Agricultural Science Commons^™

The Optimum Grazing Time Based On Milk Fatty Acids And Yield For Holstein Lactating Cows Through Eco-Pastoral System In Alpine Grassland, M. Kim, J. Y. Kim, M. H. Jo, C. H. Kim, K. Sung

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

This study aimed to detect the optimum grazing time based on milk fatty acids and yield for the Holstein cow (Bos taurus) through eco-pastoral system in Korean alpine grassland. The treatment of grazing time was 3 levels: Non-grazing, Half-day grazing, Full-day grazing. First, the difference of milk fatty acids (saturated fatty acid, unsaturated fatty acid, Total ω-3, etc.) and milk yield was checked by grazing time via ANOVA. Second, various measurements of milk fatty acids were reduced to principal components for effective and obvious detecting the variation as a grazing time. Final, the variations of milk fatty acid …

Prospects Of Cattle Farming In An Era Of Land Degradation-Perceptions Of The Farmers In The Okakarara Communal Area, Namibia, H. T. N. Heita, D. Gunner

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Livestock farming plays an important role in many rural people s’ livelihoods around the globe. The sector is, however, faced with numerous challenges, particularly land degradation. Namibia, one of the driest countries in the world, is no exception to land degradation challenges, mostly among communal rangeland areas. Several studies and interventions on land degradation have been conducted in the country, however, with limited or no information on farmers' perceptions. Although land degradation may be a physical process, understanding its causes, process, indicators, and effects from the own users’ is indispensable. Here, we assessed farmers' perception in the eastern part of …

Effects Of Seasonal Rest Grazing And Diet Selection Of Sheep On Pasture Composition In Bromus Inermis Improved Meadow Steppe, H. Zhang, Y. J. Zhang, N. Liu

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

To develop sustainable grazing management systems based on highly-productive dominant species, it is critical to maintain pasture growth and prevent land degradation on meadow steppe. A field study was performed to identify the impact of seasonal rest grazing on diet selection of sheep and pasture composition in Bromus inermis improved meadow steppe from 2015 to 2017 in Hulunbuir, Inner Mongolia, China. Three seasonal rest grazing strategies were conducted: R1 included a spring rest from June 15 to July 15, R2 a summer rest from July 15 to August 15 and R3 an autumn rest from August 15 to September 15. …

The Effect Of Hay Supplementation On Performance Of Grazing Alpaca In The Peruvian Andes, M. Enciso, C. Gómez, C. Osorio

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Productivity of alpaca grazing rangelands in the Andes is often limited by the low availability and quality of those pastures during the dry season of the year. The use as supplements of forages cultivated during the rainy season in appropriate areas in the Andes may be a strategy to improve performance of alpacas. Therefore, the supplementation of oat-vetch pellets or oat hay was evaluated and compared with a control group without supplementation. Sixty three female alpacas (15 months of age, 34 ± 1.0 kg BW), divided in three groups, grazing range pastures (6.1% crude protein and 61.3% NDF) during dry …

Assessment Of The 2006 Abuja Fertilizer Declaration With Emphasis On Nitrogen Use Efficiency To Reduce Yield Gaps In Maize Production, Ntinyari Winnie, Mekonnen Giweta, Joseph Gweyi-Onyango, Benson Mochoge, James Mutegi, Generose Nziguheba, Cargele Masso

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

The Abuja Fertilizer Declaration in 2006 recommended the increase of fertilizer use from the current practice for Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) to achieve food sufficiency and improve soil fertility status. However, the current recommended rates of fertilizer have not been evaluated for specific crops on their potential to reduce the yield gap and optimize nitrogen use efficiency (NUE). In this study, with nitrogen (N) being a significant yield-determinant nutrient, four N use scenarios were drawn from existing recommendations and were evaluated under field conditions for maize crops in two catchments of the Lake Victoria basin. The scenarios included Business as Usual …

Perceptions On Governance For Effective Adaptation To Climate Change Within Community-Based Wildlife Conservancies In Kenya, S. Kibet, Oliver Vivian Wasonga

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Community-based wildlife conservancies (CBC) represent a broad spectrum of new management arrangements and benefit sharing partnerships in natural resource management by none state agents, but who, by virtue of their collective location and activities, are critically placed to shape the present and future status of these resources. This approach of wildlife management is increasingly gaining popularity as an option for achieving sustainable co-existence and complementarity between wildlife conservation and livestock production in the drylands of Kenya. Despite difference in ownership and governance structure in place, all conservancies have instituted new rules of control and access. This study sought to understand …

The Cleaned Approach For Flagging And Addressing Environmental Issues, A. Notenbaert, B. Paul, R. Van Der Hoek, J. Mukiri

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

While livestock presents an important livelihood strategy for many smallholders, it is also held responsible for important environmental impacts. In this paper, we used an online survey to identify the perceptions of global livestock experts on environmental impacts of livestock and how these might be tackled. We then explored how the CLEANED environmental ex-ante assessment tool (Comprehensive Livestock Environmental Assessment for improved Nutrition, a secured Environment and sustainable Development = CLEANED) responds to this and how it can be used to influence decision making towards more environmentally-friendly livestock production.

According to the survey, there was general agreement between researchers, development …

Survey Of The Farm Management, Focusing On The Regional Difference And Cattle Farming In Burkina Faso, H. Kumagai, T. Kawashima, A. Sienou, F. Nagumo

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

In Burkina Faso the history using of cattle as draft power for cultivation is not long. This study was conducted to investigate the farm management, focusing on the regional difference and the presence of cattle farming in the country. Interview was carried out on 30 farms from B Province in the Centre-West Region consisting of 8 non-cattle owners (BNs) and 22 cattle owners (BCs), and on 9 farms of cattle owners from H Province in the Haut-Bassins Region (HCs) in November 2013. The average household sizes of BNs, BCs and HCs were 16.5, 27.2 and 31.3, respectively. The ratios of …

Sowing Date Affects Dry Matter Yield Of Fodder Beet (Beta Vulgaris L.) Crops And Farm Profitability, Edith N. Khaembah, John M. De Ruiter, S. Maley

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Fodder beet (Beta vulgaris L.) is a high yielding and high energy supplementary ruminant feed. Including the crop in a pasture system means loss in production and additional costs during crop establishment, but economic benefits may be recovered with increased seasonal productivity and feed quality. In this study, the Agricultural Production Systems sIMulator was used to estimate herbage production of a typical dairy farm in the Canterbury region of New Zealand based on using a ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.)-clover (Trifolium repens L.) pasture (“Pasture only”) or pasture in combination with fodder beet …

Real-World Applications For Virtual Fences – What Are Potential Benefits For Conservation?, F. Riesch, M. Komainda, J. Horn, J. Isselstein

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Livestock grazing can enhance biodiversity and ecosystem services in agricultural landscapes. In many parts of Europe, however, grazing has lost its importance, especially in the dairy sector. Large proportions of permanent grassland have been converted to arable land or intensified by fertilization and frequent defoliation. The disappearance of large herbivores and extensively grazed pastures contributes to the loss of structural, functional and biological diversity and ecosystem services. Modern technologies, which circumvent the cost- and labour-intensive installation of physical fences, could facilitate a precise spatio-temporal management of livestock and promote grazing. We reviewed the literature on the state-of-the-art of virtual fencing, …

Sahiwal Breed In Pastoral Production Systems In Kenya: Future Roles And Existing Gaps In Knowledge And Supportive Technical Logistics; A Review, Samson I. Mwangi, E. D. Ilatsia

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Sahiwal genetic resources is an integral part of the ASALs economy of Kenya. Sahiwal is the largest single dual purpose cattle breed kept by the pastoral communities in the ASALs where livestock products are the main drivers of food and nutrition security, and a source of income to support other household obligations. It was introduced in Kenya to upgrade the low performing small east African Zebu because of its superior productive and reproductive performance. The promising results of this upgrading programme led to the breed gaining preference over the local Zebu among the Maasai pastoralists. Despite the impressive results from …

Potential Of Croton Megalocarpus Nut As An Alternative Protein Supplement For Feeding Of Ruminants In The Tropics, E. K. Njoroge, C. C. Wambui, C. B. Wasike

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Croton megalocarous is a tree native to the arid and semi-arid rangelands of East Africa that produces nuts reported to contain high crude protein (CP). However, they are often neglected as a potential feed due to lack of information on how best to utilize them. This study was conducted to evaluate the chemical composition and in sacco dry matter (DM) degradability of four forms of croton namely whole nut (WN), peeled nut (PN), De-husked nut (DhN) and Defatted seed (DfS). DM of all forms was above 89%, ash content was highest in WN (5.9%) and least in PN (2.2%). Crude …

Polyphenol Concentration Of Native Plant Species, And Its Effect On Blood Antioxidant Capacity In Grazing Cattle In A Species-Rich Vegetation In Japan, S. Ogura, A. Tamura, H. Kakihara, T. Shishido, K. Shimoda

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

It is known that polyphenols in plants have a high antioxidant capacity. However, there is scarce information on its concentration in native plants and the effect of antioxidant capacity to grazing animals. In this study, polyphenol concentration of available plants was investigated in a species-rich grazing area in north-eastern district of Japan. In addition, polyphenol concentration in blood serum of grazing cattle was also measured. Eight beef cows grazed in a grazing area (hill pasture 3.1 ha; forest 16.9 ha) from late spring to mid-autumn (142 days), and four cows among the eight grazed at an orchardgrass pasture in mid-summer …

Performance Of Lora-Wan Sensors For Precision Livestock Tracking And Biosensing Applications, S. Nyamuryekung’E, Andrés F. Cibils, R. E. Estell, M. Funk, M. M. Mcintosh, A. Cox, S. A. Utsumi, H. Cao, L. Boucheron, Q. Gong, H. Chen, S. Spiegal, G. Duff, V. Gouvea, C. B. Brandani

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

This study investigated the integration of Long Range Wide Area Network (LoRa WAN) communication technology and sensors for use as Internet of Things (IoT) platform for Precision Livestock-Farming (PLF) applications. The research was conducted at New Mexico State University’s Clayton Livestock Research Centre. The functionality of LoRA WAN communication technology and performance of LoRa WAN motion and GPS sensors were tested using static sensors that were placed either, a) outdoors and at incremental distances from the LoRa WAN gateway antenna (Field, n=6), or b) housed indoors and close to the same LoRa WAN gateway antenna (Indoor, n=5). Accelerometer data, reported …

Pasture Management Relevant Behaviour Of Yaks (Bosgrunniens), O. Kaufmann, A. Tolebekova

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

After a decline in yak populations in Central Asia, efforts have been made for several years to rebuild them. In that context, the ecological demands of the alpine landscape must be taken into account. The aim of the studies was to analyse the behaviour of yak cows in short time intervals and to deduce which sub-areas the yaks prefer more or less strongly, which altitudes in the mountains the animals visit in the course of a year, which distances they cover in summer and winter and which factors influence their grazing behaviour. The investigations were carried out on yaks in …

Herbage And Livestock Responses For N-Fertilized And Grass-Legume Grazing Systems, D. M. Jaramillo, José C. B. Dubeux Jr., L. M. D. Queiroz, L. Garcia, E. R. S. Santos

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Forage legumes provide an alternative N source in grazing systems. The objective was to evaluate plant and animal responses in N-fertilized or grass-legume-based systems under continuous stocking during winter and summer, from 2016-2019. The three treatments consisted of year-round forage systems including winter and summer forage components. The first system (Grass+N) included N-fertilized (112 kg N ha^-1 yr^-1) ‘Argentine’ bahiagrass (Paspalum notatum) pastures during the summer, overseeded with a mixture (56 kg ha^-1 of each) of ‘FL 401’ cereal rye (Secale cereale) and ‘RAM’ oat (Avena sativa) during winter with …

New Forms Of Pastoral Mobility Among Sheep Herders In The Algerian Steppe; The Case Of Pastoralists Of Djelfa, Dihia Gaci, Jean-Pierre Boutonnet

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The recent socio-economic, political and climatic changes experienced by the Algerian steppe for the last decades have led to profound changes in pastoral mobility practices. This study describes the new mobility practices as currently adopted by the breeders of the Djelfa region. The realization of 59 semi-directive surveys was conducted between 2014 and 2016 among breeders in different reception areas. Practices related to the distance travelled during an annual cycle, the transhumance calendar and itinerary and the passage or not in the homeland are diverse. These practices of mobility can vary from one year to another or during the life …

Pastoralism, Social, Gender, And Policy Issues, Nahid Naghizadeh

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Nearly half of the Earth's land surface is classified as rangelands. Rangeland's health and productivity are directly critical to the livelihoods, cultures, and resilience of more than 500 million people worldwide, many of whom are indigenous peoples who depend on rangelands. Pastoralism is very diverse; it can be found in all continents, from the drylands of Africa and the Arabian Peninsula to the highlands of Asia and Latin America, or the tundra in the circumpolar zones, and in particular where crop cultivation is physically limited. Pastoralism supports several hundred million households worldwide and manages one billion animals, including camels, cattle, …

Ecological Science Infrastructure For Sustainability Transformations In Rangelands, Brandon T. Bestelmeyer, J. E. Herrick, J. R. Brown, D. M. Browning, B. Densambuu, E. Elias, S. E. Mccord, H. R. Peinetti, S. Spiegal, N. P. Webb, J. C. Williamson

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Sustainability transformations—deliberate and radical shifts in values, governance, and management regimes to achieve sustainability—are needed in rangelands as in other components of the Earth system. We review four concepts comprising an ecological science infrastructure to support such transformations. The foundation is standard measurement of rangeland conditions in the field, especially vegetation and soil properties that underpin the environmental aspects of sustainability. Big data resources, especially gridded spatial datasets produced by models and remote sensing, can be combined with field data and computational approaches to upscale information about rangeland conditions and produce additional indicators of ecosystem functions and services. State and …

Annual Ryegrass Pasture For Dairy Cows Receiving Total Mixed Ration, M. Civiero, L. H. Schaitz, C. P. Ferris, Henrique M. N. Ribeiro-Filho

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The inclusion of herbage in the diet of medium yielding dairy cows offered a total mixed ration (TMR) may be beneficial. This study, which involved mid lactation dairy cows, examined the effect of partial replacement of a TMR with annual temperate pasture. Treatments were ad libitum TMR (TMR₁₀₀), 75% ad libitum TMR + ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum ‘Maximus’) (TMR₇₅), and 50% ad libitum TMR + ryegrass (TMR₅₀). Twelve multiparous Holstein and F1 Jersey × Holstein cows were divided into six homogeneous groups, taking account of milk production (26.6 ± 4.5 kg/day), days in milk …

A Guava-Based Hortipasture System For Mitigating Climate Change And Sustaining Fodder & Fruit Supply In Semi-Arid Regions Of India, Kamini Gautam, Sunil Kumar, Amit Kumar Singh, Avijit Ghosh, Manjanagouda S. S., R. V. Kumar

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Hortipasture systems have huge potential to mitigate climate change via sequestering carbon along with sustaining fodder and fruit supply especially in semi-arid regions. Therefore to evaluate climate change mitigation, fruit and fodder production potential of 10 year old rainfed based Hortipasture system (Psidium guajava (Guava) + Cenchrus ciliaris + Stylosanthes hamata) established at Central Research Farm of ICAR-Indian Grassland and Fodder Research Institute (Bundelkhand region, Jhansi, Uttar Pradesh, India), carbon stock of tree and under storey pasture components was quantified along with fruit and forage production. The experimental site is drought prone semi arid region characterized by poor …

Free-Enterprise Farming On Grasslands In Central Nsw, Australia, Des Green, Stuart Green, Ted Wolfe, Jo Richardson, Rob Eccles

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

A pathway is described in developing and improving the pastures on family-owned sheep and beef properties at sites near Blayney in central NSW. Initially, the twin approach of sowing perennial grasses, predominantly phalaris (Phalaris aquatica) with subterranean clover (Trifolium subterraneum) plus the recommended addition of superphosphate fertiliser, was closely followed but within a decade ill-thrift in pastures and livestock occurred. Once the core problem of soil acidity was recognised, steps were taken to overcome this constraint with applications of lime. However, an additional modification involving the application of gypsum with lime had to be sorted out …

Forage Systems To Optimize Agronomic And Economic Performance In Organic Dairy Systems, S. Ray Smith, G. Pighetti, D. M. Butler, Kenneth H. Burdine, Krista Lea, K. Mercier, K. Payne, J. Allison, Gary E. Bates, N. Colton, A. Rius, P. Krawczel, E. Eckelkamp

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Organic dairy production in the USA is growing, but most forage systems research focuses on conventional production practices. As a result, organic dairy producers have limited science-based information to assist with farm and livestock management. The objective of this project was to use a multi-faceted approach to determine the ideal species mixtures for organic dairy production as well as document forage quality, forage yield, soil characteristics, milk production and milk quality during the grazing season. The forages studied ranged from a single species monoculture to a four species mixture of warm and cool season grasses and legumes. Nine distinct forage …

Fodder Crop Adoption Through Push-Pull Technology (Ppt) For Fall Armyworm (Faw) Control In Cereals Cropping Systems, Michael N. Njunie, E. N. Muthiani, A. Mzingirwa, N. F. Pole, B. M. Muli, A. O. Esilaba

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

There is an urgent need to increase grain yields and animal products due to increasing human population in Africa. Push-pull technology (PPT) is a conservation agriculture intercrop technology which protects and enhances natural resources productivity and ecosystem services in mixed farming systems. The technology involves growing of a cereal crop with a repellent intercrop, Desmodium genus (silverleaf, D. uncinatum and greenleaf, D. intortum) with grass such as Pennisetum purpureum or Brachiaria spp. planted as a border around the cereal-legume intercrop. The plants accompanying the cereal crop are typically valuable high quality fodder thus integrating crop-livestock production. The PPT was …

Evaluation Of The Chemical And Biological Characteristics Of Sake Lees, S. Katsumata, S. Yamanaka, M. Yamauchi, H. Hirooka, H. Kumagai

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Sake lees (SLs), produced from brewing Japanese Sake and known to be rich in yeast, is expected to be an alternative of feed protein sources for ruminants. Previous studies showed that yeast improved the digestibility of fibers in ruminants. However, the nutrient composition and the numbers of live and dead yeast in the SLs, have large diversity because of the different brewing materials and processes. The objective of this study was to evaluate the chemical and biological characteristics of SLs with diverse brewing processes and storing periods (0-23 weeks). Seven types of SLs (SLs 1-7) were collected from two breweries. …

Effect Of High-Intensity, Short-Duration Grazing On Species Density And Botanical Composition Of Arid Rangelands, Mounir Louhaichi, Mouldi Gamoun, Fethi Gouhis, Ezzeddine Belfekih, Mohamed Abdelkader

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Rangelands are the mainstay of pastoral and agropastoral livelihoods worldwide. They have provided forage for livestock and wildlife for centuries, but steady degradation of rangelands is causing increasing concern. Many rangeland managers believe exclusion of livestock grazing for extended periods would allow degraded rangelands to recover. The purpose of this current ongoing research is to evaluate the effect of high-intensity short-duration grazing on plant density, species richness and botanical composition on arid rangelands during favorable years. The site, which is protected for two years in southern Tunisia and covers an area of 6 ha, was grazed by a flock of …

Economics Of Greenhouse Gas Mitigation Strategies In A North-Eastern Brazilian Beef Production System, K. Agethen, Rogerio M. Mauricio, C. Deblitz

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The state of Maranhão, Brazil, has been among the country’s fastest-growing cattle regions in recent years and it now faces important conflicts for beef production. Pasture degradation, low cattle productivity, and land-use changes due to agriculture and forestry expansion are key challenges. Additionally, beef production systems are a focus for emissions reduction, particularly in the context of increasing deforestation and its impact on global warming. A sustainable intensification of currently used pastures, enhancing economic viability and reducing environmental effects of beef production can help to mitigate the climate impact. Since economics is an important incentive in the decision-making processes of …

Rangeland Degradation In Mongolia – Using State And Transition Models To Help Understand Rangeland Dynamics, S. Sainnemekh, B. Densambuu, B. Bestelmeyer, I. C. Barrio, A. L. Aradóttir

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Rangeland degradation and soil erosion pose constant challenges to the management of natural resources in Mongolia. Large increases in livestock numbers since the early 1990s, together with increasing temperatures and higher frequency of extreme weather events have led to widespread degradation of rangeland resources, to the extent that today, nearly 57% of rangelands in Mongolia are considered degraded to some degree. New ways of understanding the dynamics of rangeland ecosystems and guidelines to conserve healthy and productive rangelands are urgently needed. The application of State and Transition Models (STMs) in ecosystem management has shown promise to understand the mechanistic processes …

An Approach To Evaluate Soils Influence On Floristic Composition Of Natural Grasslands, F. L. F. De Quadros, R. M. R. De Carvalho, R. Farenzena, L. Marin, P. L. Nascimento

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

This trial aims to evaluate floristic composition of most abundant species in three soil typical of Pampa biome on Brazil. The survey was held at Maronna Fundation located on southern Alegrete municipality, on Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil’s state. Regional climate belongs to Koeppen’s Cfa class. Soil types were shallow basalt (Psamments e Orthents), deep basalt (Vertisols) and sandy soil (Acrisols or Ultisols). Floristic composition were evaluated by visual ranking of aerial biomass of the major species (transformed to kg of dry matter per hectare), calibrated by cuts at ground level, according to field procedures of BOTANAL method. Grasses were …

Interindividual Differences And Their Consistency In Grazing Cattle Behavior Across Seasons, H. Anzai, M. Shitajikkoku, K. Hani, N. Yamada, M. Hirata

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Interindividual differences and their consistency in behavior were investigated for cattle (Bos taurus) grazing a bahiagrass (Paspalum notatum) and centipedegrass (Eremochloa ophiuroides) dominated pasture as a herd of about 30 breeding cows with their calves. Behavior of the cows was monitored directly by observers and also using GPS and accelerometer data loggers attached to focal cows for a period of 1–5 days every month during the grazing seasons (from May to October) in 2018 and 2019. The data were converted into behavioral variables (e.g. time spent grazing, ruminating and resting, time spent in particular …