Harsh summer season due to climate change hinders the quality and quantity of the forages, thus impairing the health (immune system) and production. During such conditions ratio of energy and protein in the diets is negatively affected. Hence, a study was conducted to evaluate the impact of various proportions of energy and protein ratio on the different Toll-Like Receptors (TLRs) genes in the 40 growing female indigenous Salem Black goat breed for 90 days. The animals were randomly distributed based on body weight into five groups: GI (n=8; Control; ICAR Recommended); GII (n=8; Normal Energy & 50% Low Protein); GIII (n=8; 50% Low Energy & Normal Protein), GIV (n=8; 50% Low Energy & Low Protein) and GV (n=8; 70% Low Energy & Low Protein). The expression levels of Toll-Like Receptor (TLR) 1 to 10 were studied using delta-delta CT-based quantitative PCR. The expression pattern of TLR1 was significantly higher (p<0.05) in GIII, GIV, and GV compared to GI. GV showed significantly (p<0.05) higher expression compared to GII, GIII, GIV, and GV. The expression pattern of TLR3 in GII, GIII, GIV, and GV were significantly (p<0.05) higher than in GI. The expression pattern of TLR4, TLR5, and TLR6 in GIV and GV was significantly higher (p<0.05) compared to GI, GII, and GIII. The expression pattern of TLR7 in GII, GIII, GIV, and GV showed significantly higher (p<0.05) expression than GI. The expression pattern of TLR8 in GV was significantly higher (p<0.01) than all other groups. The expression pattern of TLR9 and TLR10 in GV was significantly higher (p<0.01) than GI, GII, GIII, GIV, and GV, but, GIII and GIV were significantly higher (p<0.01) than GI and GII. The significantly higher expression patterns of TLR1, TLR3, TLR7, TLR8, TLR9, and TLR10 in Group III (Normal Protein and Less Energy) as compared to Group II (Normal Energy and Less Protein) indicated the expression patterns were sensitive to altered energy. The significantly higher expression pattern of different TLRs in nutrient-deficient groups (IV & V) reflects the inherent immune potential during nutritional scarcity. The study identified energy as an important component to maintain immune response.

Dairy farming in the Peruvian Amazon region is mainly in the hands of smallholders. Most of them have a low number of cows but low production levels, being unknown their current contribution to the greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) per unit of milk produced. For this reason, the objective of this study was to estimate the carbon footprint (CF) of milk production (in kg of CO₂equivalents (CO₂e) per kg fat and protein corrected milk (FPCM)) on dairy farms of San Martín region, in the Peruvian Amazon. Emissions of GHG were estimated using equations, following the 2019 refinement of the 2006 IPCC Guidelines. A farm characterization and a cradle to farm gate analysis were conducted on eight representative dairy farms using the mass allocation method. Results showed an average milk production of 10 ± 0.82 kg milk/cow/day, a Gyr x Holstein crossbreds as predominant breed, use of cultivated grasses such as Brachiaria brizantha, living fences (Guazuma ulmifolia Lam) as the predominant silvopastoral arrangement, and low level of external inputs such as feed additives or grains. In relation to CF, an average value of 2.17 ± 0.62 kg CO₂e/kg FPCM was obtained, being enteric fermentation the most important source with 1.74 ± 0.51 kg CO₂e/kg FPCM, followed by the manure management (0.24 ± 0.06 kg CO₂e/kg FPCM), land use (0.12 ± 0.03 kg CO₂e/kg FPCM) and energy/transport (0.05 ± 0.03 kg CO₂e/kg FPCM). Differences between farmers were found, obtaining lower CF values (1.63 vs. 3.10 kg CO₂e/kg FPCM) in farms with better feed quality, higher levels of production, and a higher percentage of lactating animals compared with dry cows. We conclude that dairy farms in the Peruvian Amazon region may reduce their current levels of CF if they improve their current feeding practices. However, further studies considering the estimation of carbon sequestration of trees, soil and crops, and the carbon footprint of the off-farm feeds are also necessary to determine the real carbon balance of these systems.

Teck Leon Tan^1*, Roslan Mohd Yusof ² and Nik Norsyahariati Nik Daud³

¹Veterinary Public Health Laboratory, Department of Veterinary Services, Selangor, Malaysia

²Veterinary Public Health Division, Department of Veterinary Services, Putrajaya, Malaysia;roslanmy@dvs.govmy

³ Department of Civil Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University Putra Malaysia, Selangor, Malaysia;niknor@upm.edu.my

^* Corresponding author: tltan@dvs.gov.my

Aerated Biofilter Reactor (ABR), also known as Biological Aerated Filtration (BAF) was designed, constructed for wastewater treatment for a cattle abattoir. The objective of this study is to monitor the performance of the Submerged Upflow Aerated Biofilter Reactor (ABR) system by using polyethene (PE) as media and evaluating the efficiency in removing pollutants. The reactor performance was examined with organic strength up to 930 mg/L BOD₅, at hydraulic loadings up to 1.8 kg m^-3 d^-1 and surface organic loadings up to 4.4 kg m^-2 d^-1. The performance of the reactor was evaluated based on the values of biochemical oxygen demand (BOD₅), chemical oxygen demand (COD), total suspended solid (TSS), ammonia nitrogen (AN), oil and grease (O & G) and turbidity. The reactor demonstrated the capability of removal efficiencies for BOD₅ ranging from 83% to 96%, the system performance slightly deteriorated with time. Overall, for total suspended solid (TSS), 93% reduction was observed and consistently lower than 100 mg/l. The effluent criteria were also monitored for the removal efficiencies of biochemical oxygen demand (BOD₅), chemical oxygen demand (COD), ammonia nitrogen (AN), oil and grease (O & G) and turbidity. BAF system has shown the average elimination rates of 91%, 88%, 24%, 40%, and 91% respectively. Based on demonstrated performance, the BAF reactor was viable for the cattle abattoir wastewater treatment and met the effluent discharged criteria stated by Malaysia Environmental Quality Act in effluent discharge for BOD₅, COD and TSS.

Climate changes cause an increase in the duration and intensity of heatwaves and promotes a decrease in the time that cattle remain in thermal comfort zones. Silvopastoral systems can be considered a nature-based solution to mitigate the effects of climate change. The aim of this study was to estimate the thermal comfort of bovines during hot seasons (spring and summer) in a silvopastoral system compared to treeless pasture. The experiment was carried out between September of 2020 and February of 2021 in southern Brazil. Two pasture systems were evaluated (4 non-consecutive days per month): treeless pasture (TLP) and silvopastoral system (SPS) with trees along the border fences. Two sets of autonomous sensors were located in each system (TLP - center of the paddock and SPS - full sun and 2 m away from the trees), to measured microclimate variables used to calculate the bioclimatic indicators of black globe-humidity index (BGHI), radiant thermal load (RTL), and heat load index (HLI). All data were analyzed using a mixed model with days and hours as random effects using the statistical software R. There was an influence of the system (p<0.001) on the bioclimatic indicators. On average the SPS was ~80% (p<0.001) more likely to present lower values of bioclimatic indicators than the TLP. The average values of all bioclimatic indicators differed (p<0.001) between the systems; TLP: BGHI = ~78; RTL = ~581, and HLI = ~59; SPS: BGHI = ~72; RTL = ~439, and HLI = ~47. In TLP all bioclimatic indicators were above the threshold for heat stress for bovines, promoting a challenge thermal environment for pasture-based production. In conclusion, the SPS provided a better thermal environment for pasture-based systems when compared to TLP, indicating that it can mitigate the effects of heat during the spring and summer of subtropical climate.

Malaysian local beef production, which is defined by meat produced from both domestic and imported slaughter cattle and buffalo, confer to merely 22.28 percent of total beef consumption in the year 2019. The inadequacy of local beef output necessitated the importation of chilled, frozen, and processed beef and buffalo meat, in tandem with live bovine animals. The primary source for imported live bovine animals was from Australia, with the neighboring country Thailand being the second largest, totaling approximately 84.1 and 15.8 percent respectively of the imported segment market share in the year 2020. In parallel, bovine meat was sourced primarily from India in frozen form (mainly buffalo meat), which made up 79.9 percent of all frozen bovine meat imported in the same year. For the same duration, imported chilled beef was mainly sourced from Australia, totaling approximately 87.5 percent from whole chilled beef imports. The dependency on beef and live animal imports lead to the vulnerability of the domestic beef supply. The import market is susceptible to global price and currency fluctuations, along with the availability and accessibility of the stock from the producing country. Presently, with the pandemic of COVID-19 affecting globally, the local beef supply chain is affected by regulations imposed to reduce the spread of the disease. Restrictions also have been placed on the entry of live cattle and buffalo from Thailand following the recent Lumpy Skin Disease outbreak in the region. In view of these, it is therefore imperative to ensure consistent local supply. In this paper, key and dynamic factors from findings based on various approaches including simulation models from research papers related to the Malaysian beef production industry were reviewed. Animal feed cost ratio, numbers of breeding cattle/buffalo female, technical efficiency (in integrated farming system), and the calving and mortality rate of cattle/buffalo were identified as among the major variables influencing the local beef production. Since the beef production system is a dynamic process, some factors such as economic importance disease, contribution from dairy cattle industries, locality, environmental effect, breed performance, beef supply chain, and government policy may also have the potential to significantly impact the local beef production.

Livestock advisors are responsible for disseminating knowledge and the concept of the silvopastoral system (SPS) to farmers and thus have an important role in the improvement of livestock sustainability through the mitigation of its impact on climate change. In this study we describe livestock advisors’ perception regarding the benefits and barriers of the silvopastoral system to the animals and the pasture. Advisors from southern Brazil (n=228) participated in an online survey. Participants were more likely to be older (40%, > 51 years old), male (84%), agronomist (47%), and 41% had more than 16 years of experience in livestock. Almost all the participants (99%) said that the silvopastoral system brought benefits to animal welfare. The main benefit reported was heat abatement (80%), and the majority (70%) associated that heat stress is related to a decrease in milk production. Meanwhile, 62% believed that the presence of trees brings benefits to the pasture. The main benefit reported for pasture was the improvement of microclimate (40%), associated with decreased wind speed (23%) and increased soil humidity (45%). Although 53% did not consider the SPS as beneficial to animals at low temperatures, for 80% the pasture benefits due to the SPS protection from frost (15%). For 60% of the participants the farmers are a barrier for the dissemination SPS and for 20% issues related to system management limited the adoption; further, the lack of trained professionals (14%) and insufficient dissemination of information (13%) were cited as factors that can decrease the adoption of the silvopastoral system. Our findings indicate that livestock advisors recognize the silvopastoral system benefits, but this differs between benefits to animal and to pasture; the barriers of SPS dissemination may be minimized by encouraging the training of advisors.

Animal productions are reported to be responsible for 14.5 % of the anthropogenic greenhouse gasses emissions, especially methane (CH₄). Innovative solutions are needed to quantify the emissions from different ruminant species directly on farm to help determine optimal mitigation solutions. Portable smart tools have a big role to play in this regard. The use of a laser methane detector (LMD) in livestock was first reported by Chagunda et al., 2009. This is a hand-held device to measure CH₄ from animals in a non-invasive way and in their natural conditions. The aim of the current study was to assess the application of the LMD in measuring CH₄ emissions in Italian Mediterranean Buffaloes (IMB) and to explore possible animal and environmental factors that could influence the measurement. The LMD was used to measure CH₄ emitted with the plume in twenty adult non-productive IMB (11 females; 9 males) fed with a low input diet (F:C = 80:20) during 12 consecutive days in summer. Each animal was assessed every day for 4 minutes while standing idle without physical restrain. The weight and sex of the animals were recorded. Daily Temperature Humidity Index (THI) was calculated for the trial period. LMD output data were divided for each day and each subject into eructation/peak CH₄ (CH_E) and breathing/basal CH₄ (CH_B). A linear mixed model and Pearson’s coefficient were used to analyze the effect and correlations of the variables. The average CH_E and CH_B was respectively 84.3±42.6ppm-m and 20.4±6.5 ppm-m and a significant positive correlation was found between these (R=0.63, p<0.001). A between-subject variation was observed for both eructation and breath, CH_E (p<0.001, ε²=0.12) and CH_B (p<0.001, ε²=0.21). However, this between-subject variation was not explainable by individual differences in terms of weight and sex. Trial days significantly influenced CH_B (p<0.001), while no effect was found on CH_E. Further analysis did not find any association between CH_B and daily variation of the THI (average: 74.5±1.8; min: 71.9; max: 78.6). These preliminary results allow us to consider LMD measurements as biologically meaningful for IMB and indicate the need to build a robust protocol for measuring CH₄ emissions in this species.

The United Nation predicts that the global population will rise from 7.7 billion in 2019 to 9.7 billion in the year 2050. Notably, the increased trends differ by countries, with developing countries needing to consume more food. Given the role of livestock in food security, income sources, and sustainability of rural livelihoods, it is imperative that challenges associated with livestock production are addressed and mitigated. Among challenges identified are the scarcity of water and land for livestock production and agricultural cultivation for animal feed. Climate-change related factors also impact production, which are further exacerbated by the detrimental effects of greenhouse gasses emissions from the livestock to the environment. Livestock welfare practices throughout the farm supply chain is also of concern such as stocking density, proper feeding and nutrition, transport, holding area and slaughter. Occurrence of animal diseases, particularly zoonotic diseases with pandemic potential, drives productivity to be reduced. In addition, unnecessary use of antimicrobials and veterinary drug further lead to issues related to antimicrobial resistance of global nature. Noting these challenges, adopting more efficient and sustainable livestock production practices may assist in mitigating unfavorable effects. Specific livestock related food policies will necessitate specific demand for each country. Promoting sustainable diets will help to reduce food loss and waste reduction. Climate-smart practices and technologies such as close-house production system, zero-waste farming, effective microorganism technology, and biogas, among others, may alleviate effects of climate change. Government incentives can be offered to farmers employing green technology and sustainable farming practices. Approaches towards disease prevention, control, and elimination can be enhanced through surveillance and early warning systems, enhancing livestock vaccinations, and strengthening farm biosecurity. Alternatives to antibiotics such as feed enzymes, probiotics, and prebiotics can be promoted to mitigate the effects of antimicrobial resistance. Additionally, animal welfare practices throughout the farm supply chain such as regulation on humane slaughter, stocking density and transport should be incorporated.

Over the past years, methane production from dairy cattle gained a significant attraction because of its contribution to climate change and loss of dietary energy from the animals. This was the first study to compare methane emission between high milk yielding (HL) and mastitis resistance (FL) lines of Norwegian Red cows, in level and development through lactation, as a result of indirect selection for milk yield and mastitis resistance. The study also focussed on estimating the effects of genetic group, parity, lactation stage and calving season on methane emission. The data consisted of 5,012 observations of methane production measured with Greenfeed system from a herd of 47 Norwegian Red cows at the Center for Animal Experiments, NMBU. The data were analyzed using R software and least square means were calculated for methane production. The average methane production was 441g/d ranging from 115g/d to 497g/d. Overall, the average methane production was higher for HL than FL. The analysis of methane production showed that genetic group, lactation number, calving month- year, lactation week and group * lactation number all had a significant effect (p-value <0.005). The difference in methane production between two groups was significant, indicating that indirect selection for high milk yield or mastitis resistance affects the methane production. The pairwise differences showed non-significant differences between the lactation weeks except for week 11. Cows in lactation number 2 produced the highest methane (461g/d), and those in lactation 1 emitted the least amount (400g/d). There was a significant difference in methane emissions between lactation 1 and 2, and lactation 1 and 3 (p-value < 0.0001), however the difference was insignificant between lactation 2 and 3 (p-value: 0.4146). Cows calving in autumn months (September to November) produced more methane than those in winter months (December and January). There was a statistically significant difference between autumn months and winter months (p-value <0.05), however within months difference was insignificant (p-value >0.05). The study identified that selection for mastitis resistance or milk yield provides basis for indirect selection for methane reduction, however, further experiments with large dataset are required for building a solid conclusion.

In the arid and semi-arid zones of Mexico, during the rainy months (June to October) and until January, due to residual humidity, there is an abundance of forage plants. From February to June there is an intense dry season that limits the good development of the animals. In the Mixtec region of Mexico, we have separately used multinutritional blocks of columnar cactus fruits (Stenocereus griseus L. and Escontria chiotilla L) and mezquite pods (Prosopis laevigata) in the sustainable feeding of goats. The results indicate that the greater consumption of BMN and the weight gain were attributable to the treatment (T3), with an amount of 0.350 ± Kg per day for consumption of MNB and with a weight gain of 0.267 ± 0.024 Kg per day. Regarding the costs of the total blocks consumed, the highest was $ 2.5 USD. Body condition was better reflected in all treatments compared to the control. We also have achieved the establishment of an experimental plot in the form of a protein bank with three species: Prosopis laevigata (mezquite), Acasia farnesiana (huizache)and Acasia cochliacanta (cubata). At 344 days of growth, huizache recorded the longest stem length (60.97 cm), root (60.63 cm) and number of shoots (221.89) compared to cubata (58.16 cm, 43.7 cm and 181.78 respectively). Because mesquite plants were predated by herbivores in the area, it is difficult to make statements regarding the size and number of sprouts, however, the root length is similar to that of the huizache (51.75 cm). Additionally, a hydroponic green forage (HGF) production was obtained and used with laying hens. With theses, 90% of egg laying was achieved in the 31st weeek using 25% of HGF in substitution of concentrate. These three strategies can be of complementary use for a strategic and sustainable production that improves ruminant production in arid and semi-arid zones of Mexico.