scholarly journals Improve Pasture or Feed Grain? Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Profitability, and Resource Use for Nelore Beef Cattle in Brazil’s Cerrado and Amazon Biomes

Animals ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (8) ◽  
pp. 1386
Author(s):  
Luana Molossi ◽  
Aaron Kinyu Hoshide ◽  
Lorena Machado Pedrosa ◽  
André Soares de Oliveira ◽  
Daniel Carneiro de Abreu
Keyword(s):  
Beef Cattle ◽  
Resource Use ◽  
Agricultural Land ◽  
Weather Data ◽  
Feed Conversion ◽  
Natural Ecosystems ◽  
Mato Grosso ◽  
Livestock Feed ◽  
Extensive Grazing ◽  
Pasture Fertilization

Economic development, international food and feed demand, and government policies have converted Brazil’s natural ecosystems into agricultural land. The Integrated Farm System Model (IFSM) was evaluated using production, economic, and weather data collected on two cooperating farms in the Legal Amazon and Cerrado biomes in the Midwest state of Mato Grosso, Brazil. Three sustainable agricultural intensification strategies, namely grain supplementation, pasture re-seeding, and pasture fertilization were simulated in IFSM with double the beef cattle stocking density compared to extensive grazing. Livestock dry matter consumption simulated in IFSM was similar for pasture grazing estimates and actual feed consumed by beef cattle on the two collaborating farms. Grain supplementation best balanced beef production and profitability with lower carbon footprint compared to extensive grazing, followed by pasture fertilization and pasture re-seeding. However, pasture re-seeding and fertilization had greater use of water and energy and more nitrogen losses. Human edible livestock feed use was greatest for grain supplementation compared to other modeled systems. While grain supplementation appears more favorable economically and environmentally, greater use of human edible livestock feed may compete with future human food needs. Pasture intensification had greater human edible feed conversion efficiency, but its greater natural resource use may be challenging.

Financial transition and costs of sustainable agricultural intensification practices on a beef cattle and crop farm in Brazil's Amazon

2019 ◽  
pp. 1-12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lorena Machado Pedrosa ◽  
Aaron Kinyu Hoshide ◽  
Daniel Carneiro de Abreu ◽  
Luana Molossi ◽  
Eduardo Guimarães Couto
Keyword(s):  
Beef Cattle ◽  
Agricultural Intensification ◽  
Live Weight ◽  
Past Research ◽  
Farm Income ◽  
Mato Grosso ◽  
Grazed Pasture ◽  
Pasture Fertilization ◽  
Five Practices ◽  
Education Support

Abstract The intensification of Brazil's beef cattle production system can involve different strategies to increase beef production while reducing deforestation in the Amazon biome and mitigating climate change. This study economically evaluates a cooperating beef farm in the state of Mato Grosso, Brazil's Amazon biome over three crop years (2015–16 to 2017–18), transitioning from an extensive grazing system to a semi-intensive system using five sustainable agricultural intensification (SAI) practices. These five practices include (1) grain supplementation for cattle, (2) pasture fertilization, (3) pasture re-seeding, (4) crop–livestock integration (CLI) and (5) irrigated and fertilized pasture that is rotationally grazed. The relative costs of these five SAI strategies used on this cooperating farm are compared. The adoption of SAI strategies increased beef productivity 5.7% (228–241 kg live-weight sold per hectare) and gradually improved net farm income by ~130% over the 3 years of transition (−US$94.79 to $29.80 ha−1). Grain supplementation (US$188 ha−1) had the cheapest cost per hectare, followed by pasture fertilization (US$477 ha−1) and pasture reseeding (US$650 ha−1). The most costly practice was in-ground irrigation of fenced rotationally grazed pasture (US$1600 ha−1) with the second most costly being CLI (US$672 ha−1). Despite adoption challenges of these SAI practices, past research confirm these five practices can increase beef productivity and profitability while reducing carbon footprint. Regardless of the cost per hectare of each practice, farmer adoption can be improved through education, support and incentives from both the public and private sectors.

Economics of reducing methane emissions from beef cattle in extensive grazing systems in Queensland

2010 ◽  
Vol 32 (2) ◽  
pp. 197 ◽  
Author(s):  
John Rolfe
Keyword(s):  
Beef Cattle ◽  
Methane Emissions ◽  
Poor Quality ◽  
Beef Production ◽  
Feed Conversion ◽  
Time Step ◽  
Average Growth ◽  
Extensive Grazing ◽  
Grazing Systems ◽  
Stocking Rates

Beef cattle contribute ~7% of anthropocentric greenhouse gas emissions in Australia through the release of methane into the atmosphere. Cattle in northern Australia produce more methane per unit of beef produced because tropical grasses are generally of poor quality and elicit slower average growth rates. In this paper the level of emissions from different herds and some strategies to reduce emissions are estimated with a daily time-step model. The results indicate that few options exist to reduce methane emissions from extensive grazing systems without reducing beef production. Options to improve production or feed conversion efficiencies can generate lower levels of emissions per kg of beef produced, but can be expected to lead to increased livestock numbers and higher overall methane emissions. A woodland grazing case study from central Queensland suggests the opportunity cost of reducing each kg of methane emissions by reducing stocking rates ranges from 1.0 to 1.2 kg of liveweight beef production. A price of $23 per t of carbon dioxide equivalent would indicate that opportunity costs (ignoring fixed costs of production) of reducing emissions by adjusting stocking rates would range between $0.39 and $0.49 per kg of beef produced.

Mengembangkan Ayam Buras Dan Sapi Potong Untuk Meningkatkan Pendapatan Petani Kabupaten Maros

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 172
Author(s):  
Sri - Purwanti ◽  
Syamsuddin Nompo ◽  
Laily Agustina ◽  
Muh. Nur Hidayat
Keyword(s):  
Beef Cattle ◽  
Rice Straw ◽  
Dry Season ◽  
Farm Management ◽  
Family Ownership ◽  
Cattle Population ◽  
Corn Straw ◽  
Livestock Feed ◽  
Coaching Training ◽  
Meat And Eggs

The activities conducted in Maros regency Tanralili district Purnakarya village in chickens and beef cattle groups Cedde Jaya. The main source of livestock feed cows during the dry season are dry forage, rice straw, corn straw and hay crops of nuts which happened to be planted at the time of drought. Besides, leaf  Gamal is also a main feed in dry  season. Number of cattle per family ownership only 2-3  head extensively maintained. Range chicken as well as extensive maintenance, ownership on average 2-5 chicken each household group.  To increase the productivity of cattle, the team provides counseling, coaching, training and mentoring as well as providing some main of facilities such as cattle shed, biogas digester, planting banana. Results are expected in the presence of  activities is the avaibility of green forage mainly during the dry season, so that the cattle population will increase, the biogas as a fuel  alternative to kerosin and LPG gas, liquid and solid fertilizer from biogas by-product process, the increasing population of chicken qualified (meat and eggs as well as the day old chick).  Besides the problem of production is also done on the farm management. The activities is expected that will increase the incomes of farmers further improve the welfare of Maros regency. For the sustainability of the program it is necessary supervision and guidance are routinely performed by the related department along with the college.

scholarly journals Agroforestry Systems of the Tehuacán-Cuicatlán Valley: Land Use for Biocultural Diversity Conservation

Land ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 24
Author(s):  
Mariana Vallejo ◽  
M. Isabel Ramírez ◽  
Alejandro Reyes-González ◽  
Jairo López-Sánchez ◽  
Alejandro Casas
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Agricultural Land ◽  
Agroforestry Systems ◽  
World Heritage Site ◽  
Biocultural Diversity ◽  
Semiarid Region ◽  
Agricultural Land Use ◽  
Visual Interpretation ◽  
Natural Ecosystems ◽  
Human Settlements

The Tehuacán-Cuicatlán Valley, Mexico, is the semiarid region with the richest biodiversity of North America and was recently recognized as a UNESCO's World Heritage site. Original agricultural practices remain to this day in agroforestry systems (AFS), which are expressions of high biocultural diversity. However, local people and researchers perceive a progressive decline both in natural ecosystems and AFS. To assess changes in location and extent of agricultural land use, we carried out a visual interpretation of very-high resolution imagery and field work, through which we identified AFS and conventional agricultural systems (CAS) from 1995 to 2003 and 2012. We analyzed five communities, representative of three main ecological and agricultural zones of the region. We assessed agricultural land use changes in relation to conspicuous landscape features (relief, rivers, roads, and human settlements). We found that natural ecosystems cover more than 85% of the territory in each community, and AFS represent 51% of all agricultural land. Establishment and permanence of agricultural lands were strongly influenced by gentle slopes and the existence of roads. Contrary to what we expected, we recorded agricultural areas being abandoned, thus favoring the regeneration of natural ecosystems, as well as a 9% increase of AFS over CAS. Agriculture is concentrated near human settlements. Most of the studied territories are meant to preserve natural ecosystems, and traditional AFS practices are being recovered for biocultural conservation.

scholarly journals Evolution in Configuration and Productivity of New Zealand Hill Country Sheep and Beef Cattle Systems

Agriculture ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (6) ◽  
pp. 531
Author(s):  
Januarius Gobilik ◽  
Stephen Todd Morris ◽  
Cory Matthew
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Beef Cattle ◽  
Conversion Efficiency ◽  
Production Systems ◽  
Metabolic Energy ◽  
Meat Production ◽  
Feed Conversion ◽  
Feed Conversion Efficiency ◽  
Hill Country ◽  
Cattle Systems

Metabolic energy budgeting (MEB) was used to evaluate evolution over 30 years (1980–1981 to 2010–2011) in New Zealand southern North Island ‘hill country’ sheep and beef cattle systems. MEB calculates energy required by animals for body weight maintenance, weight gain or loss, pregnancy, and lactation to estimate the system feed demand and thereby provide a basis for calculating feed conversion efficiency. Historic production systems were reconstructed and modeled using averaged data from industry surveys and data from owners’ diaries of three case-study farms and reviewed for patterns of change over time. The modeling indicated that pasture productivity was 11% lower and herbage harvested was 14% lower in 2010–2011 than in the early 1980s. This productivity decline is attributable to warmer, drier summer weather in recent years. However, primarily through increased lambing percentage, feed conversion efficiency based on industry data improved over the study period from 25 to 19 kg feed consumed per kg lamb weaned, while meat production rose from 137 to 147 kg per ha per year. Similar improvements were observed for the three case farms. The New Zealand MEB model was found effective for analysis of tropical beef production systems in Sabah, Malaysia.

scholarly journals Closing Biogeochemical Cycles and Meeting Plant Requirements by Smart Fertilizers and Innovative Organic Amendments

Agronomy ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (6) ◽  
pp. 1158
Author(s):  
María de la Luz Mora ◽  
Marcela Calabi-Floody ◽  
Cornelia Rumpel
Keyword(s):  
Food Production ◽  
Agricultural Land ◽  
Organic Amendments ◽  
Biogeochemical Cycles ◽  
Natural Ecosystems

Expansion of farmland with food production as a major service has been largely associated with conversion of natural ecosystems like the Amazon and Savanna into new agricultural land [...]

Assessing the economic viability of integrated crop−livestock systems in Mato Grosso, Brazil

2019 ◽  
Vol 35 (6) ◽  
pp. 631-642 ◽  
Author(s):  
Júlio César dos Reis ◽  
Mariana Y. T. Kamoi ◽  
Daniel Latorraca ◽  
Rafael F. F. Chen ◽  
Miqueias Michetti ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Beef Cattle ◽  
Production System ◽  
Net Present Value ◽  
Livestock Grazing ◽  
Economic Viability ◽  
Continuous Cropping ◽  
Cattle Production ◽  
Study Region ◽  
Mato Grosso ◽  
Livestock Systems

AbstractPopulation growth and rising incomes have led to increasing global demand for meat products. Meeting this demand without converting remaining natural ecosystems or further degrading ecosystems is one of the largest global sustainability challenges. A critical step to overcoming this challenge is to increase the productivity of livestock grazing systems, which occupy the largest land area of any type of agriculture globally. Integrated crop−livestock systems (iCL), which re-couple crop and livestock production at the farm scale, have been considered a promising strategy to tackle this challenge by restoring degraded pasturelands and providing supplemental nutrition to livestock. However, few studies have analyzed the economic viability of such systems, especially in Brazil, an important player in global food systems. This paper presents an economic analysis of iCL in Mato Grosso, Brazil, the largest grain and beef producer in the country, which spans the ecologically diverse Amazon, Cerrado and Pantanal biomes. We compare the economic performance of an integrated soybean/corn and beef cattle system to a continuous crop (soybean/corn) system and a continuous livestock (beef cattle) production system from 2005 to 2012. We use empirical case study data to characterize a ‘typical’ farm for each production system within the study region. We find that the integrated crop−livestock system has a higher annual net present value (NPV) per hectare (ha) than continuous cropping or livestock under a range of discount rates. However, under a scenario of substantially higher crop prices, the continuous cropping outperforms iCL. While iCL is not feasible in all regions of the Amazon and Cerrado, our results indicate that in places where the biophysical and market conditions are suitable for production, it could be a highly profitable way to intensify cattle production and potentially spare land for other uses, including conservation. Nevertheless, additional credit and technical support may be needed to overcome high upfront costs and informational barriers to increase iCL areas as a sustainable development strategy for agriculture in the Amazon and Cerrado regions.

DISTRIBUTION OF SOSNOVSKY HOGWEED (HERACLEUM SOSNOWSKYI) ON THE SOUTHERN BORDER OF THE SECONDARY RANGE IN THE EUROPEAN PART OF RUSSIA

2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 2-15
Author(s):  
L. A. Arepieva ◽  
E. I. Arepiev ◽  
S. G. Kazakov
Keyword(s):  
Agricultural Land ◽  
Arable Land ◽  
European Part ◽  
Natural Ecosystems ◽  
Natural Habitats ◽  
Heracleum Sosnowskyi ◽  
Secondary Range ◽  
European Part Of Russia ◽  
Southern Border ◽  
Kursk Region

The distribution of the Sosnovsky hogweed on the southern border of the secondary range in the European part of Russia on the example of the Kursk Region is investigated in the work. It is revealed that Sosnovsky hogweed grows mainly in the western part of the Region in the vicinity of places where it was cultivated in fields in the second half of the twentieth century. The analysis of invader occurrence in anthropogenic and natural ecosystems of the Region revealed patterns of distribution that are characteristic of invasive species at initial stages of their secondary range formation: most of the foci are present in anthropogenic and semi-natural habitats; medium-sized foci predominate (from 100 sq. m. to 1 ha); the greatest number of foci was found in the areas located along roads. The intensive distribution of hogweed in settlements of the Region, especially with pronounced depopulation processes, was revealed. Among natural and semi-natural habitats, most of the foci were found along the banks of reservoirs. In forests, hogweed is found mainly in small groups of vegetative rosettes on the outskirts, with the exception of areas with a strong anthropogenic impact, where multiple foci with generative shoots are formed. At present, hogweed is not found on arable land due to the intensive cultivation of agricultural land in the Region. Plant communities with Heracleum sosnowskyi in the Kursk Region are represented by 4 syntaxons: association Urtico dioicae-Heracleetum sosnowskyi , association Rudbeckio laciniatae - Solidaginetum canadensis variant Heracleum sosnowskyi , association Chelidonio-Aceretum negundi variant Heracleum sosnowskyi , derivative community Heracleum sosnowskyi [ Agropyretalia intermedio-repentis ].

Marketing and social effects of industrial scale insect value chains in Europe: case of mealworm for feed in France

2019 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. 215-224 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. Macombe ◽  
S. Le Feon ◽  
J. Aubin ◽  
F. Maillard
Keyword(s):  
Social Life ◽  
Agricultural Land ◽  
Scale Insect ◽  
Social Consequences ◽  
Social Effects ◽  
Industrial Scale ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Feed Ingredient ◽  
Feed Production ◽  
Livestock Feed

Insects are becoming part of the human diet in many regions of the world, either directly or indirectly, as livestock feed. Insects could become a significant feed ingredient if produced at industrial scale, but it is a challenge. Such an emerging sector would result in substantial social effects. One innovation of the DESIRABLE project is exploring potential social consequences induced by industrial scale development of insect production in France for feed, under several production and marketing assumptions. First, this paper explains how the stakeholders and researchers involved in the project built and selected some framework scenarios, which depict upstream (production and meal processing) scenarios. Downstream scenarios were designed based on interviews with specialists in poultry, trout, and feed production markets, that allowed to proposing plausible scenarios for marketing. The potential outlets are more or less narrow market ‘niches’: feed for laying hens to produce organic eggs, or for farmed trout eating insect meal. Second, the method for evaluating social effects linked with the emergence of the new insect’ industry, a social life cycle analysis in four detailed scenarios. The main positive social effects of the four detailed scenarios result from job creation in the insect production sector, while effects on other feed-ingredient suppliers are few. Negative effects result from the allergy risk for employees and potential disturbance to nearby neighbourhoods, but the latter can be easily managed by carefully choosing the locations. In the two scenarios with integrated bio refinery, exists a major risk that could stop the industrial project: activists could use environmental or animal-welfare concerns to oppose the bio refinery, because of agricultural land and water preservation and/or opposition to industrial scale insect production. Nevertheless, insect meal can help preserve fishery resources by providing a constant substitute for fish meal.

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