Innovations in Sustainable Yak Production: Genetics, Nutrition, Health and Highland Pastoral Systems

Dear Colleagues,

The yak (Bos grunniens) is an iconic species that is uniquely adapted to high-altitude environments and serves as an irreplaceable resource for the livelihoods, culture, and food security of pastoral communities across the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau and adjacent regions. However, yak production systems are increasingly challenged by rangeland degradation, climate variability, breed degeneration, and the need for improved productivity and product quality. Addressing these multifaceted challenges requires an integrated understanding of genetics, nutrition, health, and management tailored to the specific eco-physiological characteristics of the yak.

This Topic aims to provide a comprehensive platform for the latest scientific advances that promote sustainable and efficient yak production. We invite the submission of original research articles and in-depth reviews that contribute novel insights across the entire spectrum of yak science. Areas of particular interest include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Yak breeding and reproduction: Characterization of yak germplasm resources, including genetic diversity and unique adaptive traits; and application of genomic selection, molecular markers, and assisted reproductive technologies to enhance fertility, adaptability, and production traits.
• Nutrition and gut microbiota in yak: Studies on nutrient utilization and metabolism, novel feed resources, gut microbial ecology and microbiomics, and nutritional strategies to improve feed efficiency and meat/milk production, and mitigate greenhouse gas emissions.
• Disease and health management: Epidemiology, pathogenesis, and innovative interventions targeting infectious and metabolic diseases that impact yak health and welfare.
• Meat and milk production and quality regulation: Molecular and physiological mechanisms governing the production, composition, and nutrient deposition of yak meat and milk; and lactation physiology, mammary health and metabolism, milk quality and processing in yak.
• Climate-smart and sustainable yak production systems for highland pastoralism: Exploration of innovative technologies and integrated management strategies to enhance the sustainability, resilience, and efficiency of yak production in high-altitude pastoral ecosystems under changing climatic and socio-economic conditions.

By fostering interdisciplinary dialogue among geneticists, nutritionists, veterinarians, and grassland ecosystem scientists, this Topic seeks to bridge fundamental research and practical applications, ultimately contributing to a more robust, healthy, and sustainable yak industry in highland ecosystems.

Dr. Xiangfei Zhang
Dr. Xiaoping Jing
Topic Editors