Optimising cattle grazing distribution on rangeland: a systematic review and network analysis

2019 ◽  
Vol 41 (5) ◽  
pp. 441 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maggie L. Creamer ◽  
Leslie M. Roche ◽  
Kristina M. Horback ◽  
Tina L. Saitone

Optimising beef cattle (Bos taurus and Bos indicus) distribution, both spatially and temporally, is one of the most significant challenges associated with managing extensive grazed rangelands. Landscape variability and behavioural patterns of cattle may lead to non-uniform and inefficient forage utilisation, damage to critical habitats, and water quality impairment. In order to overcome these distribution challenges, a large suite of tools have been developed and researched to optimise grazing patterns. The objectives of this synthesis paper are 2-fold: (i) to survey and categorise distribution tools; and (ii) to analyse the connectivity of existing research across academic disciplines to identify and isolate knowledge gaps. A systematic literature review revealed specific types of tools and strategies to improve cattle distribution, which were categorised as either ‘animal’ or ‘environmental manipulations’. Animal manipulations utilise aspects of individual behaviour and herd dynamics to alter grazing patterns, whereas environmental manipulations involve transforming aspects of the animal’s surroundings to overcome challenges associated with inefficient distribution. This review reveals that strategies are overwhelmingly studied in isolation, and that there is potential to increase efficacy by integrating multiple strategies to achieve a desired outcome. Motivated by these findings, an author collaboration network analysis was conducted to investigate connectivity within and among author fields of expertise to understand why more integrated management strategies are not currently studied. Authors were classified into five fields of research: animal behaviour science, animal production science, biophysical rangeland science, economics, and other. The network analysis revealed that communities of authors contributing to papers on enhancing cattle distribution are disjointed. These results suggest that in order to fulfil knowledge gaps about the efficacy and cost of management strategies, there needs to be interdisciplinary engagement with particular attention to strategies that integrate animal and environmental manipulations to enhance cattle grazing distribution on extensively grazed landscapes.

2019 ◽  
Vol 97 (Supplement_3) ◽  
pp. 37-37
Author(s):  
Nicola Oosthuizen ◽  
Pedro Levy Piza Fontes ◽  
G Cliff Lamb

Abstract Bos indicus and Bos taurus cattle diverged from an evolutionary standpoint more than 110,000 years ago. Since then, Bos indicus cattle have undergone genetic adaptations beyond the commonly discussed increased thermo-tolerance and parasite resistance. Several physiological differences exist between Bos indicus and Bos taurus cattle, and it is important to consider these differences when establishing reproductive management strategies. It has been well described that Bos indicus cattle have a delayed onset of puberty and longer periods of postpartum anestrus, yet through the utilization of estrus synchronization protocols these challenges can be attenuated. However, when Bos indicus females are exposed to these protocols, they are known to have smaller dominant follicles, lower expression of estrus, and decreased pregnancy rates to artificial insemination (AI) when compared to Bos taurus females. These factors can be overcome through the utilization of estradiol and progesterone based synchronization protocols, which improve follicular dynamics and yield acceptable pregnancy rates to assisted reproductive technologies in cattle adapted to tropical or subtropical conditions. However, the use of estrogens for synchronization purposes is not permitted in the United States, and cattle producers need to rely on GnRH-based protocols. Another key difference between subspecies, is that Bos indicus females have greater antral follicle counts than Bos taurus females, which proves beneficial for in vitro embryo production. Therefore, an opportunity exists to explore the greater productivity of donors in embryo production in order to improve genetics in herds that utilize these breeds.


2012 ◽  
Vol 42 (3) ◽  
pp. 451-462 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pontus M.F. Lindgren ◽  
Thomas P. Sullivan

The effects of cattle ( Bos taurus L.) grazing on upland plant communities in forested rangelands are poorly understood. Cattle interactions with plant communities were studied in intensively managed (precommercially thinned (PCT) and repeatedly fertilized) silvopasture systems in young lodgepole pine ( Pinus contorta Dougl. ex Loud. var. latifolia Engelm.) forests. We investigated the response of plant community abundance and diversity to cattle grazing and how these responses were affected by PCT and repeated fertilization. The study was conducted inside and outside cattle exclosures over 10 years in two regional replicates in south-central British Columbia, Canada. PCT and repeated fertilization increased both the amount and quality of forage. Effects of cattle grazing on plant community abundance and diversity were variable and significantly influenced by the nutrient status of the site. In fertilized stands, cattle grazing increased species richness and diversity, particularly for the herb layer, although these treatment effects often took several years to be expressed. In unfertilized stands, cattle grazing did not significantly reduce herb or shrub volumes; however, species richness and, to a lesser extent, diversity of the shrub layer declined. In a landscape context, management strategies for silvopasture should promote heterogeneity for conservation of plant diversity through a variety of grazing pressures, as well as forest enhancement treatments such as PCT and repeated fertilization.


1983 ◽  
Vol 23 (123) ◽  
pp. 348
Author(s):  
W Mellor ◽  
PK O'Rourke ◽  
KS Waters

The effects of bi-monthly dipping with Promacyl and no dipping on tick numbers and liveweight gain of young Bos indicus x Bos taurus cattle grazing tick infested improved pastures were compared in three experiments over three years at Utchee Creek, northern Queensland. Reduction in weight gains, due to ticks, of 24 and 30 kg (P<0.01) were measured over 11 and 17 months. Tick counts on undipped cattle were low (0-40/side) but rankings of tick counts on individual animals were repeatable (0.4-0.60). Liveweight gains of undipped cattle were unrelated (P> 0.05) to mean tick counts. When cattle were changed from an undipped to dipped treatment, they gained 18 kg more (P < 0.01) over six months than those changed from dipped to undipped. The latter groups carried more ticks than corresponding undipped cattle in the first two experiments.


BMC Genomics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Cuili Pan ◽  
Zhaoxiong Lei ◽  
Shuzhe Wang ◽  
Xingping Wang ◽  
Dawei Wei ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs) are protein kinases regulating important cellular processes such as cell cycle and transcription. Many CDK genes also play a critical role during adipogenic differentiation, but the role of CDK gene family in regulating bovine adipocyte differentiation has not been studied. Therefore, the present study aims to characterize the CDK gene family in bovine and study their expression pattern during adipocyte differentiation. Results We performed a genome-wide analysis and identified a number of CDK genes in several bovine species. The CDK genes were classified into 8 subfamilies through phylogenetic analysis. We found that 25 bovine CDK genes were distributed in 16 different chromosomes. Collinearity analysis revealed that the CDK gene family in Bos taurus is homologous with Bos indicus, Hybrid-Bos taurus, Hybrid Bos indicus, Bos grunniens and Bubalus bubalis. Several CDK genes had higher expression levels in preadipocytes than in differentiated adipocytes, as shown by RNA-seq analysis and qPCR, suggesting a role in the growth of emerging lipid droplets. Conclusion In this research, 185 CDK genes were identified and grouped into eight distinct clades in Bovidae, showing extensively homology. Global expression analysis of different bovine tissues and specific expression analysis during adipocytes differentiation revealed CDK4, CDK7, CDK8, CDK9 and CDK14 may be involved in bovine adipocyte differentiation. The results provide a basis for further study to determine the roles of CDK gene family in regulating adipocyte differentiation, which is beneficial for beef quality improvement.


Plants ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 126
Author(s):  
Judit Barroso ◽  
Nicholas G. Genna

Russian thistle (Salsola tragus L.) is a persistent post-harvest issue in the Pacific Northwest (PNW). Farmers need more integrated management strategies to control it. Russian thistle emergence, mortality, plant biomass, seed production, and crop yield were evaluated in spring wheat and spring barley planted in 18- or 36-cm row spacing and seeded at 73 or 140 kg ha−1 in Pendleton and Moro, Oregon, during 2018 and 2019. Russian thistle emergence was lower and mortality was higher in spring barley than in spring wheat. However, little to no effect of row spacing or seeding rate was observed on Russian thistle emergence or mortality. Russian thistle seed production and plant biomass followed crop productivity; higher crop yield produced higher Russian thistle biomass and seed production and lower crop yield produced lower weed biomass and seed production. Crop yield with Russian thistle pressure was improved in 2018 with 18-cm rows or by seeding at 140 kg ha−1 while no effect was observed in 2019. Increasing seeding rates or planting spring crops in narrow rows may be effective at increasing yield in low rainfall years of the PNW, such as in 2018. No effect may be observed in years with higher rainfall than normal, such as in 2019.


2021 ◽  
pp. 102998
Author(s):  
Bianca Vilela Pires ◽  
Nedenia Bonvino Stafuzza ◽  
Luara Afonso de Freitas ◽  
Maria Eugênia Zerlotti Mercadante ◽  
Ester Silveira Ramos ◽  
...  

Author(s):  
J Ranches ◽  
R Alves ◽  
M Vedovatto ◽  
E Anne Palmer ◽  
P Moriel ◽  
...  

Abstract A two-year study was conducted at the University of Florida – IFAS, Range Cattle Research and Education Center (Ona, FL) to evaluate differences in the metabolism of Cu and Se of Angus (Bos taurus) and Brahman (Bos indicus) cattle. Thirty-two pregnant beef cows (n = 8 Brahman and 8 Angus/year) were enrolled in the study in the first trimester of gestation. The study consisted of 3 phases: (1) restriction (d 0 to d 90); (2) supplementation (d 91 to 150), and (3) calving. During all 3 phases, cows were individually fed and housed in partially covered drylot pens. During the restriction and supplementation phases cows were provided a 1.5 kg/d of a grain-based concentrate supplement, which was fortified with flowers of S (50 g of supplemental S/cow daily; restriction phase) or Cu and Se (100 and 3 mg/d of Cu and Se, respectively; supplementation phase). Blood and liver samples were collected from all cows on 30 d intervals and from both cows and calves within 24 h of calving. Colostrum and milk samples were collected at calving and 7 d after birth. All data were analyzed using the MIXED procedure of SAS, where cow and calf were the experimental unit. During the restriction phase, a breed × day effect (P = 0.03) was observed where Brahman had greater liver Cu concentration than Angus cows in all sampling days. For liver Se concentration, a tendency (P = 0.07) for a breed effect was observed where Angus cows tended to have greater liver Se concentration than Brahman. During the supplementation phase, breed (P &lt; 0.001) and day (P &lt; 0.01) effects were observed, where Brahman cows had greater liver Cu concentration than Angus. For liver Se concentration, a day effect (P &lt; 0.001) was observed, where liver Se concentration increased (P &lt; 0.001) from d 90 to 120 and remained unchanged (P = 0.86) until d 150. At calving no effects of breed (P = 0.34) were observed for liver Cu concentration of cows, however, Brahman calves tended (P = 0.09) to have greater liver Cu concentration than Angus calves. For Se liver concentration at calving, Angus cows tended (P = 0.07) to have greater liver Se concentration than Brahman cows, however no breed differences (P = 0.70) were observed for liver Se concentration of calves at birth. In summary substantial differences in multiple indicators of Cu and Se status were observed between Angus and Brahman cattle, implying that Angus and Brahman cattle possibly have different mechanisms to maintain adequate Cu and Se status.


Author(s):  
Mahfouz M. M. Abd-Elgawad

Abstract Background Potato represents Egypt’s largest vegetable export crop. Many plant-parasitic nematodes (PPNs) are globally inflicting damage to potato plants. In Egypt, their economic significance considerably varies according to PPN distribution, population levels, and pathogenicity. Main body This review article highlights the biology, ecology, and economic value of the PPN control viewpoint. The integration of biological control agents (BCAs), as sound and safe potato production practice, with other phytosanitary measures to manage PPNs is presented for sustainable agriculture. A few cases of BCA integration with such other options as synergistic/additive PPN management measures to upgrade crop yields are reviewed. Yet, various attributes of BCAs should better be grasped so that they can fit in at the emerging and/or existing integrated management strategies of potato pests. Conclusion A few inexpensive biocontrol products, for PPNs control on potato, versus their corresponding costly chemical nematicides are gathered and listed for consideration. Hence, raising awareness of farmers for making these biologicals familiar and easy to use will promote their wider application while offering safe and increased potato yield.


2011 ◽  
Vol 89 (9) ◽  
pp. 2859-2866 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. F. M. Bonilha ◽  
L. O. Tedeschi ◽  
I. U. Packer ◽  
A. G. Razook ◽  
R. F. Nardon ◽  
...  

1982 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 1 ◽  
Author(s):  
CRE Halnan ◽  
Janine I Watson
Keyword(s):  

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