In a future editorial, I will be addressing some of the challenges of peer-review in considerable detail, but for now I want to make some comments on how authors can respond to decision letters to make the process as quick, effective, and painless as possible.…
Traversing a time marked by frequent revisionist intentions, the revaluation of findings, and the high speed of information suggested by modern algorithms, we recognise the real need to incorporate different approaches into the strong bioenvironmental system, shaped by the fundamental interaction between cattle–environment–humans, with branches leading towards strategic aspects of today, such as: the production of animal-based protein, the rational use of sensitive environmental systems, animal welfare, traditional socio-economic sectors, alongside the powerful tools of artificial intelligence, inferential statistics, and mathematical equations.
Across Ireland’s arable area, a large proportion of winter wheat and other combinable crops are still established using plough-based systems – a practice developed millennia ago. Ploughing involves inverting the soil to create a fine seedbed that supports crop germination and growth.
For centuries life in the interior ranches of Baja California Sur has been lived in a close rhythm with the land.…
The paper “The effect of abomasal infusion of corn starch and β-hydroxybutyrate on hindgut microbial fermentation kinetics in early lactating dairy cows measured by the in vitro gas production technique“, published in The Journal of Agricultural Science, has been chosen as the latest Editorial Highlight and is freely available.…
Genetic advances have made it possible for commercial laying hen lines to remainlonger in production. However, after peak production, due to a series of physiological and hormonal changes with age, there will naturally be a decline in performance and egg quality.
Could an overlooked dairy by-product hold the key to more efficient poultry production? Our recent study, selected as Paper of the Month by The Journal of Agricultural Science, explored this very question using a model-based meta-analytic approach.
Elephant grass [Cenchrus purpureus (Schum.) Morrone] is an outstanding forage crop widely used in tropical regions due to its high biomass yield and climatic adaptability. However, considerable variability exists among cultivars, making it essential to understand how the management of genotypes with differing in stem elongation potential can impact forage accumulation and quality for ruminants
Corn (Zea mays L.) is one of the world’s most vital crops, supporting food security, livestock feed, and biofuel industries. Since 1960, the global corn harvested area has undergone significant transformations driven by technological advances, economic shifts, and environmental constraints. In our recent study, Global Corn Area from 1960 to 2030: Patterns, Trends, and Implications, we analyzed over 60 years of data and used 1,000 ARIMA models to project future trends, providing critical insights for policymakers, researchers, and the agricultural sector.
Grazing pasture provides a highly nutritious, low cost feed and energy supply for ruminant animals, while also converting a human inedible feed source into a human edible feed source in the form of meat and dairy products. However, to efficiently convert the pasture into animal products requires optimal management practices in pasture based production systems. Two of the fundamental requirements for pasture based systems, are rotational grazing and optimal roadway networks for animal movement on the farm.
Milk is often viewed simply as a source of nutrition, but it is also a biologically active fluid that reflects the health of the cow producing it.…
As the global energy crisis intensifies and non-renewable resources, particularly fossil fuels, approach depletion, sustainable alternatives are gaining global prominence. Biogas plants offer numerous advantages, making them a sustainable and eco-friendly solution for energy generation and highlighting the importance of waste management.
As the world copes with the impacts of climate change, sustainable agriculture and resilient crops are more important than ever. Enter Onobrychis viciifolia (commonly known as sainfoin), a versatile forage legume that could be a game-changer for ecosystems and agriculture in the face of rising temperatures and unpredictable weather patterns.
A recent study by Leticia G. Gasparotto and colleagues from the University of São Paulo explores how Brazil's agricultural advancements can help close this yield gap in SSA. The yield gap refers to the difference between the potential yield under ideal conditions and the actual yield achieved by farmers. In Brazil, the yield gap for maize is about 50% of its water-limited yield potential. In SSA, this gap is much larger, with actual yields representing only about 9% of the potential.
In the last few years, the interest for the development of feed additives has significantly increased, with the essential oils emerging as a promising alternative for the substitution of antibiotics in animal production. The interest in the search for alternatives to antibiotics in poultry production has been increasing, especially with the focus on essential oils due to their remarkable bioactive properties. This interest is based on the biological properties of the essential oils, such as antimicrobial, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory activities.
The contemporary broiler chicken exhibits an impressive growth rate and robust constitution under commercial production systems resulting in an economical and high quality protein source. Broiler chickens are selectively bred to produce an animal which displays predictable growth performance and hence a high level of flock uniformity.
December 5th is World Soil Day. Recommended by the International Union of Soil Sciences in 2002, the establishment of World Soil Day was led by the Kingdom of Thailand as part of the Global Soil Partnership—it was formally adopted by the UN General Assembly after endorsement by the FAO in December 2013.…
To recognize World Toilet Day, Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems is featuring a series of four articles reviewing the use of human waste in agriculture. They investigate what drives growers to use human waste as a fertilizer supplement, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa, along with the potential benefits and risks of such use. One study also looks at US growers’ perceptions of recycled water and municipally treated wastewater, including how different understandings impact risk and willingness of use.
October 16th is World Food Day, commemorating the 1945 founding of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). The Day also aims to raise awareness around the foundational issues impacting poverty and hunger around the world.…
September 29th is designated as the International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste by the United Nations General Assembly and is co-convened by the Food and Agriculture Organization and the United Nations Environment Program.…
Friday, August 9th was designated as the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples in December of 1994 by the UN General Assembly resolution 49/214.…
The intensification of production systems has become essential, as the profit margin in beef cattle farming has been steadily decreasing, requiring producers to be more efficient in conducting their livestock projects.
Winter wheat is one of the most important crops in Germany and worldwide. As such, it is grown after various preceding crops (pre-crops) in a large number of possible crop rotations. It is well known that growing wheat after wheat causes yield losses compared to growing wheat after beneficial break-crops.
Monday, May 20th is World Bee Day. Designated by the United Nations in 2017, World Bee Day recognizes the urgent need to protect bees and other pollinators in support of innovative, coordinated, and environmentally sound sustainable development. Bees and other pollinators provide key services in sustainable agriculture systems that support human livelihoods, nutrition, and food security.
Two pioneering 10-day in vitro experiments were conducted to explore the correlation between nitrogen (N) isotope discrimination (δ15N) and NH3 emissions from sheep manure.
Australia has productive and profitable farming systems that contribute significantly to globally traded staple grains and global food security.
Global food production needs to increase in the coming years with minimal environmental impact for food and nutritional security.
The increasing use of the in vitro gas production technique has created a greater scope for testing animal feeds. The rationale for this paper was the additional requirement of researchers in the field of feed evaluation to compare substrate treatment significance.
Lactation, a minority period (15-19%) of the sow's productive cycle, is a period of maximum digestive and metabolic demand since in a few days (two weeks at most) the sow multiplies its production level by three.
Climate change is a big concern for wheat crop in Australia. We look at the relationship between weather parameters and grain number, yield and protein content.
This study analyzed how nitrogen rates and harvest management might optimize the quality and productivity of hayfields crabgrass varieties.
Why look at changes in crop and livestock practices in Vietnam? In mountainous Northwest Vietnam, the standard agricultural model since the decollectivization has been mixed crop–livestock family farms
An assessment of adaptation measures for wheat cultivation as a result of the effects of climate change in Punjab, India.
We studied the interaction between cotton cultivars and planting dates on yield to provide a model that eases the choice of the best cultivar for late planting.
Farm homegrown forage produced is the cheapest feed that can be offered to the animals on a pasture based grazing systems.
One of the most important decisions for beef farmers is whether to house or graze their cattle. This choice has implications for resource management, economics, the environment, and, notably, animal health and welfare - which we investigated in this study
The efficiency of sheep production systems depends on a high survival rate of the lambs. Sheep farming holds economic and sociocultural importance in semi-arid regions worldwide.
The poor documentation of knowledge on seed improvement through seed enhancement, genetic diversity, seed characterization via microsatellite markers, seeds quality and conservation indicated that seed quality is one of the main factors limiting underutilized crop production.
The paper “Effect of pre-grazing herbage mass and post-grazing sward height on herbage production and intake and performance of suckler-bred steers within a weanling-to-beef production system“, published in The Journal of Agricultural Science, has been chosen as the latest Editorial Highlight and is freely available to download for one month.…
The paper “Can a urease inhibitor improve the efficacy of nitrogen use under perennial ryegrass temperate grazing conditions? A multi-site study of N use in a temperate climate“, published in The Journal of Agricultural Science, has been chosen as the latest Editorial Highlight and is available Open Access.…
The paper “Organic system vs. conventional – a Bayesian analysis of Polish potato post-registration trials“, published in The Journal of Agricultural Science, has been chosen as the latest Editorial Highlight and is freely available to download for one month. …
The open access paper “Contribution of coffee plants to carbon sequestration in agroforestry systems of Southwestern Ethiopia“, published in The Journal of Agricultural Science, has been chosen as the latest Editorial Highlight and is freely available to download.…
Eggshell quality has been a major economic concern to egg producers as it could be reason for serious economic losses. Eggshell has different functions such as protecting against physical damage and pathogens coming from the external environment and providing nutrients necessary for embryonic development, especially calcium.
The paper “Composting from organic municipal solid waste: a sustainable tool for the environment and to improve grape quality”, published in The Journal of Agricultural Science, has been chosen as the latest Editorial Highlight.…
Okra, is an important vegetable crop worldwide. The high nutritional attributes attract customer for a preferred food that assured sound health. But the rising concern of insect incidence facilitated by environmental factor put worries to million of farmers across the globe.
The paper “Linking maize yields in Veneto Italy, to large-scale atmospheric variability, circulation regimes and weather types“, published in The Journal of Agricultural Science, has been chosen as the latest Editorial Highlight and is freely available to download for one month. …
The paper “Aerobic ammonia removal with heterotrophic nitrification and denitrification of Alcaligenes faecalis strain No.4 to mitigate nitrogenous pollution caused by piggery wastewater: a feasibility study”, published in The Journal of Agricultural Science, has been chosen as the latest Editorial Highlight and is freely available to download for one month.…
The benefits of data sharing and improved data access are widely acknowledged, potentially resulting in significant increases in global GDP. In practice, however, data owners are, for obvious reasons, often reluctant to share their data, especially if it has not yet been published.
This paper evaluates the influence of heat and drought stress on the technical efficiency and economic downside risk of dairy cow farms in 22 EU countries over the period 2007-2013.
Breeders estimate genetic gains over time to assess progress made for characteristics being improved through crossing, testing and selection in the target population of environments. Knowing and understanding the genetic gain rates helps on measuring the previous work and to fine-tune the strategy for crop betterment.
Germination/emergence assays are relatively easy to perform, by following clear and standardised procedures. Most often, we take samples of seeds and we put them in Petri dishes/boxes/pots in some selected conditions (relating to, e.g., humidity content, light and temperature). We inspect those containers according to a tight schedule (e.g., daily) and, at each inspection, we count the number of germinated/emerged seeds and remove them from the containers.
The paper “Modelling the effects of stocking rate, soil type, agroclimate location climate and nitrogen input on the grass yield and forage self-sufficiency of Irish grass-based dairy production systems”, published in The Journal of Agricultural Science, has been chosen as the latest Editorial Highlight and is freely available to download for one month.…
The paper “Growth and yield estimation of banana through mathematical modelling: A systematic review”, published in The Journal of Agricultural Science, has been chosen as the latest Editorial Highlight and is freely available to download for one month. …
The use of artificial intelligence with sensing techniques for the management of insect pests and diseases in cotton
Herbicide-resistant crops are now commonplace throughout the U.S. and Canada. But are they friend or foe when it comes to the prevention and management of herbicide-resistant weeds?
The paper “Network analysis of tail-biting in pigs – the impact of missed biting events on centrality parameters”, published in The Journal of Agricultural Science, has been chosen as the latest Editorial Highlight and is freely available to download for one month.…
Green leaves serve as the main photosynthetic structures of crop plants, containing the majority of chlorophyll, the functional traits of which directly affect photo-assimilate production and grain yield.
Sward composition and management play a major role in the quantity and quality of herbage grown on farms in temperate regions. While best practices for both livestock grazing and ensiled forage production are well documented in this regard, less is known about the optimum composition and management of swards used in frequent cutting systems.
Due to their ability to perform cation exchange, zeolite applications were found in various industries, such as in the pharmaceutical industry, petrochemical industry.
Marine biotechnology, or blue biotechnology, harnesses the diversity of marine environments and organisms that generally have no equivalent on land. Despite the knowledge of many marine ecosystems, there are still many untapped resources that could serve as a basis for the development of new products and new processes.
When discussing how we should design our future-food systems we need to consider feed-food competition occurring in our livestock systems. Feed-food competition occurs when arable land, which could be used to produce human edible food from crops, is instead used to produce feed for livestock.
Why would farmers in the Global North take time to work on plant breeding when they are busy farming with access to markets and can buy seed of modern varieties in catalogs? The authors of the paper, “Exploring the emergence of participatory plant breeding in countries of the global North - a review”, set out to answer that question and discovered much more.
The gap between potential and actual soybean yield achieved by farmers in the Southern Africa region is high due to limited investments in inputs, poor agronomic management practices and lack of quality seeds for improved varieties.
Permanent grasslands in the Alpine region in Austria vary from intensively managed plant communities, with few numbers of species and up to six cuts per year, to species-rich communities that are used extensively, with local variations depending on soil type and drainage.
Silage – basically fermented grass – is used widely as a feed source for animals, preserving the pasture for livestock to eat later in the year when the natural pasture is not good and retaining more nutrients than turning it into hay.…
The latest Paper of the Month for Parasitology is ‘Prevalence of a nematode castrator of the carrot weevil and impact on fecundity and survival‘ by Annie-Ève Gagnon, Guy Boivin, Guy Bélair Not a day goes by without pesticides making news headlines.…
While there is a growing interest in the use of pea seeds and their constituents as food ingredients, delivering both novelty and health benefits, challenges remain for breeders in stabilising crop yields and in selecting efficiently for those seed traits that are linked to premium farmgate prices.
Brazil’s new president Bolsonaro and "ruralists" (large landholders and their representatives) have initiated a series of measures that we contend threaten Amazonia`s environment and traditional peoples, as well as global climate.
Journalists, China-watchers and academics have fiercely debated the legacy of China’s leaders, Hu Jintao and Wen Jiabao. Some see the Hu–Wen period (2002–2012) as a “golden era” of rapid growth, while others portray it as a “lost decade” for economic and political reform.…
In the Philippines, organic rice systems are proving to be more climate resilient than conventional rice systems. This is according to a Self-evaluation and Holistic Assessment of climate Resilience of farmers and Pastoralists (SHARP), a methodological tool developed by a team at the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization.…
There was a time when agriculture was widespread across all of Puerto Rico, and many of its citizens were in some way associated with agricultural labor.…
How do we create resilience in the agrifood system? With every new day we better understand the impact of humans on the environment, particularly our impact on the global climate.…
To many, the recent WTO Ministerial Conference in Buenos Aires (MC11) was a disappointment because there was a deadlock over the Doha Development Round.…
Researchers at the University of York working on a 700-year old abandoned agricultural site in Tanzania have shown that soil erosion benefitted farming practices for some 500 years. The study, published in Quaternary Research, shows that historical practices of capturing soils that were eroded from the hillside could be valuable to modern day farming techniques.
Scanning electron microscopic image of two spray hoses showing wear and possible adsorption sites for auxinic herbicides. See article by Cundiff et al.…
Researchers writing in the latest issue of the journal Weed Science provide important insights on the control of herbicide-resistant giant ragweed
The Weed Science Society of America (WSSA) and Cambridge University Press are pleased to announce the formation of a new publishing partnership beginning in January 2017.
Imagine two farms. Farm A produces 400 acres of cabbage and beans, which it has under contract to sell to a processor in the state.…
In this themed issue on urban agriculture, our article’s objective was to reveal some of the invisible spaces of food production in Chicago—on-lot and vacant lot home gardens.
Local food was once considered the purview of consumers and small-scale producers. Recently, policymakers, including those in cities, began embracing local food systems as a solution to a myriad of urban problems, including a lack of green space and access to healthy foods. As part of this shift, cities and other jurisdictions have embraced agricultural production in the urban environment
A new paper by scientists at Fauna & Flora International argues that protecting biodiversity could be key to keeping forests standing in the long term.…
Scientists have long recognized the dangers of cadmium (Cd) exposure to the human body. Now, an invited commentary, place this finding in the context of the growing epidemiology linking Cd exposure to adverse health outcomes, and conclude that consistent consumption of organic foods over a lifetime could be expected to favorably influence health and mortality risk.
Three articles have been selected as the animal Article of the Month for August. All three articles are taken from a special issue on Agroeclogy published in animal. The first is entitled 'Editorial: Agroecology for producing goods and services in sustainable animal farming systems'
In the largest study of its kind, an international team of experts led by Newcastle University, UK, has shown that organic crops and crop-based foods are up to 69% higher in a number of key antioxidants than conventionally-grown crops.
If significant climate change occurs in the United States it may be necessary to change where certain foods are produced in order to meet consumer demand.
In the chemical age of agriculture that began in the 1960s, potassium chloride (KCl), the common salt often referred to as potash, is widely used as a major fertilizer in the Corn Belt without regard to the huge soil reserves that were once recognized for their fundamental importance to soil fertility.…
Dr. Garth Youngberg and Suzanne DeMuth have made a fundamental contribution to the literature on organic and sustainable agriculture with the recently published first view article: ‘Organic Agriculture in the United States: A Thirty-Year Retrospective’.…
Q&A with Editor-in-Chief of the Precision Medicine Journal, Dame Anna Dominiczak, for International day of Women and Girls in Science
The English language contains a wealth of insults and terms of abuse. Personal insults attack the core and immutable aspects of a person, such as their race, ethnicity, appearance, age, or a disability.…
How long will humankind survive? Besides the fact that we have been able to eliminate ourselves with nuclear weapons for decades, even without a third world war, the challenge to take care of the resources of our planet remains; we need to use them in a way that our children and their children can have a place on Earth as well. In this blog post Andreas Losch discusses his recent review article in the International Journal of Astrobiology, The need of an ethics of planetary sustainability
Even though findings from genetics and other sciences unequivocally refute biological conceptions of race, this erroneous viewpoint remains widespread among the general public.…
Why understanding contemporary youth militancy demands history Al-Shabaab fighters patrolling Afgooye-Mogadishu road (2025) In civil war-era Somalia in the early 1990s, global media headlines about ‘stoned teenagers’ cruising Mogadishu on jeeps mounted with machine guns became synonymous with the construction of Somalia as a ‘chaotic African country’ in which one could be killed for nothing more than ‘the clothes on your back’ (New York Times, 1992).…
In January, my husband and I (Sam) took our six-year-old daughter to get a flu shot at a local pharmacy. As she became increasingly bored in the waiting room, she began to offer commentary, asking the closed door, “Doctor, when are you coming out?”…
Some disability-related names have dropped out of usage, because they are now considered to be offensive due to their origins. Down Syndrome (Trisomy 21) is one example.…
How long will humankind survive? Besides the fact that we have been able to eliminate ourselves with nuclear weapons for decades, even without a third world war, the challenge to take care of the resources of our planet remains; we need to use them in a way that our children and their children can have a place on Earth as well. In this blog post Andreas Losch discusses his recent review article in the International Journal of Astrobiology, The need of an ethics of planetary sustainability
It is an article of faith among ordinary Filipinos that American troops will die with Filipino troops defending Philippine claims to the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea (SCS).…
Q&A with Editor-in-Chief of the Precision Medicine Journal, Dame Anna Dominiczak, for International day of Women and Girls in Science
More and more research is finding inflammation as a potential contributing factor towards to the development of various mental illnesses. A systematic review was conducted to determine the association between parasitic infection and mental illnesses in various African populations. Two parasite groups were evaluated; helminths and protozoans, and four mental illness classifications; depressive disorders, anxiety disorders, schizotypal disorders and unspecified mental illnesses.
This is the first post in our new series: “Conversations with Authors.” For our inaugural post, we asked Dr. Vesla Weaver to meet (virtually) with Dr.…
The March article of Muses – the arts blog from BJPsych International is the first blog of the series. The blog is written by Dr Dami Ajayi, Specialty Doctor, Barnet Enfield and Haringey Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust and Trainee/Blog Editor, BJPsych International.…
The English language contains a wealth of insults and terms of abuse. Personal insults attack the core and immutable aspects of a person, such as their race, ethnicity, appearance, age, or a disability.…
Listen to @BBCRadio4's Start the Week, featuring @NineDotsPrize winner @jkkusiak, talking about her book, 'Radically Legal'. Learn how a group of ordinary people inspired the book when they reclaimed over 240,000 apartments back from corporate landlords 🔗
Start the Week - ‘Left behind’, but not forgotten - BBC Sounds
Tom Sutcliffe with Paul Collier, Joanna Kusiak and Matthew Xia.
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