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Kirkman KP, Fynn RWS, McGranahan D, O’Reagain PJ, Dugmore T. Future-proofing extensive livestock production in subtropical grasslands and savannas. Anim Front 2023; 13:23-32. [PMID: 37841760 PMCID: PMC10575301 DOI: 10.1093/af/vfad045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/17/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Kevin P Kirkman
- School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, South Africa
| | - Richard W S Fynn
- Okavango Research Institute, University of Botswana, Maun, Botswana
| | - Devan McGranahan
- Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture, Miles City, Montana, USA
| | - Peter J O’Reagain
- Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries, Charters Towers, QLD 4820, Australia
| | - Trevor Dugmore
- Livestock Production Science, KwaZulu-Natal Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, Cedara, South Africa
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Habermann E, Dias de Oliveira EA, Contin DR, Costa JVCP, Costa KADP, Martinez CA. Warming offsets the benefits of elevated CO 2 in water relations while amplifies elevated CO 2-induced reduction in forage nutritional value in the C 4 grass Megathyrsus maximus. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2022; 13:1033953. [PMID: 36544868 PMCID: PMC9760913 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2022.1033953] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2022] [Accepted: 11/07/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Tropical grasslands are very important to global carbon and water cycles. C4 plants have increased heat tolerance and a CO2 concentrating mechanism that often reduces responses to elevated concentrations of CO2 ([CO2]). Despite the importance of tropical grasslands, there is a scarcity of studies that elucidate how managed tropical grasslands will be affected by elevated [CO2] and warming. In our study, we used a combination of a temperature-free air-controlled enhancement (T-FACE) and a free-air carbon dioxide enrichment (FACE) systems to increase canopy temperature and [CO2] under field conditions, respectively. We warmed a field-grown pasture dominated by the C4 tropical forage grass Megathyrsus maximus by 2°C above ambient under two levels of [CO2] (ambient (aC) and elevated (eC - 600 ppm) to investigate how these two factors isolated or combined regulate water relations through stomatal regulation, and how this combination affects PSII functioning, biochemistry, forage nutritive value, and digestibility. We demonstrated that the effects of warming negated the effects of eC in plant transpiration, water potential, proline content, and soil moisture conservation, resulting in warming canceling the eCO2-induced improvement in these parameters. Furthermore, there were additive effects between eC and warming for chlorophyll fluorescence parameters and aboveground nutritive value. Warming sharply intensified the eCO2-induced decrease in crude protein content and increases in forage fibrous fraction and lignin, resulting in a smaller forage digestibility under a warmer CO2-enriched atmosphere. Our results highlight the importance of multifactorial studies when investigating global change impacts on managed ecosystems and the potential consequences for the global carbon cycle like amplification in methane emissions by ruminants and feeding a positive climate feedback system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eduardo Habermann
- Department of Biology, Ribeirão Preto School of Philosophy, Science and Literature (FFCLRP), University of Sao Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil
| | - Eduardo Augusto Dias de Oliveira
- Department of Biology, Ribeirão Preto School of Philosophy, Science and Literature (FFCLRP), University of Sao Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil
| | - Daniele Ribeiro Contin
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Ribeirão Preto School of Pharmaceutical Sciences (FCFRP), University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil
| | | | | | - Carlos Alberto Martinez
- Department of Biology, Ribeirão Preto School of Philosophy, Science and Literature (FFCLRP), University of Sao Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil
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Comparison of Nutritive Values of Tropical Pasture Species Grown in Different Environments, and Implications for Livestock Methane Production: A Meta-Analysis. Animals (Basel) 2022; 12:ani12141806. [PMID: 35883354 PMCID: PMC9311783 DOI: 10.3390/ani12141806] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2022] [Revised: 07/07/2022] [Accepted: 07/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Globally, tropical pasture species predominate in tropical and subtropical climates, and are the primary feed source for grazing livestock including dairy cattle. Therefore, this study aimed at systematically analysing the nutritive values of tropical pastures and the implications of potential methane gas production from tropical pasture species and livestock, in relation to the growing conditions and agronomic management approaches used (defoliation frequency and intensity) across different climates. This analysis allowed us to understand the better performing tropical pasture species grown across wider geographical regions, in order to improve pasture-based livestock production systems. Results revealed that pasture quality and methane gas production varied among and within species, and were significantly affected by the climate and by the agronomic management regime as well. Abstract The demand for dairy products is ever increasing across the world. The livestock sector is a significant source of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions globally. The availability of high-quality pasture is a key requirement to increase the productivity of dairy cows as well as manage enteric methane emissions. Warm-season perennial grasses are the dominant forages in tropical and subtropical regions, and thus exploring their nutritive characteristics is imperative in the effort to improve dairy productivity. Therefore, we have collated a database containing a total of 4750 records, with 1277 measurements of nutritive values representing 56 tropical pasture species and hybrid cultivars grown in 26 different locations in 16 countries; this was done in order to compare the nutritive values and GHG production across different forage species, climatic zones, and defoliation management regimes. Average edaphoclimatic (with minimum and maximum values) conditions for tropical pasture species growing environments were characterized as 22.5 °C temperature (range 17.5–29.30 °C), 1253.9 mm rainfall (range 104.5–3390.0 mm), 582.6 m elevation (range 15–2393 m), and a soil pH of 5.6 (range 4.6–7.0). The data revealed spatial variability in nutritive metrics across bioclimatic zones and between and within species. The ranges of these nutrients were as follows: neutral detergent fibre (NDF) 50.9–79.8%, acid detergent fibre (ADF) 24.7–57.4%, crude protein (CP) 2.1–21.1%, dry matter (DM) digestibility 30.2–70.1%, metabolisable energy (ME)3.4–9.7 MJ kg−1 DM, with methane (CH4) production at 132.9–133.3 g animal−1 day−1. The arid/dry zone recorded the highest DM yield, with decreased CP and high fibre components and minerals. Furthermore, the data revealed that climate, defoliation frequency and intensity, in addition to their interactions, have a significant effect on tropical pasture nutritive values and CH4 production. Overall, hybrid and newer tropical cultivars performed well across different climates, with small variations in herbage quality. The current study revealed important factors that affect pasture nutritive values and CH4 emissions, with the potential for improving tropical forage through the selection and management of pasture species.
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Colas V, Barre P, van Parijs F, Wolters L, Quitté Y, Ruttink T, Roldán-Ruiz I, Escobar Gutiérrez AJ, Muylle H. Seasonal Differences in Structural and Genetic Control of Digestibility in Perennial Ryegrass. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2022; 12:801145. [PMID: 35058960 PMCID: PMC8765707 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2021.801145] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2021] [Accepted: 11/25/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Perennial ryegrass is an important forage crop in dairy farming, either for grazing or haying purposes. To further optimise the forage use, this study focused on understanding forage digestibility in the two most important cuts of perennial ryegrass, the spring cut at heading and the autumn cut. In a highly diverse collection of 592 Lolium perenne genotypes, the organic matter digestibility (OMD) and underlying traits such as cell wall digestibility (NDFD) and cell wall components (cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin) were investigated for 2 years. A high genotype × season interaction was found for OMD and NDFD, indicating differences in genetic control of these forage quality traits in spring versus autumn. OMD could be explained by both the quantity of cell wall content (NDF) and the quality of the cell wall content (NDFD). The variability in NDFD in spring was mainly explained by differences in hemicellulose. A 1% increase of the hemicellulose content in the cell wall (HC.NDF) resulted in an increase of 0.81% of NDFD. In autumn, it was mainly explained by the lignin content in the cell wall (ADL.NDF). A 0.1% decrease of ADL.NDF resulted in an increase of 0.41% of NDFD. The seasonal traits were highly heritable and showed a higher variation in autumn versus spring, indicating the potential to select for forage quality in the autumn cut. In a candidate gene association mapping approach, in which 503 genes involved in cell wall biogenesis, plant architecture, and phytohormone biosynthesis and signalling, identified significant quantitative trait loci (QTLs) which could explain from 29 to 52% of the phenotypic variance in the forage quality traits OMD and NDFD, with small effects of each marker taken individually (ranging from 1 to 7%). No identical QTLs were identified between seasons, but within a season, some QTLs were in common between digestibility traits and cell wall composition traits confirming the importance of hemicellulose concentration for spring digestibility and lignin concentration in NDF for autumn digestibility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vincent Colas
- Unité de Recherche Pluridisciplinaire Prairies et Plantes Fourragères (URP3F), National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and Environment (INRAE), Lusignan, France
| | - Philippe Barre
- Unité de Recherche Pluridisciplinaire Prairies et Plantes Fourragères (URP3F), National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and Environment (INRAE), Lusignan, France
| | - Frederik van Parijs
- Plant Sciences Unit, Institute for Agricultural, Fisheries and Food Research (ILVO), Melle, Belgium
| | - Lukas Wolters
- DSV zaden Nederland B.V., Ven Zelderheide, Netherlands
| | | | - Tom Ruttink
- Plant Sciences Unit, Institute for Agricultural, Fisheries and Food Research (ILVO), Melle, Belgium
| | - Isabel Roldán-Ruiz
- Plant Sciences Unit, Institute for Agricultural, Fisheries and Food Research (ILVO), Melle, Belgium
- Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Abraham J. Escobar Gutiérrez
- Unité de Recherche Pluridisciplinaire Prairies et Plantes Fourragères (URP3F), National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and Environment (INRAE), Lusignan, France
| | - Hilde Muylle
- Plant Sciences Unit, Institute for Agricultural, Fisheries and Food Research (ILVO), Melle, Belgium
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Anankware JP, Roberts BJ, Cheseto X, Osuga I, Savolainen V, Collins CM. The Nutritional Profiles of Five Important Edible Insect Species From West Africa-An Analytical and Literature Synthesis. Front Nutr 2021; 8:792941. [PMID: 34926558 PMCID: PMC8678595 DOI: 10.3389/fnut.2021.792941] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2021] [Accepted: 11/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Undernutrition is a prevalent, serious, and growing concern, particularly in developing countries. Entomophagy—the human consumption of edible insects, is a historical and culturally established practice in many regions. Increasing consumption of nutritious insect meal is a possible combative strategy and can promote sustainable food security. However, the nutritional literature frequently lacks consensus, with interspecific differences in the nutrient content of edible insects generally being poorly resolved. Aims and methods: Here we present full proximate and fatty acid profiles for five edible insect species of socio-economic importance in West Africa: Hermetia illucens (black soldier fly), Musca domestica (house fly), Rhynchophorus phoenicis (African palm weevil), Cirina butyrospermi (shea tree caterpillar), and Macrotermes bellicosus (African termite). These original profiles, which can be used in future research, are combined with literature-derived proximate, fatty acid, and amino acid profiles to analyse interspecific differences in nutrient content. Results: Interspecific differences in ash (minerals), crude protein, and crude fat contents were substantial. Highest ash content was found in H. illucens and M. domestica (~10 and 7.5% of dry matter, respectively), highest crude protein was found in C. butyrospermi and M. domestica (~60% of dry matter), whilst highest crude fat was found in R. phoenicis (~55% of dry matter). The fatty acid profile of H. illucens was differentiated from the other four species, forming its own cluster in a principal component analysis characterized by high saturated fatty acid content. Cirina butyrospermi had by far the highest poly-unsaturated fatty acid content at around 35% of its total fatty acids, with α-linolenic acid particularly represented. Amino acid analyses revealed that all five species sufficiently met human essential amino acid requirements, although C. butyrospermi was slightly limited in leucine and methionine content. Discussion: The nutritional profiles of these five edible insect species compare favorably to beef and can meet human requirements, promoting entomophagy's utility in combatting undernutrition. In particular, C. butyrospermi may provide a source of essential poly-unsaturated fatty acids, bringing many health benefits. This, along with its high protein content, indicates that this species is worthy of more attention in the nutritional literature, which has thus-far been lacking.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacob P Anankware
- Department of Horticulture and Crop Production, University of Energy and Natural Resources, Sunyani, Ghana
| | - Benjamin J Roberts
- Georgina Mace Centre for the Living Planet, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Xavier Cheseto
- Department of Chemical and Behavioural Sciences, International Centre for Insect Physiology and Ecology, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Isaac Osuga
- Department of Animal Sciences, Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Vincent Savolainen
- Georgina Mace Centre for the Living Planet, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - C M Collins
- Georgina Mace Centre for the Living Planet, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
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The Impact of Anthropogenic Climate Change on Egyptian Livestock Production. Animals (Basel) 2021; 11:ani11113127. [PMID: 34827859 PMCID: PMC8614250 DOI: 10.3390/ani11113127] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2021] [Revised: 10/23/2021] [Accepted: 10/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Egypt is one of the hottest countries on the planet, with significant warming predicted to occur over the course of this century. It has a substantial livestock population to feed its growing human population, but the hotter temperatures will constrain the production of ruminants in particular because of their high internal heat production during the digestion of fibrous material by micro-organisms. The net result will be the diminished availability of animal products per human member of the Egyptian population. Some products can be imported, but this is difficult for products with a short shelf life, such as milk. We use estimates of climate change, population growth and the impact of higher temperatures on cow productivity to predict that milk availability per person will decline from 61 kg/year in 2011 to 26 kg/year in 2064. We discuss the range of alternative options available to make up for diminished animal product availability per person as the century progresses. Abstract Egypt is one of the hottest countries in the world, and extreme climate events are becoming more frequent, which is consistent with the warming of the planet. The impact of this warming on ecosystems is severe, including on livestock production systems. Under Egyptian conditions, livestock already suffer heat stress periods in summer. The predicted increases in temperature as result of climate change will affect livestock production by reducing growth and milk production because of appetite suppression and conception rate reductions and will increase animal welfare concerns. In severe cases, these effects can result in death. We review the heat stress effects on livestock behaviour, reproduction, and production in the context of predicted climate change for Egypt over the course of this century and offer alternative scenarios to achieve food security for a growing human population. As an example, we combine predictions for reduced milk production during heat stress and human population trajectories to predict that milk availability per person will decline from 61 kg/year in 2011 to 26 kg/year in 2064. Mitigation strategies are discussed and include the substitution of animal-based foods for plant-based foods and laboratory-grown animal products.
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Souza RTDA, dos Santos MVF, da Cunha MV, Gonçalves GD, da Silva VJ, de Mello ACL, Muir JP, Ribeiro REP, Dubeux JCB. Dwarf and Tall Elephantgrass Genotypes under Irrigation as Forage Sources for Ruminants: Herbage Accumulation and Nutritive Value. Animals (Basel) 2021; 11:ani11082392. [PMID: 34438850 PMCID: PMC8388698 DOI: 10.3390/ani11082392] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2021] [Revised: 08/05/2021] [Accepted: 08/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Cyclical droughts negatively impact agriculture, with deficits of water availability for the maintenance of crops destined for human food and animal production. Seasonality of forage quantity and quality is a critical obstacle to support domesticated herds over the year. Elephantgrass (Pennisetum purpureum Schum.) is a tropical forage widely used for feeding ruminants, mainly in the form of cut-and-carry, which has the potential to increase tropical pasture productivity, due to the large amount of roughage produced per unit of area. Research evaluated the response of tall and dwarf elephantgrass genotypes under irrigation considering its potential for complementing ruminant diets. This study showed that irrigation of elephantgrass, particularly during the dry season, may improve the regularity of forage production with good nutritive value. Abstract This two-year study evaluated the effect of Pennisetum purpureum genotypes under rainfed or irrigated conditions, during the dry and rainy seasons, on herbage, leaf, and stem dry matter (DM) accumulation rates, nutritive value, and carbohydrate and protein fractionation. Treatments were tall (Iri 381 and Elefante B) or dwarf (Mott and Taiwan A-146 2.37) genotypes under rainfed or irrigated conditions. Taiwan A-146 2.37 (146 kg DM ha per day) showed similar herbage accumulation rate (HAR) to tall genotypes during the rainy season (124 and 150 kg DM/ha per day, respectively). Dwarf genotypes showed differences in leaf accumulation rate (LAR) (66 and 49 kg DM/ha per day). Mott leaf had less neutral detergent fiber (NDF) (589 g/kg DM) than Taiwan A-146 2.37 (598 g/kg DM), and tall genotypes had generally greater NDF (668 g/kg DM) than the dwarf genotypes. Irrigation increased fiber deposition in the leaf. Stems of all genotypes had lower in vitro digestible dry matter (IVDDM) (378 g/kg DM) under rainfed conditions in the rainy season. Leaf from irrigated plots had 23% more carbohydrate C fraction (160 g/kg CHO) than those from rainfed plots (122 g/kg CHO). Dwarf genotypes had generally greater nutritive value than tall genotypes. These genotypes show promise under irrigation to fill forage gaps during dry periods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rayanne Thalita de Almeida Souza
- Department of Animal Science, Federal Rural University of Pernambuco, Dom Manoel de Medeiro Street, Dois Irmãos, Recife, Pernambuco 52171-900, Brazil; (M.V.F.d.S.); (M.V.d.C.); (V.J.d.S.); (A.C.L.d.M.); (R.E.P.R.)
- Correspondence:
| | - Mércia Virginia Ferreira dos Santos
- Department of Animal Science, Federal Rural University of Pernambuco, Dom Manoel de Medeiro Street, Dois Irmãos, Recife, Pernambuco 52171-900, Brazil; (M.V.F.d.S.); (M.V.d.C.); (V.J.d.S.); (A.C.L.d.M.); (R.E.P.R.)
| | - Márcio Vieira da Cunha
- Department of Animal Science, Federal Rural University of Pernambuco, Dom Manoel de Medeiro Street, Dois Irmãos, Recife, Pernambuco 52171-900, Brazil; (M.V.F.d.S.); (M.V.d.C.); (V.J.d.S.); (A.C.L.d.M.); (R.E.P.R.)
| | - Geane Dias Gonçalves
- Federal University of Agreste of Pernambuco, Bom Pastor Avenue, Boa Vista, Garanhuns, Pernambuco 55292-270, Brazil;
| | - Valdson José da Silva
- Department of Animal Science, Federal Rural University of Pernambuco, Dom Manoel de Medeiro Street, Dois Irmãos, Recife, Pernambuco 52171-900, Brazil; (M.V.F.d.S.); (M.V.d.C.); (V.J.d.S.); (A.C.L.d.M.); (R.E.P.R.)
| | - Alexandre Carneiro Leão de Mello
- Department of Animal Science, Federal Rural University of Pernambuco, Dom Manoel de Medeiro Street, Dois Irmãos, Recife, Pernambuco 52171-900, Brazil; (M.V.F.d.S.); (M.V.d.C.); (V.J.d.S.); (A.C.L.d.M.); (R.E.P.R.)
| | - James Pierre Muir
- Texas A&M AgriLife Research, 1229 Hwy 281, Stephenville, TX 76401, USA;
| | - Robson Elpídio Pereira Ribeiro
- Department of Animal Science, Federal Rural University of Pernambuco, Dom Manoel de Medeiro Street, Dois Irmãos, Recife, Pernambuco 52171-900, Brazil; (M.V.F.d.S.); (M.V.d.C.); (V.J.d.S.); (A.C.L.d.M.); (R.E.P.R.)
| | - José Carlos Batista Dubeux
- North Florida Research and Education Center, University of Florida, 3925 Hwy 71, Marianna, FL 32446-8091, USA;
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