Improved Livestock Management Research Articles

Horizon Scan of Transboundary Concerns Impacting Snow Leopard Landscapes in Asia

The high-altitude region of Asia is prone to natural resource degradation caused by a variety of natural and anthropogenic factors that also threaten the habitat of critical top predator species, the snow leopard (Panthera uncia). The snow leopard’s landscape encompasses parts of the twelve Asian countries and is dominated by pastoral societies within arid mountainous terrain. However, no investigation has assessed the vulnerability and pathways towards long-term sustainability on the global snow leopard landscape scale. Thus, the current study reviewed 123 peer-reviewed scientific publications on the existing knowledge, identified gaps, and proposed sustainable mitigation options for the longer term and on larger landscape levels in the range countries. The natural resource degradation in this region is caused by various social, economic, and ecological threats that negatively affect its biodiversity. The factors that make the snow leopard landscapes vulnerable include habitat fragmentation through border fencing, trade corridor infrastructure, non-uniform conservation policies, human–snow leopard conflict, the increasing human population, climatic change, land use and cover changes, and unsustainable tourism. Thus, conservation of the integrated Socio-Ecological System (SES) prevailing in this region requires a multi-pronged approach. This paper proposes solutions and identifies the pathways through which to implement these solutions. The prerequisite to implementing such solutions is the adoption of cross-border collaboration (regional cooperation), the creation of peace parks, readiness to integrate transnational and cross-sectoral conservation policies, a focus on improving livestock management practices, a preparedness to control human population growth, a readiness to mitigate climate change, initiating transboundary landscape-level habitat conservation, adopting environment-friendly trade corridors, and promoting sustainable tourism. Sustainable development in this region encompasses the political, social, economic, and ecological landscapes across the borders.

Design and Field Test of a Low-cost Device for Real-time Livestock Tracking Using GPS/LoRa Communication

Highlights Monitoring movement is crucial to improve livestock management. GPS livestock tracking method using LoRa with an effective medium access control mechanism. Adaptive data collection with near real-time monitoring. GPS data were collected for improving home-range management. Low implementation costs with increasing lifespan of the devices. Abstract. Extensive livestock grazing systems are in line with agroecological principles. However, these systems are particularly complex to manage. Developing accurate and reliable monitoring of livestock movements and activities is a promising tool to improve the global performances of these systems. Various livestock management systems have been developed over the past decades, culminating in sophisticated systems in intensive controlled environments that allow the real-time monitoring of movements, behaviors, health and production parameters for livestock individuals/herds (e.g. dairy cattle). However, extensive and semi-extensive systems for which the animals are ranging freely outdoors at least part of the time, are presenting specific challenges for combined tracking data acquisition and communication. In this article, we present a GPS livestock tracking method using LoRa communication with a new medium access control mechanism. The node lifespan and performance of the system were evaluated in real on-farm conditions in three different locations in Thailand and Vietnam. The results showed that our system performed adequately well in terms of position accuracy and timeliness. The accuracy of GPS data collected are compatible with their usage for improved rangeland management, monitoring livestock movements and impacts on the environment, and for back-tracking epidemiological movements and contacts of individuals/herds to control diseases outbreaks. The communication system via LoRa allowed to some extent real-time location of livestock herds by farmers due to instant position updates to the Internet, although the performance depended largely on the relief of the landscape surrounding the rangeland used. Finally, reducing costs and increasing the lifespan of the devices remain critical objectives to foster the adoption of such system by farmers and by certification groups to provide field-based evidence for the traceability and quality control of livestock and animal products raised under healthy and environmental-friendly productions systems. Our current design, if produced in a large quantity of at least 100 units, would cost approximately $65 USD per unit, with an average lifetime of 20 days. Keywords: Cattle, GPS, LoRa, Tracking system.

Nitrogen Fate and Adaptation of the Microbial Community Responsible for Ammonia Removal in a Biofilter Treating Waste Gas from Livestock Manure Composting

Treating NH3-loaded gases is necessary for improved livestock management. Nitrification, the sequential oxidation of NH3 to NO3− via NO2−, is an important microbial process for effective long-term NH3 removal. Denitrification, a microbial respiration process that reduces NO3− and NO2− to N2 under anaerobic conditions, can also contribute to nitrogen conversion in biofiltration systems. Understanding these microbial processes is imperative to control NH3 removal better and achieve nitrogen balance in biofiltration. In this review, we discuss the functions and compositions of the microbial community responsible for nitrification and denitrification in a biofiltration system, along with the relationship between these processes and the nitrogen mass balance. Our results indicate that both nitrification and denitrification could be achieved by a consortium of microbes well adapted to the ecosystem in a full-scale biofilter. Moreover, the microbial community was controlled by substrate availability. Nitrogen removal potential was up to 39% in a laboratory-scale biofilter with intermittent water recirculation, and the unknown nitrogen loss was considered mainly denitrified. Under gradual accumulation of nitrogenous compounds, the gamma proteobacterial group contributes to NH3 oxidization. These findings will improve our understanding of microbial fluctuations and the complex behavior of nitrifiers and denitrifiers within an NH3-loaded biofiltration system.

How to make noncoherent problems more productive: Towards an AMR management plan for low resource livestock sectors

Global policy for managing antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is underpinned by a standardised and coherent global framework for reducing antibiotic use in clinical health, veterinary health, and food production sectors. Within the framework, problematic antibiotic use (a significant driver of AMR) is treated as a knowledge deficit on the part of users and prescribers, which can be remedied by educating them to make better informed treatment decisions. This narrow approach to AMR management conceals the socioeconomic and material drivers of antibiotic decision-making, creating challenges for low resource regions that rely on antibiotic therapies to manage uncertainty and precarity. Thus, there is a need for a global AMR policy that acknowledges the diversity of sociomaterial arrangements and practices that antibiotics form part of, if their use is to be reduced without undermining productivity or the attainment of poverty reduction indicators. Drawing upon research of antibiotic use in West Africa’s livestock sector, this article analyses the interrelation of antibiotics, AMR action plans, and production management strategies in ecologies of livestock breeding practices. We apply the STS-influenced perspective of noncoherence to analyse how seemingly contradictory practices and institutional logics productively coalesce. We argue that observing noncoherent practices increases our understanding of antibiotic use in relation to local breeding conditions that are frequently not of the producers’ making, whilst drawing attention to context-specific possibilities for improving livestock management capacities and reducing reliance on antibiotic therapies in low-resource settings. The article concludes by calling for an AMR global policy that is more responsive to local specificity rather than enforcing universal standardisation.

Presumed killers? Vultures, stakeholders, misperceptions, and fake news

AbstractVultures and condors are among the most threatened avian species in the world due to the impacts of human activities. Negative perceptions can contribute to these threats as some vulture species have been historically blamed for killing livestock. This perception of conflict has increased in recent years, associated with a viral spread of partial and biased information through social media and despite limited empirical support for these assertions. Here, we highlight that magnifying infrequent events of livestock being injured by vultures through publically shared videos or biased news items negatively impact efforts to conserve threatened populations of avian scavengers. We encourage environmental agencies, researchers, and practitioners to evaluate the reliability, frequency, and context of reports of vulture predation, weighing those results against the diverse and valuable contributions of vultures to environmental health and human well‐being. We also encourage the development of awareness campaigns and improved livestock management practices, including commonly available nonlethal deterrence strategies, if needed. These actions are urgently required to allow the development of a more effective conservation strategy for vultures worldwide.

Rotavirus in Calves and Its Zoonotic Importance.

Rotavirus is a major pathogen responsible for diarrheal disease in calves, resulting in loss of productivity and economy of farmers. However, various facets of diarrheal disease caused by rotavirus in calves in the world are inadequately understood, considering that diarrheal disease caused by rotavirus is a vital health problem in calves that interrupts production benefits with reduced weight gain and increased mortality, and its potential for zoonotic spread. The pathological changes made by rotavirus are almost exclusively limited to the small intestine that leads to diarrhea. It is environmentally distributed worldwide and was extensively studied. Reassortment is one of the important mechanisms for generating genetic diversity of rotaviruses and eventually for viral evolution. So, the primary strategy is to reduce the burden of rotavirus infections by practicing early colostrum's feeding in newborn calves, using vaccine, and improving livestock management. Rotaviruses have a wide host range, infecting many animal species as well as humans. As it was found that certain animal rotavirus strains had antigenic similarities to some human strains, this may be an indication for an animal to play a role as a source of rotavirus infection in humans. Groups A to C have been shown to infect both humans and animals. The most commonly detected strains in both human and animals are G2, G3, G4, and G9, P [6]. Therefore, this review was made to get overview epidemiology status and zoonotic importance of bovine rotavirus.

English

Climate change poses a major threat to agricultural production and food security in Ethiopia. Temperature rise and variability in rainfall patterns have had serious consequences on crop and livestock production. Climate-Smart Agriculture (CSA) is one of the solutions that simultaneously address the issues of food security, climate change and agricultural productivity. The objective of this study was to examine trends and variability of temperature and rainfall, identify local CSA practices and their implications to food security. The study was conducted using mixed methods approaches, in which 368 randomly selected households were surveyed, 10 key informants were interviewed, and 6 focus group discussions participants were held. The analysis was based on survey data and a binary logistic regression model was used. Findings revealed that highly adopted CSA practices were conservation agriculture, integrated soil fertility management, small scale irrigation, and improved livestock management. Factors determining CSA practices were also explored such as household size, farming system, off-farm income, access to irrigated farm, distance to market, farm size, and access to agricultural credit. It was evident that CSA practices had a great potential to solve challenges and highest implication to food security. The maximum and minimum annual temperature of the study area has increased by 0.98 and 0.46ºC while the trend of average annual temperature has increased by about 0.72ºC. Annual rainfall has increased significantly by 153.73 mm, in small rainy season (Belg) has decreased by 30.78 mm, and in main rainy season (Kiremt) has increased significantly by 120.96 mm in the past three decades. The study also concludes that a large proportion of respondents were aware of most of the practices, but adoption of CSA practices examined was very low. Therefore, as a recommendation, sensitization of farmers on reality of climate change and the need to adopt CSA practices towards reduction of adverse effect of climate change should continue. Policy and support program should focus on dissemination of CSA practices to a larger proportion of smallholder farmers. Key words: Climate smart agriculture, climate change, food security

Isolation and Characterization of Coronavirus and Rotavirus Associated with Calves in Central Part of Oromia, Ethiopia.

Background Coronavirus and rotavirus are most commonly associated etiologies for calves' diarrhoea, resulting in loss of productivity and economy of farmers. However, various facets of diarrheal disease caused by coronavirus and rotavirus in calves in Ethiopia are inadequately understood. A cross-sectional study was conducted with the aim of isolation and molecular characterization of coronavirus and rotavirus from calves in the central part of Oromia (Bishoftu, Sebata, Holeta, and Addis Ababa), Ethiopia, from November 2018 to May 2019. The four study areas were purposively selected and faecal samples were collected by simple random sampling for diagnosis of coronavirus and rotavirus infection by using the antigen detection enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (Ag-ELISA) kit. In addition, this study was carried out to have insight in prevalence and associated risk factors of coronavirus and rotavirus infection in calves. Result During the study, 83 diarrheic and 162 nondiarrheic faecal samples collected from calves less than 4 weeks of age were screened for coronavirus and rotavirus. Of the 83 diarrheic samples, 1 sample (1.2%) was positive for coronavirus antigen and 6 samples (7.2%) were found to be positive for rotavirus antigen by Ag-ELISA. All the nondiarrheic samples were negative for both coronavirus and rotavirus Ag. The overall prevalence of coronavirus and rotavirus infection in calves was estimated at 0.4% (1/245) and 2.45% (6/245), respectively. All samples (7) of ELISA test positive of both coronavirus and rotavirus were propagated in Madin-Darby bovine kidney (MDBK) cells. After 3 subsequent passages, progressive cytopathic effect (CPE), i.e., rounding, detachment, and the destruction of monolayer cell of five samples (1 sample of coronavirus and 4 samples of rotavirus) (71.4%) were observed. At the molecular stage, reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) technique was used to determine the presence of coronavirus and rotavirus nucleic acid by using specific primers. The 5 samples that were coronavirus and rotavirus antigen positive by ELISA and develop CPE on cell culture were also positive on RT-PCR technique. The prevalence of infection peaked at 1st and 2nd weeks of age in male calves. Conclusion Diarrheal disease caused by coronavirus and rotavirus has a great health problem in calves that interrupts production benefits with reduced weight gain and increased mortality and its potential for zoonotic spread. So, the present findings show coronavirus and rotavirus infection in calves in Ethiopia that needs to be addressed by practising early colostrum feeding in newborn calves, using vaccine, or improving livestock management.

Puma–livestock conflicts in the Americas: a review of the evidence

AbstractLoss of livestock is one of the greatest sources of conflict between humans and large felids worldwide. The pumaPuma concoloris the most widespread apex predator in the Americas, and conflicts between this felid and humans are common throughout its geographical range. In response to predation on livestock, humans persecute and hunt pumas.We identified the main environmental and anthropogenic variables that define puma–livestock conflict areas in the Americas as 12 conflict predictor variables, and explored the techniques proposed to mitigate conflicts between the puma and livestock producers.We conducted a systematic search and subsequent review of the scientific literature and found 92 publications on puma–livestock conflicts. Through single‐variable analyses and generalised linear models (GLM), we identified which of the 12 conflict predictors were most predictive of the occurrence of predation.The single‐variable analyses showed that high livestock density (goat, sheep, and cattle), low latitudes, low habitat steepness, low co‐predator richness, high distance to habitat (shrub), and high distance to roads characterised areas with conflict. The binomial GLM indicated that areas with conflicts were primarily located in the temperate southern hemisphere and characterised by densities of livestock. The most frequently cited conflict mitigation techniques were ‘improving livestock management’, ‘predator control’, and the ‘use of fencing’.Although our knowledge about the puma and its relationships with human communities has improved, there are wide geographical gaps, and many facets of puma–livestock conflicts are still little understood. Scientists should work with local stakeholders to generate reliable information regarding the ecological and societal consequences of puma–livestock conflicts, and to develop conflict mitigation techniques that could facilitate the coexistence of pumas and humans.

Wild guanacos as scapegoat for continued overgrazing by livestock across southern Patagonia

Abstract In a recently published paper, Oliva et al. concluded that domestic grazing pressure across Patagonian rangelands approached carrying capacity due to decades of stock adjustment, but that guanaco overpopulation may have altered that balance. The authors argued that unless guanaco numbers are controlled, they will reduce forage available for domestic stock and will negatively affect rangelands. We consider that the herbivore‐stock analysis presented is inaccurate and deserves revision, and that the stated conclusions lack empirical support. When the spatial distribution of herbivores is accounted for in the Oliva et al. analysis, domestic stock is far above carrying capacity, indicating that domestic overgrazing continues. Theoretical and empirical evidence on bottom‐up regulation and competitive exclusion challenges the supposed guanaco overpopulation and the hypothetical reduction of forage available for livestock. Even if guanaco numbers are reduced, grassland degradation and production losses will continue because their main drivers, domestic overstock and heterogeneous grazing, are still operating. Synthesis and applications. Oversimplified models with poor ecological insight can lead to erroneous conclusions and misguide management decisions. The incorrect inference that Patagonian domestic stock is adjusted to carrying capacity could help to consolidate current domestic overgrazing by reducing incentives to improve livestock management practices. Regarding guanacos, a controversial species in an unfavourable context, control‐oriented harvest without a clear justification threatens populations’ viability and genuine attempts of productive diversification. Addressing relevant ecological processes, such as niche partitioning, competitive exclusion and population regulation, is essential to correctly assess joint carrying capacity in multi‐herbivore systems, as well as to identify the true factors driving degradation processes and to optimize rangeland use on a sustainable basis.

Ecological Doctors in Maasailand: Identifying Herding Best Practices to Improve Livestock Management and Reduce Carnivore Conflict

Ilkisonko Maasai pastoralists in the Amboseli ecosystem of southern Kenya earn livestock-based livelihoods in a difficult environment exacerbated by a range of challenges. In this setting, many stakeholders, including the Maasai themselves, have come to see traditional extensive pastoralism as essential to long-term social-ecological resilience. This includes the maintenance of communal land tenure, which protects both unfragmented landscapes and the cultural practices necessary to thrive therein. This land tenure system has also been well-documented to support diverse wildlife populations, including large carnivores such as the African lion. Lion Guardians is a conservation organization working on the group ranches of the Amboseli ecosystem to reduce human-lion conflict using culturally appropriate strategies, with a thirteen-year track record of reductions in lion killing as compared to other conflict mitigation approaches. However, in recent years they have noted a marked increase in the amount of lost livestock. Lion Guardians’ data indicate that untended livestock account for >80% of lion attacks, making them a primary driver of human-lion conflict in the ecosystem. In this paper, we present the results of a community-based qualitative study aimed at identifying the causes of lost livestock, in pursuit of win-win solutions for people and lions. Using an iterative multi-stage research process, we conducted interviews with more than 120 Maasai community members. Finding general agreement that lost livestock are a problem and that poor herding practices are the primary cause, we next sought to identify both herder and herder-mentor best practices. For this, we focused on the knowledge of elders and “master herders”, those identified by their communities as especially adept and responsible herders. In creating these lists, we learned that herding best practices relevant to carnivore-conflict prevention are inseparable from those related to pasture management and livestock productivity, and largely inseparable from traditional Maasai culture. This means that good herders, who have been called “ecological doctors”, can support the vitality of not only plants and pastures but also lions, ecosystems, and entire human cultures.

The impact of interventions in the global land and agri-food sectors on Nature's Contributions to People and the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Interlocked challenges of climate change, biodiversity loss, and land degradation require transformative interventions in the land management and food production sectors to reduce carbon emissions, strengthen adaptive capacity, and increase food security. However, deciding which interventions to pursue and understanding their relative co-benefits with and trade-offs against different social and environmental goals have been difficult without comparisons across a range of possible actions. This study examined 40 different options, implemented through land management, value chains, or risk management, for their relative impacts across 18 Nature's Contributions to People (NCPs) and the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). We find that a relatively small number of interventions show positive synergies with both SDGs and NCPs with no significant adverse trade-offs; these include improved cropland management, improved grazing land management, improved livestock management, agroforestry, integrated water management, increased soil organic carbon content, reduced soil erosion, salinization, and compaction, fire management, reduced landslides and hazards, reduced pollution, reduced post-harvest losses, improved energy use in food systems, and disaster risk management. Several interventions show potentially significant negative impacts on both SDGs and NCPs; these include bioenergy and bioenergy with carbon capture and storage, afforestation, and some risk sharing measures, like commercial crop insurance. Our results demonstrate that a better understanding of co-benefits and trade-offs of different policy approaches can help decision-makers choose the more effective, or at the very minimum, more benign interventions for implementation.

The role of psychology in determining human-predator conflict across southern Kenya.

Conflict between people and carnivores can lead to the widespread killing of predators in retaliation for livestock loss and is a major threat to predator populations. In Kenya, a large, rural, pastoralist population comes into regular conflict with predators, which persist across southern Kenya. We explored the social and psychological backdrop to livestock management practices in this area in a process designed to be easy to use and suitable for use across large areas for the study of conflict and transboundary implementation of wildlife conflict reduction measures, focusing on community involvement and needs. We carried out fully structured interviews of livestock managers with a survey tool that examined how social and psychological factors may influence livestock management behavior. We compared survey responses on 3 sites across the study area, resulting in 723 usable responses. Efficacy of individuals' livestock management varied between and within communities. This variation was partially explained by normative and control beliefs regarding livestock management. Individual livestock managers' self-reported management issues were often an accurate reflection of their practical management difficulties. Psychological norms, control beliefs, and attitudes differed among sites, and these differences partially explained patterns associated with conflict (i.e., variation in livestock management behavior). Thus, we conclude that a one-size-fits-all approach to improving livestock management and reducing human-predator conflict is not suitable.

Evaluation of human attitudes and factors conducive to promoting human–lion coexistence in the Greater Gir landscape, India

Abstract Coexistence of people and large carnivores depends on a complex combination of factors that vary geographically. Both the number and range of the Asiatic lion Panthera leo leo in the Greater Gir landscape, India, has increased since the 1990s. The challenge has been managing the success of conservation, with a particular focus on the spillover population ranging extensively in human-dominated landscapes. To understand the factors conducive to lion survival in this landscape, we undertook an interview-based survey. Overall, people expressed positive, tolerant attitudes towards lions. There was a distinct contrast between people's liking for lions (76.9% of respondents) compared to leopards (27.7%) in spite of greater depredation of livestock by lions (82.6%) than by leopards (17.4%). Younger people and respondents having greater awareness regarding lions expressed positive attitudes. Although community discussions on lions had a positive effect, there was no evidence that land-holding, management interventions, personal encounters with lions, or association of lions with religion affected attitudes. Respondents who had experienced livestock depredation tended to express negative attitudes. Respondents with positive attitudes towards lions favoured non-interventionist strategies for managing lions in the village areas. We advocate consideration of varied factors influencing tolerance of wildlife in conservation planning. We emphasize that site-specific human–wildlife conflict issues such as crop-foraging by wild ungulates and variation in attitudes towards different species should also be considered. Specifically, improved livestock management, motivation of local youth and their participation in awareness campaigns could all further strengthen the prevalent positive attitudes towards lions.

Understanding breeding preferences among small-scale cattle producers: implications for livestock improvement programmes

Livestock production provides a pathway for improving livelihoods and reducing poverty in semi-arid tropical regions. However, this contribution has been affected by low livestock productivity. Most livestock programmes have also failed due to, among other things, the inability to understand the dynamics in smallholder breeding preferences. Using data from the sub-humid region in Zimbabwe, this paper sought to provide evidence on smallholder cattle breeding preferences and the implication on livestock improvement programmes. It applies the choice experiment approach to model farmer preferences for selected cattle breeding attributes. The results show three attributes that significantly affect breeding preferences. The attributes ‘cow body condition score’ and the ‘useful life of a bull/semen’ have a positive influence while ‘artificial insemination/bull maintenance cost’ negatively affects farmer preferences. This means farmers prefer breeding strategies which improve the nutrition of their cows, have a longer lifespan for the bull/semen and whose cost of breeding services is low. However, access to education and income affected these preferences. Education made farmers to make informed choices while higher incomes increased the propensity of investing in livestock breeding technologies. The findings also show that existing institutional arrangements in animal management and community grazing do not promote investment in livestock improvement. Thus, more attention should be given to improving animal nutritional management which includes promoting sustainable grazing schemes. There is also a need to provide affordable livestock breeding services through recruiting and training more artificial insemination service providers. Strong and effective institutions that provide incentives for collective participation are integral to any community-based livestock breeding programme. There is also a need to promote access to information and enhance farmers’ knowledge and capacity in improved livestock management practices.

Characteristics of business and income in broiler partnership system in Yogyakarta Indonesia

This study aimed to identify the characteristics of the business, measure the income, and analyze the factors that influence the farmers’ income. The research was conducted in Sleman and Bantul Regencies, Special Region of Yogyakarta. Census sampling was performed with 150 farmers. The analysis was carried out in quantitative descriptive and continued with Multiple Regression Analysis. The results of business characteristic showed that the average scale of business ranged from 3604 to 6340 birds, 35 days maintenance time, business experience was 7-10 years, 97% of farmers used the open house system, livestock mortality rate was 4-7%, average selling weight 1.91-1.96 kg/bird, and feed converson 1.43-2.40. The farmer’s income in Sleman was greater than Bantul because the scale of business, selling weight was higher and the mortality rate was smaller than Bantul. Multiple regression analysis showed the determination coefficient (R2) of 44.55%. The scale of business as well as the capital and sanitation have a significant and negative effect on income (P <0.01). As a whole, to increase farmers’ income, there needs to be an effort to assist businesses from the core, agencies and educational institutions to improve livestock management.

Ugandan cattle farmers\u2019 perceived needs of disease prevention and strategies to improve biosecurity

BackgroundInfectious diseases are an important role obstacle to high productivity in Ugandan cattle production. General disease prevention is particularly important in low-income countries, where veterinary services and adequate treatment regimens for many infectious diseases are insufficient. Improved biosecurity could lead to improved animal health and production with lower mortality and better reproductive rates. Any sustainable biosecurity interventions must be feasible for the farmers, from a practical as well as social and cultural aspect. An understanding of the farmers’ view of biosecurity and the diseases it is intended to prevent is also needed. The aim of the study was to explore the perceived needs of Ugandan cattle farmers as regards disease prevention, tools and strategies for improved biosecurity, and to assess the feasibility of basic biosecurity practices, in order to contribute to long-term strategies for improved livestock management. We conducted two rounds of focus group (FG) discussions about infectious diseases and biosecurity with cattle farmers in the districts Kabarole, Kamwenge and Kasese in western Uganda.ResultsA thematic analysis revealed four organising themes: Disease prevention and biosecurity practices, Knowledge among farmers and other actors, Community and peer pressure and Services and infrastructure. From these four organising themes, a global theme of “Biosecurity is a common effort based on collective knowledge” could be derived. Diseases represent a loss of income and wealth for farmers. Lack of knowledge, training and education among farmers were seen as a challenge. While there were claims during the first round of FGs that many biosecurity measures would be impossible to practise, in all follow-up FGs at least someone had tried. Perceived barriers for implementing biosecurity were financial and cultural. Experiences that were shared were that practising biosecurity measures had made their cattle healthier, but it also incurred extra costs.ConclusionThe perceived needs of farmers that emerged include knowledge, access to veterinary services, resources and community involvement for a broader implementation of basic biosecurity. There is potential for improved cattle production by educating farmers about infectious diseases and disease prevention measures. Such training should be participatory, involve communities and encourage participants to overcome practical and cultural obstacles.

Impact of Group Management and Transfer on Individual Sociality in Highland Cattle (Bos taurus).

The sociality of cattle facilitates the maintenance of herd cohesion and synchronization, making these species the ideal choice for domestication as livestock for humans. However, livestock populations are not self-regulated, and farmers transfer individuals across different groups. Individuals consequently have to adapt to different group compositions during their lives rather than choose their own herd mates, as they would do in the wild. These changes may lead to social instability and stress, entailing potentially negative effects on animal welfare. In this study, we assess how the transfer of Highland cattle (Bos taurus) impacts individual and group social network measures. Four groups with nine different compositions and 18 individual transfers were studied to evaluate 1) the effect of group composition on individual social centralities and 2) the effect of group composition changes on these centralities. This study reveals that the relative stability of dyadic spatial relationships between changes in group composition or enclosure is due to the identities of transferred individuals more than the quantity of individuals that are transferred. Older cattle had higher network centralities than other individuals. The centrality of individuals was also affected by their sex and the number of familiar individuals in the group. This study reveals the necessity of understanding the social structure of a group to predict social instability following the transfer of individuals between groups. The developing of guidelines for the modification of group composition could improve livestock management and reduce stress for the animals concerned.

Climate change adaptation in Nigerian agricultural sector: A systematic review and resilience check of adaptation measures

The changing climate is adversely affecting the productivity and livelihoods of Nigerian smallholder rural farmers. Several studies predict worsening outcomes for future climate events, for example heat waves, drought and intense precipitation. Farmers are required to adopt several measures to thrive, given the observed or expected climate change events. Existing studies about the interaction between climate change the agriculture sector has focused evaluating the bi-directional causal relationships, and identifying adaptation measures, but research on the climate resilience aspect of these adaptation measures is missing, or at best, low. This study aims to fill this gap in knowledge by assessing resilience and contribution to sustainability of farmer-adopted measures aimed at addressing risks posed by climate change. We conduct a systematic review of 95 studies concentrating on climate adaptation by smallholder rural farmers in Nigeria in the period 2010 to 2019. We assess the climate resilience of adaptation measures using the Ifejika-Speranza Resilience Check Toolkit. Our findings show that farmers are using climate-resilient adaptation measures; however, we could not ascertain how these have led to sustainable agricultural systems, since it is not the focus of the current study. Our findings show that majority of the adaptation studies in Nigeria are focused on crop farming subsystem. The major agricultural ecosystems and the broad adaptation areas are: Crop farming (improved soil and land management, crop-specific Innovation, water management practices, climate information services and education, access to finance, and off-farm diversification), livestock farming (improved livestock management systems, improved breeding strategies, sustainable health improvement, proper feed formulation early maturing and heat-resistant bird varieties), and fish farming (water harvesting measures, organic material, quick-maturing varieties).

Assessment of Long-Term Watershed Management on Reservoir Phosphorus Concentrations and Export Fluxes.

Source water nutrient management to prevent eutrophication requires critical strategies to reduce watershed phosphorus (P) loadings. Shanxi Drinking-Water Source Area (SDWSA) in eastern China experienced severe water quality deterioration before 2010, but showed considerable improvement following application of several watershed management actions to reduce P. This paper assessed the changes in total phosphorus (TP) concentrations and fluxes at the SDWSA outlet relative to watershed anthropogenic P sources during 2005–2016. Overall anthropogenic P inputs decreased by 21.5% over the study period. Domestic sewage, livestock, and fertilizer accounted for (mean ± SD) 18.4 ± 0.6%, 30.1 ± 1.9%, and 51.5 ± 1.5% of total anthropogenic P inputs during 2005–2010, compared to 24.3 ± 2.7%, 8.8 ± 10.7%, and 66.9 ± 8.0% for the 2011–2016 period, respectively. Annual average TP concentrations in SDWSA decreased from 0.041 ± 0.019 mg/L in 2009 to 0.025 ± 0.013 mg/L in 2016, a total decrease of 38.2%. Annual P flux exported from SDWSA decreased from 0.46 ± 0.04 kg P/(ha·a) in 2010 to 0.25 ± 0.02 kg P/(ha·a) in 2016, a decrease of 44.9%. The success in reducing TP concentrations was mainly due to the development of domestic sewage/refuse collection/treatment and improved livestock management. These P management practices have prevented harmful algal blooms, providing for safe drinking water.