Emerging from the agricultural crisis of the 1988s, producers and processing companies in New Zealand's sheep meat and dairy industries, found themselves in an evolving neo-liberalised environment. By the late 1990s major structural (re) alignment had taken place in production and processing to accommodate shifts in markets and regulation, centring on 'food safety', 'quality' and "availability" For both farmers and processing company staff, this meant venturing into unfamiliar jointly occupied spaces and unchartered relational territory, Through a participatory research approach using multiple methodologies, this thesis examines supply chain (re)alignment at a macro and micro-scale, focussing on the farmer-processor relationship and knowledge, network and learning processes of farmers in (global) lamb and dairy supply chains in New Zealand. In seeking to account for evolving agri-food chain relations at multiple scales, this research turns to the global commodity chains (GCC) literature and draws on pragmatic solution-oriented ideas emerging from the developing field of Supply Chain Management (SCM). It also includes theoretical input from the cognitive and behavioural sciences to interpret the empirical data on farmer's knowledge, networks and learning in different supply chains, which it argues are key features of globalising agri-food economies. In this research these literatures and theories are enveloped by a broader yet, incomplete, theoretical foundation - that of evolutionary political economy (EPE), which is extended in this thesis, The thesis argues that an EPE framework provides a useful window on the governance of New Zealand's relations at a distance because it allows the specificity of micro-scale coordination activities and relations (in jointly occupied spaces) in New Zealand to be embedded in local and macro scale governance regimes and historical development processes. The findings show global market and regulatory pressures continue to drive supply chain (re)alignment in New Zealand, and chain building is occurring in different ways at the farmer-processor interface, between and within the different industries. Farmers' place specific on-farm knowledge co-evolves with off-farm knowledge through a combination of concrete experience, trial and error, socialisation and reflection, with both on and off farm knowledge becoming more overt in practice and strategy as supply chain specifications becomes more precise. Farmers utilise a range of networks (informal, formal, specialist and general), which serve as both information channels and learning forums. New Zealand's agricultural industries are like many in competitive globalising economies -'new' know ledge is being generated and used to broker global and local social, economic and environmental contexts and values, and in the process, supply chain partners' capacities and relations evolve.

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Emerging from the agricultural crisis of the 1988s, producers and processing companies in New Zealand's sheep meat and dairy industries, found themselves in an evolving neo-liberalised environment. By the late 1990s major structural (re) alignment had taken place in production and processing to accommodate shifts in markets and regulation, centring on 'food safety', 'quality' and "availability" For both farmers and processing company staff, this meant venturing into unfamiliar jointly occupied spaces and unchartered relational territory, Through a participatory research approach using multiple methodologies, this thesis examines supply chain (re)alignment at a macro and micro-scale, focussing on the farmer-processor relationship and knowledge, network and learning processes of farmers in (global) lamb and dairy supply chains in New Zealand. In seeking to account for evolving agri-food chain relations at multiple scales, this research turns to the global commodity chains (GCC) literature and draws on pragmatic solution-oriented ideas emerging from the developing field of Supply Chain Management (SCM). It also includes theoretical input from the cognitive and behavioural sciences to interpret the empirical data on farmer's knowledge, networks and learning in different supply chains, which it argues are key features of globalising agri-food economies. In this research these literatures and theories are enveloped by a broader yet, incomplete, theoretical foundation - that of evolutionary political economy (EPE), which is extended in this thesis, The thesis argues that an EPE framework provides a useful window on the governance of New Zealand's relations at a distance because it allows the specificity of micro-scale coordination activities and relations (in jointly occupied spaces) in New Zealand to be embedded in local and macro scale governance regimes and historical development processes. The findings show global market and regulatory pressures continue to drive supply chain (re)alignment in New Zealand, and chain building is occurring in different ways at the farmer-processor interface, between and within the different industries. Farmers' place specific on-farm knowledge co-evolves with off-farm knowledge through a combination of concrete experience, trial and error, socialisation and reflection, with both on and off farm knowledge becoming more overt in practice and strategy as supply chain specifications becomes more precise. Farmers utilise a range of networks (informal, formal, specialist and general), which serve as both information channels and learning forums. New Zealand's agricultural industries are like many in competitive globalising economies -'new' know ledge is being generated and used to broker global and local social, economic and environmental contexts and values, and in the process, supply chain partners' capacities and relations evolve.

Emerging from the agricultural crisis of the 1988s, producers and processing companies in New Zealand's sheep meat and dairy industries, found themselves in an evolving neo-liberalised environment. By the late 1990s major structural (re) alignment had taken place in production and processing to accommodate shifts in markets and regulation, centring on 'food safety', 'quality' and "availability" For both farmers and processing company staff, this meant venturing into unfamiliar jointly occupied spaces and unchartered relational territory, Through a participatory research approach using multiple methodologies, this thesis examines supply chain (re)alignment at a macro and micro-scale, focussing on the farmer-processor relationship and knowledge, network and learning processes of farmers in (global) lamb and dairy supply chains in New Zealand. In seeking to account for evolving agri-food chain relations at multiple scales, this research turns to the global commodity chains (GCC) literature and draws on pragmatic solution-oriented ideas emerging from the developing field of Supply Chain Management (SCM). It also includes theoretical input from the cognitive and behavioural sciences to interpret the empirical data on farmer's knowledge, networks and learning in different supply chains, which it argues are key features of globalising agri-food economies. In this research these literatures and theories are enveloped by a broader yet, incomplete, theoretical foundation - that of evolutionary political economy (EPE), which is extended in this thesis, The thesis argues that an EPE framework provides a useful window on the governance of New Zealand's relations at a distance because it allows the specificity of micro-scale coordination activities and relations (in jointly occupied spaces) in New Zealand to be embedded in local and macro scale governance regimes and historical development processes. The findings show global market and regulatory pressures continue to drive supply chain (re)alignment in New Zealand, and chain building is occurring in different ways at the farmer-processor interface, between and within the different industries. Farmers' place specific on-farm knowledge co-evolves with off-farm knowledge through a combination of concrete experience, trial and error, socialisation and reflection, with both on and off farm knowledge becoming more overt in practice and strategy as supply chain specifications becomes more precise. Farmers utilise a range of networks (informal, formal, specialist and general), which serve as both information channels and learning forums. New Zealand's agricultural industries are like many in competitive globalising economies -'new' know ledge is being generated and used to broker global and local social, economic and environmental contexts and values, and in the process, supply chain partners' capacities and relations evolve.

O planejamento e o manejo do pastejo em sistemas de produção animal em pastagens utiliza como informação essencial valores de massa, produção e taxas de acúmulo de forragem. Esses valores podem ser determinados de maneira rápida e ágil através de uma simples régua graduada em centímetros ou equipamentos mais sofisticados como o prato ascendente, embora resultados experimentais utilizando esses procedimentos sejam bastante escassos para plantas de ambiente tropical. O presente trabalho avaliou esses dois métodos de estimativa de massa de forragem em área de pastagem formada pelos cultivares Florakirk, Tifton 85 e Coastcross de Cynodon spp.. Pastos formados por cada um dos cultivares foram mantidos a 5, 10, 15 e 20 cm de altura através de lotação contínua e taxa de lotação variável, seguindo um delineamento experimental de blocos completos ao acaso com 4 repetições. Durante 12 meses foram geradas curvas de calibração entre altura do pasto, medida por cada um dos dois métodos, e a massa de forragem correspondente. Como resultado foram geradas quatro curvas de calibração do tipo y = a + bx para cada cultivar (y = massa de forragem em Kg MS/ha e x = altura do pasto), uma para cada época do ano (primavera, verão, outono e inverno). De forma geral os valores de intercepto (a) foram os mais influenciados por cultivar e época do ano, com uma variação apenas modesta nos valores de coeficiente angular (b). Essa variação esteve relacionada com modificações da estrutura do dossel dos pastos, particularmente a proporção de material morto. Os métodos não diferiram em precisão, porém o prato ascendente mostrou-se um método mais rápido e ágil. Concluiu-se que apesar das similaridades entre os cultivares estudados, a calibração dos métodos deve ser específica para cada cultivar e realizada frequentemente para que as equações geradas sejam precisas e robustas, de forma a permitir a obtenção de valores confiáveis de estimativas de massa de forragem. / Grazing management and planning of animal production systems from pastures are essentially based on estimates of herbage mass, production and accumulation rates. These values can be rapidly determined with a sward stick and rising plate meter, although experimental results generated this way are scarce for tropical forage plants. The present experiment evaluated both methods for estimating herbage mass in pasture areas formed by Florakirk, Tifton 85 and Coastcross Cynodon spp. cultivars. Paddocks of each of the cultivars were maintained at 5, 10, 15 and 20 cm sward surface height through continuous stocking and variable stocking rate, according to a complete randomised block design with four replications. Over twelve months, calibration equations of stick and plate sward height versus the correspondent herbage mass were generated. As a result, four y = a + bx type calibration equations (y = herbage mass - kg DM/ha and x = sward height) were obtained, one for each season of the year (spring, summer, autumn and winter). Generally, most of the variation among cultivars and seasons occurred in intercept values (a) and less with slope values (b). This variation was related to modifications in sward structure, particularly in dead material content. The methods did not differ in precision, although the rising plate meter proved to be faster and more agile. Despite the similarities among cultivars, calibration of both methods must be specific for each cultivar and carried out regularly in order to result in precise and robust equations capable of generating reliable estimates of herbage mass.

>The selection and development of species adapted to extreme conditions is very important for sustainable production in South Africa. This is due to South Africa¡¦s limited natural resources, low and unpredictable rainfall, and ever-increasing human population. The need for an increase in livestock production, collapsing grain markets and the difficulty of profitable maize production, places more importance on the role planted pastures will play in the future. Urochloa brachyuran is an annual tropical grass collected in Gauteng Province and selected for yield and quality. Seed harvested in 1999/2000 generally had a poor germination performance. This prompted an investigation into possible causes for poor germination and ways of improving seed quality. Investigating drying procedures, showed that drying temperatures between 20„aC and 45„aC did not have an effect on the quality of the seed. Several dormancy-breaking procedures were carried out with no success, although, applying a temperature treatment of 45„aC for three weeks, increased germination to between 30 and 40%. It was found that emergence of seedlings where seed was covered with soil, was significantly better than the control which was not. The highest germination was found when seeds were planted 30 mm deep. Conducting a water stress experiment proved that water deficits had a definite negative influence on the dry matter production and the seed production of U. brachyuran and can thus have a strong negative impact on the successful re-establishment of this annual species in water stressed conditions. A trial to evaluate dry matter production over three seasons was conducted in Pretoria. Representative samples were analysed for crude protein content and in vitro digestibility. The potential seed production was also evaluated over two seasons. Dry matter production results confirm results reported by Pieterse (1999), with an average total production of 14.3 t/ha, a digestibility of 74.9%, and a crude protein content of 12.3%. An average of 305kg seed/ha was produced over two seasons. The potential that U. brachyuran already holds for use in rehabilitation practices because of its fast, low growing habit, was further evaluated by the determination of the influence of saline mine water on germination and dry matter production. The results suggest that U. brachyuran can successfully be irrigated with saline mine water. It can be concluded from the results of this project that U. brachyuran can be successfully incorporated in animal production systems and rehabilitation practices. / Dissertation (MSc (Pasture Management))--University of Pretoria, 2007. / Plant Production and Soil Science / unrestricted

Yes / Food-animal production businesses are part of a data-driven ecosystem shaped by stringent requirements for traceability along the value chain and the expanding capabilities of connected products. Within this sector, the generation of animal health intelligence, in particular, in terms of antimicrobial usage, is hindered by the lack of a centralized framework for data storage and usage. In this Perspective, we delimit the 11 processes required for evidence-based decisions and explore processes 3 (digital data acquisition) to 10 (communication to decision-makers) in more depth. We argue that small agribusinesses disproportionally face challenges related to economies of scale given the high price of equipment and services. There are two main areas of concern regarding the collection and usage of digital farm data. First, recording platforms must be developed with the needs and constraints of small businesses in mind and move away from local data storage, which hinders data accessibility and interoperability. Second, such data are unstructured and exhibit properties that can prove challenging to its near real-time preprocessing and analysis in a sector that is largely lagging behind others in terms of computing infrastructure and buying into digital technologies. To complete the digital transformation of this sector, investment in rural digital infrastructure is required alongside the development of new business models to empower small businesses to commit to near real-time data capture. This approach will deliver critical information to fill gaps in our understanding of emerging diseases and antimicrobial resistance in production animals, eventually leading to effective evidence-based policies. / This article is part of the research topic "Digital transformation of animal health data: Proceedings of the AHEAD 2017 workshop" (https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/5834#articles)

<p>Methionine (Met) is an essential amino acid (EAA) and is often considered one of the first limiting amino acids (AA) for milk production in dairy cattle. In diets of lactating dairy cattle, in the United States (U.S.), Met is considered limiting due to its low abundance in commonly fed ingredients like soybean and corn and its high degradability in the rumen. To circumvent this problem, rumen-protected Met (RPM) products were produced and are currently supplemented to dairy cattle. Supplemental RPM products protect Met from degradation in the rumen and deliver Met to the intestine to be absorbed into circulation, increasing metabolizable Met supply. Due to Met important roles in protein synthesis and as a methyl donor, dairy producers have supplemented RPM for decades. The primary benefit for supplementing RPM is improved milk protein concentration, which is important as a majority of dairy farms in the U.S. are paid based on milk components. </p> <p>Research is focused on finding a more economically viable RPM product that provides similar or better bioavailability of Met compared to commercially available products. This has led to the development of a novel rumen-protected Met product (EMT 3.4) in which Met is added to the soluble portion of distillers and incorporated with distillers grains. The result is distillers grains with solubles (DDGS) with elevated Met concentration. Incorporating Met into the solubles portion of DDGS has shown to protect Met from degradation when analyzed in vitro but has not been assessed in vivo. Thus, the primary objective of this study was to evaluate the bioavailability of EMT 3.4 via dilution of selenomethionine (SeMet) in milk protein and secondarily its impact on milk production and body composition. Dietary selenium (Se) yeast will deliver SeMet to the intestines and subsequently be absorbed. After adequate time feeding Se yeast, SeMet will label the different pools of Met similar to feeding radiolabeled nitrogen (N). Once pools of Met are labeled with SeMet, milk Se, a proxy for SeMet, can be measured in the milk. Concentrations of milk Se will fluctuate based on entry of Met, and as Met increases in the milk, the concentration of Se will decrease. To asses bioavailability milk Se is divided by milk N (Se:N) and the ratios of the treatments can be compared.</p> <p>The objective of this study was to evaluate the bioavailability of a novel rumen protected Met product and its effect on milk production and body composition compared to positive and negative controls. Dietary treatments consisted of a negative control treatment (NCT), not supplemented with RPM, a positive control treatment (PCT), supplemented Met via Smartamine M, and the experimental Met treatment (EMT), supplemented Met via EMT 3.4. Cattle fed PCT and EMT exhibited improved bioavailability indicated by a reduction in milk Se to milk N ratio when compared to NCT cows. Using milk Se concentration as an indicator of entry rate and amount of Met in the milk pool, PCT cows had a significantly lower milk Se concentration compared to NCT. Lower milk Se concentration of PCT cows indicates greater amount of Met in milk and subsequently a significantly greater milk protein yield was observed in PCT. Although EMT had similar bioavailability to PCT, the EMT cows had an intermediate response in milk Se but no production responses. The lack of production responses in EMT was observed alongside an elevated milk urea nitrogen (MUN) and a negative change in longissimus dorsi depth (LDD). A negative change in body weight (BW) was observed in NCT cows. Changes in body composition, as the ones observed in this study, are not usually observed unless cattle are energy or protein deficient. Given that diets of this study were formulated to meet requirements for producing 40 kg/day of milk and on average cattle were producing less, it is unlikely that cattle were energy or protein deficient. Results demonstrated that EMT provided similar Met bioavailability as Smartamine M in PCT demonstrated by responses in milk Se:N. The PCT tended to increase milk yield and increased milk protein, whereas EMT provided no observable production responses in this study.</p> <p><br></p>

The aim of this thesis is to enquire into genetic approaches for improving milk yield from dairy cattle in order to overcome the milk shortage in Bangladesh. Survey work on the dairy industry was carried out to reveal its current status. The collected data of different genotypes (Pabna cattle, Australian-Friesian-Sahiwal Pabna, Holstein Pabna, Jersey Pabna, and Sahiwal Pabna) from 1999 to 2001, and in two seasons, were used to predict model parameters, fit-statistics and total lactation yields, by fitting ten lactation curve models. Best fitting model(s) were chosen on the basis of fit-statistics. The input parameters from best fiting model(s) were used for: developing a deterministic model; estimating the profitability of individual cows; estimating whole farm profitability; and for developing a profit function to estimate the economic values of traits in breeding objectives. The individual cow performances for different traits were stochastically simulated in respect of additive genetic, permanent and temporary error, herd and age effects, and mendelian sampling under progeny and parent-average testing breeding schemes based on three selection objectives applied over on 20 year period. Genetic gains in different traits were calculated from the regression of trait values on the selection index. The estimated lactation curves model parameters, and predicted lactation milk yield were significantly different between breeds, years and seasons. From four fit-statistics values, the CCC value was considered superior, and this value indicated that the Nelder model best represented the test day records. The net annual income for Holstein Pabna cattle was the highest (US$229) and was lowest (US$115) for Pabna cattle, while all other genotypes were intermediate. The economic values (EVs) of milk yield for all genotypes were similar (US$0.32), and due to payment for milk volume only, the EVs of fat and protein were negative. EVs of liveweight, calving intervals and calving rate were negative, but survivability was positive in all genotypes. The parent-average testing selection scheme showed higher genetic gains than progeny testing. The highest (US$15.80) genetic gain was obtained for milk yield when selection was for milk merit only. The study will assist in undertaking a genetic improvement programme for the increase of milk production in Bangladesh and thereby enhance food security. (Key words: Dairy cattle, genetic improvements, models, stochastic).