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Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences
Breeding Cool-Season Forage Grasses For A Warming Climate, D. P. Malinowski, J. Ford, A. Stewart, D. Woodfield, W. E. Pinchak
Breeding Cool-Season Forage Grasses For A Warming Climate, D. P. Malinowski, J. Ford, A. Stewart, D. Woodfield, W. E. Pinchak
IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)
In many parts of the world, changing climatic conditions are resulting in increased temperatures and more variable precipitation, intensifying the duration and severity of drought, especially in summer. Warming climate is considered one reason for the increasing failure of traditional, summer-active cool-season perennial grasses at the margin of their zone of adaptation in naturally C4 grass-dominated ecosystems of the Southern Great Plains of the USA. Two cool-season perennial forage grasses orchardgrass (Dactylis glomerata L.) and tall fescue (Lolium arundinaceum (Schreb.) Darbysh.) are of major economic and ecological importance in these regions. In 2008, we initiated a breeding program …
Exploring Profitable, Sustainable Livestock Businesses In An Increasingly Variable Climate, B. R. Cullen, M. T. Harrison, D. Mayberry, D. Cobon, N. Reichelt, A. Sinnet, Km Christie, F. Bilotto, D-A An-Vo, C. Stokes, L. Perry, T. Davison
Exploring Profitable, Sustainable Livestock Businesses In An Increasingly Variable Climate, B. R. Cullen, M. T. Harrison, D. Mayberry, D. Cobon, N. Reichelt, A. Sinnet, Km Christie, F. Bilotto, D-A An-Vo, C. Stokes, L. Perry, T. Davison
IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)
Livestock production systems will need to change in many regions of the world to meet the dual challenges of adaptation to a changing climate and reducing net greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The ‘Nexus project’ is exploring these options using seven case studies in eastern Australia spanning a range of production systems from semi-arid beef production in northern Australia to mixed beef and sheep production in cool temperate climates of southern Australia. Regional reference groups, made up of 4-6 local farmers and advisers, identified a series of farm systems changes that could be made to meet these challenges. Options were categorised …
Public Policies For The Development Of A Sustainable, Forage-Based Cattle Sector In Colombia, Argentina, And Costa Rica: A Comparative Analysis, S. Burkart, M. Diaz, Moreno Lerma
Public Policies For The Development Of A Sustainable, Forage-Based Cattle Sector In Colombia, Argentina, And Costa Rica: A Comparative Analysis, S. Burkart, M. Diaz, Moreno Lerma
IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)
Projected increases in global food demand highlight the importance of Latin America as one of the major future food suppliers, particularly regarding animal-source foods such as beef or milk. Despite the importance of the cattle sector for the region, its negative environmental impacts are numerous and the shift towards sustainability is perceived as slow and uncoordinated. This study aims to identify achievements and difficulties in the implementation of public policies for a sustainable cattle sector in Colombia, Argentina, and Costa Rica, for which policies focused on the use of silvo-pastoral systems and forage-based solutions are prioritized. Based on the review …
Fencing Lands To Enhanced Climate Change Resilience, Promoting Biodiversity Regeneration And Improved Livelihoods Of Climate Change In Makueni County, Frank Wesonga, Francis Keya
Fencing Lands To Enhanced Climate Change Resilience, Promoting Biodiversity Regeneration And Improved Livelihoods Of Climate Change In Makueni County, Frank Wesonga, Francis Keya
IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)
Kenya is a food insecure country, weather patterns are drastically changing and people are losing livelihoods and earnings when their lands dry, water for domestic supply lacks and livestock die further frustrating livelihoods of the poor. This paper briefly discusses Fencing of lands as prerequisite to biodiversity protection and faster water retention mechanism, through tree planting, enhancing CO2 sequestration as trees, shrubs and vegetation’s find suitable environment to grow. Baringo and Makueni County are characterized by unsustainable agriculture, environmental degradation resulting from soil erosion, high poverty levels and food insecurity due to unpredictable dry spells and climate change. The present …
Design And Management Of Saltbush-Based Forage Systems To Improve Productivity And Reproductive Performance Of Sheep, H. C. Norman, M. G. Wilmot, D. G. Masters, D. Blache, S. K. Maloney, S. N. Hancock
Design And Management Of Saltbush-Based Forage Systems To Improve Productivity And Reproductive Performance Of Sheep, H. C. Norman, M. G. Wilmot, D. G. Masters, D. Blache, S. K. Maloney, S. N. Hancock
IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)
There is evidence that effective shelter can significantly improve lamb survival, but the majority of Australian studies have occurred in small paddocks where the ewes had no choice but to use shelter. In mixed farming systems with large open paddocks, it is unclear if ewes will choose to use shelter for lambing. Our multidisciplinary collaboration examines the use of woody shrubs as an opportunity to improve the survival of twin lambs. In a series of large experiments on commercial farms, we will evaluate the impact of different shrub planting configurations, orientations, and densities on microclimates at the sub-paddock scale. Twin-bearing …
Environmental Co-Benefits Of Improved Forages In Smallholder Dairy Systems Of Kenya, A. Notenbaert, S. Mwendia, S. Burkart, P. Karimi, E. Mwema
Environmental Co-Benefits Of Improved Forages In Smallholder Dairy Systems Of Kenya, A. Notenbaert, S. Mwendia, S. Burkart, P. Karimi, E. Mwema
IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)
Livestock play a major role across Kenya, especially in smallholder mixed farms through provision of household nutrition and income through milk and meat. Equally, fertilization of cropland benefits from livestock manure, and livestock often act as insurance and saving. Despite the opportunities and benefits livestock production presents, livestock systems are also key drivers of environmental degradation, including increased nutrient loads, GHG emissions, water use, grassland degradation and land-use conversion. Low livestock productivity, largely due to use of low-quality crop residues and natural grasses often not endowed with nutrients key for animal performance, limits the potential positive contributions of livestock and …
Breeding Forage Grasses For Increased Heat Tolerance To Combat Climate Change, Eric D. Billman, J. S. Morrison, B. S. Baldwin
Breeding Forage Grasses For Increased Heat Tolerance To Combat Climate Change, Eric D. Billman, J. S. Morrison, B. S. Baldwin
IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)
The onset of climate change brings many challenges for forage production in the southeastern United States, where it is projected to become hotter and dryer in the next century. To combat this climatic challenge, recurrent phenotypic selection was conducted in growth chambers on annual ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum Lam.) and orchardgrass (Dactylis glomerata L.) to select seedlings that can germinate and survive at temperatures of 40°C. Following three cycles of selection, germination was increased from < 5% to 45% in annual ryegrass, and from 20% to 80% in orchardgrass. The rate of germination also increased, in both species by a factor of 8x that of the base germplasm. Realized heritability also increased by 40 – 45% for each species by the end of the project. This work successfully improved a quantitative trait using recurrent phenotypic selection using growth chambers as a stable environment and provided the basis for combatting climate change in other outcrossing forage species.