Search Results (36)

Local adaptation allows animal populations to persist in diverse and changing environments, yet its genomic underpinnings remain poorly characterized in livestock. Chinese indigenous pigs, renowned for their rich phenotypic and ecological diversity, offer a powerful model for investigating environmental adaptation. Here, we integrated whole-genome resequencing data, environmental variables, genotype–environment association (GEA) analyses, and functional annotation to explore the adaptive genomic landscape of 46 native pig breeds across China. Based on 578 individuals and 17.7 million SNPs, we performed genome-wide GEA using latent factor mixed models (LFMMs), identifying 8644 SNPs significantly associated with environmental factors, including 310 linked to precipitation in the wettest quarter (BIO16). Redundancy analysis (RDA) and gradient forest modeling identified BIO16 as a major environmental driver of genomic variation. Functional annotation of BIO16-associated SNPs revealed significant enrichment in regulatory elements and genes highly expressed in the lung, spleen, hypothalamus, and intestine, implicating immune and metabolic pathways in local adaptation. Among the candidate loci, MS4A7 exhibited strong association signals, population differentiation, and tissue-specific regulation, suggesting a role in precipitation-mediated adaptation. This work enhances our understanding of livestock adaptation and informs climate-resilient conservation and breeding strategies. Full article

This study aims to foster a guideline for sustainable supply chain management for edible insect production through a comprehensive review and critical analysis of the current situation, focusing especially on Thailand’s perspective. It addresses the traditional culture and modern practice of insect consumption and how these factors affect current production for commercial purposes. The advantages of nutritional values and farming with edible insects over traditional livestock farming are highlighted. A threats, opportunities, weaknesses, and strengths (TOWS) matrix analysis, producing action-oriented strategies, was based on an analysis of the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) of Thailand’s edible insect industry. The strategies include enhancement of production and product quality, innovation of intelligent production techniques and agriculture, fortification of branding and product development, encouragement of research and development investment, and the promotion of local product identity. The analysis emphasizes the value of sustainable supply chain management and advocates for the advancement of the bio-circular green (BCG) economy strategy for the edible insect industry. It also emphasizes the importance of stakeholder collaboration and implementing regulations to ensure food safety and sustainable production. Full article

The re-usage of byproducts needs urgent attention as the recycling and reduction in wastes can minimize environmental pollution and ameliorate the present situation by creating new products, such as animal feed and ingredients for the food industry. The industrial production of rose oil from Rosa damascena Mill. generates tons of byproducts, due to the low oil yield. Byproducts such as spent petals are systematically used as feed supplements, while the polyphenol-rich extracts are incorporated in numerous animal products. Among their benefits, exogenous (through a dietary strategy) antioxidants such as polyphenols, play a pivotal role in the antioxidant system in intensive farmed animals—influencing the growth performance and increasing the feed conversion. On the other hand, incorporated extracts serve as natural antioxidants retaining the discoloration of meat products, as well as inhibiting the lipid and protein oxidation during storage, extending their shelf-life. Rosa damascena Mill. extracts are used as additives in functional and more healthier products with reduced nitrite content and enhanced the biological value of the consumed products. The aim is to systematize the existing knowledge about the potential use of spent Rosa damascena Mill. petals and their extracts, as well as highlight the need for further research in dairy and meat products. Full article

The mounting global population and the challenges posed by climate change underline the need for sustainable food production systems. This review synthesizes evidence for a dual-track bioeconomy, green (terrestrial plants and insects) and blue (aquatic algae), as complementary pathways toward sustainable nutrition. A comprehensive review of the extant literature, technical reports, and policy documents published between 2015 and 2025 was conducted, with a particular focus on environmental, nutritional, and techno-economic metrics. In addition, precision agriculture datasets, gene-editing breakthroughs, and circular biorefinery case studies were extracted and compared. As demonstrated in this study, the use of green resources, such as legumes, oilseeds, and edible insects, results in a significant reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, land use, and water footprints compared with conventional livestock production. In addition, these alternative protein sources offer substantial benefits in terms of bioactive lipids. Blue resources, centered on micro- and macroalgae, furnish additional proteins, long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids, and antioxidant pigments and sequester carbon on non-arable or wastewater substrates. The transition to bio-based resources is facilitated by technological innovations, such as gene editing and advanced extraction methods, which promote the efficient valorization of agricultural residues. In conclusion, the study strongly suggests that policy support be expedited and that research into bioeconomy technologies be increased to ensure the sustainable meeting of future food demands. Full article

Agricultural waste poses significant environmental, economic, and social challenges globally, with estimates indicating that 10–50% of agricultural products are discarded annually as waste. This review explores strategies for managing agricultural waste to mitigate its adverse impacts and promote sustainable development. Agricultural residues, such as those from sugarcane, rice, and wheat, contribute to pollution when improperly disposed of through burning or burying, contaminating soil, water, and air. However, these residues also represent untapped resources for bioenergy production, composting, mulching, and the creation of value-added products like biochar, bioplastics, single-cell protein and biobased building blocks. The paper highlights various solutions, including integrating agricultural waste into livestock feed formulations to reduce competition for human food crops, producing biofuels like ethanol and biodiesel from lignocellulosic materials, and adopting circular economy practices to upcycle waste into high-value products. Technologies such as anaerobic digestion for biogas production and gasification for synthesis gas offer renewable energy alternatives and ample feedstocks for gas fermentation while addressing waste management issues. Composting and vermicomposting enhance soil fertility, while mulching improves moisture retention and reduces erosion. Moreover, the review emphasizes the importance of policy frameworks, public-private partnerships, and farmer education in promoting effective waste management practices. By implementing these strategies, agricultural waste can be transformed into a resource, contributing to food security, environmental conservation, and economic growth. Full article

Enteric methane emissions from ruminants substantially contribute to global greenhouse gas emissions, necessitating effective mitigation strategies that also support animal productivity. This study assessed the efficacy of a multi-component feed additive that combines medium-chain fatty acids (MCFAs), live yeast, plant-based agents, and Vitamin B, in reducing methane emissions, improving feed efficiency, and enhancing growth and immune function in sheep. Twenty crossbred castrated male sheep (52 ± 3.7 kg) were divided into control and treatment groups (n = 10 each), with the treatment group receiving grass pellets supplemented with the multi-component feed additive (20 g/day) for 71 days, including a 30-day acclimatisation period. Feed intake, methane emissions, growth performance, and blood parameters were monitored using BioControl pens, GreenFeed units, and haematological analyses. The treatment group exhibited a 24% increase in daily feed intake (p < 0.001) and a 22.2% reduction in methane yield per kg of dry matter ingested (p < 0.001), which could be attributed to MCFAs’ anti-methanogenic properties and yeast’s rumen modulation. However, no significant improvements were observed in daily live weight gain, feed conversion efficiency, or immune parameters, suggesting limited energy utilisation for growth. These findings highlight this novel multi-component feed additive as a promising strategy for methane mitigation in forage-based systems. Further dosage optimisation and dietary integration could enhance its application across ruminant species, contributing to sustainable livestock production. Full article

Human–wildlife conflict poses significant ecological and socio-economic challenges, particularly in rural communities where agriculture and livestock rearing form the backbone of livelihoods. Despite the growing importance of this issue, District Lakki Marwat remains an unexplored area of northwest Pakistan. This study aims to fill this gap by systematically assessing the status, economic impacts, and community perceptions of five wildlife species: wild boar (Sus scrofa), grey wolf (Canis lupus), golden jackal (Canis aureus), striped hyena (Hyaena hyaena), and red fox (Vulpes vulpes). Using semi-structured surveys with 117 respondents, we analyzed species prevalence, perceived danger levels, crop damage patterns, and predation impacts on livestock and poultry. The findings revealed that wild boars were identified as the primary contributors to agricultural damage, with total annual crop losses surpassing the economic impacts attributed to the studied carnivores. On average, each surveyed household experienced an annual loss of PKR 4510.38. For the 39% of households reporting crop damage, the annual loss per reported household was PKR 11,727, which was higher than the average annual loss across all households, underscoring the severity of the impact on those specifically affected by the wild boar-related crop damage. Notably, community attitudes were most negative toward wild boars, a pattern driven by the economic burden of crop losses, challenging the conventional focus on carnivores as the primary conflict species. A Pearson’s $X^2$ test confirmed strong associations between species and perceived danger levels, while regression analysis demonstrated an association between crop damage and negative attitudes. Traditional deterrents like thorn fences were found ineffective against wild boars. More advanced methods, including game-proof fencing, trenches, bio-fencing, crop rotation, audio and visual deterrents, taste and order repellents, and watchtowers combined with group vigilance, are recommended to reduce crop damage. Integrating these approaches with community-based education, habitat management, and government-supported compensation schemes can mitigate wild boar impacts. This study contributes new insights into multi-species HWC dynamics, demonstrating that community perceptions are primarily shaped by the economic impact of a species, regardless of whether it is a carnivore or an omnivore. The attitudes of local communities are driven by the financial losses incurred, rather than the species' behavior or ecological role. This study underscores the need for collaborative efforts to reduce human–wildlife conflict, foster coexistence, and ensure ecological balance in vulnerable rural areas. Full article

Measuring the contributions of the bioeconomy depends on the concept and method used. The concept of bioeconomy linked to biomass is widely used, and estimating the bio-based share in sectors, activities, or products is a limitation and a challenge. Therefore, the present study aims to propose a method for measuring the contributions of biomass-based bioeconomy (BmBB) by tracking the direct and indirect flows of biomass embodied in goods and services for intermediate and final demand. Our analysis focused on measuring the impact of BmBB on the gross value of production (GVP) and the value added to biomass through incremental improvements to the input–output models. The development and application of the method used data from Brazil’s input–output matrices from 2010 to 2018. The results suggest that the BmBB’s GVP shared 5.75% of the GDP, on average, between 2010 and 2018 and more than 6% in recent years. The BmBB accounted for 4.87% of the Brazilian economy’s added value. The ‘Biomass’ aggregate, comprising agriculture, livestock, and forestry, contributes 78.3% of GVP and 8.0% of BmBB’s added value. The opposite occurs with the ‘BioAgroindustry’ aggregate, whose GVP was only 12.3% but contributed 81.5% of the BmBB’s value added. The significant volume of direct sales of ‘’Biomass’ in the final demand of households and the foreign market may explain this situation. We concluded that the proposed method contributes to measuring the BmBB, capturing the biomass share involved in producing, manufacturing, and consuming goods and services. Full article

The main goal of the article is to present the effectiveness of biomass as a thermal insulator and estimate the global potential for using biomass, considering the perspective of sustainable development and improving energy efficiency in agricultural building construction. The article presents two types of piggery construction: one using typical materials like concrete and the other using biomass-based materials. The evaluation is based on carbon footprint and embodied energy indicators. The model calculations developed in this article may be used in the future for life cycle assessment (LCA) analyses of specific construction solutions for rural livestock buildings. Two model variants for constructing a pigsty with different insulating materials were compared. The TB (Traditional Building) variant consisted of layers of (AAC) Autoclaved Aerated Concrete, glass wool, and brick. The second model variant, HB (Hempcrete Building), was made of concrete blocks with the addition of industrial hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) shives. Regarding footprint evaluation, bio-based materials often have a net-negative carbon footprint due to the sequestration effect. The results showed a significant difference in the carbon footprint of both TB and HB solutions—the carbon footprint of the HB variant was only 9.02% of that of the TB variant. The insulation properties of hempcrete were also compared to those of the most frequently used insulating materials in construction, such as glass wool and rock wool. The novelty of the study lies in analyzing the potential use of biomass for thermal insulation in livestock buildings, considering various raw materials, including their industrial properties and the ecological benefits resulting from their implementation. In addition, the authors focused on biomass thermal insulation from the perspective of sustainable development and improving energy efficiency in building construction. Our evaluation and selection of the best solutions are based on the indicators of embodied energy and carbon footprint. Full article

The integration of ecosystem services (ESs) valuation into agricultural policy frameworks is critical for fostering sustainable land management practices. This study leverages the redesigned version of the bio-economic farm model MODAM (Multi-Objective Decision Support Tool for Agro-Ecosystem Management) to estimate the shadow prices of ESs, enabling the derivation of demand and supply curves for nitrate leaching and soil erosion control, respectively. Two hypothetical farms in Brandenburg, Germany—a smaller, arable farm in Märkisch-Oderland and a larger, diversified farm with livestock in Oder-Spree—are analyzed to explore the heterogeneity in shadow prices and corresponding cropping patterns. The results reveal that larger farms exhibit greater elasticity in response to green taxes on nitrate use and lower costs for supplying erosion control compared to smaller farms. This study highlights the utility of shadow prices as proxies for setting green taxes and payments for ecosystem services (PESs), while emphasizing the need for differentiated policy designs to address disparities between farm types. This research underscores the potential of model-based ESs valuation to provide robust economic measures for policy design, fostering sustainable agricultural practices and ecosystem conservation. Full article

Pig behavioral analysis based on multi-object tracking (MOT) technology of surveillance videos is vital for precision livestock farming. To address the challenges posed by uneven lighting scenes and irregular pig movements in the MOT task, we proposed a pig MOT method named RpTrack. Firstly, RpTrack addresses the issue of lost tracking caused by irregular pig movements by using an appropriate Kalman Filter and improved trajectory management. Then, RpTrack utilizes BIoU for the second matching strategy to alleviate the influence of missed detections on the tracking performance. Finally, the method utilizes post-processing on the tracking results to generate behavioral statistics and activity trajectories for each pig. The experimental results under conditions of uneven lighting and irregular pig movements show that RpTrack significantly outperforms four other state-of-the-art MOT methods, including SORT, OC-SORT, ByteTrack, and Bot-SORT, on both public and private datasets. The experimental results demonstrate that RpTrack not only has the best tracking performance but also has high-speed processing capabilities. In conclusion, RpTrack effectively addresses the challenges of uneven scene lighting and irregular pig movements, enabling accurate pig tracking and monitoring of different behaviors, such as eating, standing, and lying. This research supports the advancement and application of intelligent pig farming. Full article

Brewers’ spent grain (BSG) is primarily recycled as livestock feed due to its high fiber content, undegradable protein, and water-soluble vitamins. However, BSG composting represents a possible alternative to organic waste management. Adding a microbial consortium further enhances the agronomical properties of the compost intended for fertilizing applications. Microbial-based fertilizers (plant growth-promoting microorganisms, PGPM) are a means to mitigate the adverse environmental impacts of excessive or improper chemical fertilizer use, enhance the direct or indirect uptake of nutrients by plants, and add value to food waste. In a short-term pot experiment on iceberg lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.), this study assessed the effects of compost and pelletized compost from brewers’ spent grain, both enriched with a microbial consortium. In a randomized block experiment, this study compared four organic BSG fertilizers to chemical fertilizer (NPK) and an unfertilized control treatment. The investigation indicates that BSG compost and BSG pelleted compost, with and without bio-inoculum, in general, are comparable to mineral fertilizer treatment; lettuce fresh weight was higher in pots amended with bioprocessed BSG, associated with more significant growth of soil LAB, fungi, and actinomycetes. The investigation outcomes support composting as an alternative recycling process for producing PGM for agricultural applications. Full article

The small ruminant livestock sector faces the challenge of reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Carbon footprint (CF) studies on dairy goats, the most widely used indicator to quantify the impact of livestock farming on global warming, are still few. The aim of this study was to calculate the CF of the different production systems of autochthonous dairy goat breeds presently occurring in Andalusia (S Spain) and identify systems and practices that can minimize their environmental impact in these terms. Twenty-one farms were monitored during a year, obtaining valuable information that allowed the CF calculation on a “cradle-to-gate” approach, taking into account both GHG emissions at the farm level and carbon sink by vegetation associated with land-based systems. Results showed similar CF values for the analyzed systems (1.42, 1.04, 1.15, and 1.17 kg CO₂-eq kg⁻¹ fat–protein corrected milk for indoor systems without associated crops, indoor systems with associated crops, grazing systems with high feed supply, and pastoral systems, respectively). To minimize their environmental impact, specific actions must be developed for each system, particularly regarding genetic improvement, reproductive and feeding management, including pasture management, and the integration of livestock activity into the bio-circular economy with the help of professional advice. Full article

Biogas bioslurry, which is normally a bio-digestion product from livestock refuse, can be utilized as an inorganic fertilizer, thus boosting not only soil fertility but also crop growth and yield. Its use can mitigate climate change by reducing methane gas emissions, which are associated with the direct application of fresh animal manure. The current study was carried out on farmer’s fields based at Wusi-Kishamba and Werugha wards in Taita Taveta County, Kenya, and it aimed at investigating the effect of bioslurry coupled with synthetic fertilizer on potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) growth and yield. There were four treatments: sole bioslurry, sole fertilizer (DAP), bioslurry + DAP, and control, which were replicated five times in a randomized, complete block-designed layout. Data were collected on plant growth (plant height and leaf length) and yield (marketable and unmarketable tubers and the number of tubers plant⁻¹). The results indicated a general increase in plant height from week one to week seven, where peak values were noted with sole slurry, sole fertilizer, and bioslurry + DAP treatments, which recorded 9, 18, and 43% taller plants, respectively, relative to control. Further, the combined application of bioslurry and DAP fertilizer significantly (p ≤ 0.05) improved potato growth and yield. For instance, there was a higher (23.3 t ha⁻¹) yield in bioslurry + DAP treatment compared to the respective least record of 14.2 t ha⁻¹ in control. Therefore, the study recommends a synergistic application of synthetic fertilizer (DAP) and bioslurry to potato crops for optimal crop growth and production. Full article

Cheese whey (CW) is the residual liquid waste from cheese manufacturing industries, and it is rich in diverse nutrients with the potential for usage as a growth matrix for sustaining lactic acid bacteria (LAB) fermentation. Lactic acid (LA), phenyllactic acid (PLA), and their derivatives are green chemicals that can be produced by LAB metabolism with the revalorization of CW. LA and PLA are known for their antimicrobial properties, immunoregulatory functions, and production of biobased polymers (biodegradable plastics) like poly lactic acid and poly-phenyl lactic acid; hence, they find numerous applications in agricultural/food-based, pharmaceutical, biochemistry, or medical fields, as well as in antibiotic supplements in livestock feeds for animal husbandry. Herewith, we discuss our experimental strategy/concept (that can be implemented) for the microbial fermentation of cheese whey streams using robust LAB co-cultures to produce 3-PLA through sequential steps, adding a note upon their possible applications hereof. It is proposed that various food matrices, like raw cow milk, fermented cow milk, and fermented table olives, will be screened for the isolation of robust lactic acid bacteria that can be used as starter cultures for the fermentation of cheese whey liquids for producing augmented levels of LA and/or PLA. Moreover, we discuss the feasibility of practically producing PLA using an orchestrated assemblage of simple procedures, viz., isolating robust LAB strains from natural food matrices, tailoring LAB growth using a selective medium sustenance, adopting adaptive evolution procedures for improving resistance to higher temperatures and tolerance to lactic acid and/or cheese whey (low-cost substrate), and using FTIR and HPLC tools for analyzing the PLA content produced. Two Lactobacillus isolates (CM30_001 and CMW_10−3), sourced from raw cow milk and fermented cow milk whey, were found to produce 3-PLA contents of 39 mg/L and 32 mg/L in batch fermentation, using this proposed strategy. Full article