Livestock Nutrition: Pasture System and Forage Conservation

Dear Colleagues,

The conservation of ecosystems linked to livestock systems, feed choices and feeding strategies is of primary importance, and it is threatened by the intensification of land use and the lack of adaptability of agriculture to changing environmental conditions. The spatial and temporal variation of grasslands, pastures and forage is linked to numerous direct factors, such as species composition and variety, abundance, phenological phase and growth stage, availability of soil resources, management practices and conservation techniques. In the longer term, indirect factors such as climate change can also affect crop and forage resources, influencing the variability of grasslands and forage production, with implications on growing season length and the ripening of species, but also on species yield and distribution.

Nutrition and animal feed quality, on the other hand, highly affect the quality of animal products, while other factors such genetic, physiological, welfare and environmental conditions have a crucial impact. In this context, nutritional assessments of feeds are a prerequisite for a qualitative and quantitative approach to livestock production systems.

This Special Issue focuses on, but is not limited to, the nutritional evaluation of pastures and forage, the development of innovative feed conservation techniques, alternative or sustainable feeds, as well as precision farming systems and the study of feeding behavior. New feeding approaches with beneficial effects on animal products, as well as environmentally friendly and low-environmental-impact feeding solutions are also welcome.

Dr. Silva Parrini
Dr. Ioanna Poulopoulou
Dr. Maria Sitzia
Guest Editors

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