Life Sciences Commons^™

The Evolving Beef Industry And Its Sustainability In Western China, J. P. Wu, Z. M. Lei, L. P. Zhang, X. R. Wang, S. G. Zhao, C. Q. Zhang, G. H. Sun, S. G. Li

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

The beef industry in China has started to develop since the 1980s. Since then, its production system has been evolving significantly from subsistence production towards business operation in farmer households. As demands continue to grow, China will become the largest beef consumption country in the world by the year of 2025. The beef production in China’s western agriculture regions is gaining significant role in the beef industry of China. Utilization of corn stover and other agriculture aftermath is seen as the competitive advantage of development of the beef industry. Over the last 30 years the beef production efficiency has been …

The Place Of Crossbred Lambs In Australian Lamb Production, David L. Hopkins, Suzanne I. Mortimer, Jessica S. Richards

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

The Australian sheep industry, particularly the lamb meat sector has undergone a major change in focus, such that consumer requirements are a paramount determinant for production and processing developments. This change has been facilitated by the use of cross breeding production systems where the benefits of heterosis are captured and the implementation of a performance recording system amongst initially, breeders of terminal sires. This sector of the industry has strongly embraced genetic selection using objectively measured traits and this is one of the contributors to the superior growth rate of crossbred progeny over pure bred progeny. A crossbreeding system does …

Developing A Diet Authentication System From The Composition Of Meat In Ruminants, F. J. Monahan, A. P. Moloney, O. Schmidt

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

As consumer interest in the link between diet and human health and in the ethics of food production increases assurances about the background origin of food are sought. In the case of animal-derived foods, such as meat, the animal’s diet is an intrinsic component of the food’s production and of its subsequent nutritional quality. Thus, there is a need to develop ways of validating the authenticity of the animal diet. Among the approaches to authenticate the background diet of ruminants is the measurement of components in meat (muscle and adipose tissue) and other tissues that are directly influenced by the …

Effect Of Harvest Stage On Forage Yield And Nutritional Value Of Winter And Spring Triticale Genotypes, Abidi Sourour, Ben Youssef Salah, Jlidi Refka

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

Triticale grain is the first human made cereal created by 1875. It grows in most climates on acidic soils and in extreme temperature conditions. Moreover, the low value of triticale flour makes it a cereal mainly for animal feed as grain or forage (Varughese et al. 1987). It is well suited for dual purpose use (forage + grain + fodder or fodder, Ben Youssef et al. 2000) and as green forage, silage or hay (Delogu et al. 2001). In Tunisia, triticale was introduced by INRAT but its utilization has not been fully developed in Tunisia. The maximum …

Performance Of Medicago Varia Cv. Gannong No.1 And Onobrychis Viciaefolia Cv. Gansu In The Mixed Agricultural And Pastoral Zone Of Western China, X. R. Wang, J. P. Wu, Z. M. Lei, Y. Liu, T. Liu, B. J. Chen

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

Western China is mostly covered with natural grasslands, particularly in mountainous and alpine areas. Here agriculture and grazing pastures with livestock are widely integrated. Overgrazing and forage shortages are prominent problems for animal production. Cold weather and long drought periods can also lead to serious feed shortages, especially of high quality protein forages (Liu et al. 2010). Planting perennial forages with high nutritive value is an important way of increasing forage supply and relieving grassland degradation. Medicago varia L. cv. Gannong No.1 (Medicago) and Onobrychis viciaefolia Scop. cv. Gansu (sainfoin) are examples of perennial legumes with high …

Successful Establishment Of Oversown Chicory And Plantain On Uncultivatable Hill Country, Grant B. Douglas, Katherine N. Tozer, Catherine Cameron, Tom J. Fraser, Paul D. Muir, Ray A. Moss, Grant M. Rennie, Trevor L. Knight

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

All-year grazing of livestock on steep, non-arable hill country (> 20^o slope angle, < 1,000 m elevation) is a significant feature of New Zealand agriculture. Hill country pastures are in various states of improvement depending on factors such as extent of subdivision, fertiliser inputs, plant species introduction, and grazing management. Numerous introduced grass, legume and herb species are available to match the many micro-sites in steep hill country (Kemp et al. 1999).

There has been increasing use of the perennial herbs chicory (Chicorium intybus L.) and plantain (Plantago lanceolata L.) in seed mixtures used on a range of topographies, mostly flat to undulating terrain. Advantages of these species include tolerance of drought and high summer temperatures, highly palatable foliage, enhanced mineral content, and high animal growth rates (Stewart 1996; Li and Kemp 2005). Farmers have sown these species on hill country but there is negligible information on their establishment in such landscapes. …

Evaluation Of Crop Production And Water Use Efficiency Of Autumn-Sown Annual Forage Crops On The Rainfed Region Of Loess Plateau China, Qingping Zhang, Lihua Tian, Yuanbo Liu, Lindsay W. Bell, Jeremy P. M. Whish, Yuying Shen

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

The Loess Plateau is one of the most important rainfed regions in China, but rainfall is the most significant factor limiting crop production. In this region rainfall from July to September accounts for 56% of the annual total, providing enough water resources for the growth of autumn-sown crops. Although increasing forage production with autumn sown crops is considered an important means of balancing crop forage and livestock management, suitable species with high yields and good water use efficiency (WUE) are not well defined.

The relationship between yield and water use efficiency has been shown to vary with plant species and …

Characterizing Feeds And Feed Availability In Sud-Kivu Province, Dr Congo, Samy B. Bacigale, Birthe K. Paul, Fabrice L. Muhimuzi, Neville Mapenzi, Michael Peters, Brigitte L. Maass

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

Animal husbandry in the Sud-Kivu province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is gradually moving towards stall feeding, due to demographic pressure (Battistin et al. 2009) and scarcity of collectable forages (DSRP-RDC 2005). Therefore, feed is considered one of the main constraints faced by livestock production, especially in the dry season (Katunga et al. 2009; Maass et al. 2012). Unaffordable, fluctuating prices and inaccessibility of feed concentrates and the lack of improved forages adapted to marginal conditions, making them non-competitive with food crops, further exacerbate the livestock feeding situation. This study within the African Food …

The Effect Of Leucaena Leucocephala On Beef Production And Toxicity In The Chaco Region Of Argentina, Alejandro Radrizzani, José A. Nasca

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

Hedgerows of the fodder tree legume, Leucaena leucocephala (Lam.) de Wit ssp. glabrata (Rose Zárate) (leucaena), planted with companion grass, provide productive, profitable and sustainable tropical pasture (Shelton and Dalzell 2007). Although leucaena can improve beef production from tropical pastures, poor grower adoption has limited development of leucaena in the Chaco Region of Argentina. This can be partly attributed to: (1) unsuccessful establishment; (2) limited understanding of leucaena management as a forage resource; and (3) concerns about mimosine toxicity. These 3 limitations have been overcome in other regions of the world (e.g. northern Australia and the Chaco Region of …

Establishment And Growth Of Legumes On Uncultivatable Hill Country In East Coast New Zealand, Trevor L. Knight, Tom J. Fraser, Paul D. Muir, Chikako Van Koten

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

Steep, non-arable hill country is a significant feature of New Zealand farming (Sheath 2011) and large tracts of it have been improved by over-sowing grass and assorted clover species, particularly white clover (Trifolium repens L.). Numerous other legume species are available in New Zealand from similar environments overseas that may be more productive on some steep hill country. Plant breeders in New Zealand have also produced inter-specific hybrids (Williams et al. 2010) with potentially useful attributes. As part of a large project to increase pasture production on non-arable hills, a range of legume species were established at 2 …

Evaluation Of Limpograss (Hemarthria Altissima) Breeding Lines Under Different Grazing Managements, Marcelo O. Wallau, Lynn E. Sollenberger, Kenneth H. Quesenberry, João M. B. Vendramini, M. K. Mullenix

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

Limpograss (Hemarthria altissima (Poir.) Stapf et C.E. Hubb.) is a stoloniferous, warm-season perennial grass from South Africa. It is frequently used to extend the grazing season in poorly drained soils of subtropical regions (Quesenberry et al. 2004). The cold tolerance of limpograss allows it to grow at temperatures below which other commonly used warm-season grasses (e.g. bermudagrass) remain productive. Use of limpograss has helped to reduce forage shortfall during winter, therefore, reducing feeding costs. In the past 30 years, the area planted to limpograss in Florida, USA has grown faster than that of any other forage grass species. …

Vertical Distribution Of Leaves And Stems On The Sward And Forage Intake By Lambs In Tifton-85 Pasture, Alda L. G. Monteiro, Cláudio J. A. Da Silva, Marina G. B. Da Silva, Sergio R. Fernandes, César H. E. C. Poli, Nelson T. Santos Jr., Thiago Augusto Cruz, Carolina Dalagassa Dos Santos

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

Sward characteristics affect the performance of grazing livestock, especially for the youngest animals. The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between the vertical distribution of leaves and stems on the sward and the forage intake parameters of lambs in four sheep meat production systems grazing a Bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon) cv. Tifton-85 pasture.

Adaptability And Stability Of Productive Characteristics On The Selection Of Pennisetum Purpureum Schum. Clones Grazed By Sheep, Alexandre C. L. De Mello, Bruno L. Viana, Mário De A. Lira, Adriana Guim, José C. B. Dubeux Jr., Mércia V. F. Dos Santos, Márcio V. Da Cunha, Sílvio H. Lino Dias

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

Elephant grass (Pennisetum purpureum Schum.) is one of the most widely used forages in Brazil, due to its high potential productivity, forage quality, palatability, vigour and persistence. Dwarf types of elephant grass are the object of selection programs for their higher leaf/stem ratio and lower grazing height, resulting in more efficient pasture management. They have high potential for ruminant production (Almeida et al. 2000), but have markedly different morphological and productive characteristics (Cunha et al. 2011) to tall varieties of the same species.

Adaptability and stability analyses are selection tools which allow identification of plant responses to …

Recent Development Of Pasture Plants In Queensland, Kendrick G. Cox

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

No abstract provided.

Legumes--A High Quality Protein Source In Latvian Animal Feeds, Baiba Osmane, Imants Jansons, Aleksandrs Jemeljanovs, Sallija Cerina, Liga Proskina

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

Farms in Latvia have an insufficient amount of protein in a feed for herbivorous animals. To tackle this issue, plants containing high protein content should be cultivated in grass mixtures. Legumes are rich in protein and play an important role on farms with dairy livestock. It is advisable to have at least 30-50% of legumes in mixtures with grass for grazing animals and to conserve fodder for the winter period, which lasts from November to May. As well as being rich in protein, legumes have a high dry matter digestibility (TDN) and high energy content (NEL). While legumes during the …

Approaches Toward Sustainable Forage-Livestock Systems: Strip-Planting A Legume Into A Warm-Season Perennial Grass Pasture, Miguel S. Castillo, Lynn E. Sollenberger, Ann R. Blount, Jason A. Ferrell, Mary J. Williams, Cheryl L. Mackowiak

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

Despite the demonstrated potential of rhizoma peanut (Arachis glabrata Benth.; RP) for grazing in the southeastern USA (Ortega-S. et al. 1992), high establishment cost and removal of land from production during establishment have limited its use to primarily hay production systems. The premise of this experiment is that strip-planting RP in existing bahiagrass (Paspalum notatum Flügge) pastures offers the opportunity to use grass forage during the legume establishment phase so that land need not be totally removed from grazing, while allowing successful establishment of the legume.

Meat And Milk Production On Irrigated Birdsfoot Trefoil Pastures In The Mountain West Usa, Jennifer W. Macadam, Sara R. Hunt, Silvana Martini, Rachael Christensen, Jong-Su Eun

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

Irrigated birdsfoot trefoil (BFT; Lotus corniculatus L.) is a productive, persistent perennial legume in the Mountain West region of the United States of America (USA) (MacAdam and Griggs 2006). It does not cause bloat, even when grazed in pure stands, because it contains a relatively small amount (2-4% of dry matter (DM)) of condensed tannins (Mueller-Harvey 2006; Waghorn 2008). Birdsfoot trefoil tannins bind excess plant proteins at rumen pH (~ pH 6.2) sufficiently to prevent bloat and then release these proteins into the abomasum at gastric pH (~ pH 2.5). This allows plant proteins to be digested to amino acids …

Native Shrubs For Grazing In The Dry, Semi-Arid Sand Dunes Of The Mallee Region Of Victoria, Australia, Dave Monks

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

Native shrubs have potential for growth and grazing in dry areas where alternative perennial pasture options are limited. Deep-rooted perennials have also been shown to reduce groundwater recharge and salinity to improve ecological stability. A forage shrub evaluation experiment was established at the Walpeup Research Station in the Mallee region of Victoria, Australia to compare the performance of a range of native species. The work was conducted as part of the Enrich project with the Future Farm Industries Cooperative Research Centre.

Influence Of Grazing Exclusion On Vegetation And Productivity Of Kyrgyz Pastures, N. V. Kilyazova, М. I. Аdenov, К. A. Samsaliev, А. Каrybekov, B. Jeangros

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

The aim of this study was to assess the effect of grazing exclusion on the vegetation and productivity of: (1) pastures near villages that are grazed intensively through-out the year; and (2) pastures, which are used in summer and are less intensively grazed through the remainder of the year. The potential of degraded pastures to recover, when protected from overgrazing, was also evaluated. Six pastures (3 located in or near villages and 3 used for summer grazing) were selected with local community representatives in 3 pilot regions of Kyrgyzstan (the Lahol and Теrеk regions of Naryn oblast and the Оrgochor …

Establishment Techniques To Increase The Production Of Italian Ryegrass (Lolium Multiflorum) Over-Sown Into An Irrigated Kikuyu (Pennisetum Clandestinum) Pasture, Joseph C. Fitzgerald, Mark N. Callow

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

Irrigated mixed pastures of kikuyu (Pennisetum clandestinum) over-sown with Italian ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum) in the cool-season (May-October) can produce large amounts of biomass in a sub-tropical environment (Botha et al. 2008). However, appropriate pasture management practices are required to suppress the aggressive growth of kikuyu prior to autumn, in order to facilitate establishment of ryegrass seedlings.

The present study evaluated ryegrass establishment techniques on the dry matter (DM) production, botanical composition and forage quality of a mixed sward containing kikuyu.

Management Strategies To Increase Festulolium Productivity And Persistence, Gerónimo Cardozo, Walter Ayala, Ethel Barrios

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

A biennial hybrid of Lolium multiflorum x Festuca pratensis (Festulolium INIA Merlin) was released by the National Institute of Agricultural Research of Uruguay (INIA) in 2008. INIA Merlin is a tetraploid cultivar with a long growing season, semi-prostrate habit and high herbage quality (García 2003). These characteristics make it potentially useful to include Festulolium in short and intensive pasture-crop rotation systems. Grazing management can be used to modify growth, sward structure and persistence, and is known to be critical during the second year of production for stability and sustainability of farming systems that include this type of species. The objective …

Trifolium Vesiculosum: Exploring Its Potential In The Uruguay Lowlands Rice Region, Walter Ayala, Ethel Barrios, Gerónimo Cardozo

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

Trifolium vesiculosum, commonly known as arrowleaf clover, is a winter-growing annual legume native to Europe (Duke, 1981), with high persistence and low risk of bloat. Several reports show a wide annual production range between 1.9 and 9.8 t DM/ha/year (Gomes and Reis 1999; Evans and Mills 2008). It shows a high nutritional value (Tekeli et al. 2005) that declines with increasing maturity. Grazing management should consider the need for seed production to ensure natural re-seeding in subsequent years. Recently, INIA Uruguay released the T. vesiculosum cultivar Sagit (Glencoe EC1), characterized by intermediate growth habit and flowering period.

The …

Endophyte Status In Summer-Dormant Tall Fescue In The Southern Great Plains Of Usa, Carolyn A. Young, Dariusz P. Malinowski, Michael A. Trammell, Sindy M. Interrante, Twain J. Butler

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

Non-toxic fungal endophytes provide persistence-related benefits to summer-active, continental-type tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb.), as well as reduced animal toxicosis compared to toxic endophytes. However, the benefits of fungal endophytes to summer-dormant, Mediterranean-type tall fescue persistence or production are unclear. Summer-dormant tall fescue has potential to replace traditional, annual small grain graze-out systems in the Southern Great Plains region of the USA. This region is characterized by severe water deficits accompanied by extreme heat in summer, and by relatively mild, rainy winters (Malinowski et al. 2009). Summer-active tall fescues are better suited to high rainfall areas (> 900 …

The Functionality Of Legume-Grass Swards In A Long-Term Pasture: Productivity And Stability, Žydrė Kadžiulienė, Lina Šarūnaitė, Leonas Kadžiulis

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

Combinations of various plant species or functional groups can enhance sward structure, the function and stability of an ecosystem, supplement forage production and mitigate negative environmental impacts. Climatic variation, rising temperatures, changing precipitation and other extreme climatic events may lead to changes in plant diversity (Soussana and Lüscher 2007). At the same time it is very important to optimise functional diversity by combining species with different properties that are well adapted to the local environments (Huyghe et al. 2012). Successful selection and management of legumes influences the herbage production, nutritional quality and sustainability of grazing systems. Therefore, their role …

Mixed Species Seeding: A Means To Increase Production In Temperate Pastures, Michael P. Schellenberg, Bili Biligetu, Valentin Picasso

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

Seeding mixed species for forage production has been suggested as a means of increasing productivity and stabilizing yields under a changing climate. Forages have traditionally been sown as monocultures or binary mixtures only, with the emphasis being on species and not necessarily their function or compatibility. While natural plant communities typically may be dominated by a single species, they are comprised of several species and function-al groups.

This paper provides the results of sowing multiple species at semiarid sites within the North American Great Plains and identifies a similar result from a more humid region reported within the literature.

Experimental Trials And Simulation Modelling Indicate That Summer-Growing Perennial Grasses Are A Potential New Feed Source In The Mallee Region Of Southern Australia, Katrien Descheemaeker, Rick Llewellyn, Andrew D. Moore, Anthony Whitbread

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

In the Mallee region of southern Australia, the dry and variable climate results in frequent summer-autumn feed gaps, restricting the profitability of farms that combine livestock and crop enterprises. To assess the suitability of summer-growing perennial grasses to fill these feed gaps, 2 replicated field trials with different cultivars were conducted. The data also served to validate a C4 grass model, which was then used in a simulation experiment comparing 2 different soil types and 3 locations. Most grass cultivars established well except on sandy, non-wetting soils. Four out of 5 cultivars persisted over 6 years, producing 1000 – 9000 …

The Production Potential Of Kikuyu (Pennisetum Clandestinum) Over-Sown With Ryegrass (Lolium Spp.) In A No-Till System, Janke Van Der Colf, Philip R. Botha, Robin Meeske, Wayne F. Truter

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

Pastures for milk production in the southern Cape of South Africa are based on no-till systems where kikuyu (Pennisetum clandestinum) is over-sown with ryegrass during autumn to improve seasonal pasture production and forage quality. The aim of the study was to quantify the pasture and milk production potential of kikuyu over-sown with Italian ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum var. italicum), Westerwolds ryegrass (L. multiflorum var. westerwoldicum) or perennial ryegrass (L. perenne). The study was conducted for 2 years on existing kikuyu pastures grazed by Jersey cows. Growth rate, dry matter (DM) production, botanical composition, …

Designing High-Yielding, High-Diversity And Low-Input Temporary Grasslands, Karen Søegaard, Tine B. Mortensen, Jørgen Eriksen

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

Species-rich swards have received increasing interest due to their focus on ecosystem services, animal welfare and product quality. However, in high-yielding swards the proportion of herbs is often limited and there is little knowledge of their management. Seed mixture composition, cutting frequency, fertilization and grazing/cutting strategies were examined over 4 years in 3 experiments to quantify their effects on herbage yield and botanical composition. Inclusion of herbs in the sward gave similar or higher annual yields but swards established with 100% herbs depended on the presence of a driver species. The effects of management differed between species. Herb content in …

Feeding Patterns And Milk Production Of Small-Scale Dairy Farmers Under Semi-Intensive And Extensive Cattle Management Systems In Sri Lanka, Sujatha Premaratne, Sharini Carol Somasiri, Chandrasiri Premalal, Vajira P. Jayawardene, A. R. S. Senavirathne

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

The main objective of the present study was to determine the feeding pattern and milk production of small-scale dairy farmers under semi-intensive and extensive management systems in the intermediate zone of Sri Lanka. This region is sandwiched between the Wet and Dry Zones, receives a mean annual rainfall of 1750-2500 mm, and covers an area of about 1.2 million ha. A survey was conducted with 60 farmers and data on their herd size, herd composition and breeds, management system, breeding method, milk production, feeding costs and returns of raising animals were collected. The results indicated that the majority of farmers …

Management Options That Increase Herbage Production In Grassland-Based Livestock Production Systems, Masahiko Hirata, Manabu Tobisa, Sachiko Idota

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

Herbage production is the most important measure of performance of grassland systems. Understanding how herbage production responds to various managements is crucial to the success of grassland systems, whether or not maximization of production is pursued. Most of the records of grassland production in the literature are taken as acceptable approximations of net herbage production. Analysis of these production records and accompanying quality data can generalize the response of grassland productivity and quality to individual managements, and can characterize the managements in terms of their efficiency and potential in increasing productivity and quality. Overall, maximum production response is ranked irrigation …