out to be nonstop revenue as well as gives great business freedoms to the poor provinces. Current investigation was conducted to know the innovative conduct of dairy farmers in Vizianagaram District of Andhra Pradesh in 2020 with 240 dairy entrepreneurs. The significant discoveries of the investigation were that a large portion of the prepared dairy farmers were in the medium to the high enterprising class and that lion's share of dairy farmers had an undeniable degree of pioneering qualities viz: self-confidence, achievement motivation, innovativeness, and risk-orientation.

Regional differences in the fatty acid composition, and vitamin and carotenoid concentrations in farm bulk milk in Hokkaido, Japan.

In this study, we investigated the regional differences in the composition of farm bulk milk produced at three different dairy areas in Hokkaido, Japan. A field survey was conducted at Central, Tokachi, and North areas of Hokkaido, three or four times a year. At each farm, an interview questionnaire for farm basal data was conducted, and 500ml of bulk tank milk sample was obtained. Fatty acid composition, and vitamin and carotenoid concentrations in the milk samples were determined. In Central and Tokachi areas, corn silage was used as the main forage. In North area, fresh herbage was the dominant feed in the summer season, and grass hay was the main feed in the winter season. Discriminant analysis revealed that the composition of milk samples differed among the areas and seasons. Milk from Central and Tokachi areas contained a higher ratio of linoleic acid compared with that from North area, but there were only slight differences in the composition of milk between Central and Tokachi areas. The concentrations of carotenoids and α-tocopherol were higher in samples from North area and the ratios of trans-vaccenic acid and conjugated linoleic acid were higher in the summer season than in the indoor season.

Reconstruction of radio-ecological model parameters based on the results of monitoring the radiation situation in Mazovia after the Chernobyl accident (based on the «Warsaw» scenario of the IAEA EMRAS project)

The paper analyzes the consistency of the input data of the radioecological model: the results of measurements of 137Cs and 131I concentrations in the atmosphere after the Chernobyl accident in Warsaw, the meteo-data on precipitation during the main radioactive fallout, the values of minimum 137Cs deposition densities on the territories of two dairy areas of Warsaw Area and Ostroleka Area in the central part of Mazovia. According to meteorological data in Warsaw Area during the period of radioactive fallout there were local rains. In Ostroleka Area, according to all weather stations, there was no rainfall during this period. In Warsaw Area, a minimum 137Cs deposition density of 1.3 kBq/m 2 with an error of less than 10% was found to be consistent with the “dry” deposition density of 137Cs (1.2 kBq/m 2 ) reconstructed by a simulated agroclimatic model based on atmospheric 137Cs measurements. This agreement, taking into account the amount of precipitation recorded at weather stations during the period of radioactive fallout and the significant, more than 10 times, dispersion of 137Cs fallout densities across the Warsaw Area, suggests that a homogeneous cloud-uniform fallout model is preferable for this region in radio-ecological modeling. For the Ostroleka Area, the variation in deposition densities of 137Cs was relatively small, at 3.2, and the estimated dry deposition density of 137Cs was 2.0-2.7 times lower than the measured minimum deposition densities in districts and settlements. This discrepancy, given the absence of precipitation recorded by all weather stations during the deposition period, led to the assumption that the 137Cs and 131I atmospheric concentrations in Ostroleka Area were 2-2.7 times higher than those in Warsaw Area. The adjustment of the 137Cs and 131I atmospheric concentrations in the Ostroleka Area for this region will be verified by measuring the 131I specific activity in milk under the Warsaw scenario.

Genotype Diversity of Mycobacterium bovis and Pathology of Bovine Tuberculosis in Selected Emerging Dairy Regions of Ethiopia.

Bovine tuberculosis (bTB) is endemic in Ethiopia with higher prevalence in cattle, particularly in the central parts. Spread of Mycobacterium bovis (M. bovis) to wider regions is inevitable in uncontrolled conditions. This study was conducted to explore the pathology, characterize M. bovis strains, and describe genotypic diversity to demonstrate possible epidemiological links in emerging dairy areas of Ethiopia, namely, Mekelle and Gondar. Twenty-seven bTB positive cattle identified by the Single Intradermal Comparative Cervical Tuberculin (SICCT) test were subjected to post-mortem inspection to determine lesion distribution and pathological score. Samples from tissues with visible tuberculous or suspected non-visible lesions were processed and cultured following a standard protocol. Isolates identified as M. bovis by Region of Difference (RD)-based Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) were also spoligotyped to determine their spoligotype patterns. Post-mortem inspection of visceral organs indicated bTB suggestive lesions in 41% of the animals, with 25% being in the lungs. Lymph nodes from 77% of the animals had lesions. Fifty-five isolates identified from 24 of the slaughtered animals were confirmed as M. bovis. No other mycobacterial species were isolated. Spoligotyping classified strains from 21 of these animals into seven spoligotype patterns: SB0133, SB0134, SB1176, SB2233, SB2290, SB2467, and SB2520. More than one spoligotype were identified from five of these animals, and none of the last four spoligotypes had been reported in Ethiopia before. SB0134 was the most predominant type (47%) followed by SB0133 (25.5%). SB0133, SB2290, SB2467, and SB1176 are spoligotypes lacking spacers 3–7, characteristics of M. bovis strains of the African 2 (Af2) clonal complex, while SB0134, SB2233, and SB2520 do not belong to any of the established clonal complexes and likely to have a different evolutionary history. Despite a small sample size, the present study showed strain diversity with multiple genotypes identified in a single herd and even within a single animal, and the genotypes showed no sign of geographical localization, which could be a consequence of significant movement of bTB diseased cattle around the country, spreading the disease. Therefore, any future control programme of bTB in Ethiopia needs to address the risks of cattle movement.

BoLA-DRB3 exon2 polymorphisms among tuberculous cattle: Nucleotide and functional variability and their association with bovine tuberculosis pathology

Bovine tuberculosis (bTB) is caused by Mycobacterium bovis and disseminated worldwide. In Argentina, the highest prevalence occurs in dairy areas. BoLA DRB3.2 is related to the adaptive immunity in mycobacterial infections. Genetic polymorphisms of this marker have been associated with resistance or susceptibility to bovine diseases. We evaluated the association between BoLA DRB3.2 polymorphisms and bTB pathology scores in dairy and beef cattle breeds of Argentina. Most bovines exhibited visible lesions compatible with tuberculosis and, furthermore, 150 (85.7%) were also positive by bacteriology. A pathology index showed a variable degree of disease, from 3 to 76 (median pathology score = 9 (IQR: 7–15)). Thirty-five BoLA DRB3.2 alleles were identified with an associated frequency from 16% to 0.3%, distributed 73% (n = 128) in heterozygosis and 27% (n = 47) in homozygosis, with 12 BoLA DRB3.2 alleles (*0101, *1101, *1501, *0201, *2707 *1001, *1002, *1201, *14011, *0501 *0902 and *0701) representing the 74.7% of the population variability. A functional analysis grouped them in 4 out of 5 clusters (A-D), suggesting a functional overlapping. Among the 90 identified genotypes, *1101/*1101, *1101/*1501 and *0101/*0101 were the most frequent (10%, 8.9% and 8.9%, respectively). No association was detected between the pathology scores and a specific DRB3.2 allele (p > .05). Animals infected with M. bovis spoligotype SB0153 showed a significantly higher pathology score than those affected by the spoligotype SB0145 (p = .018). Furthermore, the Aberdeen Angus breed exhibited highest pathological scores (p < .0001), which were associated with disseminated lesion, thus suggesting that the host component could be important to the disease progression.

Microenvironment identification and the feed availability for dairy cows during dry and wet seasons in the main dairy areas of Yogyakarta – Indonesia

Microenvironment identification and the feed availability for dairy cows during dry and wet seasons in the main dairy areas of Yogyakarta – Indonesia

Prevalence of different dairy cattle diseases in selected dairy areas and farms of Bangladesh

The present study was designed to have a comprehensive epidemiological data of the circulating diseases in Pubna cattle in Pubna and sirajgonj districts of Bangladesh. Two sites were selected for the study as the Nucleus Breeding Hard (NBH); which is located in the BLRI-RS, Baghabari, Sahjadpur, Siragjang and the community; consists of three villages of Bera upazila of Pabna district namely Khar-bagan, Hatail-aralia and Char-sabolla. The total cattle population was 576 (506 in the community and 70 in the NBH). The overall weather was hot and humid. A total of 965 clinical cases of cattle of different age and sex were diagnosed during the period from July, 2017 to June, 2018.The descriptive statistics suggested that endo-parasites (15.67%), FMD (27.51%), non-specific diarrhea (7.73%) and post-partum anoestrus (7.78%) are the most prevailing diseases in the community and endo-parasites (21.82%), foot-rot (15.15%), non-specific fever (7.27%), dermatochalasis (5.45%) and conjunctivitis (4.85%) are the most prevailing diseases in the NBH. Population data shows that there was an endemic outbreak of FMD in the community between March to May 2018 where almost 50% cattle were affected by the disease though calf morbidity was low (2.69%) but all the affected calf died. Non-specific diarrhea was more common in older individuals (14% in over 3years old cattle) mostly in cows (14.2%) and occurred in summer (9.84%) and winter (8.81%) may be because of the ignorance of the farmers to supply clean water to their animals. Although, we routinely de-worm our cows in the community and in the NBH round the year we found many cases of parasitic gastro-enteritis in both the locations which suggested that our de-worming practice is not working. Repeated study of the same kind can provide us a large set of data on cattle disease prevailing in the area which may provides valuable insight to design and implement priority based research on specific disease and to take efficient control strategies against that disease.&#x0D; Asian Australas. J. Biosci. Biotechnol. 2018, 3 (3), 231-236

Single nucleotide polymorphisms in candidate genes associated with milk yield in Argentinean Holstein and Holstein x Jersey cows

BackgroundResearch on loci influencing milk production traits of dairy cattle is one of the main topics of investigation in livestock. Many genomic regions and polymorphisms associated with dairy production have been reported worldwide. In this context, the purpose of this study was to identify candidate loci associated with milk yield in Argentinean dairy cattle. A database of candidate genes and single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) for milk production and composition was developed. Thirty-nine SNPs belonging to 22 candidate genes were genotyped on 1643 animals (Holstein and Holstein x Jersey). The genotypes obtained were subjected to association studies considering the whole population and discriminating the population by Holstein breed percentage. Phenotypic data consisted of milk production values recorded during the first lactation of 1156 Holstein and 462 Holstein x Jersey cows from 18 dairy farms located in the central dairy area of Argentina. From these records, 305-day cumulative milk production values were predicted.ResultsEight SNPs (rs43375517, rs29004488, rs132812135, rs137651874, rs109191047, rs135164815, rs43706485, and rs41255693), located on six Bos taurus autosomes (BTA4, BTA6, BTA19, BTA20, BTA22, and BTA26), showed suggestive associations with 305-day cumulative milk production (under Benjamini-Hochberg procedure with a false discovery rate of 0.1). Two of those SNPs (rs43375517 and rs135164815) were significantly associated with milk production (Bonferroni adjusted p-values < 0.05) when considering the Holstein population.ConclusionsThe results obtained are consistent with previously reported associations in other Holstein populations. Furthermore, the SNPs found to influence bovine milk production in this study may be used as possible candidate SNPs for marker-assisted selection programs in Argentinean dairy cattle.

Genotipado de SNPs relacionados con enfermedades hereditarias en terneras Holando utilizando el panel GGP-BovineLDv3

The objective of this study consisted in a screening of the main hereditary diseases BLAD, DUMPs and Citrullinaemia using the GGP-BovineLDv3 panel in a representative population of Holstein heifers of the eastern area of Uruguay, as well as the analysis of BLAD mutant allele frequency since it was first reported in Uruguay in 2003. DNA was extracted from fresh blood of 190 Holstein heifers in the dairy area of Cerro Largo (Uruguay) and genotyped using the above mentioned panel, thus validating previously used techniques, suhc as PCR- RFLP and PCR- sequencing. We detected the presence of the BLAD mutant allele in one heifer, and allele frequency was estimated as 0.28%. Reported frequencies of BLAD allele during the last 15 years were compared and the reported studies revealed that the frequency progressively decreased and fell to zero in 2018, which can be due to the use of genotyped semen free of these diseases during the last years. No mutant alleles were found for DUMPs or Citrulinaemia. The use of low-density panels would be a useful tool to develop breeding strategies in dairly farms and to monitor hereditary diseases in Holstein breed.

Key analysis of the dairy value chain in Vietnam: the case of Bavi

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to find out the distribution of benefits, costs, and value added among the actors and problems in the practical management in dairy milk value chain, especially in one of the most important dairy areas in Vietnam to see how they upgrade in the value chain.Design/methodology/approachA survey was carried out in Bavi, Hanoi where a large amount of fresh milk is produced annually. The content of the survey was built before conducting in Bavi with 160 questionnaires. The questionnaires were based on the criteria which reflect the main objectives of the paper such as the actor’s profits and costs, the relationship among these actors, and the advantages and disadvantages in the dairy milk’s value chain. Some part of results of the paper was evaluated by conducting interviews with the relevant target groups in the value chain of dairy milk. Data collected were aggregated and analyzed by SPSS20, Excel. The calculation of cost and profit margin of each actor in the chain was also be presented by a quantitative tool for value chain analysis.FindingsThis study pointed out the systemized problems in the value chain of one of the biggest dairy companies in Vietnam. This study revealed some wicked problems in the value chains of Vietnam under globalization.Research limitations/implicationsThis study could not cover all of the detailed actors in the dairy value chain.Originality/valueThe value of income in the chain is distributed unequally. The benefits that farmers receive are inadequate with the costs they have to pay. This is a particular chain, in which the main factors boosting the chain are factories, and an increase in revenue also reflects the benefits of them. The result is that the value added in the chain is also biased toward the dairy plant. The paper also pointed out the shortcomings in the cost calculation of farmers. All the expenses, such as wages and the opportunity cost, are calculated in the total cost of the dairy plant, whereas dairy farmers do not mention these costs. Thus, in terms of benefits, farmers suffer more disadvantages, thus they should be received more value. In terms of management, Bavi’s authorities could not manage the output of milk in the perfect way. The lax management has led to a series of counterfeit goods that appear on the market today. These low-quality products are sold right on the highway and the Bavi’s tourist destination.

Occurrence of Subclinical Endometritis in Dairy Cattle and Effect on Reproductive Efficiency

Background: Subclinical endometritis (SE) have a negative impact on fertility due to an absence of clinical signs which difficult its diagnosis and treatment. The prevalence and impact of the disease on the reproductive status of dairy herds is not known in the region, the objective of the present study was to determine the prevalence of the disease and its effect on the reproductive efficiency in cows of the dairy area from Putumayo State, Colombia.Materials, Methods &amp; Results: Cross-sectional study was made of 166 dairy cows from 30 days postpartum in the municipalities: Santiago, Sibundoy, Colon, and San Francisco. Reproductive evaluation and endometrial cytology were made to establish the SE prevalence determining subsequently the number of open days. Cow whit more than 120 days in milk (DIM) and without confirmed pregnancy was defined as “not reproductive efficiency”. Association between SE and reproductive efficiency was established through Odds Ratio from contingency tables. Bias and confusion control was made through stratified analysis. Results showed 32 cows without changes in reproductive clinical evaluation and inflammatory changes in cytological evaluation (PMNn &gt;5%) for a SE prevalence of 19.27%. Disease occurs most frequently in Colón (23.10%) but the frequency of the disease was not different among the regions (P &gt; 0.05). The group of animals with the greatest days open (DO) mean (161 DIM) had a normal ovarian function and subclinical endometritis. The 6.6% of cows had a poor reproductive prognosis (subclinical endometritis, anestrous and 144 DIM). For the stratified analysis (controlling by anestrus) was estimated the crude OR (OR 5.93; P &lt; 0.05; CI 95% 2.56-14.6) and adjusted ORMH (OR 5.78; P &lt; 0.05; CI 95% 2.39-13.9). Difference between adjusted ORMH and crude OR (3%) and Wald X2 test (P &gt; 0.05) suggesting that there is no confusion and allowed to establish that “the odds of low reproductive efficiency (Days open &gt;120) increases 5.9 times when cows suffer subclinical endometritis, than when do not have the disease”.Discussion: Study prevalence was lower than the reported by other authors. Variability of the results by the different authors ratifies the multifactorial characteristic of the disease and thr differences in the immune response of the animals. Cows diagnosed with SE, normal ovarian function and 161 DIM shown that the disease increases significantly the open days of the herd reducing reproductive efficiency. These findings are consistent with other authors who report that subclinical endometritis: increased open days and reduced conception rates and increased the risk of no pregnancy at 150 days postpartum. In the study, cows with subclinical endometritis and normal ovarian function had open days mean lower to 120 and more probability to have a good reproductive performance if pregnancy is achieved, but the dairy herds of the region lack of adequate systems of detection of estro and services and have no systems that allow the diagnosis of SE and anoestrus. The 69% of the evaluated animals present some clinical characteristics (SE, anoestrous) that predispose them to low reproductive behaviour. It is recommended to routinely use endometrial cytology to diagnose SE and improving the reproductive efficiency of animals.

Do Dairy Market Hubs improve smallholder farmers’ income? The case of dairy farmers in the Tanga and Morogoro regions of Tanzania

ABSTRACTThe dairy industry has great potential to improve living standards for the poor in Tanzania and more so for smallholder farmers who account for the largest share of milk consumed nationally. To increase production efficiency and overall output, the Government of Tanzania and its development partners are promoting dairy market hubs (DMHs) to enhance access to milk markets, inputs and services. However, there is limited empirical evidence on the degree to which these potential benefits translate into real benefits in dairy production and income, particularly for smallholder farmers. This paper therefore, examines the effect of DMHs on smallholder farmers’ income. Using primary data collected from 461 smallholder dairy farmers in four districts in two regions of Tanzania (Tanga and Morogoro) the study employs quasi-experimental methods combining propensity score matching and difference-in-difference (DD) to estimate treatment effects. The results indicate that participation in DMHs increased household dairy income by 4.07 percentage points on average for the period 2014 to 2016. Participation is encouraged by group membership, land owned and quantity of milk sold. It relates negatively with milk price and negatively, though weakly, with age. These results suggest that it would be productive to support livestock producer groups across all potential dairy areas to move towards forming DMHs. Specific actions that could facilitate this are discussed.

Screening, Identification of Alkaline Proteases Producing Fungi from Soil of Different Habitats of Amalner Tahsil [Maharashtra] and Their Applications

Fungal proteases had wide applications in textile, leather, food and Pharmaceutical industries. As proteases shows proteolytic activity they are helpful in proteinic stain removal hence also used in various commercial detergent industries. For fungal isolation soil samples were collected from different sites of Amalner tahsil. (Maharashtra) e.g. crop fields, near dairy areas, poultry farms etc. Those soil samples showing alkaline pH were selected for isolation of fungi on Potato Dextrose Agar plates. Then among 14 different isolates 2 were selected for their most proteolytic activity after screening on casein agar, skimmed milk agar and gelatine agar. For submerged fermentation, these selected isolates were inoculated in production media in shake flask. After 72 hrs, plate assay was performed by taking crude enzyme after filtration and centrifugation as well as by taking partially purified enzyme.(partial purification done by ammonium sulphate precipitation method). Protease activity assay was performed by agar well diffusion method, as well as blood clot lysis activity and blood stain removal ability of protease obtained from selected isolates was studied.Selected isolates were identified,among them Aspergillus niger gives more proteolytic activity than Trichoderma longibrachiatum. Int. J. Appl. Sci. Biotechnol. Vol 5(3): 397-402

English

In order to determine the prevalence of bovine brucellosis, tuberculosis and dermatophilosis, a study was carried out in main dairy areas of Benin from April to September 2015. For brucellosis, 780 sera and 78 milk samples were analyzed by indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (iELISA). For tuberculosis, 780 cattle underwent a comparative intradermal tuberculin test and 78 milk samples were used for Ziehl-Neelsen&rsquo;s staining. About dermatophilosis, 78 samples of scabs were collected for Giemsa&rsquo;s staining. For brucellosis, the overall individual animal seroprevalence was 8.85%. The regions of Borgou with 19.33% and Atlantique with 0% prevalence showed significant differences (p &lt;0.05) with the other regions. For tuberculosis, the overall individual animal prevalence was 2.18%. The regions of Borgou and Alibori, with 0% prevalence each, showed significant differences (p &lt;0.05) with most other regions. Taking into account the individual animal prevalence, Zou (brucellosis 18.33%, tuberculosis 6.67%) and Plateau (brucellosis 10%, tuberculosis 6.67%) were the areas at risk for these two diseases. For dermatophilosis the overall herd prevalence was 23.08%. There was significant difference (p&lt;0.05) between Alibori and Mono but also between Alibori and Zou. It is urgent, therefore, to put in place an adapted control strategy taking into account these geographical realities. Key words: Brucellosis, tuberculosis, dermatophilosis, prevalence, cattle, Benin

NFORMATION SYSTEM IN ANIMAL HUSBANDRY AS A COMPONENT OF BIODIVERSITY CONSERVATION STRATEGIES

NFORMATION SYSTEM IN ANIMAL HUSBANDRY AS A COMPONENT OF BIODIVERSITY CONSERVATION STRATEGIES

Evaluation N2O Emissions from Intensive Manure Managements in a Dairy Area

To investigate N2O emissions from intensive manure managements, eight farmer’s fields covering paddy rice and uplands cropping systems in a livestock watershed of central Japan has been selected. The manure was popular applied with PIAF (Ploughing Immediately after Fertilization), FKSSL (Fertilizer Keeping on the Surface Soil for a Longer Time) and only applied in winter fallow season for paddy rice under the application rate of 200-800 kg N ha-1yr-1. Field gas samples were conducted by static chamber method. The result showed that N2O flux varied from 0 to 1607 μg N m-2h-1 in upland crop systems and from 0 to 924 μg N m-2 h-1 in paddy fields. And the annual emission ranged from 1.91- 9.26 kg N ha-1 yr-1 accounting for 0.48 ± 0.41% of input N in uplands and 1.28-1.91 kg N ha-1 yr-1 accounting for 0.43 ± 0.27% of input N in paddy rice, respectively. In rice/fallow system, more N2O emitted and the emission factor was 0.59 ± 0.07% due to the manure applied in fallow winter season. The N2O emission from FKSSL was 0.85 ± 0.79% of input N, and 3.4 times higher than PIAF. Slurry application contributed N2O emission 0.71 ± 0.37% of input N with 2 times higher than that of dry compost manure plots.