Fertiliser input in annual cropping systems can benefit crops and weeds. The effects of organic and inorganic fertilisers on weed species composition were evaluated across two agroecological zones in Eswatini: the Highveld and the Middleveld. Weed field surveys and weed seed bank studies were conducted over two cropping seasons, 2020/2021 and 2021/2022, in fields managed by smallholder farmers practising maize and cattle production. Fertiliser regimes were cattle manure only, cattle manure plus inorganic fertiliser, and inorganic fertiliser only, replicated six times in each region. The weed survey was conducted using three 25-m transects, and the weed seed bank was assessed at sampling depths of 0–10 and 10–20 cm. Results showed that cattle manure only and cattle manure plus inorganic fertiliser regimes had higher species richness and diversity than the inorganic fertiliser only regime. However, weed seed distribution did not differ between sampling depths or fertiliser regimes. Twelve weed species, including bermudagrass, crabgrass, and goosegrass, were key contributors to the differences in species composition between fertiliser regimes and agroecological zones, and were the most prevalent weeds in the seed bank. The study established that fertiliser type influences weed species composition and diversity. Proper cattle manure composting is essential to mitigate weed proliferation and enhance sustainable maize production. These findings demonstrate the need for integrated weed management and fertiliser strategies to improve crop yield and agricultural sustainability for smallholder farmers.

Water scarcity is a growing challenge for sustainable agriculture, particularly in water-intensive crops like rice. This study evaluates the impacts of three irrigation methods; drip irrigation (DI), alternate wetting and drying (AWD), and continuous flooding (CF) on rice yield, water productivity and economic returns over three years. Two irrigation levels (I1: Application of water equal to 25 % of the water between the saturation point and field capacity when the soil moisture was near field capacity, I2: Application of water to field capacity when 25 % of the available water holding capacity was depleted) were applied. Results revealed that irrigation methods and levels significantly influenced rice yield at the 1 % level. The highest average yield (7.95 t/ha) was obtained from CF, followed by AWDI1 (7.60 t/ha) and DI1 (6.39 t/ha). Drip irrigation and AWD reduced water use by 30–57 % compared to CF but resulted in yield losses of 2–52 %. However, the AWDI1 treatment recorded the highest water productivity and net income (US$2455 ha), outperforming CF and DI1. Economic analyses confirmed the viability of AWD and drip irrigation as sustainable alternatives to CF, balancing water conservation with profitability. These methods are particularly effective in regions with limited water availability, offering a sustainable approach to rice cultivation without significant trade-offs in yield quality. This study also underscores the importance of integrating physical and economic indicators when selecting irrigation strategies to ensure food security and resource sustainability in the face of water scarcity.

Under current Dutch regulations, accurate assessment of the amount of P secreted in milk is essential, as it determines manure P output. The two main aims were: 1) to predict P content in bovine milk using a broad range of predictor variables, and 2) to obtain predicted milk P contents representative of the Dutch dairy cow population. A secondary objective was to evaluate seasonal variation in milk P content. Weekly bulk milk samples (week 14 in 2017 up until week 13 in 2018) were collected from 14 dairy plants located across the Netherlands and pooled per week as representative samples of Dutch bovine milk. Milk samples were analysed for macronutrients and mineral contents. The mean P content of milk was 101.2 mg/100 g, and significant seasonal variation was observed, with the highest values found during winter and the lowest during summer. The contents of fat, protein, casein, Ca, Mg and Mn in milk were found to be highly correlated with the milk P content. The preferred multiple regression equation to predict the milk P content (mg/100 g) included the predictor variables milk fat (g/100 g), Ca (mg/100 g) and K (mg/100 g), viz. milk P content = – 58.6 (±14.09) + 0.28 (±0.104) × Ca + 11.46 (±2.559) × fat + 0.48 (±0.094) × K, and explained 80% of the variation (R2adj) in milk P content. The contribution of milk K content to explain variation in milk P content cannot be physiologically explained.

Beef produced originating from the dairy herd forms an integral part of beef supply chains globally. The objective of this study was to quantify the economic and environmental performance of three dairy-beef genotypes differing in beef genetic merit and managed under three contrasting pasture-based feeding treatments, using a farm-level systems model and data from an animal systems experiment. The three steer genotypes modelled were: 1) high beef-merit Angus sires (HA); 2) low beef-merit Angus sires (LA); and 3) Holstein-Friesian (HF) sires. Each genotype was evaluated across one of three feed treatments: 1) control (CTL), grass-only during both grazing seasons; 2) low concentrate (LC), supplemented with concentrate during the first grazing season, pasture only during the second grazing season; and 3) high concentrate (HC) supplemented with concentrate during the first and second grazing season; amounting to nine scenarios. High Angus steers were most profitable (€424/animal, €1362/ha), followed by LA (€337, €1126) and HF (€188, €659). There were no interactions between genotype and feed treatment, with the CTL treatment having highest profit per head due to lower concentrate input costs. High Angus scenarios had the lowest greenhouse gas emissions between genotypes, and concentrate use reduced emissions per kg of beef, but CTL had the lowest total emissions per ha and per farm due to greater forage use. In conclusion, this study demonstrates the financial and environmental benefits of high beef genetic merit sires in dairy herd for dairy-beef systems and producers.

Raramuri Criollo (RC) cattle offer substantial sustainability advantages in arid regions. Their adaptation to harsh conditions and ability to adjust forage use according to the season make them efficient in pasture management. Furthermore, their lighter weight reduces soil pressure, and their preference for low-palatability grasses contributes to improved soil health and reduced erosion. These characteristics from RC make them more adaptable to such terrains and conditions than European cattle breeds. Regarding water usage, and compared to European cattle breeds, RC can wander further from water sources, which proves advantageous in the context of climate change. Moreover, their role in fire ecology involves reducing the risk of fires by altering the characteristics of forest fuels and managing fine fuels, which is crucial for minimizing fire hazards in grasslands. The potential use of this breed to produce high-quality meat derived from their grazing behaviour offers an alternative to new consumers’ demands concerning healthy and efficient production options. This narrative review discusses the role of RC in soil health, water sources and meat production. Overall, attributes from RC cattle make these animals a valuable option for mitigating overgrazing and fostering sustainability in arid regions.

This study evaluated the dynamics of the bacterial community in mixtures of forage cactus and sorghum silage at different proportions, subjected to aerobic exposure periods, without or with faecal contamination. The experimental design was completely randomized in a 2 × 2 × 4 factorial arrangement, with two forage cactus proportions (20 and 80 %), absence or presence of faecal contamination and four aerobic exposure times (0, 6, 12 and 24 h). Fermentation profile, chemical composition, microbial populations and bacterial diversity were evaluated. A higher proportion of forage cactus resulted in increased pH and greater proliferation of enterobacteria, with detection of Escherichia coli after aerobic exposure. In contrast, mixtures containing 20 % forage cactus and 80 % sorghum silage showed greater fermentative stability, characterized by higher lactic acid production, reduced growth of potentially pathogenic microorganisms and lower abundance of undesirable bacterial groups after 24 h of exposure. The combination of 20 % forage cactus and 80 % sorghum silage was more effective in preserving the microbiological and fermentative quality of the mixture during aerobic exposure.

The objective of this study was to develop calibration equations for a rising plate metrer (RPM) to estimate herbage mass in irrigated ryegrass/white clover (RGWC) swards with varying proportions of plantain. A 32-ha area, divided into 0.3-ha paddocks, was randomly allocated to three treatments sown with increasing plantain seeding rates: (i) RGWC with no plantain, (ii) RGWC + 3 kg/ha and (iii) RGWC + 6 kg kg/ha. Over two production years (2021/22 and 2022/23), 1138 quadrat cuts and 228 botanical samples were collected. Data were grouped by season (late-winter, spring, summer and autumn) across treatments and years. A multivariate linear regression model incorporating compressed sward height, plantain % in sward DM and season explained 73.5% of the variation in herbage mass (R2 = 0.735; P < 0.001). Compressed sward height was positively associated with herbage mass (estimate ± SE; 145 ± 6.2 kg DM/ha per RPM unit; P < 0.001), while plantain % was negatively associated (−0.45 ± 0.12 kg DM/ha per 1% increase; P < 0.001). Season significantly affected the intercept (P < 0.001), being −128 ± 135.0 (late-winter), 82 ± 104.0 (spring), 251 ± 106.0 (summer) and −81 ± 111.0 (autumn) kg DM/ha. Validation using an independent dataset from the 2023/24 production year showed the model predicted herbage mass with a root mean square error (RMSE) of 350 kg DM/ha. These equations can be integrated into RPM devices to estimate herbage mass in rotationally grazed, irrigated RGWC swards containing plantain, accounting for both plantain content and seasonal variation.

Reducing nitrogen (N) fertilizer application is a sustainable practice in rice production. The effects of reducing N fertilizer input on grain yield and rice quality of early- and late-season dual-use rice (ELDR) in South China remain uncertain. Therefore, a short-term field trial was conducted with a high-yielding ELDR cultivar (Yuehesimiao, YHSM) and a low-yielding ELDR cultivar (Meixiangzhan 2, MXZ). The rice was cultivated with a 20% reduced N application rate (RN2), a 10% reduced rate (RN1) and the conventional N application rate (CN). In the early season, compared to CN, RN2 reduced the grain yield of YHSM and MXZ by an average of 16.1 and 6.6%, respectively, while RN1 lowered YHSM grain yield by 11.2% on average and had no effect on MXZ yield. In addition, RN2 decreased the milling and eating qualities of the two cultivars in the early season, while RN1 did not alter their milling, appearance or eating qualities. In the late season, neither RN2 nor RN1 affected grain yield or rice quality for both cultivars. Therefore, short-term reductions of 10 and 20% in N application could maintain grain yield and rice quality at current N fertilizer application rates in the late season. However, the early-season results only recommended a 10% reduced N fertilizer application rate for low-yielding ELDR cultivars to sustain grain yield and rice quality. The findings of this study can provide a theoretical basis for N management of ELDR in South China.

Elephant grass [Cenchrus purpureus (Schum.) Morrone] is a tropical forage grass widely used in ruminant feeding in tropical and subtropical areas, mainly in cut-and-carry systems due to is high potential for herbage accumulation. However, most common genotypes (tall genotypes) generally show an early stem elongation, which contributes to a rapid decline in the forage nutritive value. Dwarf elephant grass types usually present less stem elongation and may be considered an option for the production of high nutritive value forage in cut-and-carry systems. The aims of this study were to evaluate and explain variations in herbage characteristics and kinetics of in vitro gas production of irrigated elephant grass genotypes (two tall-types – Elephant B and IRI-381 – and two dwarf-types genotypes – Mott and Taiwan A-146 2.37) under two harvest frequencies (60 and 90 days) in the dry and rainy seasons of two years. Herbage characteristics varied among genotypes, harvest frequency and seasons. Dwarf genotypes showed better in vitro fermentation parameters with the advancement of maturity compared to the tall size genotypes. Harvesting tall genotypes at a higher frequency (60-day) contributed to improving the fermentation, while dwarf elephant grass maintained greater fermentation when less frequent harvests were adopted (90-day).

Maize is one of the major agricultural commodities in the world, and a source of food in Africa, representing more than 40 million ha currently harvested on the continent. Despite sub-Saharan Africa's dependence on grain, the maize actual yield (Ya) of the crop is low when compared to its potential yield. In Brazil, the yield-gap between Ya and water-limited yield (Yw) is approximately 50% of Yw. The objective of this study was to carry out a case study, using upland maize as a reference to identify a set of agricultural areas with similar soil and climate in Brazil and sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). The climatic similarity between Brazil and SSA countries was verified, seeking homogeneous climatic zones that occur in both regions. The Ya was determined including the data of at least the last three years of cultivation and were taken from the database of the national institutes of agricultural statistics. The climatic data showed that the SSA had well-distributed rainfall throughout the crop season, being higher than in Brazil, as well as the average air temperature. The average Yw was 11.3 and 7.4 Mg/ha for Brazil and SSA, respectively. Maize Ya in SSA was 1.4 Mg/ha, while in Brazil Ya was 5.2 Mg/ha. Ya represented approximately 9% of Yw in the SSA. The low Ya shows the large yield-gap found in SSA. With this, it is evident that the technologies used and the crop management are largely responsible for the yield differences between Brazil and SSA.

Grazing is a crucial component of dairy farms across many regions of the world. This review explores challenges related to grazing infrastructure and opportunities for future improvement. Farmers who aim to increase pasture utilisation face heightened inter-animal competition necessitated by pasture restriction to achieve target post-grazing sward heights. Increasing the frequency of fresh pasture allocation beyond once per day has been observed to reduce milk production in primiparous animals, due to intensified competition for limited feed resources. Implementing grazing paddocks tailored for 24- to 36-hour allocations helps to mitigate inter-animal competition while concurrently preventing the grazing of fresh regrowth. Crucial to this approach is establishing farm roadway infrastructure that allows access to all sections of the grazing platform. However, the development of these roadway networks has often occurred without a comprehensive assessment of their impact on the efficiency of the dairy herd’s movement between grazing paddocks and the milking parlour. The efficiency of the dairy herd’s movement is most significantly influenced by the location of the milking parlour within the grazing platform. Extreme walking distances or challenging terrain on farm roadways may have an impact on milk production per cow. Factors such as farm roadway surface quality and width significantly influence cow throughput on farm roadways. Recent studies have highlighted inadequate roadway widths on many farms relative to their herd size, while surface condition may also be limiting cow throughput on these farms. Enhancing roadway width and surface condition of farm roadways may improve labour efficiency on commercial farms.

The study analysed corn harvested areas from 1960 to 2030, using data from the USDA open-access official dataset and 1000 autoregressive integrated moving average models. The global corn harvested area experienced a steady growth rate of 1.0 % in the 1960s, followed by a slight setback in the 1980s and a recovery in the 1990s. The early 2000s saw significant expansion, while the 2010s saw a slightly slower pace of 1.4 %. From 2020 to 2024, the global growth rate declined to 0.0 %, suggesting a potential shift towards a more stable or slower growth phase. The most likely scenario for the global corn area is an optimistic outlook with a 37 % likelihood of steady growth. China’s most likely scenario is a gradual expansion with a rate of 2.0 %. The United States’ most likely scenario suggests a neutral trend. Brazil has remarkable growth trajectories in its areas, reflecting land availability. Ukraine’s area by 2030 is projected to experience varying outcomes due to uncertainties in the agricultural landscape.

Soil health is essential for a resilient ecosystem. The European Union proposed a Soil Monitoring Law for a legal framework of soil health. This study proposes a way to assess the mineral soil health. A database of mineral soils containing <20% organic matter and consisting of 10 soil classes and 22 soil types was used. There were four altitudinal groups (HM [high mountains], LM [low mountains and high hills], LH [low hills], PL [low plains]), covering the vegetation/climate floors, two land uses (forestland and grassland combined and cropland) and three soil textures (coarse [CO], loamy [LO] and clayey [CL]). Both soil organic carbon (SOC)/clay ratios and observed per mean SOC (O/M SOC) ratios were calculated for 19 regions. For SOC/clay, the 1/13, 1/10 and 1/8 thresholds were used, whereas O/M SOC categories were grouped as ‘low’, ‘intermediate’, ‘high’ and ‘very high’ health. SOC/clay and O/M SOC ratios combined were used to characterize soil health. SOC sequestration depends on many factors that are specific for each pedo-climatic region and texture and so is the soil characterization as healthy or not healthy. The recommended simultaneous application of these two indicators revealed specific SOC content values as reference levels for good soil health, which decrease from the wetter climates towards the drier ones. SOC content considerably differed among pedo-climatic regions, and soil health should be compared within the same regions that have specific SOC sequestration conditions. Correlations between support points SOC values and the aridity index allow separation between ‘healthy’ and ‘non-healthy’ soil conditions for any climate, vegetation floor and land use.

Climate change is a global challenge to ecosystem services, altering crop yields and food security worldwide. In the context of climate change, Onobrychis viciifolia Scop. (sainfoin) can offer a multitude of ecosystem services conferred by its multifaceted beneficial properties. We reviewed the morphological, biochemical and physiological responses to environmental stressors of O. viciifolia, summarized its ecological, agronomic, nutritional and biological interests, and we discussed its use under climate change. Onobrychis viciifolia is a hemicryptophyte forage legume adapted to arid and semiarid regions by evolving a diverse array of protective mechanisms against abiotic stressors at morphological, biochemical and physiological levels. In the present scenario of climate change, O. viciifolia has desirable forage characteristics such as high nutritive value, high voluntary intake and palatability to grazing animals, leading to satisfying animal performance for milk, meat, honey and wool production. Recent studies suggest that O. viciifolia has several highly beneficial phytochemical properties including condensed tannins and polyphenol content, which have been demonstrated to have anthelmintic activities, enhance protein utilization, and prevent bloating. In addition, O. viciifolia also has the potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and sequestrate atmospheric carbon and nitrogen into the soil. Ethnobotanical investigations show that O. viciifolia possesses antimicrobial, antiseptic and vulnerary activities. This review could be helpful for understanding of O. viciifolia characteristics, interests and uses, thus promoting its reasonable cultivation under a changing climate.

The objective was to evaluate the influence of supplementation of L-arginine at 10 g/kg on the performance of lactating sows and their litters by evaluating the milk amino acid composition, serum hormone levels, mammary tissue redox status indicators, mammary tissue histomorphology, and the expression of genes related to mammary gland metabolism. The study was conducted in the municipality of Oliveira, Minas Gerais, Brazil, in 2019. A total of 24 sows were selected. A completely randomized design was used in a 2 × 3 factorial arrangement, with two diets (control and 10 g L-arginine/kg) and three mammary gland positions (thoracic, abdominal and inguinal), totaling six treatment groups. Each dietary treatment consisted of 12 replicates, with each replicate equivalent to one experimental unit, which was considered a sow and its litter. Females that were fed a diet supplemented with L-arginine had lower feed intake and greater weight loss. Piglets from sows that received L-arginine supplementation presented reduced weaning weight variation. L-arginine supplementation did not affect the amino acid composition of the milk, the plasma hormone levels of the sows, the oxidative stress parameters of redox, or breast tissue morphology. However, it may modulate the expression of genes important for mammary gland metabolism, such as the COX1 and SLC27A4. Piglets that suckled teats in the thoracic and abdominal positions had higher mean weights at 14 and 23 days, as well as greater daily weight gains. L-arginine supplementation to sows improves litter quality by increasing weaning weight uniformity; piglets that occupy the thoracic and abdominal positions perform better.

The aim of this study was to estimate genetic parameters for dairy traits (daily milk yield (DMY), daily milk fat yield (DMFY), and daily milk protein yield (DMPY)) and somatic cell score (SCS) of Iranian Murciano-Granadina goats. The analysis involved 99,839 records from 4,307 does, spanning from 2015 to 2021. A single-trait animal model was used to obtain estimates of genetic and residual (co)variances and heritabilities. In the model, both fixed effects (birth year, parity, litter size, age dam (day)) and random effects (additive animal genetic effects) were considered. R software was used to evaluate environmental effects, assess the model, examine genetic and phenotypic trends, and determine genetic-environmental correlations. Additionally, variance components and heritability were estimated using the Gibbs1f90 software. The heritability of dairy traits and SCS trait, namely DMY, DMFY, DMPY, and SCS, was estimated to be 0.244, 0.133, 0.188, and 0.023, respectively. The genetic correlations between DMY and DMFY, DMY and DMPY, DMY and somatic cell score (SCS), DMFY and DMPY, DMFY and SCS, and DMPY and SCS were 0.07, 0.16, 0.42, –0.08, –0.005, and 0.04, respectively. The study found moderate heritability for milk yield traits and low heritability for somatic cell score. Genetic correlations varied, with the strongest correlation between daily milk yield and somatic cell score, indicating useful genetic linkages for selective breeding.

A growing demand for wheat as a staple crop leads to an expansion of its production. The consequence is land use change and short rotations for wheat. But wheat grown in short rotations causes yield decline. To secure future food supplies, a deeper understanding of the physiological processes contributing to this yield reduction is needed. Therefore, a three-year data set from a long-term field trial in Northern Germany was analysed to investigate the impact of crop rotational position (CRP) (wheat grown in the first [W1] and in the third [W3] year in self sequence after break crop) in combination with three genotypes and four rates of nitrogen (N) fertilizer on intercepted radiation by the canopy (Q), radiation use efficiency (RUE), grain yield and yield components. All genotypes showed a reduction of Q, RUE and yields in W3. The focus was further set on differences in yield formation pre- and post-anthesis. This revealed a significant interaction between CRP and genotype. An overall reduction in intercepted radiation pre-anthesis as well as in kernels/m2 in W3 suggested, that yield formation under adverse pre-crop conditions was rather ‘source limited’. A possibility to compensate this limitation might be a prolonged phase of radiation interception post-anthesis.