Agricultural Science Commons^™

Revitalizing Pastoral Calendars: Snowcover, Seasonal Migration, And Pastoral Decisions From Alai Valley Of Kyrgyzstan, Daler Kaziev

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Herding practices among semi-settled agropastoral communities in the Pamir-Alai Mountains of Central Asia are subject to seasonal variations, making climate change adaptation urgent. Livestock keeping is an essential part of the local economy in the Alai Valley of Kyrgyzstan. Focusing on collaborative efforts to develop traditional ecological calendars in the village of Sary-Mogol, Alai valley, Kyrgyzstan, this study seeks to demonstrate the relationship between snow and herding practices.There are four distinct seasonal migration patterns such as baarloo spring, summering jailoo, autumn kyzdoo and wintering kyshtoo. The relationship between these migration patterns and biophysical events such as snow accumulation …

The Effect Of Water Deficits During Flowering And Seed Production On Cultivars Of Subterranean Clover And Annual Medic, E. C. Wolfe, W. J. Collins, R. C. Rossiter, W. R. Stern

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

In improved pastures in inland southern Australia, the persistence and growth of annual pasture legumes depends in part on their ability to produce and conserve abundant seed for regeneration and production. For near-maximum seed production in spring, adequate soil water is needed for at least 70 days in subterranean clover (Trifolium subterraneum) and medic (Medicago) species. Water deficits during spring are a common occurrence, and they appear to be increasing in frequency. The effect of relatively short periods of water deficit during reproductive development has received some attention but the findings conflict. The present experiment was …

The Response Of Selected Temperate Forages To Increasing Summer Drought Conditions And High Summer Temperatures In Northern Victoria, Australia, M. E. Rogers, A. R. Lawson, K. B. Kelly, W. J. Wales, J. L. Jacobs

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

In the dairy region of northern Victoria, Australia, the performance of temperate perennial dairy pastures is often poor over summer due to a combination of high temperatures and limited water availability that can restrict dry matter production and plant survival. A series of field experiments examined the effects of heat and restricted irrigation (as a consequence of drought) on the growth and nutritive characteristics of selected forage species, and whether survival under experimental conditions was influenced by plant genotype, irrigation and grazing management strategies, as well as endophyte presence. The major focus was on perennial ryegrass.

Detailed sampling of perennial …

Effect Of Drought Stress On Fibre Digestibility Of Corn For Silage, G. Ferreira, C. L. Teets, A. M. Kingori, J. O. Ondiek

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Limited information exists about the impact of drought stress on corn silage digestibility. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of irrigation on in situ NDF digestibility of corn tissues grown under controlled conditions in a greenhouse. Five commercial corn hybrids were planted in pots and grown in a greenhouse. Pots were subjected to an abundant or restricted irrigation regime. Leaf blades and stem internodes were collected from the upper and bottom portion of each hybrid. Tissue samples were incubated in the rumen of 3 rumen-cannulated cows for 0, 3, 6, 12, 24, 48, 96, and 240 …

Trade-Offs And Optimisation Of Land-Use For Pastoralism And Carbon In Southeastern Australia, Cathy M. Waters, D. M. Summers, B. Wang, J. Connor, D. L. Liu, M. Simpson

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Globally, pressure to ensure future food security is being challenged by competing needs for multiple land-uses in agricultural systems. Rangelands are both a source of greenhouse gas emissions as well as providing opportunities for emissions reduction. Carbon farming is a new land-use option that sequesters carbon in vegetation and soils. National incentive programs in Australia for this option have resulted in significant recent land-use change across Australian rangelands.

Beyond the mitigation benefits, the potential for carbon farming income to enhance socio-ecological resilience in rangelands has been identified. However, there are major uncertainties about the impacts of climate change on sequestration …

Soil Organic Carbon And Total Nitrogen In A Leucaena Leucocephala Silvopastoral System In The Chaco Region, Argentina, N. R. Banegas, N. Viruel, A. Radrizzani

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The introduction of leucaena (Leucaena leucocephala) into hedgerow silvopastoral systems increases animal production and improves soil fertility, through biological nitrogen fixation and deep-rooted leguminous trees. There is limited information on carbon and nitrogen dynamics in hedgerow silvopastoral systems, particularly in long term periods and subsoil profiles. The concentrations and vertical distribution of organic carbon (OC) and total nitrogen (TN), and their fractions (particulate and associate forms) in the soil profile (0‒100 cm), with and without leucaena were compared 10 years after leucaena establishment into a 24-year-old tropical pasture (Urochloa brizantha-Chloris gayana). Leucaena increased the OC concentration …

Perceptions Of Gauteng Beef Farmers On Significance Of Practising Climate Smart Agriculture, S. T. Jiyana, K-J. Leeuw, Abubeker Hassen, Ignatius V. Nsahlai

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Farmers are crucial role-players in agriculture, especially in beef farming. Daily farm activities affect climate change, either negatively or positively. Therefore, farmers’ ability to relate climate change with farm activities is highly imperative. A study was conducted to investigate perceptions of Gauteng beef farmers on significance of practising climate smart agriculture (CSA). Semi-structured key informant interviews were conducted with 57 beef cattle farmers from three areas (Bronkhorstspruit, Rust de Winter and Cullinan) of Tshwane region (Gauteng province). A fully detailed ethical statement was used to explain the study and request farmers’ participation. Data analysis was done using a Statistical Package …

Legumes As A Strategy For Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions Of Forage-Livestock Systems, N. Dilorenzo, José C. B. Dubeux Jr., L. Garcia, R. D. Guevara, S. Lagrange, J. Macadam, J. J. Villalba

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Incorporation of legumes into forage systems has been a widely adopted strategy to increase pasture productivity and forage nutritive value, while reducing N inputs. Considering the population growth, and the diminishing land resources for food production, the need to increase the food supply will have to be balanced with the environmental impact of these systems, particularly their carbon footprint. Enteric methane production represents the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions from livestock. Certain forage legumes have evolved plant secondary compounds, such as tannins and other polyphenols, which have been associated with reductions in enteric methane emissions. Studies were conducted at …

Forage Legumes In Tropical Regions: Recent Advances And Future Challenges, D. R. Casagrande, B. G. C. Homem, R. M. Boddey

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Nitrogen input in tropical pastures increases forage and animal productivity. Forage legumes can fix atmospheric nitrogen and are the most economical way to add this nutrient to the soil. Our objective was to report the benefits of forage legumes in tropical pastures and possible strategies to implement different forage legumes. In tropical conditions, such as in Brazil, the use of forage legumes is still scarce. Even with low legume adoption on tropical pastures, forage legumes can provide ecosystem services. Increased animal productivity is the first ecosystem service provided by these legumes, mainly due to the addition of nitrogen that is …

Interventions For Mitigating Drought-Related Livestock Mortality In Africa’S Pastoral Areas: A Review Of Their Relevance And Effectiveness With Special Reference To Kenya, Hallo Dabasso Bulle

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

One of the key challenges facing pastoral livestock production in Africa’s drylands is the recurring drought which triggers shortage of grazing resources and massive losses of livestock. Though the pastoralists have traditional drought coping mechanisms, the changing land use, insecure land-tenure arrangements, and the declining natural resource base, have undermined the effectiveness of the mechanisms and worsen the drought impacts. Several interventions have hence been implemented over the years to mitigate the increasing drought impacts and to create more resilient pastoralist societies. Focusing on Kenyan pastoral areas, this study reviewed the relevance and effectiveness of various interventions in reducing the …

Importance Of Grazing Management In Improving Water Use Efficiency Of Tropical Forage Grasses, Juan A. Cardoso, J. D. L. C. Jiménez, Mauricio Sotelo, Idupulapati M. Rao, Michael Peters

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The growing number of extreme weather events has created the need to identify tropical forage grasses with greater water use efficiency (WUE) to cope with water-limited conditions. WUE can be defined as the ratio of forage biomass produced per unit of water used. However, WUE is a dynamic ratio that changes according to environmental gradients (e.g., water or nutrient availability) or ontogenetic drift (e.g., changes in root to shoot biomass allocation across phenological stages). Furthermore, genetic improvement leading to greater WUE is likely to result in smaller plants that produce less than the required forage biomass to sustain good animal …

Risk Of Climate-Related Impacts On Global Rangelands – A Review And Modelling Study, C. M. Godde, R. B. Boone, A. Ash, K. Waha, L. Sloat, P. Thornton, D. Mason-D’Croz, D. Mayberry, M. Herrero

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Climate change threatens the ability of global rangelands to provide food, support livelihoods and deliver important ecosystems services. The extent and magnitude of potential impacts are however poorly understood. In this study, we review the risk of climate impacts along the rangeland systems food supply chain. We also present results from biophysical modelling simulations and spatial data analyses to identify where and to what extent rangelands may be at climatic risk. Although a quantification of the net impacts of climate change on rangeland production systems is beyond the reach of our current understanding, there is strong evidence that there will …

Differential Effects Of Changed Precipitation Patterns On Co-Existing Dominant Species In Inner Mongolia Typical Grassland: Significance For Drought Management, S-X. Zhou, D-X. Wu

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

More extreme precipitation patterns are occurring worldwide in the context of global climate change. These patterns are characterized by larger event size separated by longer within-season drought periods, which are novel climatic conditions to many ecosystems while their consequences are largely unknown. Consequences of changed precipitation patterns on grassland could be complex since the effects of precipitation interval and total precipitation quantity can interact greatly with each other, and can differ among co-existing dominant species. Meanwhile, few researches explored the impacts of changed precipitation patterns on the hidden half – grassland root system. The objective of this study is to …

Cactus Forage Productivity Modelling Using Phygrow Software In A Semiarid Environment, M. J. D. Cândido, S. R. Maranhão, G. G. L. Araújo, A. Macedo, F. S. Campos, T. G. S. Silva

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Plant growth modeling has been shown an increasing strategy to cope with the high demand for food supply, mainly in climate vulnerable areas, providing them to be used in agriculture worldwide. Concerning semiarid regions, the PHYGROW software has been promising to model plant growth, as cactus forage (‘Opuntia stricta’ cv. “Mexican elephant ear”) which was used in this study. Production data from 2017 and 2018 in Petrolina, Permambuco state, Brazil, with 12 replicates each year were considered. This region shows a very hot and dry climate and has an erratic and seasonal rainfall, which varies a lot in quantity, frequency …

Quantifying Greenhouse Gas Emissions Attributable To Smallholder Livestock Systems In Western Kenya: Cradle To Farm Gate Life Cycle Assessment, P. W. Ndung’U, T. Takahashi, C. J. L. Du Toit, M. Robertson-Dean, K. Butterbach-Bahl, G. Mcauliffe, L. Merbold, J. P. Goopy

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Ruminants are central to the economic and nutritional life of much of sub-Saharan Africa, but cattle are now blamed for having disproportionately large negative environmental impact through (amongst other things) emissions of greenhouse gases. However, the exact mechanism behind these emissions is not well-understood and indeed accurate estimates themselves are lacking due to a paucity of reliable data. Employing individual animal records obtained at regular farm visits, this study quantified emissions intensities (EIs) of smallholder farms in three counties of Western Kenya through life cycle assessment (LCA). Crude protein (CP) was chosen as the functional unit to capture outputs of …

Long-Term N Addition, Not Warming, Increases Net Ecosystem Co2 Exchange In A Desert Steppe In Northern China, Guodong Han, Qian Wu

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Grasslands cover a major part of the global terrestrial area and provide important ecosystem functions such as sequestration of carbon (C). Desert steppes are unique ecosystems with properties in between desert and grasslands. They are considered to be vulnerable ecosystems that are at risk of desertification due to global change. To provide a robust prediction of the effect of climate warming and increased nitrogen (N) deposition on desert steppe, long-term studies that capture the annual variation in precipitation are needed. We conducted a 12-year field experiment in a desert steppe which showed that warming did not change ecosystem C exchange …

Exploring Water Use And Production Dynamics Of Indigenous Protected Sikumi Forest In South Western Zimbabwe, O. Gwate

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Monitoring changes in carbon and water vapour fluxes over a landscape helps in understanding ecosystem functioning and improves vegetation management. To understand potential shifts in ecosystem functioning, MoDerate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) evapotranspiration (ET), net photosynthesis, gross primary production and net primary production data were explored in Sikumi forest dominated by three species clusters (Teak forest woodland, Miombo woodland and savannah, and Vachellia). Measures of ecosystem stability including water use efficiency (WUE), rainfall use efficiency (RUE), evaporative index, and carbon use efficiency (CUE) were assessed for trends and step changes together with rainfall and evapotranspiration data. Miombo woodland and …

Control Of Acetolactate Synthase Inhibitor/Glyphosate-Resistant Palmer Amaranth (Amaranthus Palmeri) In Isoxaflutole/Glufosinate/Glyphosate-Resistant Soybean, Jasmine Mausbach, Suat Irmak, Debalin Sarangi, John L. Lindquist, Amit J. Jhala

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Palmer amaranth is the most problematic and troublesome weed in agronomic cropping systems in the United States. Acetolactate synthase (ALS) inhibitor and glyphosate-resistant (GR) Palmer amaranth has been confirmed in Nebraska and it is widespread in several counties. Soybean resistant to isoxaflutole/glufosinate/glyphosate has been developed that provides additional herbicide site of action for control of herbicide-resistant weeds. The objectives of this study were to evaluate herbicide programs for control of ALS inhibitor/GR Palmer amaranth and their effect on Palmer amaranth density and biomass, as well as soybean injury and yield in isoxaflutole/glufosinate/glyphosate-resistant soybean. Field experiments were conducted in a grower's …

Towards Early Warning Signals For Desertification, Sara Klingenfuss, Sara Heshmati, Jan C. Ruppert, Katja Tielbörger

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Dryland ecosystems cover a large share of the world’s terrestrial surface. Deficiency and spatio-temporal variability of precipitation as well as low vegetation growth rates make dry rangelands prone to degradation, especially under changing climate and intensified land use. Degradation often occurs gradually but sometimes, a sudden and surprising shift from a healthy to a degraded rangeland can be observed, where perennial grasses are lost, and bare soil is exposed. If such changes are sudden and irreversible, they are coined a tipping point. Due to their abrupt appearance, it is a great challenge to discover early warning signals that precede the …

Stakeholder Attitudes Towards Wildlife-Based Land Use In Namibia’S Kunene Region, R. Luetkemeier, R. Kraus, M. Mbidzo, M. Hauptfleisch, L. Liehr

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

African rangeland systems are characterized by competing resource use for livestock farming and wildlife conservation. In Namibia’s rangeland savannahs, cattle farming for commercial and subsistence purposes is common, shaping the land use system of the country’s north. Local cattle stocking rates increased over the past decades and triggered ecosystem degradation that became visible in the last drought-stricken years. Cattle was lost, meat prices dropped and livelihoods were threatened. It is assumed that current land use activities are pushing the rangeland ecosystem towards ecological tipping points. Alternative approaches to use the scarce resources of rangelands in a more sustainable way may …

Strategies For Assessing Grassland Degradation With Biogeochemical Models, S. Rolinski, S. B. Wirth, C. Müller, B. Tietjen

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Marginal grasslands provide the basis for livestock rearing and rural livelihoods globally, but are subject to permanent degradation from mismanagement and climate change. Global biogeochemical models are so far not able to represent degradation tipping points in marginal grasslands because plant growth is dependent only on bio-climatic conditions and nutrient availability. Due to their central role for sustaining livelihoods, this lack of representation in such models needs to be addressed. We present an idea on processes and interactions to be considered and on the actual implementation of necessary changes. The model for which we exemplarily develop implementation strategies, LPJmL, accounts …

Rangeland Management In Namibia In The Face Of Looming Desertification: Insights From The Freehold Farmers’ Perspective, Katja Brinkmann, Stefan Liehr, Lena Bickel

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

No abstract provided.

Why We Need A Ruminant Revolution: Combating Malnutrition And Metabolic Illnesses To Enable Sustainable Development, Peter J. Ballerstedt, David B. Hannaway, T. D. Noakes

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Animal source foods (ASF) are essential for proper human development and function. Livestock in general, and ruminants in particular, are essential components of our sustainable global food systems. Of significant worldwide impact, diets with higher-than-recommended levels of ASF can correct the symptoms of metabolic illnesses, offering hope in arresting the current worldwide epidemic of diabetes and other metabolic diseases. Most dietary policy and recommendations are based on the ill-founded belief that plant-based, high-carbohydrate diets are “healthy.” High-quality scientific evidence does not support the belief that vegetarian diets are healthier than omnivorous or animal-based diets. A Therapeutic Carbohydrate Reduction (TCR) lifestyle …

Where Is The Livestock Future – Plate- Or Land-Based? The Potential Of Knowledge-Based, Holistic Grazing Concepts For Altering Grazing Livestock Systems, Juliane Horn, Johannes Isselstein

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

In those days, livestock production heavily depends on feed grown on arable land. Pork production needs most of arable land to gain one kilogram of human-edible protein, followed by chicken, beef production and the dairy sector. In many European countries there is a sharp decline in livestock grazing. Many dairy farms are under pressure to maximize the total annual milk output per cow resulting in increased herd sizes by occupying a minimum of land and feeding of conserved forage of silage and concentrates. Such practices reinforce the competition for arable land for animal feeding as well as grassland intensification by …

Food Security In Crop, Livestock And Mixed Farming Systems In Mali, C. Reiber, A. Carbajal, S. Traoré, R. Birner, M. Chagunda

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

This study evaluates the food security status, its determinants and the coping strategies in crop, livestock and mixed crop-livestock systems in southern Mali. Interviews were conducted with 258 households that were categorized into the three farming systems based on the revenue from livestock and crop production. A linear mixed model was used to analyse the effects of household characteristics on food security using the food consumption score (FCS), household dietary diversity score (HDDS), a modified household food insecurity access scale (mHFIAS) and coping strategies as indicators. Food consumption score was significantly influenced by the farming system with highest FCS for …

Involving Stakeholders In Crop-Livestock Systems Analysis: Innovation Platforms In Burkina Faso And Niger, West Africa, V. Bado, Andre Van Rooyen, C. Umutoni, A. Whitbread

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The development of markets and agricultural productivity need participative research approaches that involve farmers, stakeholders and actors in the value chains of agricultural products and inputs. This study illustrates the use of multi-stakeholder platforms to address critical issues that often curtail effective implementation of development strategies and achievement of objectives. The process used to facilitate stakeholder participation and achieve enhanced understanding of collective actions to achieve objectives is illustrated by case studies in Niger and Burkina Faso. The process that determines the causal relationships among the various problems is also presented; results from the process can be used to determine …

Simulation Of Alternative Plans For Community Based Goat Breeding Program In Arid, Semi-Arid And Mixed Production Systems In Ethiopia, T. Jembere, Barbara Rischkowsky, T. Dessie, K. Kebede, A. Okeyo Mwai, T. Mirkena, A. Haile

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

On station small ruminant researches in Ethiopia were ineffective due to various factors. As alternative, community based breeding program (CBBP) has emerged. In the current CBBPs, sire side selection only (SN1) is practiced. The objective of the present work was to compare SN1 by simulating alternative breeding scenarios for Abergelle (AB), Centeral Highland (CH) and Woyto-Guji (WG) goat breeds in Ethiopia. Three scenarios including selection on dam side (SN2) in addition to SN1, application of genomic selection (SN3) onto SN1 and use of sires from SN1 for mating in additional flocks (SN4) were simulated and compared with SN1 based on …

Ewe Daily-Weight Gain Grazing Leucaena Leucocephala-Megathyrsus Maximus Cv Mombasa Silvopastoral System And Tropical Native Unimproved Range, L. K. Trejo-Arista, Enrique Cortés-Díaz, P. A. Martínez-Hernández, J. A. Cadena-Meneses

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Silvopastoral systems are a viable option to increase livestock productivity, The silvopastoral arrangement of Leucaena leucocephala associated with Megathyrsus maximus CV Mombasa (LMS) is successfully cultivated in tropical environments.. The objective of the study was to determine ewe daily-weight gain grazing LMS and a tropical unimproved native range. Two LMS were tested: high and low leucaena densities, 4700 and 2383 plants/ha, respectively. Grazing was rotational, lasted 150 d (rainy season) at equivalent stocking rate of 59 ewes/ha/150 d. Experimental design was a completely random design with three replications, the experimental unit was a 192 m² plot. Variables measured on …

Assessing The Potential Of Diverse Forage Mixtures To Reduce Enteric Ch4 Emissions, C. Loza, S. Verma, S. Wolffram, A. Susenbeth, R. Blank, Friedhelm Taube, Ralf Loges, M. Hasler, C. S. Malisch

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Enteric methane (CH₄) is a main source of agriculture-related greenhouse gasses. Conversely, pasture is increasingly demanded by customers due to both perceived and real benefits regarding animal welfare, environmental aspects and product quality. However, if implemented poorly, CH₄ emissions can increase, thus contributing to climate change. One promising option to reduce enteric CH₄ emissions are plant specialized metabolites (PSM), and particularly tannins. Consequently, we conducted two complementary experiments to determine to what extent enteric CH₄ emissions can be reduced, and how this affects milk yields: a) an in vivo experiment with grazing Jersey cows, where …

What Are The Main Limits To Smallholder Livestock Production In The Tropics – According To Farmers?, A. J. Duncan

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Livestock production is central to the livelihoods of a billion poor people. Transforming livestock production would have transformative effects on local economies in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. Development efforts in the livestock sector have tended to be top-down without enough feedback loops to understand farmer realities and aspirations. This, despite the Farmer First movement that began in the 1990s. The Feed Assessment Tool (FEAST) was developed as a reaction to top down livestock feed development approaches. FEAST facilitates a structured conversation with farming communities about their livestock production system and how it connects with the overall farming system. FEAST …