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In the public debate, plant protection is often reduced to the use of synthetic chemical pesticides and their possible consequences, especially for the environment. In fact, the protection of our cultivated plants is almost inherent in the system, because many of the cultivated plants have been deprived of their own defence mechanisms in the course of their cultivation in order to make them digestible for us or even edible in the first place. The instruments of sustainable plant protection consist of a multitude of options for action which, due to the progressive loss of important active substances in the future and the demands of society, are increasingly needed in their interplay to protect plants from pests, competition and diseases. In addition to low-risk or selective crop protection products and breeding efforts, technical innovations in equipment technology, forecasting, and farm and machinery management are particularly important for comprehensive crop protection. In addition to the conservation of natural resources, the focus must be on the production of safe, regional and high-quality food as well as the economic livelihood of the predominantly family-owned farms. Existing conflicting goals must be resolved in an open and consensus-oriented dialog in order to achieve social acceptance for the protection of our crops. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a method for the measurement of morphological features of horses that is suitable for mobile applications and requires only a smartphone camera to perform measurements with a short preparation time. This study compares, various body lengths of 46 warmblood horses. The 3D-coordinates were determined photogrammetrically i.e.), using overlapping photographs and video recordings. To measure the relevant points, 12 markers were affixed at significant points to the left body side of the horses. A local coordinate system was defined by using a mobile reference frame to ensure that the measurements can be collected independently of local conditions and still are directly comparable. The measurements were repeated three times and analyzed for their accuracy by various statistical methods. With an average standard deviation of 1.75 cm for the three repeated body length measurements, the method is very reliable. The repetitions of the body length measurements showed that body parts with a high mobility, especially the measurements from the neck to the withers, have a significant impact on the attainable accuracy. To determine the absolute accuracy of the photogrammetric measurement method, a single horse was also measured with a terrestrial laser scanner (TLS). The standard deviation of the two measurements was between 0.24 cm and 1.79 cm, which demonstrates the high absolute accuracy of the measurement method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increasing global population, climate change, greater competition for land and food between humans and animals, increased need for non-agricultural requirements and further unfavourable framework conditions strictly compete with food production from arable land. The significance of the bioeconomy for the production of food of animal origin is discussed in the introduction. Feedstuffs as the basis for animal nutrition and the assessment of the food competition between humans and animals (see hef-values) are the main focus of the paper. Protein yields of various ways of protein production with terrestrial animals as a function of animal performance level are compared and assessed. Land-, water- and carbon footprints of various protein sources and various animal yields are evaluated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objectives of the DiWenkLa project (Digital value chains for sustainable small-scale agriculture) are the analysis, development and knowledge, and practice transfer of the use of digital technologies in small-scale regions. In this paper, the application potentials for decision support and farm management are investigated for animal husbandry based on two typical regional examples (automation in horse husbandry and individual animal sensor technology in pasture-based dairy cattle husbandry). It is being demonstrated for horse husbandry that automated feeding of roughage and concentrate feed can reduce signs of stress in horses and significantly reduce feeding labor time. In pasture-based dairy cattle management, sensor technologies enable animal-specific representation of activity data (eating, ruminating, walking) in a temporal-spatial context. The individual animal-related data are an important key area in a holistic approach of feeding, grazing and herd management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

CattleHub is the acronym for a joint project that belongs to the group of 14 “experimental fields for digitalization” funded by the BMEL. The focus is on “Digital assistance systems for intelligent cattle farming”. In this paper, only two important objectives of the joint project are considered; the benefit effects and use limits of certain application examples as well as the distinguishing features of the assistance systems in terms of their application levels and their evaluation. In the applications presented here, it quickly becomes apparent that it is not just a matter of saving working time or relieving physical strain. Rather, the gain in degrees of freedom in the sense of an improved quality of life and sound decision support are in the foreground of the newer areas of application. The use of 'new' methods also opens up additional possibilities in digital applications. This is not only about new evaluation methods based on large amounts of data (Big Data) or new algorithms (AI); but also, digital image processing with three-dimensional cameras or the visualization of new spectra are important development areas in the context of assistance systems for cattle farming. In the case of assistance systems, not only the complexity of the applications is a distinguishing criterion, but also the level of process control up to regulation is very different. Especially in health monitoring, humans are indispensable as 'decision makers' when 'disturbances' occur. The duty of care towards the animal cannot be transferred to the digital system – in the sense of an automated treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the 18th and 19th century crossing experiments using maize, ornamentals and peas were carried out in Europe and in the USA. Mendel knew at least a part of the literature when he published his famous paper "Experiments on Plant Hybridisation" with the original German title "Versuche über Pflanzenhybriden" in 1866. In contrast to his predecessors, Mendel recognised the constant segregation ratios appearing in the progenies of the crossings. After being unnoticed for decades, his fundamental theory of heredity was rediscovered and experimentally verified by de Vries, Correns and Tschermak in 1900. Shortly after the English translation of Mendel's work became available in 1901, Raphael Weldon, one of the founders of biometry, published his doubts on Mendel's data since all observed segregation ratios were extremely close to the expected ones. Ronald A. Fisher concluded in a paper from 1936 that a large part of Mendel's results must have been falsified to agree closely with the postulated segregation ratios. The Mendel-Fisher controversy was born. In 1966, 100 years after Mendel's original paper was released, Stern & Sherwood published a book comprising translations of Mendel's laws of inheritance, the rediscovery by de Vries and Correns and Fisher's paper. Subsequently, this led to the publication of numerous articles from different scientific disciplines on the Mendel-Fisher controversy. It may never be revealed, if it was simple luck, if Mendel sorted out plants, which did not represent the theory, or if he had an assistant "who knew too well what was expected", as Fisher speculated in 1936. Nonetheless, Mendel's work doubtlessly culminated in one of the most important breakthrough discoveries of the 19th century and is the starting point of modern genetics and plant breeding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Single-Step is currently the most advanced genomic evaluation method in populations with incomplete genotyping. Nevertheless, routine implementation in cattle, especially in populations with massive genotype data, is a major challenge. In the joint German-Austrian genetic evaluation consortium, the Single-Step methodology was introduced in April 2021 for the Fleckvieh and Brown Swiss breeds for almost the entire range of traits. In this paper, methodological aspects of the implementation for fitness traits are presented. Due to the central importance in the development work, strategies and experiences in the validation of genomic breeding values are highlighted. Finally, current development work on novel fitness traits as well as on the further development of the Single-Step methodology is presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In April 2021, the genetic and genomic evaluation for the dual-purpose breeds Fleckvieh and Brown Swiss was changed to the single-step method. This paper first gives an overview of the traits used for the genetic evaluation of carcass traits. The differences between the two-step and the new single-step method are explained and various system indicators are presented. Based on this, the effects of the change from the two-step to the single-step method and the resulting challenges are described. Compared to the methods used so far, unbalanced datasets for single-step approaches seem to be a greater challenge, i.e. datasets in which not all characteristics are always collected completely. Finally, necessary further developments in the prototypes of the single-step genomic evaluation and upcoming new developments are presented. The correct inclusion of crossbred animals in a routine application of single-step breeding value estimation still seems to cause problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The heterogeneity of urban agriculture is a major challenge for the implementation of target specific support schemes. Hence, the objective of this paper is, to provide an overview of existing funding schemes and to identify important legal framework conditions for the development of urban agriculture. For this purpose, an explorative approach was chosen with a qualitative survey of horticultural desk officers of the federal states and the federal government in Germany. The results show that neither special legal frameworks nor specific support schemes for urban agriculture exist in many federal states. Furthermore, many federal states do not have specific contact persons for this topic. General agricultural funding as well as ELER and, as a part of it, LEADER funding, among others, were mentioned as funding options. In addition, (potential) problems of urban agriculture, such as low efficiency or land shortage and competition, were mentioned. Based on the results it can be concluded that the issue of urban agriculture has become increasingly important at the political level, but is still of little relevance at the level of agricultural administration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Global food security is one of the most important challenges for mankind. Growing human population and reduction of available land area are the most important frame conditions for such developments. Plant breeding and applications of the results in crop production are the most important potentials to improve global food security. Some years ago, genetically modified plants made contributions to stabilize feed and food security. Presently, genome editing opens new perspectives in plant breeding. By the way of GE, it would be possible to realize breeding successes in short time and to make the results available to the farmers. In the paper, we inform about the present status of GE, its use on farm level and the challenges for science and policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The yield performance of 14 hazelnut cultivars of different origin was compared from the second to the twelfth year after planting. The trees were trained as spindles with a planting distance of 4.5 m x 2.5 m, leading to a tree density of 800 trees per hectare. Yields >1 kg tree-1 were achieved from the fourth year after planting, and >3 kg tree-1 from the sixth year after planting. Substantial yield fluctuations between cultivars and years were observed. After reaching maturity a mean yield of 2.2 t ha-1 was achieved in the whole experimental plot, whereas the highest yielding cultivars, 'Barcelona, 'Webbs Price Cob' and 'Emoa 1' achieved average yields of 3.2 t ha-1, 2.9 t ha-1, and 2.6 t-1, respectively. The cultivars differed significantly in fruit mass and kernel mass. The varieties 'Merveille de Bollwiller' (4.0 g) and 'Corabel' (3.8 g) had the highest fruit mass. The small-fruited cultivars 'Pauetet' and 'purple-leaved filbert' had the highest mass proportion of kernel to fruit of 52% and 49%, respectively. This relation was 42% when taking into consideration the average of all cultivars and years. The mean proportion of empty nuts was 2.6% in the whole experiment, but individual cultivars reached up to 16% empty nuts in some years. 'Corabel' and 'Barcelona' had <1% empty nuts. In the 4th, 6th and 11th year after planting, averages numbers of 16, 9, or 16 root suckers per tree were counted. The time required for winter pruning in the 6th and 7th year after planting was 22 h ha-1 and 62 h ha-1, respectively. The experimental data shown in this paper demonstrate that it is possible to grow hazelnuts in a spindle system in the Central German region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In pasture based cattle production systems stocking rate and sward surface height significantly influences animal performance and productivity per unit pasture area. With increasing stocking rate, a decline in individual animal performance but an increase in utilization of pasture and productivity per unit pasture area can be expected. In this paper, the influence of pasture height in a continuously grazed pasture system on fattening performance and area productivity will be presented. In a second paper (Steinwidder et al., 2019b) the slaughter performance, meat quality and economic parameters will be evaluated. In the experiment a concentrate-free feeding system with Simmental steers from 225 to 700 kg live weight was carried out in mountainous region of Austria. The trial was carried out in two replications with a total of 24 steers, divided into 3 experimental groups per year. In experimental group "kurz", a target pasture growth height of 5.0 cm, in group "mittel" of 6.5 cm and in group "lang" of 8.0 cm was used. The growth height of each permanent grassland area was recorded weekly with the Rising Plate Pasture Meter and the size of the pasture area was increased during the vegetation period. After the first grazing period the steer groups were kept in stable and fed with grass silage. In the next vegetation period the steers grazed on pasture again. With the exception of four animals in group "kurz", which had to be finished in stable in autumn, all steers were slaughtered during the grazing period. The nutrient content of the pasture samples out of the three pasture groups did not differ substantially, the average crude protein content was 20% and the average energy concentration was 10.7 MJ ME/kg DM. However, as the pasture growth height increased, the feed losses increased and pasture maintenance became increasingly necessary. The average slaughter age of the animals was 26.4 (kurz), 24.8 (mittel) and 24.2 (lang) months, respectively. Group differences at the significance limit (P-values 0.06 and 0.07 respectively) were found for the duration of the experiment and the daily gains. The daily gains of group "kurz" (864 g) tended (p-value 0.06) to be below those of the groups "mittel" (950 g) and "lang" (935 g). The total forage area required per animal was significantly higher in group "lang" than in group "kurz" and group "mittel". The forage area productivity (live weight gain/ha) was significantly lower in group "lang" compared to group "kurz" and "mittel" with 612 kg and 606 kg/ha respectively. Those experimental groups, which achieved the highest daily gains, did not achieve the highest area performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Modern decision support and assistance systems use distributed data sources from private and public providers through specialised web services in order to enhance the provision of information. POHL et al. (2021) present a web service-dominated procedure for the generation of site-specific pesticide application maps by bringing together all required data via web services and other interfaces in the application map service. This paper presents the central services that make it possible to provide site-specific ecological and economic key data and basic information in crop protection. We show how this web service contributes to an automated determination of distance requirements in real time, and discuss the limits of this approach and system. In accordance with the Amendment of the E-Government Act (EGovG) and the introduction of the Act for the Use of Public Sector Data (DNG), the technical documentation of all the REST-compliant programming interfaces have been implemented in accordance with the OpenAPI standard. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The causes of idiopathic equine headshaking syndrome have not been adequately clarified, although the syndrome is mentioned in literature for over 100 years. In a comprehensive study on aetiology and pathogenesis of idiopathic equine headshaking syndrome, this paper focusses on the evaluation of an online survey among horse breeders within Germany. The results show that age, sex and breed of the horses described by breeders are identical with the general statements about the description of headshakers from other studies. 25.6% of the breeders stated that they expect financial losses from the sale of a headshaker. The average loss is 10-15%. This fact is another reason why the identification of causes of the headshaking syndrome should be pursued in order to create the basis for developing therapeutic and preventive measures in a further step. Then it is possible to protect horse breeders from financial losses and to enable a successful therapy for affected horses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The preservation of fruit genetic resources is the basis for ensuring a sustainable fruit production. All activities of long-term preservation, utilization, research and development of fruit genetic resources are based on the German National Program for Genetic Resources of Agricultural and Horticultural Plants. The Fruit Gene Bank at the Julius Kühn-Institute (JKI), Institute for Breeding Research on Fruit Crops has been established as a partner for science and practice at the national and international level since its integration into JKI at January 1st, 2003. In addition to the cultivar collections for all fruit species native to Central Europe, it also has comprehensive wild species collections, which are the largest public collections of their type in Europe for the genera Malus and Fragaria. The conservation strategies in the fruit gene bank, especially under the special aspect of wild species, will be summarized in this paper and the combination of different conservation methods will be highlighted as a potential to secure the genetic resources of fruits sustainably and effectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In long-term field trials at the Dahnsdorf (Fläming) site, investigations have been carried out since 1995 to estimate the necessary level of insecticide application in winter oil seed rape (WOSR) and to develop sustainable insecticide strategies. Within the scope of the trial "Comparison of strategies - environmentally sound crop protection", two different insecticide strategies were compared in WOSR in three trial phases, each of which differed in intensity. The aim of this paper was to compare and discuss these insecticide intensities and their yield and environmental effects against the background of the annual infestation pressure. The evaluation showed that in 21 of 22 trial years considered, insecticide measures were necessary in WOSR, the intensity of which fluctuated considerably due to weather conditions and infestation pressure. It could be shown that a reduction of treatment intensity by 50% to 60% did result in significant yield losses only during the first trial phase. The comparison of the environmental impacts, calculated with the risk indicator model SYNOPS-GIS, showed that the reduction in treatment intensity was accompanied by a reduction in environmental risk over many years. However, individual cases showed that this was not always true and that the choice of agent or active ingredient was also of decisive importance. The results underline the importance of using available decision support tools in crop protection such as infestation controls, warning service, forecasting models and success monitoring to reduce the use of insecticides in WOSR to the necessary need. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to develop concepts for integrated plant protection, a field trial of the Julius Kühn-Institute was set up in Dahnsdorf (Brandenburg) in 1995 and various long-term field trials were carried out. Within the framework of the largest and oldest on-site long-term field trial "Comparison of Strategies for Environmentally Friendly Plant Protection", this paper examines the effects of a 50% reduction strategy in phase 1 (1997 to 2007) and a consistent implementation of integrated plant protection (IPS) in phase 2 (2008 to 2013) and modified in phase 3 (2014 to 2019) compared to a practical strategy (GfP), with regard to situation-specific plant protection against fungal pathogens in winter wheat. While in the first two phases of the trial (1997 to 2013) identical varieties were grown in the strategies, in phase 3 an extension was made to include the variety component. The most frequently occurring diseases were leaf blotch (Zymoseptoria tritici, Septoria nodorum), leaf rust (Puccinia triticina) and yellow rust (Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici), which occurred with very different intensity over the years depending on weather and disease pressure. The fungicide treatment frequency index, as a measure of the intensity of plant protection, showed a value of 0.8 (situation-related plant protection product application (100%) and 0.4 (50% of situation-related application) in phase 1 on average over the years. This was a significant difference between the strategies to be tested, which was due to the strict reduction of plant protection product applications by 50%. The change of the trial in phase 2 and 3 resulted in a fungicide treatment frequency index of 1.2 and 1.1 in the IPS strategy and 1.7 and 1.9 in the GfP strategy, which proved to be not significantly different. When comparing the yields, there was a significant difference between the strategies in only two (2001, 2006) of the 23 years. Also in comparison with the untreated controls, a significant difference was evident in only four years in the GfP strategy, and in only one year in the IPS strategy. Fungicide applications would often not have been necessary retrospectively. In line with the yields and fungicide treatment frequency indices, the net profit averaged over the six years of phase 3 was also not significantly different. Thus, the differentiation of the GfP and IPS strategies was not sufficient to show a clear difference between them so far, which is ultimately due to the already low fungicide treatment frequency indices in the GfP strategy, which were below those of regional practice in all phases, and to the effective resistances of the selected varieties. Despite the frequent exceeding of the control thresholds and the resulting fungicide applications, the disease progress was often moderate to low. Clear yield differences are only evident in years with high disease pressure and favourable weather conditions for infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In German Holstein, breeding values are estimated for a large number of traits which can be used for selection and mating decisions. At the same time, selection of animals might be complicated for farmers due to this vast amount of information. The aim of this study was to describe the development and implementation of a new production index, which combines all essential breeding traits according to their economic relevance. For this purpose, phenotypic and economic data of 47 KuhVision farms from Schleswig-Holstein were analysed in order to assess the monetary significance of traits. The present paper focused on the economic evaluation of direct health traits in dairy cattle. Total costs caused by diseases ranged from 72.67 € for ovary cycle disturbances to 314.70 € for displaced abomasum. The relative emphasis in the overall production index was highest for production (36%), longevity (28%) and direct health (14%). Furthermore, relative economic importance of fertility, calving traits and calf mortality was 10%, 7% and 5%, respectively. The production index developed allows farmers to select animals based on phenotypic and economic information from dairy farms in Schleswig-Holstein. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In pasture based cattle production systems stocking rate and sward surface height significantly influences animal performance and productivity per unit pasture area. Steinwidder et al (2019) investigated the influence of pasture height in a continuously grazed pasture system on fattening performance and area productivity. In this paper the influence of pasture height on slaughter performance, meat quality and economic parameters were evaluated. Therefore, a concentrate-free feeding system with Simmental steers from 225 to 700 kg live weight was carried out in mountainous region of Austria. The experiment was carried out in two replications with a total of 24 steers, divided into 3 experimental groups per year. In experimental group "kurz", a target pasture growth height of 5.0 cm, in group "mittel" of 6.5 cm and in group "lang" of 8.0 cm was used. After the first grazing period the steer groups were kept in stable and fed with grass silage. In the next vegetation period the steers grazed on pasture again. With the exception of four animals in group "kurz", which had to be finished in stable in autumn, all steers were slaughtered during the grazing period. The average slaughter age of the animals was 26.4 (kurz), 24.8 (mittel) and 24.2 (lang) months, respectively. The carcass and meat quality did not differ between the experimental groups and was at a good level on average. In pasture-based cattle fattening, however, a slightly darker meat colour and a more yellow fat colour must be expected, while the proportion of nutritionally desirable fatty acids is higher. From an economic point of view, the group "mittel" achieved the most favourable result. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

According to conventional farming knowledge from basal nutrient experiments, statistical relations were found between topsoil plant-available nutrient concentrations and crop yield differences received from additional fertilization which are especially well-suited to establishing fertilization measurement procedures, when as many trial results and sites as possible in the data analysis where included. However, the findings obtained are dependent on the yield level of the cropping system. Therefore, in this paper all available field trials conducted under organic farming conditions were collected with regard to mineral phosphorus (P, soft rock phosphate, Thomas phosphate) and potassium (K, natural potash salts, potassium sulfate) fertilizer application. Within the time period 1993-2016 regression and boxplot graphical and tabular analyses could be used to analyze multi-year trial results comprising 21 sites and 243 P variants and 30 sites and 201 K variants from a total of 9 federal German states. The relations between the available P and K nutrients (extraction with diluted lactate solutions, CAL, DL) and the relative crop yield differences between standard and fertilizer variants (0-100 kg P/ha/a, 0-664 kg K/ha/a) were described as quantitatively as possible. Subject to increasing soil content of P (0.8-12.3 mg P/100 g) and K (2.1-29.0 mg K/100 g), the declining yield increase from nutrient deficit up to yield maximum was clearly visible for both nutrient results. The yield effect of P fertilizers was different at high soil pH values. Contrary to the findings of the P increase trials, distinct interactions between soil type as well as the cultivated crop species and the yield effects were found in the range of low K concentration. On plots with insufficient soil K content fertilization led to higher yield effects on heavy soils (L-T) than on light soils (S-sL). In order of precedence, clover and alfalfa grass mixtures, row crops (potato, maize, field vegetables) and especially grain legumes (field bean, pea, lupine) reacted much more sensitively than cereal crops. According to the nutrient-availability classification system of the VDLUFA, aggregation of the crop yield results into groups of differently available soil nutrient content enabled nutrient ranges to be identified in which only marginal or no mean yield effects were achieved with additional fertilizer application. These optimal nutrient values of 2.5-4.5 mg P/100 g and 6.6-10.0 mg K/100 g soil are located on a markedly lower level compared to estimated values of conventional cultivation systems. Subject to the high range of the individual results within very low soil nutrient contents, mean yield increase of 9% appeared after P and of 12% after K fertilization. These experimentally established groups for classifying soil nutrient content can be used to further development work on fertilizer requirement methods in organic farming systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Considering limited natural resources, such as land, water, some minerals and increased emissions as well as rapid population growth, food security is one of the largest challenges of the current century. Apart from sufficient food, the supply with essential nutrients, such as amino acis, minerals and vitamins have top priority in human nutrition. In consequence of the high need of limited resources and some emissions farm animal husbandry is questionable from various views and many people ask for alternatives. Based on a stocktaking of the traditional production of edible ptotein of animal origin, the paper analyses potentials for improvement of traditional ways of plant and animal production and new possibilities of protein manufacture. Furthermore, possibilities to avoid food competition between humans and animals, the reduction of land, feed and food losses as well as changes in the consumption behaviour of men and the avoidance of over consumption and overweight up to the present stage of aquaculture were analysed. Finally, imitated food based on plant products with adequate additives, single cell protein, insects and so-called lab grown (cultured) meat are discussed; further research needs are outline and future potentials are shown. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

At the end of 2019, the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture (BMEL) presented a discussion paper on the Arable Farming Strategy. The Julius Kühn-Institut (JKI) was intensively involved in the preparatory work and supported the BMEL in developing the arable farming strategy. It describes six guidelines that define the framework for sustainable arable farming. In a total of 12 fields of action, challenges and conflicting objectives are named and corresponding objectives and measures are identified. Some of the contents of the arable farming strategy are presented below. It is also shown how departmental research - and the JKI in particular - is already actively supporting the implementation of the arable farming strategy today as well as in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Land management in Germany has been characterised by a continued intensification in recent decades. This development has come along with the replacement of landscape elements like hedges, bushes and single trees. Despite the high relevance of food supply, further social claims and requirements with regard to agricultural have land gained in importance over time. These include for example ecological aspects and the enhancement of the appearance of the landscape. Alley cropping systems with short-rotation wood can contribute to an increase of biodiversity and improved landscapes. Furthermore, the simultaneous growing of wood and crops can bring about economic benefits as well. Despite their ecological, social and economic advantages, only a very limited number of agroforestry systems has been established in Germany, mostly on experimental sites. Reasons for this may be economic disadvantages. This paper presents a comprehensive literature review about the economic effects of alley cropping agroforestry in comparison to traditional cropping. The results show that from an economic point of view agroforestry systems most is preferable for medium quality agricultural sites. Results also show that three to ten percent higher yields due to synergy effects between tree crops and field crops are needed to make alley cropping systems financially attractive. Furthermore, liquidity has to be taken into account due to the relatively high investment costs of the trees and delayed returns moreover. The results provide manifold starting for measures to increase the attractiveness of alley cropping systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Within the Comet K-Project ADDA - Advancement of Dairying in Austria - the basis for an integrated data management tool shall be established. A first step is the assessment of farmer needs. For this purpose, an internet survey was developed to gather feedback from farmers about the use of currently available herd management tools as well as the present status of documentation and recording of relevant data. End of 2014 a questionnaire was designed comprising 23 questions. It was distributed end of February 2015 and could be completed until April 10, 2015. In total 9,961 dairy farmers were contacted. The response rate was 19.1% in farmers. Currently, a large proportion of external information to be used for herd management is received in paper or in pdf-format and is thus not further processible. Hence, farmers request the integration of different data in platforms for data exchange or internet platforms. Farmers get a wealth of information from different documentations. A large number of farmers expect substantial support for herd management (76.5%) and early detection of farm problems (71.5%) by means of this information. When asked for necessary developments, farmers have the highest interest (78.1%) in better integration of data of already existing systems (e.g. milking, feeding, performance testing) and external herd management information (e.g. veterinary treatment, results of laboratory analysis) in order to avoid multiple recording. The combination of data from different data sources could support farmers in day-to-day work. However, data security aspects need be payed particular attention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pig breeding has been an important meat supplier since the early 1970 s. In 2013, 111 million tons of pork meat was produced in the world. In comparison to other four main types of farm animals, pork meat with a share of 36% ranks first in all world meat. This paper presents and analyzes changes in the most important parameters of pork meat production (number of live and slaughtered pigs, carcass weight and average meat quantity per pig, gross production and production per capita of pork meat) since 1960 s by continents and by individual countries. The article especially presents the data on pork meat production in Russia for the last 20 years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since decades, the milk yield of dairy cows is increasing to a greater extent than feed intake. This paper reports feeding approaches that are successfully used to avoid a negative energy balance of cows. Limitations are also addressed. On the long term, re-balancing milk yield and feed intake in breeding programs is considered to be the most promising approach for avoiding negative consequences of insufficient energy supply. Thus, identification of indirect traits to quantify feed intake in a population should have high priority. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Production diseases affect dairy cows predominantly during the transition period. A causal relationship is drawn between high milk yield and the occurrence of production diseases. Such a monocausal approach, however, does not reflect the real situation as production diseases are multifactorial by origin, with exogen (environmental) and endogen (animal related) factors being involved. The bovine metabolism follows the rules of a complex system as it is characterized by a great number of variables (metabolic parameters) that interact by positive as well as negative feedback mechanisms of variable intensity. Furthermore the effects of such feedback mechanisms might not occur instantaneously but with some delay in time. Negative feedback loops contribute to the stability of a complex system. Resilience with respect to animal health is defined as the capacity of animals to cope with short-term perturbations in their environments and return rapidly to their pre-challenge status. Aim of the present paper is to answer the question whether resilience does exist in dairy cows, what characteristics it shares, whether it is measurable and whether research on resilience could contribute to a decrease in the incidence rates of production diseases. Close monitoring of dairy cows by clinical examination, use of sensor technology and analysis of blood samples for metabolic parameters (NEFA, Ca, P, urea, albumin, haptoglobin,) and faecal samples in the dry period allowed Dutch researchers to identify cows on beforehand that were at risk of developing production diseases in the post partum period. Cows at risk demonstrated differences in their behaviour as well as a delayed return of selected metabolic analytes to the reference range following calving compared to cows that remained healthy during the transition period. Identification of resilient dairy cows could help breeders in their efforts to improve dairy health and allow farmers to take preventive measures whenever a cow at risk is identified in the dry period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The breeding value of an animal is usually determined in a way that reflects the economic importance of individual breeding attributes. This paper aims to answer the question of whether or not the economic weights assigned by the Holstein Friesian breeding program to each breeding attribute correctly represent the preferences of dairy farmers. We analyse the importance of each breeding attribute for dairy farmers' decisions by means of a discrete choice experiment with 116 dairy farmers. The results indicate that the weight placed on functional herd life by the Holstein Friesian breeding program is too high in relation to dairy farmers' preferences for this attribute. By contrast, the weight placed on udder and feet appears to be too low. Another important insight from the experiment is that the price for a portion of semen is relatively unimportant for farmers' choices. Furthermore, the results lead to the conclusion that a new, improved breeding value cannot be determined through linear approximation of individual breeding attributes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wild species are equally important and indispensible as genetic resource for plant breeding and as element of complex ecosystematic processes. The loss of species continues almost unabated and also hits crop wild relatives (CWR). According to international law, the implementation of a conservation strategy for wild and cultivated species combining the best elements of the in situ conservation strategy with those of the ex situ conservation strategy is obligatory. The paper elaborates components of a German in situ conservation strategy. The genetic reserve concept is introduced. An implementation plan is discussed which will allow the informed choice and long-term active maintenance of a limited, genetically distinct occurrences within the distribution area of the species required to maintain a wide range of genetic variation. To this end priority CWR need to be determined. The floristic approach or the genepool approach can be applied to identify occurrence and their sites suited for the establishment of a genetic reserve. The established set of genetic reserves is jointly management by a network of cooperation partners. The need for improved public awareness building on the importance and value of biological diversity, especially of the genetic diversity of CWR, is emphasized. The legal scope for the designation of genetic reserves, the possible space requirement and financial aspects are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The outbreak of the pine moth (Dendrolimus pini L.) in pine stands (Pinus silvestris L.) occurring from 2013 to 2015 in the eastern parts of Lower Saxony shows the time and area related consequences of officially restrictions for practical aerial application of pesticides. Untreated areas and edges of forests were heavily defoliated and died on nearly 100 hectare, followed by total damage and clear cut. Treated areas survived and could be kept alive even after defoliation. This paper points out and discusses the actual practice of pesticides registration, aerial application technique and the ecological, operational and silvicultural consequences for the affected private forest owners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite 5000 years of domestication, the species-specific behaviours and needs of the various horse breeds broadly remained the same. Species-appropriate housing systems allow horses to engage in its natural innate behaviour and thus contributes to its overall well-being. Due to not animal-friendly housing systems, a public debate about animal welfare in horse keeping has developed in recent years. This debate was intensified due to doping scandals, dubious training methods and health problems from horses in highperformance sport. However, so far no scientific studies are available, which investigate the evaluation and implementability of animal welfare measures through horse business managers. To close this research gap, this paper examines animal welfare measures in horse keeping, based on a quantitative online survey among 261 horse business managers. Animal welfare measures, that are particularly important to increase the well-beeing of horses, are realizable in practice. Implementation of animal welfare measures is decisive influenced by the personality of the manager und the business itself. The potential is considerable to improve animal welfare in horse keeping, because many managers are set positive against more animal welfare through implementation of animal welfare measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Methane is a highly potent greenhouse gas. Livestock and especially ruminant digestion are the main contributors for anthropogenic methane emissions. Therefore, research on mitigation strategies has become an important topic in recent years. The implementation of appropriate breeding strategies to mitigate methane requires accurate data on individual methane emissions of animals. Thus, it is important to use precise and cost-effective quantification methods with a high throughput, implementable on farms. Methane quantifying methods include various technical and methodological concepts, which hold specific advantages and disadvantages. The present paper provides a detailed overview of current knowledge about direct and indirect methods to measure or estimate methane emissions from cattle. Potentials and limitations of methods will be discussed, their practical applicability will be assessed and furthermore, future research needs will be addressed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study summarizes several papers on sperm quality in stallions and the state of the art in the search for genomic markers for stallion fertility and infertility. Systematic effects on semen quality traits were investigated in 381 stallions used for artificial insemination (AI) either at the Lower Saxon National Stud Celle or the North Rhine-Westphalian National Stud Warendorf. For these stallions representing 22 breeds, a total of 71,078 fresh semen reports of the years 2001 to 2014 were recorded. Sperm traits analysed were gel-free volume, sperm concentration, total number of sperm, progressive motility and total number of progressively motile sperm. Variance components among stallions within breeds were significant for all semen traits and accounted for 40-59% of the total variance. Heritabilities for semen traits ranged at h² = 0.13 to 0.28. The correlations among estimated breeding values (EBVs) of semen traits and EBVs for the paternal component of the pregnancy rate per estrus cycle (EBV-PAT) in 100 German Warmblood stallions were positive and highest for the total number of progressively motile sperm (r = 0.36). A genome-wide association study for de-regressed estimated breeding values (EBVs) of the semen traits in 139 German Warmblood stallions using the Illumina equine SNP50 Beadchip revealed 29 SNPs on 12 different chromosomes as genome-wide significantly associated with the different semen traits. For ten genomic regions we could retrieve candidate genes influencing stallion fertility. Whole genome sequencing data facilitate identification of variants with impact on stallion fertility. We screened whole sequencing data of eleven horses for 1194 male fertility related genes. Filter analysis for variants with high-impact on protein structure and absence of the homozygous mutant genotype gave a total of 19 genetic variants. Subsequent validation in 337 fertile stallions of 19 breeds resulted in ten mutations presumably associated with sub- or infertility in stallions. The splice-site disruption variant g.37455302G > A in NOTCH1 was significantly associated with EBV-PAT and the homozygous mutant genotype was shown as a strong indicator for stallion subfertility. In addition, further nine variants within CFTR, OVGP1, FBXO43, TSSK6, PKD1, GHRL, FOXP1, TCP11, SPATA31E1 and NOTCH1 showed absence of the homozygous alternate genotype in fertile stallions and were considered as potential markers of stallion infertility. Estimates of heritabilities for the pregnancy rate per cycle in data from Hanoverians for the years 2008-2014 were moderate at h² = 0.07-0.13 for the additive genetic paternal, maternal and direct effect. The results of our work in warmblood clearly showed that a positive selection response for stallion fertility may be expected and selection for genetic variants associated with sub- or infertility may significantly enhance genetic progress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present study, the effects of a uniform environmental enrichment for piglets during the suckling period (35 days) and the further rearing period (5 weeks) on the animals' behaviour and the occurrence of skin lesions were investigated. The study was carried out in three batches on the research farm of the University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Foundation, Germany. Per batch, two conventional farrowing pens and one flat deck pen were equipped with the same manipulable materials (straw tower, paper dispenser, chew-bone, ropes). Control groups were kept each in one pen without these materials in the same compartments. At weaning, five piglets from the two litters that were offered manipulable materials in the farrowing pen were mixed to a new group of ten animals in a flatdeck pen equipped with the same materials. A control group was formed with piglets from the two control litters during lactation. The piglets' behaviour was analyzed using video material. Skin lesions were detected on the day before weaning (34 days of age) as well as four days later using a lesion score. Piglets started to use the manipulable materials already on the second day of life and their interest in these materials increased during the rearing period. Up to 15.8% of piglets in a flatdeck pen were using the materials during the third week after weaning. Piglets preferred a straw tower additionally equipped with sisal ropes (11% of the piglets in a group). Mutual oral manipulations (0.3% vs. 0.5% of piglets in the suckling period, 0.1% vs. 0.2% of piglets after weaning) and skin lesions (score: 6.4 vs. 7.7) occurred rarely in piglets kept in pens with manipulable materials than in control groups (p < 0.05). Thus, environmental enrichment is already recommended for suckling piglets and should be continued throughout the rearing period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The report of the Scientific Advisory Board of the German Ministry of Agriculture has been widely discussed. The report analyses problems of modern animal husbandry, gives recommendations for improvements of legislation and controlling and describes which policy measures could support the transformation process of animal husbandry in Germany. However, the report does not present an ethical theory which would give a justification for the claims and allow for a priorisation of measures. This paper deals with some ethical questions from a pragmatic point of view and describes the role of animal science in the transformation process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The increasing food demand is nowadays one of the major challenges for global agriculture. Options to meet this growing demand are, inter alia, higher yields as well as lower crop losses during and post-harvest. The uses of plant protection products is one contribution towards this and indicates several economic advantages; nonetheless, plant protection is frequently perceived negatively in the social discussion. In this regard, global sales of pesticides in general show that there is a highly increasing use of particularly herbicides for the control of weeds in arable farming; the most important active ingredient in this group is glyphosate which is used in conventional agriculture as well as in growing genetically modified organisms outside the European Union (EU). Due to the various application fields of herbicides it is possible to determine an economic benefit in various application areas. This paper represents a literature review about the economic importance of herbicides in general and particularly glyphosate with focus on European arable farming. The results show that the benefit of herbicides can be represented as market, yield, income, climate and energy effects. Thus, numerous short- and long-term benefits result from the use of herbicides. At the same time it becomes evident that alternative weed control measures should not fall into oblivion because the growing application frequency might result in the risk of resistance and finally lead to a lower efficiency [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The fundamental principle of commercial companies is to make profit. The basis of this profit is successful entrepreneurial mindset and behavior. Although equine businesses in Germany act in an attractive market environment, many of them generate losses and are seriously threatened by existential risks. Management plays an important role for the companies' success. Based on an online-survey with 333 horse farm managers, this paper analyses the management behavior in equine businesses. In this context it is analyzed, how horse business managers define management and which tasks are classified as important management responsibilities. Furthermore, it is determined, which goals are pursued, which management tools are applied and which of these management tools influence the economic success of horse farms. The study provides interesting insights into the entrepreneurial behavior of horse farmers and allows the farm managers to critically review their current management practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper characterizes changes and relationships of energy balance, live weight, body measurements and BCS during lactation. Furthermore equations for predicting live weight are developed. Data were derived from Simmental (FV100), Holstein (HF100) and crossbred dairy cows of LFZ Raumberg-Gumpenstein. Parameters were measured during 11 experimental periods (63 cows each) during a whole year. Ration was forage-based with concentrate supplementation to meet individual requirements. Breed had no influence on energy balance and its development during lactation. Live weight and BCS decreased significantly with increasing genetic potential for milk performance from FV100 (730 kg, 3.57 points) to HF100 (613 kg, 2.76 points). FV100 differed significantly from all HF groups. A gene proportion of only 12.5% Simmental in Holstein cows caused a significantly higher live weight and tendentially more BCS compared to HF100. In the dry period correlation coefficients between live weight and most body measurements were higher, especially the relationship to BCS. The two models for live weight prediction with three body measurements as covariates (belly girth, heart girth, BCS or chest depth) had smallest Root Mean Square Error (17.0 and 18.7 kg). Regression coefficients changed during lactation. In conclusion breeds differ especially in BCS and live weight, depending on genetic proportion and their genetic potential for milk production. During the dry period bigger belly girth, heart girth, body width and chest depth depend more on fatness than on actual size of bones compared to lactation. Furthermore the physiological stage seems to change the influence of body measurements on live weight during lactation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The model calculations at hand quantify emissions of greenhouse gases (GHG) and ammonia (NH3) from beef production with Simmental suckler cow herds. This paper deals with varying fattening intensities that agree with current German agricultural practice. Both individual emissions of GHGs and NH3 from beef bulls and heifers as well as emissions from a suckler cow "family" with a useful life of the suckler cow of 4 years were calculated. The emissions were then related to the product, i.e. the overall carcass mass produced by the "family". Here, the contribution to the emission total of the suckler cows is paramount. It can be shown that it is advantageous to strive for high slaughter weights exceeding 550 kg animal-1 and 400 kg animal-1 for beef bulls and heifers, respectively. Higher weights are unlikely to further contribute to substantial emission reductions per unit of product. It is remarkable that relative NH3 emission reductions fall below those of GHG emissions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Holistic analyses of various levels of the genotype-phenotype-map, particularly of the genome and transcriptome and their integration contribute to the elucidation of the molecular basis of inheritance and trait expression. The individual variation of the genome, transcriptome, proteome, and metabolome are put into relation with each other and with the appearance of the animal. Towards balanced livestock breeding functional traits become increasingly important and lead to the adaptation of the breeding objectives. The data collected by the application of omics techniques provides new molecular phenotypes that contribute to our understanding of complex relationships between production and functional traits and environmental factors. Biomarkers can be derived from these molecular phenotypes and serve as indicators of the state of an organism. Biomarkers provide information on appropriate management or treatment measures, serve as a new trait for complex organismal traits and contribute to the identification of trait-associated genes and alleles for the marker-/gene-assisted selection. As new molecular traits biomarker are tools for animal breeding and animal husbandry, which is exemplified in this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]