Large Farms Research Articles

Key Factors of Good Aquaculture Pratices (GAP) Management on Shrimp Pond

The shrimp farming industry is a major pillar in the global fisheries economy, its high demand in the international market is a potential for gaining quick profits. However, the use of intensive cultivation technology by large farmers has been suspected in contributing to environmental damage. In light of this, the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries has implemented a sustainable fisheries development program with the goal of overcoming this negative impact, this includes the implementation of Good Aquaculture Practices (GAP) in accordance with Ministerial Regulation Number: PER.19/MEN/2010 concerning quality control and safety of fishery products. The purpose of this study was to analyze key factors in the application of Good Aquaculture Practices to shrimp farming. This study used a mixed method approach. Data were obtained from shrimp pond experts who joined the East Java shrimp entrepreneur community. The data analysis method used was the Matrix of Cross Impact Multiplication Applied to a Classification (MICMAC) structural analysis. The results showed that 2 variables had been shown to be the most influential and became the main drivers in the application of Good Fish Farming Practices management in shrimp farming, these variables are the "Use of Chemicals, Biological Materials, and Fish Medicines (UCBF)" and "Harvest" (HV).

Typology of Mixed Sheep and Goat Production System in the Regional Unit of Larissa, Greece

The study was carried out using a structured questionnaire in 162 sheep and goat farms of mixed production system in the Regional Unit of Larissa during February 2020 - February 2021. The Hierarchical Cluster Analysis application has shown three basic production systems. Cluster 1 consists of medium size holdings (233.02 livestock units), which earn additional income from other activities. Cluster 2 consists of rather large size farms (1,825.66 livestock units) with a net profit per female 2.61 euros. This type of farms breed livestock based on the semi-intensive and intensive production system, have large rented areas for the cultivation of feed, while the contribution of subsidies is especially high to the shaping of their gross income. The largest percentage (59.88%) of the holdings falls under the third cluster. These are specialized types of livestock farming, which present the largest net profit per livestock animal. 4% of this type of holdings breeds animals based on the semi-nomadic system while 100% uses common pastures as feed source.

Epidemiology of Mansonella perstans and Loa loa: Prevalence and Specific Risk Factors in Njombe-Penja Health District, Littoral Region of Cameroon

Aim: This epidemiological survey aimed to determine the prevalence and specific risk factors of Mansonella perstans and Loa loa infections in the Njombe-Penja Health District of Cameroon. This region is endemic for filarial infections, posing significant public health burden. Study Design: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 360 participants, representing various occupational groups and areas of settlements. Place and Duration of Study: The study was conducted in the Njombe-Penja Health District of the Littoral Region of Cameroon. Recruitment of participants, biological samples collection and questionnaire administration was done over a period of 1 month (July 2023). Methodology: Fifty microliters (50 µL) of peripheral blood was collected using capillary tubes, and analyzed for microfilarial presence and load. Structured questionnaires were used to collect data on demographic characteristics, exposure to risk factors, and preventive practices. Descriptive statistics, Chi-square tests with p-values, and odds ratios were calculated to identify significant associations. Results: The results showed a prevalence of 45.8% for M. perstans and 19.4% for L. loa, with higher infection rates among farmers, especially those working in the large scale banana farming sector, and those living near water bodies (P = .002, OR = 3.15). Poor environmental sanitation (P = .004, OR = 2.75), and low monthly income (< 50,000 CFA) (P = .001, OR = 2.32), were also significantly associated with increased infection risk. Although 70.0% of participants were aware of the diseases, only 50.0% could identify key symptoms. Preventive measures like using bed nets and insect repellents were linked to a lower risk of infection (P =.003, OR = 2.10). Conclusion: Mansonella perstans and L. loa infections are highly prevalent in the district, driven by occupational exposure, socioeconomic factors, and environmental risks. Interventions should focus on improving sanitation, enhancing public health education, and expanding healthcare access.

Neutrosophic set and optimized deep learning for classification of chicken Eimeria species: a practical solution for poultry industry

AbstractTo optimize infection control and bolster productivity within the poultry industry, it is imperative to accurately classify Chicken Eimeria species. There are several methods for determining Eimeria disease in chickens. Traditional methods involve watching for clinical symptoms, and macroscopic lesions, and studying the parasite’s biology and oocyst morphology. These methods are frequently time-consuming and labor-intensive, necessitating the manual collection and analysis of samples, which can be especially difficult in large chicken farms. Deep learning algorithms, on the other hand, provide automated, accurate, and non-invasive methods for the detection of Eimeria. This paper proposed a classification model for the automatic classification of chicken Eimeria species. The proposed model is mainly based on integrating neutrosophic set theory and InceptionV3 deep-learning architecture. Three primary phases make up the proposed chicken Eimeria species classification model: the data preprocessing phase, the neutrosophic image conversion phase, and the image classification phase. To address the issue of class imbalance in the adopted dataset and enhance the model’s generalizability, the random oversampling method, and data augmentation techniques are employed during the data preprocessing phase. The preprocessed data is considered to feed the neutrosophic set-based segmentation algorithm, where true, false, and intermediate subsets are extracted. Finally, the true subset is utilized to feed the optimized InceptionV3. To determine the optimal hyperparameter values for InceptionV3, a modified version of the Brown Bear optimization algorithm is proposed in this paper. To evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed model, a real benchmark dataset comprising images of different Eimeria species is adopted. The experimental results revealed that the proposed model offers a more efficient and accurate alternative to traditional methods and state-of-the-art models, enabling faster and more effective diagnosis and treatment of Eimeria infections. It achieved an overall accuracy, specificity, sensitivity, and F1-score of nearly 100%. Additionally, the results showed that the high performance of the proposed model can reduce labor costs and boost throughput, thereby enhancing economic viability even more.

Analysis of Wind Power Fluctuation in Wind Turbine Wakes Using Scale-Adaptive Large Eddy Simulation

In large wind farms, the interaction of atmospheric turbulence and wind turbine wakes leads to complex vortex dynamics and energy dissipation, resulting in reduced wind velocity and subsequent loss of wind power. This study investigates the influence of vortex stretching on wind power fluctuations within wind turbine wakes using scale-adaptive large eddy simulation. The proper orthogonal decomposition method was employed to extract the most energetic contributions to the wind power spectra. Vertical profiles of mean wind speed, Reynolds stresses, and dispersive stresses were analyzed to assess energy dissipation rates. Our simulation results showed excellent agreement when compared with wind tunnel data and more advanced numerical models, such as the actuator line model and the actuator line model with hub and tower effects. This highlights the important role of coherent and energetic flow components in the spectral behavior of wind farms. The findings indicate a persistent energy cascading length scale in the wake of wind turbines, emphasizing the vertical transport of energy to turbine blades. These results complement existing literature and provide new insights into the dynamics of wind turbine wakes and their impact on wind farm performance.

The results of research on technological indicators in the experimental module for growing broiler chickens

Russia ranks fifth in the world in poultry meat production. In the period from 2010 to 2021, the volume of production of this type of product increased by 1.77 times, which in physical terms is 2,190 thousand tons. The largest volume of poultry meat production, 89.7%, falls on the meat of broiler chickens. This indicator is justified by consumer preferences of the retail market, a low feed conversion rate, a high level of automation of production processes, as well as the possibility of up to 8 production cycles per year. The main share, amounting to 93%, of broiler chicken meat production is accounted for by large agricultural enterprises. Households of the population and peasant farms account for 7% of production. This result is observed due to the lack of technical and technological solutions for small-scale production, providing for the use of automation of production processes, which leads to a decrease in productivity and an increase in poultry mortality. The combination of these factors increases the cost of finished products, making small-scale production uncompetitive. To solve this problem, a project has been developed and a prototype of a technological module for fattening broiler chickens has been manufactured. The production capacity of the module is 2,800 broiler chickens per year. The module uses a cellular method of keeping poultry on a mesh flooring. As a result of the conducted studies, the feed conversion rate was 1.66, the cost of water was 3.4 liters, electricity was 3.22 kWh and labor was 0.051 people per kilogram of live weight. The obtained indicators are comparable with those of large poultry farms, which allows us to conclude that it is advisable to use technological modules at small poultry enterprises.

Financial Feasibility of Cucumber Cultivation in Polyhouse: A Case Study from Jaipur, Rajasthan, India

Cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) is one of the popular vegetable crops grown broadly throughout the world. Cucumber crop grows successfully under conditions of high light, high humidity, high soil moisture, temperature, and fertilizers in the greenhouse. Aim of the Study: The present study was carried out to evaluate financial matrix such as payback period or net present value benefit cost ratio and internal rate of return of polyhouse by cucumber cultivation financial metrics evaluated, for 2023-24. Sampling Design: A multistage sampling design were used for the study of Cucumber cultivation in a polyhouse in the Jaipur district of Rajasthan for the 2023-24. Two tehsils were selected purposively based on the highest number of polyhouse from Jaipur district, namely Jhotwara and Jobner. A sample of 60 farmers were selected for the study from these two tehsils. Results: The finding of the study revealed that the payback period of polyhouse by cucumber cultivation, for small farmers was favorable after covering the subsidy i.e. 0.75 years. The net present worth of polyhouse for small farmers was ₹ 14222249.12, for 20-year expected life at a 7.5 percent discount rate. It was ₹ 13406743.12 for large farmers and ₹ 11164102.12 for assumed non-subsidized farmers. The benefit-cost ratio for the subsidized small farmer was 10.41 and it was 6.76 for the subsidized large farmer. The benefit-cost ratio for the assumed non-subsidized farmer was 3.44 for the cucumber cultivation in polyhouse. The Internal Rate of Return was 133 percent, 84 percent, and 36 percent for the small, large, and non-subsidized cucumber-cultivating polyhouse farmers. Thus, result of the study in all three condition shows profitability of polyhouse by cucumber cultivation.

Large Farms in East Rough Cilicia and the Case of Asarkale

Dağlık bir topografyaya sahip olan Olba bölgesindeki küçük kırsal yerleşimler, arkeolojik çalışmaların ve yazılı belgelerin eksikliği sebebiyle tam olarak tanımlanabilir ve ayırt edilebilir durumda değildir. Kırsaldaki herhangi bir küçük yerleşimin mezra mı, köy mü veya çiftlik mi olduğunu anlamak hala güçtür. Bu belirsizlik, büyük çiftlikleri de kapsamaktadır ve tarımsal üretime yönelik kurulmuş olan bu tesisler, diğer küçük ölçekli yerleşimlerle karıştırılmaktadır. Bu karışıklık, zaten bilgi eksikliği bulunan Olba bölgesinin sosyal yapısının aydınlatılmasına hiç katkı vermediği gibi, tam tersi yönde sorunlara ve karışıklıklara yol açmaktadır. Olba bölgesinin ortasında yer alan Asarkale’de bu kapsamda yapılan incelemeler, günümüze kadar buranın kırsal bir yerleşim merkezi olarak değerlendirilmesinin hatalı olduğunu, aslında Asarkale’nin büyük bir çiftlik olarak tanımlanması gerektiğini göstermiştir. Bunun yanı sıra Asarkale’de yapılan tespitler, Olba bölgesindeki büyük çiftlik örneklerini ararken dikkate alınması gereken parametrelerin ne tür farklılıklar gösterebildiğini ortaya çıkarmıştır. Daha önce tapınak olarak değerlendirilen yapının bir mezar anıtı olduğunun ve MS 1. yüzyıla değil, MS 2. yüzyıla ait olduğunun tespit edilmesi; yerel bir yöneticiye ait Roma evi olarak değerlendirilen yapının ise büyük bir çiftliğin villa rusticası olduğunun ortaya çıkması; geniş bir alana yayılan teraslı veya taşlardan arındırılmış tarım arazilerinin bu merkezden yönetildiğinin anlaşılması; villa rustica olarak adlandıran yapı formunun lokasyon ve plan tipi açısından nasıl şaşırtıcı özellikler taşıdığının fark edilmesi, bölgedeki diğer büyük çiftliklerin de anlaşılmasına ve tanımlanmasına yardımcı olacak tespitlerdir. Kısacası Asarkale; özellikle ilginç lokasyonu, yapı stoğu ve yapıların topografya ile ilişkisi bağlamında ele alındığında, Olba bölgesindeki büyük çiftliklerin diğer kırsal yerleşimlerden ayırt edilebilmelerini kısmen de olsa kolaylaştıracak önemli bir örnek olarak değerlendirilmelidir.

Three-dimensional spatiotemporal wind field reconstruction based on LiDAR and multi-scale PINN

In this numerical study, we use a multi-scale version of physics-informed neural network (PINN) for wind field reconstruction from LiDAR measurements. The reference velocity field is obtained from high-fidelity large-eddy simulation of neutral atmospheric boundary layer, and the LiDAR measurement strategy is restricted to that of a real LiDAR. The multi-scale PINN reconstructs the velocity field by minimizing a combination of the L2-error with respect to the LiDAR measurements and residuals of the governing equations. Our most significant finding is that adding a multi-scale layer to PINN enables us to: (i) capture wider range of scales, (ii) reconstruct the flow field outside the LiDAR scanning area, and (iii) reach faster convergence. We also find that for volumetric flow reconstruction and to deal with uncertainty in the wind direction, the reconstruction accuracy can be greatly improved by employing multiple LiDAR devices. Overall, our results show that the normalized errors in the reconstructed wind field are lower than 5% for all the experiments conducted in this study and that the errors do not increase even in the presence of measurement noise levels of typical LiDAR. These findings show the feasibility of three-dimensional dynamic wind field reconstruction across large wind farms using LiDAR devices.

Economic Analysis of Seed Spice Cultivation in Gujarat, India

The present investigation was carried out to study the cost of cultivation and returns per hectare of major seed spices in Gujarat. The study was conducted at Banaskantha district for cumin and fennel as per the second highest triennium average area of cumin and fennel and at Junagadh district for coriander as it shows the highest triennium average area of coriander respectively during the year of 2023-24. In Gujarat for 2023-24, cumin cultivation incurred significant costs with hired labour as the largest component at 15.80 per cent, followed closely by family labour (15.65%) and rental value of owned land (13.44%). Fennel farms saw average costs of ₹70468.90 per hectare, peaking at ₹71356.01 on large farms and lowest at ₹67208.33 on small farms, with family labour (17.25%), irrigation (16.04%) and land rental (15.64%) as major expenses. Similarly, coriander farms had an average cost of ₹75939.26 per hectare, highest on large farms at ₹76551.63 and lowest on small farms at ₹74160.06, with rental value on owned land (18.95%), hired labour (16.35%), and family labour (11.74%) being significant costs. Costs increased with farm size across all crops. Cumin proved most profitable with an input-output ratio of 1:3.08, compared to fennel (1:1.48) and coriander (1:1.76) in the same period.

Harmonization potential of the fragmented farmlands in Finland: The pros and cons for critical parcel characteristics

Agricultural landscapes have been shaped by gradual, partially optimized changes in farms and surrounding areas which have resulted in fragmented agricultural landownership and increased distances on farms. Since Finland joined the EU in 1995, the average farm size has more than doubled which has increased the distances on farms. This may have caused trade-offs with resource use efficiency, productivity, and sustainability. The aim of this study was to evaluate the potential and impacts of land reallocation by integrating regional variability, logistical factors, and emerging satellite imagery, with an emphasis on enhancing resilience in future climates. This study estimated the theoretical potential for land reallocation between farms to reduce farmland fragmentation but also applied fixed land exchange rates (5 % to 40 %) with the primary aim to reduce distances within each farm depending on the farm size and region. The aim was also to identify co-benefits and trade-offs on the number of parcels in a farm, the production capacity of exchanged parcels, diversification potential, and the proximity of parcels to waterways. While keeping the farm size constant, large potential was found to optimize fragmented landscapes and reduce distances within farms especially on large farms. However, only a moderate exchange rate of 5 % almost halved the distances in the best cases of the farms, while exchange rates >20 % provided less additional logistic benefits. Thereby, modest, well targeted measures are not only more acceptable to landowners but may provide the most benefits with fewer trade-offs. In unsatisfactory cases, large parcels were replaced by higher numbers of smaller ones, productivity differences occurred, and closer parcels became more uniform, which may reduce diversification options, which are important for resilience and sustainability. Hence, merging and reshaping nearby parcels after reallocation might be needed to complete rationalization. Estimated changes in the proximity of the parcels to waterways tended to improve the farmers’ readiness to implement irrigation as an adaptation measure to climate change. The variable outcome of parcel reallocation emphasizes the central role of the current customer-driven consolidation system chaired by independent land surveyors to boost the land reallocation also in the future to improve logistics, resource efficiency, and sustainability on farms that today struggle with cost-crises.

Biogenic reef creation and biodiversity enhancement by an offshore longline mussel farm

As the mussel farming industry moves offshore, there is a need to fill evidence gaps on its ecological impacts. Over eight years, this research presents the results of a long-term monitoring study of the UK’s first large scale offshore mussel farm following a BACI (Before-After Control-Impact) approach to evaluate the temporal and spatial effects of the farm on benthic habitat and epibenthic species assemblages. Situated in historical fishing ground, the farm is located on a degraded seabed ecosystem dominated by soft sediment. After seven years of farming, damaged seabed increased its complexity, with biogenic reef being created (30 % increase). The structure is attracting a significantly increasing diversity and abundance of sessile, sedentary and mobile species to the area compared to control sites. The abundance and diversity of commercial species increased compared to far control sites and certain commercial species were exclusively recorded beneath the mussel headlines: Cancer pagurus, Maja squinado and Necora puber. Results are discussed through a three mechanisms framework: Species recruitment, settlement, and subsidy. Results from this study are crucial to support policymakers develope a sustainable offshore industry as part of the blue economy that can both produce sustainable protein and contribute to marine conservation objectives as ‘other effective area-based conservation measures’ (OECM). This study reports how low-trophic farming can support nature restoration and recovery.

Analysis on Improving the Process of Growing Meat Chicken in the Context of Production Optimization

Abstract The breeding and management of birds has represented throughout history the main occupation with regard to obtaining as quickly as possible, quantitatively but also qualitatively, valuable animal products high economic. During the study, the technological circuit within the production hall for raising broilers was monitored, in terms of managing microclimate factors in direct correlation with physiological needs of broilers as well as the evolution of hybrids, from the moment of population until reaching the specific marketing age, The proposed objective was to present the advantages of the stage rearing system to the detriment of the classic system, on permanent litter. Although this new model is not very popular among large farms due to the high implementation costs, it offers significant advantages regarding broiler health, microclimate conditions, easier manure disposal operations and shorter time required for preparation. of the rearing rooms until the next population. Ventilation, insulation or heating are the primary parameters regarding the adaptability of the chicks to the exploitation conditions. Neglecting any such factor can jeopardize the smooth running of the activity and can negatively affect biosecurity.

Simplified Polynomial-asymptotic-distribution Actuator Disc (SPAD) method for wind turbine wake simulation based on k-[formula omitted]-[formula omitted] turbulence model

In large wind farms, wake effect has a negative impact on the annual production of wind turbines. As a result, wind turbine wake simulation is important for wind farm micro-sitting to minimize power loss and maximize energy production. Coupled with Reynolds Averaged Navier–Stokes turbulence model, Simplified Uniform-distribution Actuator Disc method is the most widely-used rotor model for wake simulation in engineering practice. The conventional simplified uniform-distribution actuator disc models suffer discrepancies of wake velocity prediction compared with the measurements in the near wake region. The novelty of the current research is to propose a Simplified Polynomial-asymptotic-distribution Actuator Disc method based on k−ϵ−fP turbulence model for cylindrical actuator disc cell region with finite thickness, which is simple for implementation and improves the accuracy of wake simulation compared with conventional method. The proposed method conforms to momentum conservation and is as simple as conventional method because of its polynomial formulation and no requirement for aerodynamics data in Generalized Actuator Disc model. From the verification and validation cases, it can be found that the proposed model has better agreement with both high-fidelity actuator line model and the field test measurements from Lillgrund wind farm compared with conventional model. The proposed actuator disc model has the potential to be applied to the micrositting of large offshore wind farms in the future.

Основные подходы к снижению запахового загрязнения окружающей среды предприятиями животноводства (обзор)

Modern industrial livestock production is accompanied by emissions into the environment of a wide range of odorforming substances (OFS), which negatively affect the health and quality of life of the population. The problem of protecting atmospheric air from odour pollution (OP) is of high relevance and practical significance. The review critically appraises scientific publications on the control of OP from livestock and poultry farms. Methods of control include the processing of manure with deodorizing materials (reagents, sorbents, enzymes, etc.); inoculation with microorganism strains; adjustment of animal diets; air purification from pollutants; optimization of dispersion; isolation of ОР sources; and odor masking. Agriculture’s focus on adopting green technologies has increased interest in searching environmentally friendly methods of odor control. These are the use of plant extracts, natural sorbents, effective microorganism strains, biofilters, bioscrubbers, biogas plants, planting of protective forest belts that promote the absorption of dust and dispersion of OFS. Each method of OP control has both advantages and disadvantages. Modern “green” methods effectively eliminate odors in large farms, but require high investment and operating costs, which limits their implementation in practice, and relatively low-cost methods (the use of reagents, sorbents, flavoring agents, feed additives) are usually not effective enough. An acceptable result can be obtained by combining various methods of limiting the OFS emission. Control strategies should be selected based on the source of the odor, the effectiveness of the technology on the particular farm, and the cost/benefit ratio of the odor control technology into practice.

Identification of causative agents of cow mastitis in farms of Ternopil region

Mastitis in lactating cows is a problem that causes significant economic losses and is more common on large farms with machine milking. In addition, the microbial factor is considered dominant in the etiology of mastitis. The aim of the work was to determine the prevalence of mastitis among lactating cows and to identify pathogens that are released in clinical and subclinical forms of udder inflammation. The analysis of the prevalence of mastitis in cows was carried out on four dairy farms with untethered Holstein cows and milking in modern milking parlors in the Ternopil region (Ukraine). Identification of pathogens was carried out according to methods generally recognized in microbiological practice, while commercial test systems for identification of microorganisms API (bioMerieux, France) were used. It was established that on modern dairy farms, during the year, an average of 21% of lactating cows in the winter period, and an average of 17.6 % in the summer period, fell ill with a subclinical form of mastitis. At the same time, from 1.5 to 2.9 % of cows suffered from the clinical form of mastitis during the lactation period. Among the pathogens of subclinical mastitis of cows, Str. was most often identified in the monoculture. agalactiae, which was isolated from a third of the diseased quarters. A little less often in monoculture, the causative agent of mastitis was Staph. aureus, which was identified in 31.4 ± 2.7 % of quarters. The number of diseased udder quarters from which two pathogens Str. agalactiae and Staph. aureus was 27.8 ± 2.3 %. Association of three pathogens (Staph. aureus + E. coli + P. aeruginosa) caused subclinical mastitis in 7.3 ± 0.8 % of udder quarters. The main pathogen of the clinical form of mastitis in farms was Staph. aureus, which was identified in monoculture in 35.8 ± 3.1 % of sick cows. Only 2 % less E. coli was isolated from the inflamed mammary gland in monoculture (33.9 ± 2.8 %). Mixed microflora from three pathogens (Staph. aureus + E. coli + P. aeruginosa) was isolated for clinical mastitis in 22.6 ± 1.9 % of cases. Rarely (in 7.7 ± 0.6 %) an association of two pathogens (Staph. aureus + P. aeruginosa) was isolated from the udder quarters of patients with clinical mastitis. Therefore, the causative agents of the clinical form of mastitis are the same pathogens that cause subclinical mastitis, which must be taken into account in the prevention program of this disease.

Milk and dairy products market: creation of dairy clusters

In modern conditions, public health as a strategic resource is one of the most important indicators that determine the level and quality of life, and is ensured by saturating the market with high-quality food products with high consumer properties. The authors have studied the current state of production of milk and its processed products, which are in the second place in demand after bakery products. In each region of the republic there are processing enterprises of the dairy industry, but not all producers supply goods of high quality. Purpose - development of practical recommendations to provide the domestic market with high-grade and competitive dairy products on the basis of formation and development of dairy clusters. Methods - the system approach was used to determine the value chain from raw materials to finished products, statistical and comparative analysis - to study the dynamics, state, potential opportunities of the dairy subcomplex, economic entities, generalization method - to summarize the results of the study. Results - the main problems existing in the dairy industry of Kazakhstan are revealed: insufficiency of milk for food products, underutilization of production capacities, lack of large farms producing conditioned raw materials in the required volumes, high import dependence, purchase prices for raw milk. Conclusions - the authors recommend the formation of territorial dairy cluster structures. The implementation of this direction will allow to meet the needs not only of the domestic market, but also to achieve a high export potential of the dairy industry, to solve the issues of supply of necessary equipment, fodder for livestock, to increase the competitive advantages of dairy products, the level of utilization of the existing production potential, as well as to expand the raw material base. Of particular importance is the study of promising areas of the dairy industry, since milk and dairy products are necessarily present in the food basket of every family.

Milk production of goats with different tone of the autonomic nervous system

The active development of goat breeding is rapidly moving from small enterprises to large farms. This development is ensured by the rapid growth of demand for these products for ordinary consumers and people looking for an alternative to cow's milk. Therefore, a significant amount of effort is being made to improve the yield of dairy products from goats. This is because this farm cannot rapidly increase the number of livestock, and the demand for this product is constantly growing. Our study aimed to establish the dependence of the autonomic nervous system tone on the indicators of goat milk production. To form the experimental groups of animals, a variational pulse oscillometric study was used to calculate the following indicators: mode (Mo), mode amplitude (AMo), variation range (∆x), autonomic rhythm index (ARI), autonomic balance index (ABI), and tension index (TI). Subsequently, three experimental groups of animals were formed according to the tone of autonomic nervous regulation using the Baevsky method: sympathotonics, normotonics, and vagotonics. Statistical analysis of the results and calculation of Student's t-test to establish correlation and one-factor analysis of variance between milk production and autonomic nervous regulation tone were performed using Microsoft Excel. According to the results of the study, it was found that the highest milk production was determined in the experimental group of normotonics 1058 ± 9.76 l/year (P < 0.001), and the lowest in sympathotonics 845.5 ± 27.71 l/year (P < 0.001). Also, according to the initial data's statistical processing results, a correlation was established between milk production indicators and the tone of autonomic nervous regulation. Thus, the experimental group of normotonics had a correlation r = (-0.649) (P < 0.001), sympathotonics r = (-0.572) (P < 0.001), and vagotonics r = 0.865 (P < 0.001), which is confirmed by one - factor analysis of variance.

Trade‐offs between labour migration and agricultural productivity: Evidence from smallholder wheat systems in Nepal

AbstractRural labour out‐migration has become a major contributor to off‐farm income through remittances and plays a crucial role in supporting the livelihoods of rural households in developing economies. However, research on the simultaneous on‐farm and off‐farm impacts of labour migration is still lacking. This study assesses the impacts of household labour migration on wheat productivity, labour and total costs, profitability and off‐farm income among smallholder wheat growers in Nepal. We use endogenous switching regression and two‐stage least squares regression models to control for potential endogeneity. The findings reveal that labour migration boosts off‐farm income due to remittances but negatively affects wheat productivity and profitability due to labour shortages. In addition, heterogeneous effects are observed, with large farms, cooperative membership, use of farm mechanization and non‐marginalized castes recording positive impacts. The study suggests that social institutions, such as cooperatives, and farm mechanization can create synergies between labour migration and agricultural productivity in Nepal.

How control and eradication of BVDV at farm level influences the occurrence of calf diseases and antimicrobial usage during the first six months of calf rearing

BackgroundBovine viral diarrhoea (BVD) is one of the major cattle diseases causing economic losses worldwide. Nowadays the disease manifests mainly as virus-induced immunosuppression and early embryonic death, impacting overall herd performance and contributing to increased antibiotic usage in calf rearing.MethodsIn our study we investigated the effect of rapid BVDV control measures on calf diseases and antimicrobial usage after weaning on a large industrial dairy farm. Persistently infected (PI) animals were identified and removed from the herd within a short period of time, and all susceptible animals were vaccinated against BVDV. Recorded herd parameters and AB usage were monitored retrospectively and compared with data collected after starting the BVD control program.Results and discussionThe programme began in January 2023 with identifying and eliminating PI animals from the farm. Twenty-one PI animals were found by using RT-qPCR testing of blood sera out of the 1571 animals tested (1.33%). Subsequent testing (January and December 2023) identified further 28 PI animals amongst the 542 calves tested shortly after birth, and all were instantly removed from the farm. In parallel with the BVDV eradication measures, AB usage dropped by more than 50% compared to previous years. Calf mortality also decreased from 7.45 to 4.38% as the control program progressed. Correspondingly, both the number of respiratory and diarrhoea cases decreased dramatically on the farm while the eradication measures were in place.ConclusionOur study clearly demonstrated the positive effects of BVDV eradication on the improvement of calf health and importantly, a reduction of AB usage, contributing to the One Health perspective of farm animal production.