Forage Type Research Articles

Adding dried distillers grains with solubles influences the rumen microbiome of meat goats fed lespedeza or alfalfa-based diets

We evaluated the effect of replacement of corn and soybean meal (SBM) with dried distillers grains with solubles (DDGS) in sericea lespedeza (SL; Lespedeza cuneata) and alfalfa (Medicago sativa)-based diets on ruminal fermentation and bacterial community of growing meat goats. Thirty-six male Spanish growing meat goats with an average body weight of 24 ± 1.8 kg were stratified by body weight and assigned to four isonitrogenous (crude protein = 17.1 ± 0.1%) and isocaloric (3.2 ± 0.09 Mcal/ kg DM) diets for 60 d in a randomized design with a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement. The dietary treatments were (1) alfalfa-based diet (ALC), (2) alfalfa + DDGS (ALD; replacement of corn and SBM with DDGS), (3) SL-based diet (SLC) and (4) SL + DDGS (SLD; replacement of corn and SBM with DDGS). The goats were slaughtered, and rumen contents were immediately sampled for 16 S rRNA gene sequencing and rumen fermentation analysis. The analysis of Similarity (ANOSIM) and linear discriminant analysis (LDA) effect size (LEfSe) were respectively used to detect microbial community shift and differentially abundant taxa among treatments. Addition of DDGS increased (P < 0.05) rumen acetate concentrations in both alfalfa and lespedeza-based diets. However, dietary DDGS reduced (P < 0.05) butyrate and ammonia nitrogen concentrations, compared to alfalfa and SL-based diets. The ANOSIM results revealed a shift in the bacterial community between ALC and ALD (R = 0.251; P = 0.01) and between SLC and SLD (R = 0.289; P = 0.001). The LEfSe analysis revealed that the relative abundance of 7 taxa, including Ruminococcaceae UCG 002, Succinivibrionaceae UCG 002, Prevotellaceae YAB2003, and Lachnospiraceae UCG 010 were reduced (LDA > 2; P < 0.05) while 38 taxa were enriched (LDA > 2; P < 0.05) in ALD compared to ALC. Similarly, the relative abundance of 31 taxa, including Ruminococcus YE281, Succinivibrio, and Lachnospiraceae ND3007 were reduced, while 35 taxa were enriched (LDA > 2; P < 0.05) in SLD compared to SLC. In conclusion, this study showed that regardless of the forage type, inclusion of DDGS in diet modulates the relative population of both fibrolytic and butyrate-producing bacteria in meat goats.

Image classification of forage grasses on Etuoke Banner using edge autoencoder network.

Automatically identifying the forage is the basis of intelligent fine breeding of cattle and sheep. In specific, it is a key step to study the relationship between the type and quantity of forage collected by cattle and sheep and their own growth, cashmere fineness, milk quality, meat quality and flavor, and so on. However, traditional method mainly rely on manual observation, which is time-consuming, laborious and inaccurate, and affects the normal grazing behavior of livestock. In this paper, the optimized Convolution Neural Network(CNN): edge autoencoder network(E-A-Net) algorithm is proposed to accurately identify the forage species, which provides the basis for ecological workers to carry out grassland evaluation, grassland management and precision feeding. We constructed the first forage grass dataset about Etuoke Banner. This dataset contains 3889 images in 22 categories. In the data preprocessing stage, the random cutout data enhancement is adopted to balance the original data, and the background is removed by employing threshold value-based image segmentation operation, in which the accuracy of herbage recognition in complex background is significantly improved. Moreover, in order to avoid the phenomenon of richer edge information disappearing in the process of multiple convolutions, a Sobel operator is utilized in this E-A-Net to extract the edge information of forage grasses. Information is integrated with the features extracted from the backbone network in multi-scale. Additionally, to avoid the localization of the whole information during the convolution process or alleviate the problem of the whole information disappearance, the pre-training autoencoder network is added to form a hard attention mechanism, which fuses the abstracted overall features of forage grasses with the features extracted from the backbone CNN. Compared with the basic CNN, E-A-Net alleviates the problem of edge information disappearing and overall feature disappearing with the deepening of network depth. Numerical simulations show that, compared with the benchmark VGG16, ResNet50 and EfficientNetB0, the f1 - score of the proposed method is improved by 1.6%, 2.8% and 3.7% respectively.

Effect of pit and plastic bag methods and some additives on chemical composition of grass-legume mixture silages

This study was conducted at the College of Agricultural Engineering Sciences, the experimental field of the University of Sulaimani, during the growing season of 2012 – 2013. The experiment used two methods of making silage (pit method and plastic/ bag method) by making 18 pits with 100×80×100 cm, and 18 plasticbags sized 22 litter. Each silos contained three different forage types: grasses include whole barley and oat; alfalfa as legume and mixture. Those material were treated with two additives of sugar and molasses;solutions at a rate of 1:10; additives were used to improve silage preservation.The factorial design with a complete randomized block design (CRBD) experiment with three replications were used to analysis this study.Themostimportantresults indicatedthat the highest carbohydrates, ash, crude fat, crude fiber and moisture contents of 15.299, 8.580, 2.966, 18.399, and 70.536 % respectively, were achieved by using plastic bags method. The result showed that the highest carbohydrate content of 16.623% was achieved by using plastic methodwith grasses. However, the highest crude protein content of 22.037% was achieved by using pits with plant mixture and sugar. The highest pH value of 5.527 was recorded by the interaction among pits, plant mixture, and molasses. The highest dry matter content of 36.65% of was recorded by the interaction among plastic, grasses and sugar.The maximum carbohydrates content of 15.693% was achieved by using grasses, while legumes gave the highest contents of ash, crude fat, crude protein and dry matter. From the results of this study, it can be concluded that the method of using plastic bags was significant than pits method, the pits method with a mixture of (grasses and legumes) withmolasses produced maximum crude fiber, moisture, crude fat, and dry matter contents.

Forage Diversification of Parent Bali Cattle in Simantri Group 733 Manah Cika Guna Bhakti, Baru Village Tabanan Bali Indonesia

Simantri is agricultural integration activity in Bali, Indonesia covering food crops, horticulture businesses, animal husbandry, fisheries, plantations, and forestry crops in one area/activity location. The Simantri Group 733 Manah Cika Guna Bhakti Desa Baru has been formed since 2009, with available feed sources in the form of grasses that grow naturally (nature grass) and some forage plants such as gamal (Gliricidia sepium) and agricultural crop waste. Forage is the main feed for ruminants, which can be in the form of grasses or fodder plants such as legumes. Partners lack knowledge in the field of feed, especially learning about types of forage that are superior in quantity and quality, and are willing to increase the variety of quality forage sources available throughout the season. Partners also want to get special forage seeds and how to cultivate them. It is necessary to conduct action research for Simantri 733 Manah Cika Guna Bhakti Livestock Farmer Group in Banjar Dinas Baru, Baru Village, Marga District, Tabanan Regency, Bali, to help solve problems faced by partners by providing knowledge about superior types of forage, the introduction of technology and skills in cultivation such as land preparation, seed selection, planting, and care. This international collaboration activity was carried out well and smoothly on October 30, 2021, attended by 20 members of the Simantri group. The method used is the method of extension, active participation of farmers, and exploratory. Based on the evaluation results, the Simantri group has recognized several superior forages and has mastered the technology for the cultivation of superior types of forage. Mastery of technology reaches 80%, so it is necessary to provide further assistance to the group during the first and second cutting and preservation techniques so that the rainforest remains of good quality

Effects of Sheep Grazing Systems on Water Quality with a Focus on Nitrate Leaching

This article reviews the literature on nitrate leaching under sheep grazing systems and focuses on identifying future research needs. Urinary nitrogen (N) is an important source of the nitrate leached from pastoral agriculture. Urinary N excretion can be measured or simulated using models and has been well characterised for dairy systems. It is difficult to continuously monitor the urinary N excretion of sheep under field conditions; consequently, measurements of N excretion in sheep urine are limited. Urination events by sheep vary greatly in volume (0.5 L to 6.9 L), concentration (3 to 13.7 g N/L), and frequency (8 to 23 events/day); this variation results in a corresponding variation in N loading rates in urine patches. The amount of nitrate leached under pastures grazed by sheep has typically varied between 1 and 50 kg N/ha/year, but rates as high as 300 kg N/ha/year have been reported. The quantity of nitrate leached under sheep depends on the season, climate, quantity and timing of drainage, the interaction between forage production and stocking rate, fertiliser applied, N fixation by legumes, forage type, and grazing management. The majority of studies examining nitrate leaching under sheep grazing systems are more than 20 years old; so, there is little recent information on nitrate leaching under modern pasture-based sheep production systems. Further research is required to quantify nitrate leaching levels under current sheep farming practices, to understand the impacts of this leaching on water quality, and to help identify effective strategies to reduce the transfer of N from grazed paddocks to receiving water bodies. This additional information will help provide information for decision support tools, including models and management practices, to help sheep farmers minimise their impact on the aquatic environment.

Pasture traits and cattle performance in silvopastoral systems with Eucalyptus and Urochloa: Systematic review and meta-analysis

This study evaluated pasture traits and cattle performance in silvopastoral systems (SPSs) with Eucalyptus spp. and Urochloa spp. through a systematic review and meta-analysis. Systematic searches of databases, scientific journals and references of selected articles found 2,639 articles, of which 29 (120 comparisons) were selected. Comparisons were classified according to the covariates of distance between tree rows, number of trees/ha, tree planting orientation, system age and forage type. Data were submitted to meta-regression followed by subgroup analysis for covariates with a significant effect (P < 0.05) on the response. Data were analyzed in random effects models using mean difference and 95% confidence interval (P < 0.05). Forage mass (FM) was greater for SPSs with up to 99 trees/ha and lower for the other groups, compared to that for grass monoculture. Forage accumulation (FA) was also greater for SPSs with up to 99 trees/ha, but lower for SPSs with more than 300 trees/ha, compared to that for grass monoculture. FM was lower for SPSs of all spacings between tree rows and planting orientations, compared to that for grass monoculture, with the lowest being with smaller spacing and with north-south planting orientation. FA was lower for SPSs with up to 28m between tree rows, compared to that for grass monoculture, while that for SPSs with more than 28m did not differ. Neutral detergent fiber concentration was lower and crude protein greater for SPSs compared to grass monoculture, while lignin was greater and in vitro dry matter digestibility did not differ, which indicated no significant improvement in nutritive value in SPSs. Average daily gain was greater in SPSs with up to 99 trees/ha, and lower in those with more than 400 trees/ha, than in grass monoculture, with other subgroups not differing. Total weight gain per area (GHA) was lower in SPSs with less than 28m between tree rows or with more than 199 trees/ha, but greater in SPSs with more than 28m or with up to 99 trees/ha, compared to grass monoculture. GHA was lower in SPSs with a north-south orientation compared to grass monoculture, but those with an east-west orientation did not differ. The use of U. brizantha cv. Marandu and an east-west planting orientation are efficient strategies in maintaining FM, FA and GHA. GHA was greater in SPSs with more than 28m between tree rows and with up to 99 trees/ha, than in grass monoculture, which may facilitate the implementation of these SPSs in commercial farms.

Phenotypic and Genotypic Characterization and Correlation Analysis of Pea (Pisum sativum L.) Diversity Panel.

Phenotypic and genotypic characterization were performed to assess heritability, variability, and seed yield stability of pea genotypes used in breeding to increase the pea production area. A European pea diversity panel, including genotypes from North America, Asia, and Australia consisting of varieties, breeding lines, pea, and landraces was examined in 2019 and 2020 in Serbia and Belgium using augmented block design. The highest heritability was for thousand seed weight; the highest coefficient of variation was for seed yield. The highest positive correlation was between number of seeds per plant and number of pods per plant; the highest negative correlation was between seed yield and protein content. Hierarchical clustering separated pea germplasm based on use and type. Different Principal component analysis grouping of landraces, breeding lines, and varieties, as well as forage types and garden and dry peas, confirms that there was an apparent decrease in similarity between the genotypes, which can be explained by their different purposes. Pea breeding should be focused on traits with consistent heritability and a positive effect on seed yield when selecting high-yielding genotypes, and on allowing for more widespread use of pea in various agricultural production systems.

Productivity and Quality of Pakchong-1 Hybrid Grass (Pennisetum purpureum × Pennisetum americanum) at Different Harvesting Ages and Fertilizer Levels.

&lt;b&gt;Background and Objectives:&lt;/b&gt; The main feed for ruminants is forage, therefore it is necessary to need forage with high productivity and high nutritional content. One type of forage with very high productivity and high nutritional content is Pakchong grass 1. This study aims to determine the productivity of Pakchong 1 grass at different harvesting ages and levels of fertilizer. &lt;b&gt;Materials and Methods:&lt;/b&gt; This study was carried out at the Department of Animal Husbandry, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Lampung. This research method was experimental with a completely randomized design with a 4×3 factorial pattern, with 3 replications. The first factor is harvesting age that consisting of 4 levels each: P&lt;sub&gt;1&lt;/sub&gt; = 40 days, P&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt; = 50 days, P&lt;sub&gt;3&lt;/sub&gt; = 60 days and P&lt;sub&gt;4&lt;/sub&gt; = 70 days. The second factor was the level of fertilizer use from the three treatments, each: J&lt;sub&gt;1&lt;/sub&gt; = Low dose (consisting of 50 kg urea ha&lt;sup&gt;&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;sup&gt;1&lt;/sup&gt;, 25 kg TSP ha&lt;sup&gt;&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;sup&gt;1&lt;/sup&gt; and 25 kg KCl ha&lt;sup&gt;&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;sup&gt;1&lt;/sup&gt;), J&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt; = Moderate dose (consisting of 100 kg urea ha&lt;sup&gt;&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;sup&gt;1&lt;/sup&gt;, 50 kg TSP ha&lt;sup&gt;&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;sup&gt;1&lt;/sup&gt; and 50 kg KCl ha&lt;sup&gt;&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;sup&gt;1&lt;/sup&gt;), J&lt;sub&gt;3&lt;/sub&gt; = High dose (consisting of 200 kg urea ha&lt;sup&gt;&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;sup&gt;1&lt;/sup&gt;, 100 kg TSP ha&lt;sup&gt;&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;sup&gt;1&lt;/sup&gt; and 100 kg KCL ha&lt;sup&gt;&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;sup&gt;1&lt;/sup&gt;). Based on ANOVA, it showed that there was no significant interaction between the treatment on all parameters (p>0.05). &lt;b&gt;Results:&lt;/b&gt; The treatment of harvesting age also significantly affected the grass stem leaf ratio (p<0.05). Crude protein content and neutral detergent fiber (NDF) were also affected by the age of the cut (p<0.05). &lt;b&gt;Conclusion:&lt;/b&gt; It was observed that there was no interaction between a dose of fertilizer and harvesting age on all parameters. There was no significant also on dose fertilizer treatment. Meanwhile, significant results on harvesting age on the parameter of biomass production, leaf-stem ratio, crude protein content and NDF content.

The Hygienic Status of Different Forage Types for Horses-A Retrospective Study on Influencing Factors and Associations with Anamnestic Reports.

The hygienic quality of forage for horses is discussed as a potential health hazard, especially regarding respiratory diseases, colic, and hepatopathies. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the possible relations between microbiological counts, as well as endotoxin levels and disease symptoms. Data from microbiological examination reports were analyzed retrospectively, including the results of sensory examination, microbiological counts, and lipopolysaccharide contents. Sensory analysis gave an indication of deficiencies in microbiological analysis, but both methods did not give consistently equivalent results regarding the hygienic status of forage. The strongest agreements between sensory and microbiological findings were demonstrated in haylage regarding mold contamination. The influences of dry matter content on microbiological quality could be shown in haylage and hay, whereas this did not apply to straw. Deviations regarding molds and the detection of Aspergillus species occurred, especially in haylage, with values above 70% DM detected (39.6%, p=0.0021 and 47.2%, p = 0.0393). Aspergillus was detected more frequently, and average counts were higher in samples that were suspected to induce coughing in horses (p = 0.0118 and p = 0.0313, respectively). The results of the present study emphasize the importance of feed hygiene for equine respiratory health and the need for the microbiological examination of feedstuffs, since sensory analysis cannot provide an error-free prediction of microbial counts.

Effects of Different Dietary Carbohydrate Sources on the Meat Quality and Flavor Substances of Xiangxi Yellow Cattle.

This study investigated the dietary supplementation of starches with different carbohydrate sources on the proximate composition, meat quality, flavor substances, and volatile flavor substances in the meat of Chinese Xiangxi yellow cattle. A total of 21 Chinese Xiangxi yellow steers (20 ± 0.5 months, 310 kg ± 5.85 kg) were randomly divided into three groups (control, corn, and barley groups), with seven steers per group. The control steers received a conventional diet (coarse forage type: whole silage corn at the end of the dough stage as the main source), the corn group received a diet with corn as the main carbohydrate source, and the barley group received a diet with barley as the main carbohydrate source. The experiment lasted for 300 d. and the means of the final weights in the control, corn, and barley groups were 290 kg, 359 kg, and 345 kg. The diets were isonitrogenous. The corn and barley groups reduced the moisture (p = 0.04) and improved the intramuscular fat content of the meat (p = 0.002). They also improved meat color (a*) (p = 0.01) and reduced cooking loss (p = 0.08), shear force (p = 0.002), and water loss (p = 0.001). There was no significant difference in the 5'-nucleotide content (p &gt; 0.05), the equivalent umami concentration (EUC) (p = 0.88), and taste activity value (TAV) (p &gt; 0.05) among the three groups. The 5'-IMP (umami) content was the highest in the 5'-nucleotide and its TAV &gt; 1. The corn and barley groups improved the content of tasty amino acids (tAA, p &lt; 0.001). The corn group had a higher content of sweet amino acids (SAA, p &lt; 0.001) and total amino acids (TAA, p = 0.003). Corn and barley improved the levels of MUFA (p &lt; 0.001), PUFA (p = 0.002), n-3 PUFA (p = 0.005), and n-6 PUFA (p = 0.020). The levels of alcohols, hydrocarbons, and aldehydes in the corn group were higher than in the barley and control groups (p &lt; 0.001). The esters content in the corn group was higher than in the barley and control groups (p = 0.050). In conclusion, feeding corn or barley as a carbohydrate source can improve the nutrient content and taste. Feeding corn as a carbohydrate source can improve the content of free amino acids (Cys, Glu, Gly, Thr, Leu, Trp, Gln, Asn, and Asp), fatty acids (saturated fatty acid, monounsaturated fatty acid, polyunsaturated fatty acid, n-3PUFA, n-6PUFA, and total fatty acid), and volatile flavor substances (alcohols, aldehydes, acids, and hydrocarbons) to improve the flavor and meat quality.

Effects of Aboveground Community Structure and Belowground Root Morphological Characteristics on Nitrogen Use Efficiency of Mixed-Perennial Legume-Grass Pastures

Nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) in plants is dependent on various factors including nitrogen availability and root morphology. This study investigated changes in root morphological and growth features in response to plant community structures in legume-grass mixed pastures. Three types of legume forage and three gramineous forage were selected, including Bromus. innermis, Onobrychis. viciaefolia, Phleum pretense, Trifolium. pretense, Dactylis glomerata, and Medicago sativa. The effects of different community structures on changes in the land equivalent ratio, crowding, aggressivity, and competition, as well as the NUE, N yield, and root morphologies, were investigated. It was found that mixed seeding combinations increased the forage yield significantly but increasing the number of mixed seeding species did not further affect the herbage yield. Both the root lengths and root specific areas of the forage grass increased with increasing spatial distance, indicating that while the root morphology of the grass was controlled by genetic factors, the phenotypic characteristics of forage grass were changed by the balance between aboveground and underground growth. Root morphology was found to play a significant role in the NUE and the relation between specific root area of legume and LN(WN), specific root length of grass, and LN (WNt) can be expressed by the binomial function model.

Assessment of possibilities to establish model agricultural technology village in Southern Ethiopia

The available technology demonstration approaches like farmers' training centers in the region are very narrow with lots of technology deficiency, less capacity, placed in inconvenience niches, and poor setup. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the possibilities to establish a model technology village in the Agricultural Growth Program implementing districts of the South Omo zone. The multi-stage sampling procedure was employed to select six sample kebeles. Data for the study were collected from 279 randomly selected households. Data collected were analyzed using descriptive statistics and a narrative approach. The major crop technologies identified were improved variety, inorganic fertilizer, seed rate, and spacing. Major livestock technologies identified were improved cattle, shoat, poultry, and forage types. Major natural resource management technologies identified were soil and water conservation, soil fertility management, and agroforestry practices. About 54%, 84.2%, and 57.7% of sample respondents from Semen Ari, Debub Ari, and Bena-Tsemay districts know the existing technology demonstration approaches such as farmers' training center, model farmer-based, and pre-extension demonstration approaches respectively.&nbsp; However, all types of agricultural technologies demonstration approaches and farmers' demands were not being taught, introduced, and demonstrated. Therefore, it can be concluded that establishing a model agricultural technology village on selected kebele based on farmers/agro pastoralists' demand for the crop, livestock, and natural resource management technologies could improve the productivity of smallholder farmers/agro-pastoralists

Reclamation of post-tin mining areas using forages: A strategy based on soil mineralogy, chemical properties and particle size of the refused materials

The physical and chemical properties of refused materials in post-mining areas have received in-depth attention, while the mineralogy as a driver of the potential nutrient reserve has been ignored in reclamation practices. The objective of the study was to evaluate mineralogical, chemical, and physical properties and heavy metals of refused materials (spoil and tailings) as the basis for reclamation. Seven representative soil profiles were described and sampled to a depth of 130 cm for various soil analyses and to assess soil limiting factors for crop growth. Eleven forage species were tested in a field plot trial and their adaptability and biomass production against extreme limiting soil properties were evaluated for two consecutive growing seasons. Results showed that tin mining has drastically altered the soil texture from sandy clay loam under native conditions to loamy sand and sand under post-tin mining, resulting in serious unfavourable conditions for crop growth. Potential nutrient reserves have been depleted as revealed by the dominance of quartz minerals with small amounts of tourmaline, opaque minerals, zircon and garnet. Total elemental analysis using X-ray fluorescence (XRF) showed extreme high SiO2 content (92–96%) associated mainly with the dominance of quartz in the mineral constituents, and extremely low contents of Ca, Mg, P, K and S expressed as oxides (<0.2% altogether). This suggests that all nutrients are a severe constraint for crop growth. Among the analyzed total heavy metals, Cr2O3 contents were high (204–286 mg kg−1), while SnO contents were low (0–153 mg kg−1). However, the health risk is negligible because they were preserved in the structure of host minerals. Rehabilitation of post-tin mining was successfully performed using various forage types by implementing “a pot planting point system” accompanied by animal manure and complete fertilizer applications. Six out of the eleven forages tested, namely Cynodon dactylon, Pennisetum purpureum cv Mott, Brachiaria decumbens cv Humidicola, Pennisetum purpureum cv Taiwan, Brachiaria decumbens cv Mulato, and Paspalum atratum were recommended based on their high adaptability and significantly higher fresh biomass production (varying from 16.5 to 24.7 ton ha−1 season-1). Findings from this study provide alternatives for forage production systems to support livestock establishment. Soil mineralogy provides important information on nutrient reserves and should be considered part of an integral soil characterization including physical and chemical properties, and heavy metal contents of post-tin mining sites to ensure successful reclamation.

Regional Assessment of Stocking Rate Effects on Uruguayan Rangelands: A Ranch-Level Study

We analyzed the variation of plant composition, forage production, and livestock diet across a broad stocking rate gradient on Eastern Hills rangelands of Uruguay. Our approach encompassed five ranches subjected to mixed sheep-cattle grazing and combined field surveys, microhistological fecal analysis, and remote sensing techniques. We hypothesized that selectivity would decrease as stocking rate increased. Vegetation data and fecal samples were obtained in 17 paddocks in 2008. To investigate the role of stocking rate on vegetation, we focused on dominant species and forage type cover. Diet composition was analyzed at forage type level. Annual net primary productivity was estimated for each paddock using the normalized difference vegetation index derived from the MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) sensor. We found a clear relationship between the variation in stocking rate and floristic and forage type composition, both suggesting a deterioration of grassland conservation status. Cool season grass cover varied from 25% to 5%, from low to high stocking rates. Dicot cover showed an opposite trend, with values around 15% in the low and moderate stocking levels and reaching 35% on high-stocked paddocks. Diet composition and diet overlap between herbivores also showed clear patterns of response to stocking rate. On the other hand, livestock selectivity interacted with herbivore type. While cattle showed the expected pattern, sheep did not decrease selectivity in winter as stocking rate increased. Contrary to expectations, annual net primary productivity was similar across the different stocking rate levels and the month of maximum productivity was generally March. Our study provides strong evidence of marked rangeland degradation; however, the lack of response in terms of ANPP and the ability of sheep to maintain selectivity under high stocking rates could help to explain the lack of responsiveness in the adoption of generalized stocking adjustments by the ranchers.

Metabolic fingerprinting using Rapid evaporative ionisation mass spectrometry can discriminate meat quality and composition of lambs from different sexes, breeds and forage systems

Assurance of food quality and allied farming systems is increasingly sought by consumers and food processors. Yet, there are no validated analytical approaches for food-based verification of farming systems. Rapid evaporative ionisation mass spectrometry (REIMS) is an emerging analytical tool that can provide sufficient details to meet this need. M. Longissimus lumborum of 10 groups of lambs (n = 140) from 3 farms, varying by breed, sex, and forage type, were measured using REIMS fingerprinting. Modelling of features detected by REIMS could discriminate for most comparisons of sex (including castration status), breed, and diet. Tentative identification suggested that lipids, hormone-related compounds, amino acids and dipeptides were the main discriminatory features. Several REIMS features were correlated with pH and shear force in Merino lambs. REIMS was able to detect features related to breed, sex and feed in lamb meat, suggesting that these characteristics can be independently measured using rapid metabolic fingerprinting.

Meta-analysis of the effects of chemical and microbial preservatives on hay spoilage during storage.

A meta-analysis was performed to evaluate the effects of chemical (50 articles) and microbial (21 articles) additives on hay preservation during storage. Multilevel linear mixed-effects models were fit with response variables calculated as predicted differences (Δ) between treated and untreated samples. Chemical preservatives were classified into five groups such as propionic acid (PropA), buffered organic acids (BOA), other organic acids (OOA), urea, and anhydrous ammonia (AA). Moderators of the models included preservative class (PC), forage type (FT; grass, legumes, and mixed hay), moisture concentration (MC), and application rate (AR). Dry matter (DM) loss during storage was affected by PC × FT (P = 0.045), PC × AR (P < 0.001), and PC × MC (P = 0.009), relative to the overall effect of preservatives (-0.37%). DM loss in PropA-treated hay was numerically reduced to a greater extent in grasses (-16.2), followed by mixed hay (-1.76), but it increased (+2.2%) in legume hay. Increasing AR of PropA resulted in decrease in DM loss (slope = -1.34). Application of BOA, OOA, PropA, and AA decreased visual relative moldiness by -22.1, -29.4, -45.5, and -12.2 percentage points, respectively (PC; P < 0.001). Sugars were higher in treated grass hay (+1.9) and lower in treated legume hay (-0.8% of DM) relative to their untreated counterparts (P < 0.001). The application of all preservatives resulted in higher crude protein (CP) than untreated hay, particularly urea (+7.92) and AA (+5.66% of DM), but PropA, OOA, and BOA also increased CP by 2.37, 2.04, and 0.73 percentage points, respectively. Additionally, preservative application overall resulted in higher in vitro DM digestibility (+1.9% of DM) relative to the untreated hay (x¯=58.3%), which increased with higher AR (slope = 1.64) and decreased with higher MC (slope = -0.27). Microbial inoculants had small effects on hay spoilage because the overall DM loss effect size was -0.21%. Relative to untreated (x¯=4.63% DM), grass hay preserved more sugars (+1.47) than legumes (+0.33) when an inoculant was applied. In conclusion, organic acid-based preservatives prevent spoilage of hay during storage, but their effectiveness is affected by FT, MC, and AR. Microbial inoculants had minor effects on preservation that were impaired by increased MC. Moreover, legume hay was less responsive to the effects of preservatives than grass hay.

The perception of rural dairy farmers concerning the commercialization of forage: Evidence from Lembang District

Environmental and land pressure from horticultural and tourism reduces the availability of forage for sustainable dairy production, specifically in Lembang. Subsequently, only limited commercialization of forage exists in the area. This study aims to explore the perception and selections of dairy farmers in Lembang District based on their interest in purchasing forage and its varieties. The purposive sampling technique was used to select hundreds farmers and they were interviewed for their perception. These perceptions were grouped into (1) not very interested, (2) not interested, (3) interested and (4) very interested. The data were analyzed using scale range analysis. However, the ones concerning the selection of forage types and the willingness of farmers to purchase this plant material were analyzed using qualitative analysis and descriptive statistics. The results showed that 96% were willing to purchase forage (interested and very interested) with elephant grass being the most favourable type (62%). It was found that quality is the critical determinant in farmers decision to purchase forage (33%). Therefore, it was concluded that sustainable dairy farming in the district can be improved by purchasing high-quality elephant grass forage from outside this region.

EFFECT OF CRUDE GLYCEROL SUPPLEMENTATION VIA DRINKING WATER ON LAMBS PERFORMANCE, SOME BLOOD HAEMATOLOGY, AND BIOCHEMICAL METABOLITES

EFFECT OF CRUDE GLYCEROL SUPPLEMENTATION VIA DRINKING WATER ON LAMBS PERFORMANCE, SOME BLOOD HAEMATOLOGY, AND BIOCHEMICAL METABOLITES

Effect of barley straw and Egyptian clover hay on the rumen fermentation and structure and fibrolytic activities of rumen bacteria in dromedary camel.

Background and Aim:Understanding the regulations of rumen microbiota and their fibrolytic capabilities under different forages are essential to improve rumen fermentation and animal feed efficiency. This study aimed to evaluate the changes in the rumen fermentation and the structure and fibrolytic activities of rumen bacteria in camels fed barley straw and Egyptian clover hay.Materials and Methods:Three fistulated camels were fed a diet containing barley straw for 30 days; then transitioned to a diet containing Egyptian clover hay for 30 days. In addition, bacterial media enriched with xylan and different cellulose sources, namely, filter paper, wheat straw, and alfalfa hay, were used to evaluate the ability of camel rumen bacteria to produce xylanase and cellulase enzymes.Results:The camel group fed Egyptian clover hay showed higher crude protein intake, rumen ammonia, total volatile fatty acids, and acetic acid. Moreover, the camel group fed barley straw showed higher neutral detergent fiber intake, rumen pH, and propionic and butyric acids. Principal component analysis showed that bacterial communities were separated based on the forage type. Forage type affected the composition of rumen bacteria and most of the bacterial community was assigned to phylum Bacteroidetes and Firmicutes. Egyptian clover hay diet increased the proportions of genus Prevotella and Ruminococcus; while fed barley straw diet increased the Butyrivibrio, RC9_gut_group, and Fibrobacteres. The bacterial culture of the Egyptian clover hay fed group produced the greatest xylanase and the bacterial culture of the barley straw fed group produced the maximum cellulase.Conclusion:Egyptian clover hay is recommended to feed camels in intensive production. Moreover, the bacterial community in the camel rumen is a promising source of lignocellulolytic enzymes.

Effect of growing forage legumes on the migration and survival in the pasture of gastrointestinal nematodes of sheep.

In order to identify types of forage that inhibit pasture contamination, an evaluation was performed of the effect of the forage legumes Trifolium repens (white clover), Trifolium pratense (red clover) and Lotus corniculatus (bird's-foot-trefoil) on the survival and migration of infective larvae (L3) of gastrointestinal nematodes (GIN) of sheep. An experimental area of 441 m2 was divided into four blocks, subdivided into areas of 1.20 × 1.20 in which the three forage legumes were separately overseeded. After growth of the forage in each subdivision, experimental units were established that were later artificially contaminated with sheep faeces containing GIN eggs. Between October and December 2018, pasture, faecal and soil samples were collected on four occasions during weeks 1, 2, 4 and 8 after the deposition of faeces. In week 6, the forage legumes in all the experimental units were mown to simulate grazing. The number of L3 was quantified to determine their survival in the pasture, faeces and soil. In addition, the horizontal migration of L3 was measured at two distances from the faecal pellets (10 and 30 cm), as well as their vertical migration at two heights of the plant stems, that is, lower half and upper half. Larvae vertical migration was affected by the forage species (P < 0.001), in that bird's-foot-trefoil contained fewer larvae in the upper stratum. Bird's-foot-trefoil restricted the migration of L3 to the upper stratum of the plant, which could potentially decrease the risk of infection by intestinal nematodes in grazing sheep.