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Sustainability
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Feed Resources and Nutrition Strategies for Sustainable Livestock Production
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Feed Resources and Nutrition Strategies for Sustainable Livestock Production

A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Sustainable Agriculture".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 September 2025 | Viewed by 2967

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Chalong Wachirapakorn

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen 40002, Thailand
Interests: nutrition and feeding of animals; feeds and by-products; local feed resources

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

One of the most important agricultural sectors is livestock. It is critical to humans' primary protein food sources, as well as livestock farmers' incomes, ranging from the agricultural industry to smallholder farmers. Livestock contributes to the ongoing environmental issue of global warming. Increasing productivity is one of several solutions to this problem. A variety of studies on the use of feed resources in livestock production are required to increase production efficiency.

Feed sources are critical in livestock production in order for animals to be productive. Natural fodder and agricultural by-products or residues are valuable feed resources; however, another important factor to consider is the quantity and quality of animal feeds that can be used continuously. Furthermore, developing new feed resources from non-conventional sources, such as insect larvae, is an important strategy that can contribute to sustainable livestock production.

Feeding strategies are another approach that will increase livestock productivity. Animal feeding strategies differ depending on the source of feeds and the animals' desire for productivity. The pursuit of a new feeding strategy that is compatible with theavailable feed resources will result in sustainable livestock production.

This Special Issue's goal is to present current research or reviews on the role of feed resources and feeding strategies in sustainable livestock production.

In this Special Issue, original research articles and reviews are welcome. Research areas may include (but are not limited to) the following:

- Optimized utilization of conventional and unconventional feed resources.

- New approaches to improving nutritive values of feed resources.

- Sustainable livestock production based on local feed resources.

- Feeding strategies to increase livestock production and sustainability.

- New potential feed resources for sustainable livestock production.

I look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Chalong Wachirapakorn
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • livestock production
  • feed resources
  • conventional feeds
  • non-conventional feeds
  • feed efficiency
  • new feed resources from other sectors
  • global warming
  • crop residues
  • improving nutritive value methods
  • feeding strategies
  • sustainability in livestock production
  • effective microorganisms

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

13 pages, 258 KiB  
Article
Circular Economy on a Small Scale: The Sustainable Use of Olive Tree Biomass Residues as Feed for Lactating Cows in the Sorrento Peninsula
by Felicia Masucci, Francesco Serrapica, Lucia De Luca, Raffaele Romano, Francesca Garofalo and Antonio Di Francia
Sustainability 2025, 17(3), 845; https://doi.org/10.3390/su17030845 - 21 Jan 2025
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 762
Abstract
To enhance the sustainability of marginal olive and dairy farms in the Sorrento peninsula, two separate crossover trials were conducted on two farms in the area to evaluate olive pruning residue (OlPr) and olive mill leaves (OlLes) as forage sources for lactating cows. [...] Read more.
To enhance the sustainability of marginal olive and dairy farms in the Sorrento peninsula, two separate crossover trials were conducted on two farms in the area to evaluate olive pruning residue (OlPr) and olive mill leaves (OlLes) as forage sources for lactating cows. Each trial lasted six weeks and consisted of two treatment periods, each including a 15-day adaptation phase followed by a 6-day measurement phase. During the measurement phase, milk production, feed intake, and olive residue consumption were assessed for two homogeneous cow groups: one receiving a ration supplemented with olive by-products and the other receiving a control diet. The olive-supplemented groups exhibited higher dry matter intake and roughage consumption (hay + olive residue) compared to the control groups. The intake of OlLes was about 30% higher than that of OlPr. Compared to the respective control, milk from OlLe-fed cows a had higher fat content and a higher fat-to-protein ratio, a more favorable fatty acid composition in terms of higher monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids and conjugated linoleic acid contents, a reduced atherogenic index, and a saturated-to-unsaturated ratio. Likely due to the lower level of olive by-product ingestion, only marginal differences were observed in milk fatty acid composition of cows fed OlPr compared to the control. We conclude that the use of OlLes in dairy cow diets may represent a promising strategy for improving milk quality, promoting a more circular agricultural system, reducing reliance on external feed inputs, and mitigating the environmental impact of both olive and milk production. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Feed Resources and Nutrition Strategies for Sustainable Livestock Production)
12 pages, 3507 KiB  
Article
Sustainability Potential of Kikuyu Grass (Pennisetum clandestinum) in Livestock Farming of Peru’s Highland Regions
by Wuesley Yusmein Alvarez-García, Arturo Diaz Herrera, Yessica Becerra, Luis A. Vallejos-Fernández, Roy Florián, William Carrasco-Chilón, Marieta Cervantes-Peralta, Carlos Quilcate and Yudith Muñoz-Vilchez
Sustainability 2024, 16(24), 11021; https://doi.org/10.3390/su162411021 - 16 Dec 2024
Viewed by 1021
Abstract
Sustainable Kikuyu (Pennisetum clandestinum) production in the Peruvian highlands was evaluated through productivity, growth, and chemical composition. This study assessed the effects of nitrogen (N) rate, organic matter application, and cutting frequency on Kikuyu grass’s yield, chemical composition, plant height, and [...] Read more.
Sustainable Kikuyu (Pennisetum clandestinum) production in the Peruvian highlands was evaluated through productivity, growth, and chemical composition. This study assessed the effects of nitrogen (N) rate, organic matter application, and cutting frequency on Kikuyu grass’s yield, chemical composition, plant height, and growth rate. The experiment followed a randomised block design with split plots. A multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) assessed the differences across study factors. Applying 120 kg of N ha−1 yr−1 raised the protein yield to 3454.53 kg ha−1, with a crude protein (CP) content of 23.54%. Moreover, fencing with cypress (Cupressus lusitanica) trees influenced the Kikuyu biomass, producing 19,176.23 kg of dry matter (DM) ha−1 yr−1 at 8.5–11.5 m from the tree base. Organic matter enhanced the Kikuyu aboveground biomass. While dry matter production showed no significant difference between 30- and 60-day cutting intervals, CP content was higher at 30 days (p < 0.05). Peak daily dry matter (DM) production occurred at 45 days, achieving a biomass accumulation of 21,186.9 kg of DM ha−1 yr−1. Given its high yield and favourable chemical composition, Kikuyu is a viable option for dairy cattle feed, especially in highland areas. Implementing a plant improvement programme for Kikuyu could further enhance its nutritional value for high-production dairy cows. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Feed Resources and Nutrition Strategies for Sustainable Livestock Production)
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