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Articles 1951 - 1980 of 18292

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Intake And Quality Of Panicum Maximum (Cv. Gatton) Receiving Different Levels Of Nitrogen During Autumn, W.A. Van Niekerk, N F.G. Rethman Feb 2024

Intake And Quality Of Panicum Maximum (Cv. Gatton) Receiving Different Levels Of Nitrogen During Autumn, W.A. Van Niekerk, N F.G. Rethman

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The objective of this study was to investigate the influence of N fertilization on the quality of Panicum maximum cv. Gatton (Panicum) and the subsequent intake thereof. Hand cut samples increased in N (1.8 - 2.7%) and NO3-N content (0.75 - 1.54%) and decreased in WSC (14.6 - 13.9 g/kg) content, but with no changes in IVDOM as N fertilization levels raised from 0 to 150 kg N/ha respectively. No changes occurred in the NDF and ADL values. The animal selected N, and IVDOM values were higher and NDF value lower than the hand cut samples, which was expected due …


High Instantaneous Spring Stocking Rates To Improve Year Round Herbage Utilization In Argentine Dairy Production, M H. Wade, D E. Dalla Valle Feb 2024

High Instantaneous Spring Stocking Rates To Improve Year Round Herbage Utilization In Argentine Dairy Production, M H. Wade, D E. Dalla Valle

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

In much of Buenos Aires Province, Argentina 60% of the year’s pasture production occurs during spring. This trial was carried out to test the minimum area necessary for grazing in the period of maximum pasture growth in the 3 to 4 months of spring, so that in turn the maximum potential area for forage conservation could be estimated. At the two levels of herbage allowance aimed for (achieving 18.1 and 36.6 kgDM/cow/d), herbage intake was 11.1 and 13.4 kgDM/cow/d and milk production 20.9 and 22.3 l/cow/d respectively. While these differences were not significant, the trial demonstrated a potential of 70 …


Bird Friendly Beef: Exploring The Impacts Of Regenerative Forage Production, B. Rigley, J. Gilley, Aem Johnson Feb 2024

Bird Friendly Beef: Exploring The Impacts Of Regenerative Forage Production, B. Rigley, J. Gilley, Aem Johnson

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

In the eastern US, managed hayfields and pasturelands represent a significant portion of remaining available grassland bird habitat, hosting several declining species including the eastern meadowlark (Sturnella magna) and the grasshopper sparrow (Ammodramus savannarum). However, these working landscapes have deteriorated in their ability to support grassland birds in recent decades due to more frequent and early hay cuttings and intensive grazing. Since the conservation of grassland birds is inextricably linked to agricultural systems, for conservation to be effective, land management must aim to benefit both producers and birds. Regenerative agriculture is an emerging approach that incorporates …


Native Texas Ornamental Bunchgrass Performance Under Water Restrictions, C. Shadrock, K. Hays, E. Green, M. Peoples, S. Gutierrez, C. Segars, A. Chandra, J. R. Bow, J. P. Muir Feb 2024

Native Texas Ornamental Bunchgrass Performance Under Water Restrictions, C. Shadrock, K. Hays, E. Green, M. Peoples, S. Gutierrez, C. Segars, A. Chandra, J. R. Bow, J. P. Muir

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Growing human populations and increasing drought conditions compete with ornamental grassland landscapes for freshwater resources. With outdoor use as the largest consumer of municipal water, irrigation restrictions will likely be increasingly implemented, restricting ornamental municipal grasslands. Substituting irrigation-dependent exotic grasses with drought-adapted native bunchgrasses could help mitigate this problem. Greenhouse (GH) trials revealed exotic ornamental bunchgrasses declined faster than natives under progressive water stress, with natives performing best under moderate water with maximum water treatments decreasing aesthetic quality. There was wide variability among accessions, indicating promising genetic diversity from which to select drought resistance for ornamentals. Native grasses performed best …


Research Programme To Improve The Utilization Of Home-Grown Forages In The Netherlands, A.M. Van Vuuren, A H. Bosma, G J. Kaspers, J.J. M.H. Ketelaars, E.N. Van Loo, H J.P. Marvin, H Valk, G.W.J. Van De Ven Feb 2024

Research Programme To Improve The Utilization Of Home-Grown Forages In The Netherlands, A.M. Van Vuuren, A H. Bosma, G J. Kaspers, J.J. M.H. Ketelaars, E.N. Van Loo, H J.P. Marvin, H Valk, G.W.J. Van De Ven

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

In The Netherlands a research programme has been initiated by the Ministry of Agriculture, Nature Management and Fisheries to increase the proportion of high-quality home-grown forage in rations for dairy cows. This should result in a more sustainable dairy husbandry by improving the efficiency of utilization of nitrogen and phosphorus from home-grown forages (mainly grass and maize) on farm level. Research disciplines involved are plant breeding, forage harvesting and conservation and nutrition.


Adjustments To Social Work Practice During The Covid-19 Adjustments To Social Work Practice During The Covid-19 Pandemic In North Carolina: Effects On Burnout And Commitment Pandemic In North Carolina: Effects On Burnout And Commitment, Aaron Brown, Jayme E. Walters, Aubrey E. Jones, Lara Cates Feb 2024

Adjustments To Social Work Practice During The Covid-19 Adjustments To Social Work Practice During The Covid-19 Pandemic In North Carolina: Effects On Burnout And Commitment Pandemic In North Carolina: Effects On Burnout And Commitment, Aaron Brown, Jayme E. Walters, Aubrey E. Jones, Lara Cates

Social Work Faculty Publications

Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the demand for social workers in the U.S. and abroad has increased. There is demand for more social workers in North Carolina due to ongoing and increasing mental health, substance use disorder, and child welfare needs. COVID-19 has taken a toll on the personal and professional lives of social workers, and research is needed to understand the pandemic’s effects on burnout and commitment among social workers. The present study sought to understand how the COVID-19 pandemic affected the personal and professional lives of social workers practicing in North Carolina and to determine how …


Ecology And Management Of The Crapemyrtle Aphid (Hemiptera: Aphididae) On Crapemyrtle (Myrtales: Lythraceae) In The Southern United States, Caleb J. Wilson, Matthew A. Bertone Feb 2024

Ecology And Management Of The Crapemyrtle Aphid (Hemiptera: Aphididae) On Crapemyrtle (Myrtales: Lythraceae) In The Southern United States, Caleb J. Wilson, Matthew A. Bertone

Entomology Faculty Publications

Crapemyrtle aphid [Sarucallis kahawaluokalani (Kirkaldy 1907)] (CMA) is an introduced pest of crapemyrtle (Lagerstroemia spp. L.), which is among the most common ornamental tree genera in the southern United States. Native to Southeast Asia, CMA has become established on 5 other continents. CMAs produce honeydew as they feed which supports sooty mold growth and can result in leaf defoliation on infested trees. CMAs tend to be most abundant in crapemyrtles planted in locations with extensive surrounding impervious surface cover. A large community of generalist natural enemies are found in close association with CMA, which suggests that CMAs may help conserve …


Rangeland-Centered Agroecosystems In Indian Central Himalayas: Operationalizing Ecological Sustainability In Mountain Agriculture, Vir Singh Feb 2024

Rangeland-Centered Agroecosystems In Indian Central Himalayas: Operationalizing Ecological Sustainability In Mountain Agriculture, Vir Singh

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Himalayan Mountains are home to unique agroecosystems harboring unique inter- and intra-species diversity in uncultivated and cultivated lands. The uncultivated lands are largely the rangelands which are ecologically more stable ecosystems than the cultivated lands which are ecologically prone areas. Rangelands, cultivated areas, and livestock in mountain agriculture are in organic linkages with each other, woven into a complex unitary whole, functionally oriented to produce foods and other life-supporting products – such as feed, fiber, fuel, fertilizers, etc. – and provide vital ecological functions. Rangelands in fragile Himalayan mountains serve as a key component of agriculture and the biodiversity conserved …


Mentoring Graduate Students For Academic Careers In Grassland Science, L. E. Sollenberger Feb 2024

Mentoring Graduate Students For Academic Careers In Grassland Science, L. E. Sollenberger

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Effective mentorship enhances student productivity and career achievements, yet faculty generally do not receive mentorship training, nor does mentorship receive focused attention, evaluation, and recognition. The objectives of this paper are to 1) define mentorship and identify roles of a mentor, 2) highlight qualities and outcomes of effective mentoring, and 3) elaborate best mentoring practices, metrics for assessing mentoring, and challenges for mentoring the next generation of grassland scientists. Mentoring is a professional alliance where individuals work together to support the personal and professional growth, development, and success of the relational partners. Mentors should be altruistic discipline experts, have substantial …


A Transdisciplinary Approach To Landscape Transformation Towards Perennial, Diverse, Circular Systems: Why And How, V. Picasso, C. Williams Feb 2024

A Transdisciplinary Approach To Landscape Transformation Towards Perennial, Diverse, Circular Systems: Why And How, V. Picasso, C. Williams

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Prevailing agricultural systems in the U.S. are dominated by intensification through annual crop monocultures and high amounts of external inputs. Increased yields per unit of land have resulted but many undesirable environmental, ecological, and socioeconomic outcomes have co-occurred. Lack of resilience within intensified agricultural systems is a factor in these outcomes. Redesign of agricultural systems and changes in federal policy are needed to better support resilience in agriculture. Redesign for greater resilience must encourage adoption of agricultural systems that are diverse, perennial, circular, and include forages. We developed a transdisciplinary framework within a project orientation with a focus on crops …


Invasive Annual Grass Issues In Canadian Rangelands, V. Maloney Feb 2024

Invasive Annual Grass Issues In Canadian Rangelands, V. Maloney

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

It has been understood for several years now that Canadian grasslands are among the world’s most endangered ecosystems. While the endangerment of the world’s coral reefs and rainforests may make the news more often, the increasingly fast decline of native Canadian grasslands is having a major impact on species diversity as well as global carbon supplies. In this paper, I will discuss the impact invasive annual grasses have had on two important rangeland ecosystems in Canada. Furthermore, strategies for protecting and restoring these invaluable lands will be discussed.


Tennessee Master Beef Producer Program Promotes Sustainable Beef Production, K. M. Mason, G. E. Bates, J. D. Rhinehart Feb 2024

Tennessee Master Beef Producer Program Promotes Sustainable Beef Production, K. M. Mason, G. E. Bates, J. D. Rhinehart

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Tennessee is home to 1.75 million beef cattle as of January 2022 (USDA, 2022). The majority of cattle farms in Tennessee are cow-calf operations, with a few stocker-backgrounder operations across the state. Most of the cows in the state are maintained on tall fescue (Schedonorus arundinaceus (Schreb.) Dumort. pastures, with hay being fed in the winter months and sometimes during the summer. Maintenance of a strong cow herd and sufficient grazing land relies on utilization of sustainable production practices. With urban sprawl creating competition for land area, it is important to use production practices that are efficient and attainable …


Soil Carbon Monitoring Program For Ranches In Dryland Ecosystems, David E. Prado-Tarango, S. Ates, J. Talbot Feb 2024

Soil Carbon Monitoring Program For Ranches In Dryland Ecosystems, David E. Prado-Tarango, S. Ates, J. Talbot

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Implementation of ranching practices that lead to greater soil carbon sequestration has become increasingly important due to rising atmospheric CO2 levels. Sustainable ranching practices are suggested to improve soil health and sequester more carbon in the soil. However, there is a paucity of measured data from replicated on-farm studies to support this premise. Thus, we developed a soil carbon monitoring program for a ranch located in the state of Oregon. Our monitoring program is focused on measuring the net carbon budget and the soil carbon sequestration totals. To achieve this goal, we combined field-sampling data with the COMET-Farm model. A …


Legumes As A Biological Tool To Address The Sustainability Of Ruminant Production Systems, H. Sheridan, M. B. Lynch Feb 2024

Legumes As A Biological Tool To Address The Sustainability Of Ruminant Production Systems, H. Sheridan, M. B. Lynch

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Growing public concern regarding accelerated rates of climate change, the depletion and degradation of natural resources such as biodiversity water and soils, coupled with policy commitments to address these challenges, are placing increasing pressures to enhance sustainability metrics associated with agriculture in general, and ruminant production systems in particular. At EU and indeed global scale, there has probably never before been so many potentially conflicting challenges for agriculture. On one hand, agricultural systems need to produce more, to feed the increasing global human population, while at the same time being much less reliant on economically and environmentally costly chemical inputs …


Virtual Fencing Predictable For Cattle? A Simple Method To Test Whether And How Fast Cattle Can Learn The Association Between Acoustic Signal And Electric Pulse, D. Hamidi, M. Komainda, N. Grinnell, L. Wilms, F. Reisch, J. Horn, M. Hamidi, J. Isselstein Feb 2024

Virtual Fencing Predictable For Cattle? A Simple Method To Test Whether And How Fast Cattle Can Learn The Association Between Acoustic Signal And Electric Pulse, D. Hamidi, M. Komainda, N. Grinnell, L. Wilms, F. Reisch, J. Horn, M. Hamidi, J. Isselstein

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Virtual fencing (VF) offers promising future prospects for improved grazing management as it has the potential to simplify fencing. VF lines are easily drawn and shifted via GPS coordinates. A VF collar emits an acoustic signal when the animal approaches the VF line. The signal stops immediately when the animal turns around. If the animal continues to move towards the VF line, a short electric pulse is emitted. A teaching and an operating mode are provided by the VF collars. The animals automatically change mode when they respond correctly to 20 consecutive acoustic signals without receiving an electric pulse. A …


More Than A Fencing System? Testing The Validity Of Virtual Fencing Collars For Animal Monitoring On Pasture, D. Hamidi, M. Komainda, N. Grinnell, F. Reisch, J. Horn, M. Hamidi, I. Traulsen, J. Isselstein Feb 2024

More Than A Fencing System? Testing The Validity Of Virtual Fencing Collars For Animal Monitoring On Pasture, D. Hamidi, M. Komainda, N. Grinnell, F. Reisch, J. Horn, M. Hamidi, I. Traulsen, J. Isselstein

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

High labour requirements for fencing and animal monitoring appear to be general obstacles for the wider use of pastureland for grazing livestock. Virtual fencing (VF) enables a less laborious pasture management. Fence lines can be easily drawn and moved using GPS data. The advantages of VF for reducing the labour inherent to controlled grazing management are obvious. Potential additional animal monitoring opportunities arising from such a VF system that uses real-time GPS data have not yet been studied. Lying is seen as an indicator for assessing comfort or restlessness of cattle. Therefore, we focus on lying behavior in this evaluation. …


Forage And Grazinglands Extension: Training The Next Generation Of Specialists, D. W. Hancock Feb 2024

Forage And Grazinglands Extension: Training The Next Generation Of Specialists, D. W. Hancock

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

This invited talk provides a perspective on what is required to excel in the role as an Extension Specialist. In the USA, most such Extension Specialists are tenure-track faculty, and have state-wide or even multi-state responsibilities. Advice is given on how to balance the high expectations of such a faculty appointment while providing appropriate recommendations to farmers/ranchers and service providers in the forage and grazinglands industry. This talk will offer one former Extension Specialist’s perspective on the skills, experience, and persona required to begin a successful career as a Forage and Grazinglands Extension Specialist. Additional exposition will be given on …


Creating An Educational Experience That Fosters Diversity And Inclusion, M. M. Kohmann Feb 2024

Creating An Educational Experience That Fosters Diversity And Inclusion, M. M. Kohmann

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Demographic, intellectual, and individual diversity have been linked to increase in innovation, problem-solving, critical thinking, and economic gains. However, there are multiple challenges associated with recruiting, retaining, and advancing underrepresented groups in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM). Studies have indicated negative implicit bias against women and minorities in terms of their perceived competence, worthiness to be hired, and payment irrespective to their qualification. Additionally, lack of mentoring and access to personal capital often hinder students’ academic advancement in STEM. However, there have been multiple intentional, recent efforts to increase and foster diversity in sciences. Some of the most effective …


Assessment Of Soil Structure And Root Patterns By Means Of Micro-X-Ray Computed Tomography In Temperate Grassland Sites, K. Kuka, M. Joschko Feb 2024

Assessment Of Soil Structure And Root Patterns By Means Of Micro-X-Ray Computed Tomography In Temperate Grassland Sites, K. Kuka, M. Joschko

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Grassland sites are important ecosystems delivering essential ecosystem services such as carbon storage and filtering of water. Adequate management necessitates a better understanding of soil ecological processes in grassland ecosystems. Of special interest is the relationship between soil structure and root development. In a project within the Biodiversity Exploratory Initiative (http://www.biodiversity-exploratories.de), undisturbed soil cores from 31 grassland plots from Swabian Alb Biodiversity exploratory in Germany were investigated by means of X-ray micro computed tomography. This allows the simultaneous determination of soil physical and root parameters in one sample. VG StudioMax® version 2.1 was used to apply a combination of histogram …


Biological Stimulants Increase Fertilizer Efficiency And Pasture Legume Content, P. R. Espie, S. Haswell, A. Barton Feb 2024

Biological Stimulants Increase Fertilizer Efficiency And Pasture Legume Content, P. R. Espie, S. Haswell, A. Barton

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The effects of a soil biological stimulant (SS) and biologically activated reactive phosphate rock (BAP) on pasture yield and botanical composition were examined in a field trial in low-fertility New Zealand rangeland. BAP application significantly increased pasture yield by 60% and BAP plus biostimulant increased yield by 120%. BAP significantly increased resident legume cover by 75% and BAP with biostimulants by 85%. Alfalfa, direct drilled as an indicator test species, increased in establishment from 0 to 3.8 plants m-2 with BAP and to 4.2 plants m-2 with BAP plus biostimulant. Biostimulant applied alone increased yield by 17%, legume cover by …


Preparing Grasslands Scientists For Careers In International Agriculture, M. Eilittä Feb 2024

Preparing Grasslands Scientists For Careers In International Agriculture, M. Eilittä

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Livelihoods of a billion poor people depend on grasslands. Dedicated and trained experts are needed to support grasslands’ sustainable development under increasing pressures in the future. For some grasslands scientists, a career in international agriculture is the principal focus from the start of their education. For others, interest in international agriculture emerges during their careers. All require international opportunities to ensure that their efforts are focused on important priorities, that they understand the environment they work in, and that their professional networks are up to date. This paper reflects on ways for grassland scientists to be engaged in international agriculture …


How ‘Pasture For Life (Championing 100% Pasture-Fed Ruminant Products) Has Taken Off In The Uk – From The Bottom Up!, S. J. Gregson Feb 2024

How ‘Pasture For Life (Championing 100% Pasture-Fed Ruminant Products) Has Taken Off In The Uk – From The Bottom Up!, S. J. Gregson

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Ten years ago Pasture for Life (PfL) was a collection of around 50 UK farmers who were producing high quality ruminant food products wholly from pasture. They were regenerative farming pioneers and PfL was run by volunteers and funded through various grants. In the past two to three years, membership has increased significantly, nearing 1,000 with almost 150 certified Pasture for Life (100% grass-fed). The organisation is now run by a paid executive and is bursting with energy, conversation, and learning. Members are mainly farmers, but also include butchers, chefs, vets, academics and consumers – all keen to champion the …


Regenera+.Uy: Designing A Co-Innovation Process To Apply The Principles Of Regenerative Livestock Production, Oscar Blumetto, M. Bustamante, A. Castagna, D. Caresani, G. Ciappesoni, R. Baptista, I. De Barbieri Feb 2024

Regenera+.Uy: Designing A Co-Innovation Process To Apply The Principles Of Regenerative Livestock Production, Oscar Blumetto, M. Bustamante, A. Castagna, D. Caresani, G. Ciappesoni, R. Baptista, I. De Barbieri

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Consumers around the world are beginning to demand products whose production systems have environmental guarantees. Among them, those derived from regenerative agriculture have a growing demand in many markets. A comprehensive environmental assessment was carried out in 9 case studies of mixed livestock production farms (cattle and sheep) in Uruguay as a basis for the development of a system redesign process following the principles of regenerative agriculture. The results show that emission intensity was 16.0, 10.5, and 49.2 kg CO2 eq kg-1 of beef, sheep meat, and greasy wool, respectively. Also, a simulation exercise shows a significative reduction of emission …


Genetic Modification – Applications For Forage And Grassland Production Systems, J. R. Caradus Feb 2024

Genetic Modification – Applications For Forage And Grassland Production Systems, J. R. Caradus

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Genetic modification has been extensively used in crops for 25 years but has rarely been a technology used to advance trait expression in forage and grassland species. The exceptions are the use of herbicide tolerance and low lignin traits in alfalfa which are currently commercially available. In crop species genetic modification has been a valuable option for delivering improved economic and environmental outcomes through providing solutions for many of the challenges facing mankind. There are a many beneficial characteristics that genetic modification has the potential to provide in forage and grassland species. Managing these in the environment and understanding consumer …


A Framework For Promoting Diverse Perennial Circular Forage Systems For More Resilient Agricultural Landscapes: Developing Extension And Educational Tools For Resilience And Sustainability, Cassida K. A., W. Lamp, S. Gruss Feb 2024

A Framework For Promoting Diverse Perennial Circular Forage Systems For More Resilient Agricultural Landscapes: Developing Extension And Educational Tools For Resilience And Sustainability, Cassida K. A., W. Lamp, S. Gruss

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The Resilience CAP Team seeks to use diverse, perennial, circular forage systems (DPCFS) to enhance biodiversity, improve soil and plant health, support ecosystem service, all towards achieving greater resilience to global change and improving the farm economy and quality of life. Our project will design a transdisciplinary framework that combines agronomic, ecological, economic, and sociological factors to achieve greater resilience and stability in agricultural systems through use of DPCFS. In this paper, we describe two of the project’s six objectives. Objective 5 is our extension/outreach arm where we will develop extension media, activities, and actionable decision tools to communicate concepts …


Ecosystem Benefits Of Invasive Annual Grass Removal, S. L. Clark Feb 2024

Ecosystem Benefits Of Invasive Annual Grass Removal, S. L. Clark

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Invasive winter annual grasses (IAGs) are altering rangeland ecosystems across millions of hectares in the western US. These winter annuals outcompete native plants for soil moisture and nutrients, leading to devastating impacts on ecosystem functions. The IAG seedbank is short-lived and often does not persist beyond 3 years. Past tools for IAG control have only provided short-term control or caused injury to the native plant community, making it difficult for researchers to assess the ecosystem benefits of IAG removal. A newer herbicide option, indaziflam, provides IAG control for three or more years. Indaziflam’s extended soil residual control and tolerance of …


Curbing Crop Farmers And Herders Clashes In Nigeria: The Ranching Option, T. T. Akpensuen, M. B. Foreman Feb 2024

Curbing Crop Farmers And Herders Clashes In Nigeria: The Ranching Option, T. T. Akpensuen, M. B. Foreman

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Nigeria is a West African country with a huge population and over 70% of the population are peasant and subsistence farmers scattered in rural areas. Due to a decrease in arable and grazing lands, there are clashes between crop farmers and herders which have increased significantly in the last two decades. Some of the causes of the clashes include the destruction of crops by cattle, contamination of drinking water sources, sexual harassment of women by herders, animal rustling and killings, impunity and ineffective governance security agencies, tremendous increase in population, urbanization, desertification, industrialisation, insurgency, banditry, ethnic and religious inclination, effects …


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 Feb 2024

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 (1977-2023)

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 …


Barriers/Drivers Of Diverse Perennial Systems: Policy Recommendations, M. L. Krome, A. S. Finan, J. Obudzinski, N. Serrano Feb 2024

Barriers/Drivers Of Diverse Perennial Systems: Policy Recommendations, M. L. Krome, A. S. Finan, J. Obudzinski, N. Serrano

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Despite growing documentation of perennial- and grass-based systems’ importance in addressing many ecological, infrastructural, farmer profitability, and climate concerns, these systems do not predominate on most United States farm and ranch lands. To better understand what impedes their wider adoption, we undertook four focus groups of diverse current and potential farmers using perennial systems. We were especially interested in how these farmers access, or don’t, insurance, credit, and federal programs, identifying patterns among farmers embracing more sustainable practices. Our virtual focus groups comprised 16 farmers in ten states, transecting climate zones and representing both rural and urban production systems and …


Applying The Concepts Of Animal Husbandry To Human Health, John Madany Feb 2024

Applying The Concepts Of Animal Husbandry To Human Health, John Madany

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Instead of a new paradigm, we need to modify an old paradigm. We must focus on restoring soil health and reviving human health. Ruminants can be used to heal the land and the people. Pastoralists, by managing ruminants, can preserve their own health while promoting soil health.