Search Results (2,764)

Mountain pastoralism in the Pyrenees has undergone profound transformations in recent decades, driven by socio-economic change, rural depopulation, and the adoption of new technologies. This study examines the evolution of shepherding practices in the Jacetania region of the Western Spanish Pyrenees, with a focus on the interplay between technological innovation and the preservation of traditional ecological knowledge (TEK), which includes a detailed understanding of pasture dynamics, animal behavior, and environmental conditions that guide grazing management. Drawing on interviews with experienced shepherds, and participant observation, we compared historical management of the Collarada mountain pasture—previously under continuous human supervision—with its current use under free-grazing conditions monitored via GPS. The results show a shift from continuous human oversight to technology-assisted management, with reduced labor demands, while traditional ecological knowledge remains essential for effective grazing decisions and adaptation to environmental conditions. We argue that combining modern technologies with the experiential knowledge of pastoralists offers the best pathway toward sustaining both the ecological integrity of high-altitude landscapes and the cultural continuity of pastoral traditions. These findings have the potential to generate broader impacts beyond the study area, contributing to improved ecosystem management, supporting rural livelihoods, and informing policy frameworks aimed at sustaining mountain pastoral systems. Full article

Hyperspectral airborne data combined with machine learning has proven effective for characterizing plant nutritional quality. However, terrain, viewing geometry, and illumination can distort spectral signatures, leading to biased models with limited generalizability for large-scale mapping across farms with a heterogeneous landscape. In this study, we developed a framework for mapping pasture quality using airborne hyperspectral imaging while explicitly accounting for in-field acquisition and environmental effects. Nitrogen content (N%) and metabolizable energy (ME) were used as reference indicators across four hill country farms in New Zealand with contrasting environmental and management conditions. Ground truth was obtained using standard laboratory wet chemistry methods and paired with AisaFENIX airborne hyperspectral data, resulting in 1610 spectral samples derived from 161 spatially independent ground plots. Gaussian Process Regression (GPR) and a one-dimensional convolutional neural network (1D-CNN) were trained and evaluated on an independent test dataset. Both models achieved strong predictive performance (R² > 0.8); however, GPR provided more reliable estimates through predictive uncertainty. Using a 95% confidence interval threshold to mask uncertain predictions increased overall performance (R² > 0.9) and consequently improved the reliability of the mapped outputs. This approach enables spatially explicit pasture nutrient assessment to support precision land management for carbon and nitrogen. Full article

The livestock sector underpins food security, employment, and rural livelihoods across the Southern African Development Community (SADC), contributing up to 50% of agricultural GDP and supporting more than 60% of rural households. Yet climate change poses escalating threats through heat stress, declining pasture productivity, water scarcity, and vector-borne diseases that compromise productivity and economic resilience. This review identifies and locates effective climate change mitigation strategies along the livestock value chain, spanning production, processing, transport, and consumption, to promote sustainable, low-emission, and inclusive growth in the SADC region. A broad review of 46 peer-reviewed and institutional sources (2000–2024) was undertaken, focusing on livestock-related mitigation within SADC and comparable agro-ecological systems. Strategies were thematically categorized by value-chain stage and assessed for their emission-reduction and livelihood-enhancement potential. Local strategies include genetic improvement for low-methane and heat-tolerant breeds, adaptive rangeland and feed management, renewable-energy adoption in processing, climate-resilient transport infrastructure, and consumer awareness of low-emission products. Evidence suggests potential GHG-emission reductions of 18–30%, coupled with productivity gains and improved smallholder incomes. Coordinated implementation through the SADC Regional Agricultural Investment Plan (2021–2030) and national policies can transform the livestock sector into a climate-resilient driver of inclusive growth. Further research should quantify the socioeconomic feasibility and scaling potential of these strategies across production systems. Successful integration of climate change mitigation imperatives must be tailored to local biophysical conditions (e.g., rainfall, soil type) and socioeconomic contexts (e.g., market access, cultural practices). Full article

Local chicken breeds are increasingly being reconsidered as a means to produce distinctive meat in non-conventional systems while also supporting the conservation of endangered genetic resources. This study compared Banat Naked Neck (BNN) and Svrljig hen (SH), two Serbian indigenous breeds, reared under identical pasture-based conditions and slaughtered at 12 or 14 weeks. Carcass traits, including linear measurements and carcass composition, were evaluated in 40 males (10 per breed per age), while breast and thigh-with-drumstick meat quality (proximate composition and fatty acid profile) was analysed in 80 samples (10 per tissue per group). Data were analysed using two-way ANOVA, and multivariate patterns were explored using PCA and residual Spearman correlation analysis. BNN and SH showed similar slaughter weights, whereas slaughter at 14 weeks increased carcass conformation measures and conformation indices (p < 0.05). Breed differences were most evident in carcass part distribution and tissue partitioning within cuts: BNN had a higher breast proportion and breast meat yield, whereas SH meat was leaner and thigh with drumstick meat showed higher Σn − 3 and a more favourable Σn − 6/Σn − 3 ratio. PCA indicated clearer breed separation in thigh meat than in breast meat, consistent with the univariate lipid results, and residual correlations highlighted expected allocation trade-offs among carcass and cut components. Overall, slaughter at 14 weeks improved carcass value, and both breeds offer complementary traits for market-oriented conservation through use. Full article

Pasture-based farming systems remain understudied as a source of antibiotic-resistant bacteria and antagonistic yeasts under low-input management. In this study, soil, feed, and freshwater samples from Lithuanian farms were analyzed to characterize resistance phenotypes and inhibitory interactions among cultivable microorganisms. Bacterial and yeast isolates, representing 14 and 9 genera, respectively, were identified using molecular methods. Bacterial isolates recovered under antibiotic-selective conditions exhibited resistance to at least one of four antibiotics (ampicillin, streptomycin, tetracycline, chloramphenicol), with 41% showing multidrug resistance and the highest frequencies observed for ampicillin (59%) and streptomycin (48%). Microbial distribution was habitat-specific, with soil containing the highest diversity of antibiotic-resistant bacteria and feed samples harboring the greatest abundance of yeasts. Functional assays demonstrated consistent antagonistic activity of several Wickerhamomyces anomalus strains against susceptible yeasts and antibiotic-resistant Bacillus spp. These findings highlight the coexistence of resistance and antagonistic traits in pasture-associated microbiota and suggest their potential interaction under controlled conditions. Full article

Pasture plants can contribute to ruminant nutrition and may, depending on composition, influence rumen fermentation and methane production. This study evaluated the nutritional composition, bioactive compounds, and methane production potential of 32 terrestrial plant species commonly foraged by goats in Malta. Dried plant samples were analysed for proximate composition using near-infrared spectroscopy, total polyphenols using the Folin–Ciocalteu assay, antioxidant activity using the DPPH assay, and methane production using an in vitro rumen fermentation system incubated for 48 h, with rumen fluid pooled from three goats (analyses performed in triplicate). Crude protein ranged from 1.16 to 31.97% DM, neutral detergent fibre from 12.29 to 48.89%, and ash from 9.69 to 17.20% across species. Total polyphenolic content varied from 0.07 to 1.30% (w/w), while antioxidant activity (IC₅₀) ranged from 0.37 to 55.9 mg/mL. Methane production after 48 h ranged from 30.39 to 198.26 L CH₄ kg⁻¹, indicating variation in fermentation characteristics among species. These results indicate that Rumex bucephalophorus and Urtica pilulifera demonstrated relatively high protein or bioactive values and comparatively lower in vitro methane-related parameters under the conditions tested. Full article

Across Africa, drought seldom occurs alone. Rainfall deficits often coincide with heat, rapid soil moisture loss and reduced streamflow, producing compound events whose impacts exceed those of any single driver. This review synthesises station observations, satellite and reanalysis products, and climate model simulations to clarify where such events are most common, how they form, how they affect societies and ecosystems, and how risks are changing. A practical tiered definition tailored to African conditions is outlined and applied to identify five recurrent hotspots: the Sahel, the Greater Horn of Africa, southern Africa, the margins of the Congo Basin and the Guinea Coast. The review sets out a physically consistent sequence that links basin-scale sea surface temperature anomalies to shifts in monsoon circulation, and then to land processes that amplify and prolong heat and dryness through reduced evapotranspiration and soil-moisture memory. Documented impacts include lower crop and pasture productivity, pressure on rivers, reservoirs and groundwater, stress on hydropower and wider consequences for food and energy security. Compound drought frequency across these hotspots has risen by 18–55% since 1980, with the probability of the most severe events roughly doubling at 1.5 °C of global warming and tripling at 3 °C. The review highlights near-term priorities, including compound-aware monitoring, sub-seasonal-to-seasonal early warning and conjunctive water management. Full article

Ecotypic variation in tall fescue (Lolium arundinaceum (Schreb.) Darbysh.), with differences in phenology, may affect the performance of mixtures with alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.). However, the effects of ecotypic variation within mixtures remain largely unexplored. The aim of this study was to evaluate the aerial dry matter (ADM) production and radiation model components of alfalfa–tall fescue mixtures, with particular emphasis on their implications for radiation interception and radiation use efficiency (RUE) at the canopy level. We evaluated from March 2017 to May 2018 in the Pampas (Argentina) monocultures of alfalfa and tall fescue Mediterranean and Continental ecotypes, and their mixtures with a sowing ratio 1:1 under frequent defoliation without fertilization. ADM was higher in alfalfa monoculture and mixture with the Mediterranean ecotype than the mixture with the Continental ecotype (+20%; 3225 kg ha⁻¹). Alfalfa monoculture exhibited the highest radiation interception, whereas the mixture with the Mediterranean ecotype compensated for reduced interception through increased RUE (≈10%). The Continental mixture exhibited lower interception indicating stronger interspecific competition. Tall fescue monocultures were the least productive due to low interception and RUE. These findings highlight the potential of Mediterranean tall fescue ecotype and the importance of species/ecotype selection for grassland productivity. Full article

Melissopalynological analysis (the microscopic examination of pollen in honey) provides valuable information regarding both the geographic and botanical origins of honey. This study aims to verify the authenticity of different types of honey by assessing their claimed floral sources and, indirectly, locations. Twelve samples of various botanical origins were collected: from Romania (linden, black locust, rapeseed, hawthorn, mint, thyme, multifloral, pasture, manna), New Zealand (Manuka honey), Spain (chestnut honey), and Malaysia (Tualang honey). In the study, 16 botanical families were identified across the 12 types of honey analyzed. The frequency of botanical families shows that Fabaceae, Asteraceae, and Brassicaceae are the most widespread. A moderate frequency was observed for Apiaceae, Lamiaceae, and Poaceae. Other families had a lower distribution, such as Myrtaceae and Ericaceae. Rapeseed honey was the most abundant monofloral honey type based on species level pollen dominance (96.86%), followed by chestnut honey (94.17%) and linden honey (84.45%). Meanwhile, thyme honey (52.84%) and mint honey (51.1%) had a specific pollen abundance just over 50% at the family level (Lamiaceae). Full article

The objective of this study was to assess the contribution of oat (Avena sativa L.) and common vetch (Vicia sativa) hay supplementation as a forage-based strategy to improve the environmental and productive performance of grazing systems in the high Andean zone through its effects on enteric methane (CH₄) emissions and live weight gain. Twenty heifers grazed native grasses, and only half of the group received the supplement. The experiment was conducted as a crossover design. Methane emissions were quantified through sulfur hexafluoride methodology. Native pastures were characterized by low protein content, while lignin was lower in the oat hay plus common vetch hay than in the native grass mixture. On average, heifers consumed 7 kg dry matter per day (p ≥ 0.05) and ingested 24% more crude protein when supplemented (p = 0.0001). Digestible and metabolizable energy intakes were also significantly higher in supplemented animals (p ≤ 0.05). Live weight change was positive for supplemented animals (245 g/d). Net CH₄ production ranged from 179.6 to 196.3 g/d (p = 0.183). However, when CH₄ emissions were expressed relative to crude protein or acid detergent lignin intake, supplemented diets were found to emit less than native grass-based diets (p ≤ 0.05). These results suggest that supplementation with oat hay plus vetch is a feeding alternative for heifers during the dry season in the Peruvian Andean region to increase animal productivity without affecting CH₄ emissions. Full article

Protective behavior in dairy cattle is one of the important potential indicators of their health and welfare status, and the precise detection of this behavior is of great significance for improving pasture management. However, existing methods face challenges, including capturing rapid motions, excessive background interference, and sample imbalance in complex agricultural environments. In response to these challenges, we proposed a Multi-Stage Attention SlowFast (MSA-SlowFast) model based on the improved SlowFast network to explore the model’s ability to distinguish between normal and protective behavior of dairy cattle. It achieves performance improvement through three core modules: the Multi-Path Balanced Head (MPBHead) for alleviating category imbalance, the Spatio-Temporal Convolutional Block Attention Module (ST-CBAM) for enhancing key feature extraction, and the 7 (BAF) for promoting multi-path feature complementarity. Additionally, we proposed novel timing-aware oversampling methods and dynamic loss adjustment mechanisms to further improve the detection performance of minority-class protective behaviors. Finally, a spatio-temporal-oriented dairy cattle protective behaviors dataset is constructed. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed MSA-SlowFast model achieves 79.41% mAP, surpassing the standard SlowFast (70.58%) and Slow-only (68.21%). Further validation shows that the model exhibits high detection confidence in four specific actions labeled as protective behavior: 0.97 for tail swaying, 0.90 for head shaking, 0.92 for ear flapping, and 0.90 for leg kicking. These preliminary results show that the method proposed in this study has certain feasibility and reference value for the detection of protective behavior of dairy cattle under our constructed dataset. Full article

Understanding how land management influences soil carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) dynamics is critical for improving ecosystem resilience and carbon sequestration potential in semiarid rangelands. This study used classical field- and laboratory-based methods to assess soil organic carbon (SOC), organic matter (OM), and N content at 13 sites across four ecological provinces in eastern Oregon, USA. Treated sites—where traditional rangeland restoration and management practices had been applied to them (i.e., juniper removal, sagebrush removal, post-fire grass seeding, and land conversion to pasture)—were paired with adjacent untreated control sites. Soil samples were collected at two depths, 0 to 10 cm and 15 to 25 cm and analyzed for C, N, OM, bulk density (BD), soil volumetric water content (SVWC), porosity, and texture. Soil C and N stocks were calculated on an area basis (t ha⁻¹), and statistical analyses were conducted using one-way ANOVA and correlation tests. Treated sites generally exhibited higher soil C, N, and OM content compared to untreated sites, particularly in the upper 10 cm of soil. Data obtained from the two soil depths (0 to 10 cm and 15 to 25 cm) were averaged and assumed to represent the top 30 cm of the soil profile, corresponding to the effective rooting zone at each field. The site where sagebrush removal was followed by grass seeding exhibited the highest soil C and N stocks (115.8 t C ha⁻¹ and 9.2 t N ha⁻¹, respectively). This site also had the highest OM content (9.53%), which was observed in the topsoil layer (0 to 10 cm) across all sites and depths. Strong positive correlations between C and N were detected across all sites (mean r = 0.92), while negative correlations were observed between soil C and bulk density at several locations. Results suggest that vegetation management practices such as woody plant removal and grass establishment can enhance soil C storage and nutrient retention in semiarid rangeland ecosystems. These findings provide baseline data to inform land management strategies aimed at improving soil health and carbon sequestration potential in the Pacific Northwest region in the USA. Full article

Intercropping systems involving sorghum, grasses, and legumes can enhance forage production and improve sustainability under no-tillage systems. In the context of agricultural systems, the effective selection of rotational species is essential, as they contribute to soil system dynamics and provide feed for livestock. In this study, the dry matter production of grain sorghum (GS: cultivar A 9902), forage sorghum (FS: cultivar Volumax), and dual-purpose sorghum (DPS: cultivar Rancheiro) intercropped with Urochloa brizantha and dwarf pigeon pea was evaluated at five sowing densities (0 to 24 seeds m⁻¹) over two growing seasons (2018 and 2019), conducted in a randomized complete block design under autumn growing conditions. Biometric and productive traits of sorghum were assessed, as well as the dry matter production of the companion species, in order to understand interspecific interactions within the system. Sorghum dry matter yield was not affected by pigeon pea density, indicating high stability of the main crop. Grain sorghum (GS) and forage sorghum (FS) showed higher production in the first season (20,428 and 18,210 kg ha⁻¹, respectively), whereas dual-purpose sorghum (DPS) performed best in the second season (25,388 kg ha⁻¹). GS exhibited the highest panicle production, exceeding the other cultivars by up to 55%. Increasing pigeon pea density enhanced its biomass production but reduced Urochloa production by up to 50%; however, Urochloa showed better performance when intercropped with GS and FS. Sorghum morphological traits were not affected, and overall, the intercropping system maintained sorghum productivity while increasing total biomass, demonstrating potential for silage production and pasture establishment. Full article

Raw milk dairy products, an integral part of Italian food heritage, are the primary products of small-scale farms in mountain regions where pasture is seasonal. While raw milk dairy products offer potential health benefits, their physicochemical properties make them susceptible to foodborne pathogens. Long-term surveillance of these products is essential to safeguard consumer health. Here, we present a fourteen-year microbiological surveillance of raw milk dairy products and intermediate matrices from northeastern Italy’s alpine areas, analyzing coagulase-positive Staphylococci (CPS), β-glucuronidase-positive Escherichia coli, Listeria monocytogenes, and Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC). The most frequently detected pathogens were CPS and β-glucuronidase-positive E. coli, with up to 19.6% and 51.7% of samples exceeding regulatory limits, respectively. Butter, curd, and fresh cream were the most contaminated matrices. Detection rates of staphylococcal enterotoxins, L. monocytogenes, and STEC aligned with European detection averages (6.7%, 2.6%, and 2.1%, respectively). These findings underscore the necessity of Good Hygiene and Management Practices, together with regular microbiological monitoring to mitigate contamination risks, supporting the safety and quality of traditional raw milk dairy products in alpine regions. Full article

Plantago lanceolata L. is increasingly incorporated in temperate pasture systems for its agronomic resilience and potential to reduce the environmental footprint of ruminant production through its specific secondary metabolites (SMs). However, how light intensity per se regulates P. lanceolata L. physiology, nutritive value and SM accumulation remains poorly understood due to confounding factors in field studies. This controlled-environment study evaluated the effects of three light intensities (200, 300, and 400 µmol photons m⁻² s⁻¹) on morphophysiological traits, forage quality, and SM concentrations in P. lanceolata L. cv. “Ceres Tonic”. Plants were grown in controlled-environment chambers under similar temperature, humidity and nutrient conditions. Morphological traits, biomass allocation, chlorophyll fluorescence, gas exchange, chemical composition, and root architecture were measured. Additionally, the most important secondary metabolites, aucubin, catalpol and acteoside, were also evaluated. Under the different light intensity treatments plants maintained stable physiological parameters, total biomass production, leaf dimensions or root architecture. However, moderate light intensity (300 µmol photons m⁻² s⁻¹) optimized nutritive value by minimizing fiber concentrations and maximizing metabolizable energy. Acteoside concentration, as well as the iridoid glycosides aucubin and catalpol, were not affected by the different light intensities. These findings demonstrate that P. lanceolata L. maintains morphophysiological stability across the tested light intensity range studied, while selectively modulating forage quality. Full article