The impact of citrus pulp inclusion on milk performance of dairy cows: A meta-analysis

Considering sustainability and circular economy, citrus pulp could become a common dairy feedstuff. Yet, there is no clear indication of the amount of citrus pulp that can be fed without compromising milk performance or that could deliver benefits. In our meta-analysis, we investigated the impact of varying citrus pulp inclusion levels, i.e., no (0 %), low (>0-10 %), medium (>10-20 %), and high (>20 %), on milk performance variables. Replacing cereal grains with citrus pulp increased pectins and sugars while decreasing starch. At the low inclusion level, citrus pulp increased milk yield without affecting feed intake. At higher inclusion levels, citrus pulp reduced feed intake and milk yield but with higher fat contents, the milk energy content was similar to no inclusion. Concluding, citrus pulp is a good energy source with lipogenic properties in dairy cows. We encourage research to fill in the existing gap of knowledge at the rumen and systemic levels.

Soil carbon stocks in temperate grasslands reach equilibrium with grazing duration

Lost soil organic carbon (SOC) in degraded grasslands can be restored via the 'grazing exclusion' practice, but it was unknown how long (# of years) the restoration process can take. A synthesis of four decades of studies revealed that grazing exclusion increased SOC stocks in the topsoil (0-0.30 m) by 14.8 % (±0.8 Std Err), on average, compared to moderate-to-heavy grazing (MtH); During which SOC stock increased steadily, peaked in Year 18.5, and then declined. At peak, SOC stock was 42.5 % greater under grazing exclusion than under MtH due to 100.4 ± 4.2 % increase in aboveground biomass and 80.3 ± 33.5 % increase in root biomass. Grazing exclusion also increased soil C:N ratio by 7.6 % while decreasing bulk density by 9.4 %. Grazing exclusion could be ceased 18.5 years after initiation of grazing exclusion as plant biomass input balances carbon decomposition and SOC equilibrium occurs then additional benefits start diminishing.

Cultivated meat manufacturing: Technology, trends, and challenges

The growing world population, public awareness of animal welfare, environmental impacts and changes in meat consumption leads to the search for novel approaches to food production. Novel foods include products with a new or specifically modified molecular structure, foods made from microorganisms, fungi, algae or insects, as well as from animal cell or tissue cultures. The latter approach is known by various names: "clean meat", "in vitro meat" and "cell-cultured" or "(cell-)cultivated meat". Here, cells isolated from agronomically important species are expanded ex vivo to produce cell biomass used in unstructured meat or to grow and differentiate cells on scaffolds to produce structured meat analogues. Despite the fast-growing field and high financial interest from investors and governments, cultivated meat production still faces challenges ranging from cell source choice, affordable expansion, use of cruelty-free and food-grade media, regulatory issues and consumer acceptance. This overview discusses the above challenges and possible solutions and strategies in the production of cultivated meat. The review integrates multifaceted historical, social, and technological insights of the field, and provides both an engaging comprehensive introduction for general interested and a robust perspective for experts.

iPSC Technology: An Innovative Tool for Developing Clean Meat, Livestock, and Frozen Ark

Induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) technology is an emerging technique to reprogram somatic cells into iPSCs that have revolutionary benefits in the fields of drug discovery, cellular therapy, and personalized medicine. However, these applications are just the tip of an iceberg. Recently, iPSC technology has been shown to be useful in not only conserving the endangered species, but also the revival of extinct species. With increasing consumer reliance on animal products, combined with an ever-growing population, there is a necessity to develop alternative approaches to conventional farming practices. One such approach involves the development of domestic farm animal iPSCs. This approach provides several benefits in the form of reduced animal death, pasture degradation, water consumption, and greenhouse gas emissions. Hence, it is essentially an environmentally-friendly alternative to conventional farming. Additionally, this approach ensures decreased zoonotic outbreaks and a constant food supply. Here, we discuss the iPSC technology in the form of a "Frozen Ark", along with its potential impact on spreading awareness of factory farming, foodborne disease, and the ecological footprint of the meat industry.

Exploring the relationship between production intensity and land use: A meta-analytic approach with shrimp aquaculture

Shrimp are one of the fastest growing commodities in aquaculture and have a considerable land footprint. Here, we explored the impact of utilizing different production methods (extensive vs intensive) for expanding shrimp production on the cumulative land footprint of shrimp aquaculture. A meta-analytic approach was utilized to simultaneously estimate model coefficients to explore three relationships: production intensity and total land burden, production intensity and the proportion of land at the farm, and production intensity and the farmland burden. A literature review was conducted and a total of 7 datasets, 22 subsets, and 973 individual farms were included in this study. The global models were as follows: model 1 → ln (total land burden) = 0.1165-0.3863 * ln (production intensity), model 2 → proportion of direct (farm) land use:total land use = 0.7592-0.1737 * ln (production intensity), model 3 → ln (direct land use) = 0.1991-0.9674 * ln (production intensity). Production expansion was modeled under different scenarios. The most land intensive projections involved using only extensive systems to increase production when compared to a business-as-usual scenario. The least land intensive scenario involved utilizing intensive systems. A scenario where farmland was not expanded used 17% less land and 28% less land to produce 7.5 and 10 million tons of shrimp, respectively, when compared to business-as-usual scenarios. These estimates are limited by uncertainty in shrimp feed composition but demonstrate the effect of production intensity on the overall land footprint of shrimp production.

Factors Influencing Proteolysis and Protein Utilization in the Intestine of Pigs: A Review

Pigs are among the most important farm animals for meat production worldwide. In order to meet the amino acid requirements of the animals, pigs rely on the regular intake of proteins and amino acids with their feed. Unfortunately, pigs excrete about two thirds of the used protein, and production of pork is currently associated with a high emission of nitrogen compounds resulting in negative impacts on the environment. Thus, improving protein efficiency in pigs is a central aim to decrease the usage of protein carriers in feed and to lower nitrogen emissions. This is necessary as the supply of plant protein sources is limited by the yield and the cultivable acreage for protein plants. Strategies to increase protein efficiency that go beyond the known feeding options have to be investigated considering the characteristics of the individual animals. This requires a deep understanding of the intestinal processes including enzymatic activities, capacities of amino acid transporters and the microbiome. This review provides an overview of these physiological factors and the respective analyses methods.

Ecological footprints of environmental resources for agricultural production in Iran: a model-based study

A modeling system was used to calculate the resource footprints (land, water, nutrients, energy, fuel, electricity, and carbon) on a large scale in agricultural production systems (Iran as a case study), and this report is an introduction of this modeling system for future studies. Under irrigated conditions, the highest land footprint was observed in pulses and oil grains (0.6 ha t^-1). The lowest water footprints were found in silage corn (300 m³ t^-1), and the highest water footprints were observed in oil grains (4525 m³ t^-1). The highest footprints of nitrogen were observed in maize (31.7 kg t^-1), wheat (30.9 kg t^-1), and oil grains (30.4 kg t^-1), and the lowest value belonged to production of sugar crops (2.6 kg t^-1). Most of the energy, fuel, electricity, and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions were occurred under irrigated cropping systems compared with the rainfed systems. Under irrigated conditions, the highest footprints of energy, fuel, and electricity and GHG emissions occurred in the production of oil grains, and their values were 24397 MJ t^-1, 161 L t^-1, 1195 kWh t^-1, and 1699 kg CO_2eq. t^-1, respectively. In general, wheat production in Iran has the highest cost in terms of resource use (water, elements, energy, and carbon) compared with the other plant products. Livestock and poultry products (especially red meat) also had the highest ecological footprint among the products.

Dairy manure as a potential source of crop nutrients and environmental contaminants

Although animal manure is applied to agricultural fields for its nutrient value, it may also contain potential contaminants. To determine the variability in such contaminants as well as in valuable nutrients, nine uncomposted manure samples from Idaho dairies collected during 2.5 years were analyzed for macro- and micro-nutrients, hormones, phytoestrogens, antibiotics, veterinary drugs, antibiotic resistance genes, and genetic elements involved in the spread of antibiotic resistance. Total N ranged from 6.8 to 30.7 (C:N of 10 to 21), P from 2.4 to 9.0, and K from 10.2 to 47.7 g/kg manure. Zn (103 - 348 mg/kg) was more abundant than Cu (56 - 127 mg/kg) in all samples. Phytoestrogens were the most prevalent contaminants detected, with concentrations fluctuating over time, reflecting animal diets. This is the first study to document the presence of flunixin, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug, in solid stacked manure from regular dairy operations. Monensin was the most frequently detected antibiotic. Progesterones and sulfonamides were regularly detected. We also investigated the relative abundance of several types of plasmids involved in the spread of antibiotic resistance in clinical settings. Plasmids belonging to the IncI, IncP, and IncQ1 incompatibility groups were found in almost all manure samples. IncQ1 plasmids, class 1 integrons, and sulfonamide resistance genes were the most widespread and abundant genetic element surveyed, emphasizing their potential role in the spread of antibiotic resistance. The benefits associated with amending agricultural soils with dairy manure must be carefully weighed against the potential negative consequences of any manure contaminants.