• Title/Summary/Keyword: Husbandry Systems

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Application of a Simulation Model for Dairy Cattle Production Systems Integrated with Forage Crop Production: the Effects of Whole Crop Rice Silage Utilization on Nutrient Balances and Profitability

  • Kikuhara, K.;Hirooka, H.
    • Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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    • v.22 no.2
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    • pp.216-224
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    • 2009
  • In Japan, since rice consumption has been decreasing with the westernization of Japanese eating habits, surplus paddy fields have been increasing. If these surplus paddy fields can be utilized for forage rice production as feed for animal production and excretions (feces and urine) from animal production can be applied to the paddy fields as manure, then the problems of surplus paddy fields and excretions from animal production may be solved, and the environment kept sustainable. The objectives of the present study were to apply a bio-economic model to dairy and forage rice integration systems in Japan and to examine the merit of introducing whole crop rice silage (WCRS), as well as economic and environmental effects of various economic and management options in the systems. Five simulations were conducted using this model. The use of WCRS as a home-grown feed increased environmental loads and decreased economic benefit because of the higher amount of purchased feed, when compared to the use of typical crops such as maize, alfalfa and timothy silage (simulation 1). Higher economic benefits from higher forage rice yields and higher milk production of a dairy cow were obtained (simulations 2, 3). There were no economic and environmental incentives for utilizing crude protein (CP) rich WCRS, because an increase in the CP content in WCRS led to the use of more chemical fertilizers, resulting in high production costs and nitrogen outputs (simulation 4). When evaluated under the situation of a fixed herd size, increasing forage rice yields decreased the total benefit of the production, in spite of the fact that the amount of subsidies per unit of land increased (simulation 5). It was indicated that excess subsidy support may not promote yield of forage rice. It was, however, observed in most cases that dairy and forage rice integration systems could not be economically established without subsidies.

Characteristics of the Multi-Hydrogen Bonded Systems: DFT Description on the Solvated Electrons

  • Xu, Jun
    • Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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    • v.34 no.11
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    • pp.3265-3268
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    • 2013
  • The multi-hydrogen bonded systems with the solvated electrons are investigated at the B3LYP/6-311++$G^{**}$ basis set level. The symmetrical linear geometrical characteristic is common for the dimer systems, while for the tetramer system, the tetrahedron configuration is generated. The NBO charge analyses demonstrate that the multi-hydrogen-multi-electron (mH-ne) coupling exist in these anion systems, as is supported by the electrostatic potential and the molecular orbital analyses. The positive chemical shift value of the central hydrogen ($H_c$) and the negative chemical shift value of the terminal hydrogen ($H_t$) indicate that the $H_c$ is electronegative while the $H_t$ is electropositive, respectively. Strong coupling between two central hydrogen atoms is demonstrated by the large spin-spin coupling constants. The solvated electron donates significant contributions for the stability of these systems.

PRODUCTION FROM FINE WOOL SHEEP IN THREE AREAS IN NORTHERN CHINA

  • Masters, D.G.;Purser, D.B.;Yu, S.X.;Wang, Z.S.;Yang, R.Z.;Liu, N.;Wang, X.L.;Lu, D.X.;Wu, L.H.;Rong, W.H.;Ren, J.K.;Li, G.H.
    • Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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    • v.3 no.4
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    • pp.305-312
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    • 1990
  • The seasonal changes in production, the systems of management and the seasonal climatic and feeding conditions are described for three farms representative of the major areas for growing fine-wool sheep in northern China. At all farms, summer and autumn were seasons of rapid liveweight gain and wool growth. In the winter and spring, during lactation, liveweight declined wool growth decreased by approximately 70%, and fibre diameter by 4 to 8 microns. The wool produced was characterized by a very low clean wool yield (39-51%). Greasy fleece weights ranged from 4.5 to 8.0 kg and average diameter of wool fibres from 20.5 to 23 microns. The number of lambs born per 100 ewes mated ranged from 79 to 95, lamb weights ranged from 3.8 to 4.5 kg, and weaning weights ranged from 17 to 25 kg. Overall, the patterns of sheep production were similar to those found in seasonally arid environments (such as in the mediterranean climatic zone). Yield of clean wool and therefore clean fleece weights were far below those in most other fine-wool producing areas of the world.

The Nutritive Value of Rice Straw in Relation to Variety, Urea Treatment, Location of Growth and Season, and its Prediction from in Sacco Degradability

  • Soebarinoto, Soebarinoto;Chuzaemi, Siti;van Bruchem, Jaap;Hartutik, Hartutik;Mashudi, Mashudi
    • Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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    • v.10 no.2
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    • pp.215-222
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    • 1997
  • Ten rice varieties were planted at two locations (lowland and highland), during the wet and dry seasons of different years. In vivo digestibility and voluntary intake of the straw, were determined in groups of fat-tail sheep, supplemented with $18g{\cdot}kg^{-0.75}$ concentrate DM, containing ~20% crude protein. Voluntary intake of digestible straw organic matter (DOMI) consistently varied from 15.2 to $20.9g{\cdot}kg^{-0.75}$ between straw varieties, averaged over locations, years and seasons, despite considerable variation between individual batches. This variation in the nutritive value of the straw was independent of straw and grain yield, so it would seem that there is scope for selection of rice varieties with straw of higher nutritive value. The variation in DOMI of straw among location of growth, year and season, was of a magnitude similar to the improvement brought about by urea-ammoniation. The in sacco degradation characteristics and digestibility of rice straw residues were superior to those of the offered straw. This can be attributed to a preference for rice straw leaves relative to stems. Averaged over location of growth, year and season, characteristics of in sacco degradation, i.e. the rate of fermentative degradation and the truly undegradable fraction, emerged as accurate predictors of the nutritive value of rice straw.

Effect of Self-photoperiod on Live Weight, Carcass and Growth Traits in Quails (Coturnix Coturnix Japonica)

  • Coban, Omer;Lacin, Ekrem;Sabuncuoglu, Nilufer;Ozudogru, Zekeriya
    • Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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    • v.22 no.3
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    • pp.410-415
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    • 2009
  • The weekly liveweight gain, growing and stress parameters of quails bred using two different types of lighting for 6 weeks following hatching were examined in this study. The first type of lighting was 23 L:1 D, continuous lighting (CL), widely used in the commercial system and the second was a self-photoperiod (SP) system consisting of a continuously lit chamber and a dark chamber the quails could move to as they wished. On the first 15 days, no difference was found in liveweight gain between the two breeding systems. On the $6^{th}$ week when the trial was completed, the liveweight of the male quails upon which CL lighting was used was 159.03 g while the weight of males in the SP group was 174.43 g; these values in female quails of the CL group were 179.15 g and in the SP group were 200.68 g. The CL group had lower testis volume (TVOM, $cm^{3}$) and testis weight (TW, g) than the SP group, however there was no difference between the groups in testis weight/body weight rate (BWTW %). In female quails, the ovary weight (OW, g) and the ovary weight/body weight rate (BWOW, %) values were higher in the SP group. The CL light regime was concluded to cause stress in male quails (CL, Heterophil/Lymphocyte ratio (H/L): 0.27; SP, H/L: 0.17). In conclusion; the SP system allowing the quails to regulate their light periods increased liveweight gain and enabled sexual maturity to be gained at an earlier period than in quail on the CL system and improved their welfare.

Assessing Nitrogen and Phosphorus in Excreta from Grower-finisher Pigs Fed Prevalent Rations in Vietnam

  • Vu, T.K.V.;Sommer, G.S.;Vu, C.C.;Jorgensen, H.
    • Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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    • v.23 no.2
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    • pp.279-286
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    • 2010
  • Livestock production in Vietnam is, as in most Asian countries, increasing rapidly and changing into specialized highly intensified operations. The volume of animal excreta generated exceeds the capacity of the operation land base and cannot be utilized efficiently. As a consequence, there is a loss of plant nutrients from livestock farms that causes environmental pollution. This study carried out a feed and excretion experiment measuring fecal characteristic, daily fecal production, daily nitrogen and phosphorous excretion from grower-finisher pigs fed prevalent rations in Vietnam. Furthermore, equations for assessing the excretion were tested, which can be used in farm models for optimal recycling of manure while focusing on reducing pollution. The results indicated that fecal production and nutrient excretion were affected by the different rations tested. This study showed that five selected equations for predicting excretion from grower-finisher pigs in Danish conditions can also be used with precision in Vietnamese pig farming systems. The equations have been proven valid and can, therefore, be used as a much needed tool for assessing fecal production and nitrogen in excreta on pig farms. The study also showed that about 12% of nitrogen excreted was emitted during housing. Waste water contains more than half of the nitrogen excreted, mainly in ammonium form which has a high potential for gaseous emission.

The Status and Prospects of Japanese Organic Foods System (일본의 유기식품 생산 및 관리제도 현황과 전망)

  • Jung, Man-Chul
    • Korean Journal of Organic Agriculture
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    • v.18 no.2
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    • pp.177-197
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    • 2010
  • Japan launched its regulatory certification system for organic foods based on the amended JAS laws in June 2000, followed by the implementation of regulations on organic agricultural products and organic processed foods in January 2001 and with the implementation of the standards on organic animal husbandry and organic feed by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry & Fisheries in 2005, organic foods have been under integrated and systematic supervision. Certification of organic foods can be undertaken by registered accredited bodies (private certification bodies) or legal entities conforming to the regulations of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry & Fisheries. However, with the amendment of the JAS laws in March 2006, only legal entities conforming to the regulations of the ISO/IEC GUIDE 65 are eligible as certification bodies. Foreign organic products imported to Japan must be certified organic under JAS regulations and must be manufactured or produced by foreign manufacturers certified by local or foreign registered accredited organizations and distributed with the Organic JAS Mark affixed or through importers certified by local registered accredited organizations and distributed with the Organic JAS Mark affixed on the products. It can be implied from the Japanese case study that it necessary to reform the diverse agricultural products certification systems to set up an integrated certification system, and the restructuring of government organizations, reforms of environmentally-friendly agricultural products certification system and the integration of the organic food certification systems are needed in order to integrate the control of the standards and certification systems.

Investigation of the energy efficiency of biotechnical systems in electrotechnological complexes

  • CHMIL, A.;OLIINYK, Y.
    • The Korean Journal of Food & Health Convergence
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    • v.6 no.6
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    • pp.17-23
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    • 2020
  • The main task of agro-industrial production is to provide the population with food products for the production of which energy is expended in the form of electricity, technical means, fuels and lubricants, mineral fertilizers, etc. Accordingly, we have developed a concept and general methodological principles for the analysis of ecological and biotechnical systems in animal husbandry, it makes it possible to simulate the influence of various factors on the energy and ecological efficiency of systems, to compare and search for energy-saving modes and technologies. General methodological principles have been developed for the analysis of energy efficiency and environmental safety of agricultural ecological and biotechnical systems, which are based on the definition of the bioenergy efficiency coefficient, the quantitative expression of which is the ratio of energy accumulated in products to the total energy consumption for its production. This makes it possible to model with sufficient accuracy the influence of various factors on the energy and environmental efficiency of the system, to compare and search for energy-saving modes and technologies in order to find and select the most energy efficient ones to increase the energy efficiency of the complex.

Environmental Sustainability and Social Desirability Issues in Pig Feeding

  • Yang, T.S.
    • Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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    • v.20 no.4
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    • pp.605-614
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    • 2007
  • Feeding pigs used to be a means of managing domestic resources that may otherwise have been wasted into valuable animal protein. Feeding pigs thus was a form of husbandry. Following recent rapid industrial development, pig rearing has changed from extensive to intensive, but this transformation has been associated with major concerns. The concentration of large amounts of pig manure in small arrears is environmentally hazardous. Moreover, high densities of animals in intensive production systems also impose a health threat for both animals and humans. Furthermore, the use of growth promoters and preventive medicines for higher production efficiencies, such as in-feed antibiotics, also induces microbial resistance thus affects human therapeutics. In addition, consumers are questioning the ethics of treating animals in intensive production systems. Animal welfare, environmental and bio-safe issues are re-shaping the nature of pig production systems. Feeding pigs thus involves not only the consideration of economic traits, but also welfare traits and environmental traits. Thus, a focus on technological feasibility, environmental sustainability and social desirability is essential for successful feeding operations. Feeding pigs now involves multiple projects with different sustainability goals, but goal conflicts exist since no pattern or scenario can fulfill all sustainability goals and the disagreements are complicated by reduced or even no use of in-feed antibiotics. Thus it is difficult to feed pigs in a manner that meets all goals of high quality, safe product, eco- and bio-sustainability, animal welfare and profit. A sustainable pig production system thus requires a prioritization of goals based on understanding among consumers, society and producers and needs to view from both a local and global perspective.