• Title/Summary/Keyword: Leading Farms

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Factors Affecting High Mortality Rates of Dairy Replacement Calves and Heifers in the Tropics and Strategies for Their Reduction

  • Moran, John B.
    • Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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    • v.24 no.9
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    • pp.1318-1328
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    • 2011
  • The tropics is not an ideal location for calf rearing as the high temperatures and humidities introduce many potential disease problems to milk fed calves. In addition, the type of dairy farming (generally poorly resourced small holder farming) and the general lack of awareness of the long term implications of poorly reared stock do not encourage farmers to pay close attention to their calf and heifer rearing systems. Surveys of calf rearing systems in Asia, tropical Africa and South America highlight the high calf and heifer mortalities. A range of 15 to 25% pre-weaning calf mortality is typical on many tropical dairy farms. It is often as high as 50%, indicating very poor calf management. This contrasts with US findings of less than 8% mortality from birth to 6 months while surveys of Australian farmers report only 3% losses. Simple extension programs on farms in Sri Lanka and Kenya have drastically reduced calf mortalities and improved pre-weaning growth rates. Improved management strategies leading to lower calving intervals, higher calving rates, reduced still born and pre-weaned calf mortalities and fewer non pregnant heifers can supply many more dairy herd replacements than currently occurs. Such strategies can increase the number of replacement heifer calves in the herd from 15 to over 35%, thus allowing farmers to increase their herd sizes through natural increases. Simple management procedures such as ensuring adequate intake of good quality colostrum within the first 12 hours of life, housing and good hygiene to minimise disease transfer, providing clean drinking water, developing appropriate feeding protocols to encourage early rumen development and paying closer attention to climate control and animal health can all lead to improved calf vigour and performance. Good record keeping is also important so farmers can more easily identify susceptible calves and quickly treat potential problems.

Corn stover usage and farm profit for sustainable dairy farming in China

  • He, Yuan;Cone, John W.;Hendriks, Wouter H.;Dijkstra, Jan
    • Animal Bioscience
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    • v.34 no.1
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    • pp.36-47
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    • 2021
  • Objective: This study determined the optimal ratio of whole plant corn silage (WPCS) to corn stover (stems+leaves) silage (CSS) (WPCS:CSS) to reach the greatest profit of dairy farmers and evaluated its consequences with corn available for other purposes, enteric methane production and milk nitrogen efficiency (MNE) at varying milk production levels. Methods: An optimization model was developed. Chemical composition, rumen undegradable protein and metabolizable energy (ME) of WPCS and CSS from 4 cultivars were determined to provide data for the model. Results: At production levels of 0, 10, 20, and 30 kg milk/cow/d, the WPCS:CSS to maximize the profit of dairy farmers was 16:84, 22:78, 44:56, and 88:12, respectively, and the land area needed to grow corn plants was 4.5, 31.4, 33.4, and 30.3 ha, respectively. The amount of corn available (ton DM/ha/yr) for other purposes saved from this land area decreased with higher producing cows. However, compared with high producing cows (30 kg/d milk), more low producing cows (10 kg/d milk) and more land area to grow corn and soybeans was needed to produce the same total amount of milk. Extra land is available to grow corn for a higher milk production, leading to more corn available for other purposes. Increasing ME content of CSS decreased the land area needed, increased the profit of dairy farms and provided more corn available for other purposes. At the optimal WPCS:CSS, MNE and enteric methane production was greater, but methane production per kg milk was lower, for high producing cows. Conclusion: The WPCS:CSS to maximize the profit for dairy farms increases with decreased milk production levels. At a fixed total amount of milk being produced, high producing cows increase corn available for other purposes. At the optimal WPCS:CSS, methane emission intensity is smaller and MNE is greater for high producing cows.

Analysis of the Effect of Farmers' Use of Information Devices on the Sales of Agricultural Products (농가의 정보화 기기 활용이 농산물 판매에 미치는 효과 분석)

  • Seong-Hyuk Hwang;Jongin Kim
    • Journal of Industrial Convergence
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    • v.21 no.9
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    • pp.133-142
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    • 2023
  • The use of digital information technology has become important in order to effectively respond to changes in production conditions in Korean agriculture, which are continuously worsening due to a decrease in the rural population, deepening aging, and climate change. Accordingly, this study analyzed the factors affecting farmers' adoption of information devices use and the effect of information devices use on agricultural product sales using the propensity score matching method. As a result of the analysis, it was found that low-age farmers, high-education farmers, and leading farmers are highly likely to adopt use of information devices. For farms with similar characteristics such as age, management size, and farming type, it has been confirmed that farms that have adopted information devices use in agricultural management have higher sales of agricultural products. Therefore, increasing farmers' access to information and the ability to use information devices provides implications that farm income can be improved. The government's informatization support project in the agricultural and rural sectors is important so that farmers can have the ability to distribute informatization devices and utilize agricultural information, and active investment should also be made in information infrastructure.

Subfertility Problems Leading to Disposal of Breeding Bulls

  • Khatun, Marzina;Kaur, Simarjeet;Simarjeet, Simarjeet;Mukhopadhyay, C.S.
    • Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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    • v.26 no.3
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    • pp.303-308
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    • 2013
  • Subfertility problems are encountered frequently in the cattle and buffalo bulls commercially maintained for semen production in dairy farms and under field conditions for natural insemination. Reports are scarce on the incidence of subfertility in breeding bulls, especially in India. The objective of the present study was to assess the incidence of the male reproductive anomalies leading to disposal of bovine bulls at GADVASU dairy farm, Ludhiana, Punjab (India). Data on frequency of various subfertility and disposal pattern of bulls maintained at the dairy farm, GADVASU, were collected for 12 yrs (1999 to 2010) and compiled from different record registers. Percentage of bulls that produced freezable semen (out of reserved ones) was less in cattle (25.641%) as compared to that of buffalo (30.4%). Various subfertility traits like poor libido and unacceptable seminal profile were found to be the significant reasons (p<0.01) for culling of the breeding bulls. Inadequate sex drive and poor semen quality were the main contributing factors for bull disposal in cattle whereas poor semen freezability was most frequently observed in buffalo bulls. All the male reproductive traits were significantly different (p<0.05) for the periods of birth, except for semen volume, initial motility (IM), age at last semen collection (ALSC) and age at disposal. The ages at first and last semen collection as well as freezing (i.e. AFSC, ALSC and AFSF, ALSF, respectively) and age at disposal (AD) were higher in buffalo. The spermatological parameters and semen production period (SPP) were higher in cattle. The age at first semen donation and breeding period could be reduced by introducing the bulls to training at an early age. The results revealed an increasing trend in individual motility (IM) while semen volume, AFSC, AFSF, AD, FSPP, SPP, ALSC and ALSF showed a decreasing, however, not a definite trend, over the periods. The semen donation traits like, AFSF, of the cattle and buffalo bulls could be predicted from the AFSC, using prediction equation derived in the present study.

A Study on the Amount of Carbon Emission of Organic Materials through Life-Cycle Assessment (LCA) (전과정평과를 통한 유기농자재의 탄소배출량 산정연구 -유기질비료를 중심으로-)

  • Yoon, Sung-Yee;Kwon, Hyuk-Jun
    • Korean Journal of Organic Agriculture
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    • v.19 no.1
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    • pp.23-38
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    • 2011
  • ● The current world is suffering abnormal climate caused by global warming. The main cause of global warming is greenhouse gas such as carbon dioxide. The carbon labeling system and carbon traceability system being pushed ahead in the agricultural sector is the policy for responding to climate change to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. To make this policy more effective and enhanced, the amount of carbon emissions should be calculated based on the kind of crops or the various businesses in the agricultural sector. Therefore, in order to estimate the accurate amount of carbon emissions, it is necessary to establish carbon dioxide emission intensity of various agricultural materials added onto the agriculture, and to calculate the amount of carbon dioxide emission for each crop according to agricultural production. The purpose of this study is to establish the amount of emission, emission per agricultural materials, of agricultural materials being added for crop production as a basic step, and emission intensity which can be used in the future market in order to estimate accurate amount of carbon emission in all the policies being promoted in the agricultural sector. Therefore, in this study, in order to build LCI D/B about organic fertilizers among many organic materials added onto the organic agriculture sector, one leading company in organic fertilizer production was selected and LCA was conducted for this leading company. We had to build the intensity and integrated average concept of intensity upon the two cases once production farmers for their own consumption and farms besides organic fertilizer company were categorized even if it's little amount. But in this study, individually produced organic fertilizers were excluded. Calculated results are following. Carbon emission of mixed expeller cake fertilizer in organic fertilizer was 1,106,966.89kg-$CO^2$ and emission intensity was 0.01606kg-$CO^2$, respectively. Total emission of mixed organic fertilizers was 241,523.2kg-$CO^2$ and emission intensity was 0.01705kg-$CO^2$. And total emission of organic compound fertilizers was 94,592.66kg-$CO^2$ and emission intensity was 0.01769kg-$CO^2$, respectively.

Studies on the Environmental Factors Affecting the Cocoon Crops in Summer and Autumn in Korea (한국의 하추잠작 안정을 위한 환경요인에 관한 연구)

  • 이상풍
    • Journal of Sericultural and Entomological Science
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    • v.16 no.2
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    • pp.1-34
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    • 1974
  • These experiments pertain to various factors influencing the quantitative characters of cocoon crops in summer and early autumn seasons. Initially, in order to establish the possible ways of the silkworm rearing more than three times a year in Korea, the author attempted to get further information about the various factors affecting the cocoon crop in every silkworm rearing season. The trials were conducted eleven times a year at four places for three years. The field trial was conducted with 19 typical sericultural farmers who had been surveyed. At the same time the author statistically analyzed the various factors in close relation to tile cocoon crop in autumn season. The effect of guidance on 40 sericultural farmers was analyzed, comparing higher level farmers with lower level farmers ; and the author surveyed 758 non-guided farmers near the guided farmers during both spring and autumn seasons. In addition, another trial on the seasonal change of leaf quality was attempted with artificial diets prepared with leaves grown in each season. It was found that related factors to cocoon crops in summer and early autumn seasons appeared to be leaf quality, and temperature for young and grown larvae. A 2$^4$ factorial experiment was designed in summer season, and another design with one more level of varied temperature or hard leaf added to a 24 factorial experiment was conducted in early autumn. The experimental results can be summarized: 1. Study on the cocoon crops in the different rearing seasons 1) It was shown that earlier brushing of silkworm generally produced the most abundant cocoon crop in spring season, and earlier or later than the conventional brushing season, especially earlier brushing was unfavorable for the abundant cocoon crop in autumn season. 2) The cocoon crop was affected by the rearing season, and decreases in order of sire with spring, autumn, late autumn, summer and early autumn seasons. 3) It was Proved that ordinary rearing and branch rearing were possibles 4 times a year ; in the 1st, 3rd, 8th, and 10th brushing season. But the 11th brushing season was more favorable for the most abundant cocoon crop of branch rearing, instead of the 10th brushing season with ordinary rearing. 2. Study on the main factors affecting the cocoon crop in autumn season 1) Accumulated pathogens were a lethal factor leading to a bad cocoon crop through neglect of disinfection of rearing room and instruments. 2) Additional factors leading to a poor cocoon crop were unfavorable for rearing temperature and humidity, dense population, poor choice of moderately ripened leaf, and poor feeding techniques. However, it seemed that there was no relationship between the cocoon crop and management of farm. 3) The percentage of cocoon shell seemed to be mostly affected by leaf quality, and secondarily affected by the accumulation of pathogens. 3. Study on the effect of guidance on rearing techniques 1) The guided farms produced an average yearly yield of 29.0kg of cocoons, which varied from 32.3kg to 25.817g of cocoon yield per box in spring versus autumn, respectively. Those figures indicated an annual average increase of 26% of cocoon yield over yields of non-guided farmers. An increase of 20% of cocoon yield in spring and 35% of cocoon yield in autumn were responsible. 2) On guided farms 77.1 and 83.7% of total cocoon yields in the spring and autumn seasons, respectively, exceeded 3rd grade. This amounted to increases of 14.1 and 11.3% in cocoon yield and quality over those of non-guided farms. 3) The average annual cocoon yield on guided farms was 28.9kg per box, based on a range of 31.2kg to 26.9kg per box in spring and autumn seasons, respectively. This represented an 8% increase in cocoon yield on farms one year after guidance, as opposed to non-guided farms. This yield increase was due to 3 and 16% cocoon yield increases in spring and autumn crops. 4) Guidance had no effect on higher level farms, but was responsible for 19% of the increases in production on lower level farms. 4. Study on the seasonal change of leaf quality 1) In tests with grown larvae, leaves of tile spring crop incorporated in artificial diets produced the best cocoon crop; followed by leaves of the late autumn, summer, autumn, and early autumn crops. 2) The cocoon crop for young larvae as well as for grown larvae varied with the season of leaf used. 5. Study on factors affecting the cocoon crops in summer and early autumn A. Early autumn season 1) Survival rate and cocoon yield were significantly decreased at high rearing temperatures for young larvae 2) Survival rate, cocoon yield, and cocoon quality were adversely affected by high rearing temperatures for grown larvae. Therefore increases of cocoon quantity and improvement of cocoon quality are dependent on maintaining optimum temperatures. 3) Decreases in individual cocoon weight and longer larval periods resulted with feeding of soft leaf and hard leaf to young larvae, but the survival rate, cocoon yield and weight of cocoon shell were not influenced. 4) Cocoon yield and cocoon quality were influenced by feeding of hard leaf to grown larvae, but survival rate was not influenced by the feeding of soft leaf and hard leaf. 5) When grown larvae were inevitably raised at varied temperatures, application of varied temperature in the raising of both young and grown larvae was desirable. Further research concerning this matter must be considered. B. Summer season 1) Cocoon yield and single cocoon weight were decreased at high temperatures for young larvae and survival rate was also affected. 2) Cocoon yield, survival rate. and cocoon quality were considerably decreased at high rearing temperatures for grown larval stages.

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Necessity of Floor Design and Management Guideline for Group Housing Sows (모돈의 동물복지형 바닥 기준 설정 연구의 필요)

  • Yang, Ka Young;Jeon, Jung Hwan;Kwon, Kyeong Seok;Kim, Jong Bok;Ha, Jae Jung;Lee, Jun Yeob
    • Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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    • v.20 no.8
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    • pp.200-206
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    • 2019
  • Korea is introducing new animal welfare rearing standards for swine farmers in order to improve the breeding environment of livestock on Korean farms, Korea is establishing a policy to apply to all new farms in 2019 and to all existing farms in 2025. These guidelines are limiting stall breeding of sows after 4 weeks of pregnancy, the light intensity should be above 40lux, the ammonia level should be below 25ppm and the breeding density area should be increased from $1.4m^2$ to $2.25m^2$. In Europe, where animal welfare has been studied and applied for nearly 100 years, the facility specifications and management manuals are available and provided to farmers to introduce proper animal welfare for pigs and to enhance the convenience and utility of farmers who are converting to raising pigs. The EU has established independent standards for each country, and the EU has set the standards for floor facilities to improve animal welfare on pig farms and as applied by farmers. Yet in Korea, there are no methods and techniques for breeding methods that do not use an ordinary stall, except on a few leading farms. There has been no research on the welfare of sows so that farmer could improve sows' living conditions. Thus, farmers can minimize the difficulty of implementing the changing government policies, and they must develop farm turnover policies and specification management manuals to cope with the introduced regulations on sow group housing. We suggest that conducting research and evaluating the level of sows' welfare are important for farmers.

A review of the mass-mortalities of sea-cage farm fishes (해상 가두리양식장 양식어류의 대량폐사에 대하여)

  • Han, Jido;Lee, Deok-Chan
    • Journal of fish pathology
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    • v.35 no.1
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    • pp.1-25
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    • 2022
  • The aquaculture industry has developed rapidly over the last three decades and is an important industry that supplies over 15% of humans' animal protein intake; therefore, there is a need to increase production to meet the continuous demand. The fish cage farms on the southern coast (Kyengsangnam-do and Jeollanam-do) of Korea are critical resources in aquaculture because they account for approximately 90% of the national total fish cage farms by water area ratio. However, the current aquaculture environment is being gradually affected by climate change, which is a global issue, and its effects are expected to intensify in the future. Therefore, it is urgently imperative to accurately evaluate the effects of climate change on South Korean aquaculture industries and to develop social and national strategies to minimize damage to the fishing industry. The damage to fish farmed in cage farms on the southern coast is increasing annually and the leading causes are high and low water temperature and red tides, which are directly or indirectly related to climate change. At present, global warming can provide opportunities for aquaculture industrialization of fish or other novel species, with economic implications. However, despite such opportunities, the influx of new species can also cause problems such as ecological disturbances, increase in the reproduction frequency of microalgae such as red tide, increase in disease incidence, and occurrence and periods of high water temperatures in summer. The scale of farmed fish mortality is increasing due to the complex effects of these factors. Increased damages due to fish mortality not only have severe economic impacts on the aquaculture industry, but the social costs of responding to the damage and follow-up measures also increase. various active responses can reduce the mortality damage in fish farms such as improving the management skills in aquaculture, improved species breeding, efficient food management, disease prevention, proactive responses, and system-wide improvements. This review article analyzes the large-scale mortality cases occurring in fish cage farms on the southern coast of Korea and proposes measures to mitigate mortality and enhance responses to such scenarios.

The Evaluation of Workload on Lower Limbs Muscles in Imbalanced Lower Limbs Postures Using EMG for Preventing WMSDs (근골격계 질환 예방을 위한 하지의 불균형 작업자세에서 근전도를 이용한 하지 근육의 작업부하 평가)

  • Hong, Chang-Woo;Kim, Yu-Chang
    • Journal of the Ergonomics Society of Korea
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    • v.28 no.3
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    • pp.81-85
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    • 2009
  • Work related musculoskeletal disorders(WMSDs) was a leading cause of sick leave and injuries in the industries of our country. Posture was an important consideration in the design of work method and workplaces, because it affected the ability of workers to use various equipments and influenced how long they could perform their job without feeling discomfort, fatigue, and musculoskeletal disorders. Imbalanced lower limb postures such as a squatting posture were awkward working postures common to the shipbuilding shops, farms, automobiles assembly lines in our country. Different awkward working postures were known to be associated with specific musculoskeletal disorders. Eight postures in lower limb postures divided into balanced and imbalanced postures were evaluated by electromyographic(EMG) activity for lower limb muscles. Twelve male subjects participated in this study. This paper was to analyze the effects of lower limb muscles workload according to lower limb postures(knee angle) and working time. The ANOVA results showed that most EMG root mean square(RMS) values were statistically significant effect according to lower limb postures(knee angle) and working time. Therefore, the results of this study will provide the basis to evaluate workload of lower limb postures correctly adopted by workers in various jobs and the ergonomic reference to prevent WMSDs.

Present Implications of Saemaul Project for Rural Development Policy (농촌지역개발정책을 위한 새마을사업의 현대적 함의)

  • Yang, Won Sik;Jung, Nam Su
    • Journal of Korean Society of Rural Planning
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    • v.22 no.2
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    • pp.9-18
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    • 2016
  • In this research, we reappraise saemaul project which is a leading role of rural development in a present perspectives and deduct social and political implications for rural development. For deducting problems and implications, related documents and previous researches are reviewed. Administration statistics are also gathered and analyzed for monitoring detailed projects propulsion progress and results. Samaul project is reappraised based on previous researches such as rural development, regional agricultural production system improvement, agricultural distribution system improvement, leader breeding, income improvement, and governance. Saemaul project has basically positive characteristics because of decreasing growth gap of urban and rural area by empowering cooperation of rural residents, instilling leadership, making village fund, constricting networks of government and urban area for administrative and financial assistant. In conclusion, there are implications that continues interests of most powerful sovereignty and comprehensive assistant of government are needed for overcome agricultural and rural crisis. Saemaulundong is a united and systematic approach in village level. In south korea where most of farms are small size, village or regional level assistants started in saemaulundong are still needed. In regional development, we can infer that will and ability development of participated residents are most basic and important factors for successful project propulsion in saemaul project.