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Bashang long-tail chickens are an indigenous breed with dual purpose in China (meat and eggs) but have low egg laying performance. To improve the low egg laying performance, a genome-wide analysis of mRNAs and long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) from Bashang long-tail chickens and Hy-Line brown layers was performed. A total of 16,354 mRNAs and 8691 lncRNAs were obtained from ovarian follicles. Between the breeds, 160 mRNAs and 550 lncRNAs were found to be significantly differentially expressed. Integrated network analysis suggested some differentially expressed genes were involved in ovarian follicular development through oocyte meiosis, progesterone-mediated oocyte maturation, and cell cycle. The impact of lncRNAs on cis and trans target genes, indicating some lncRNAs may play important roles in ovarian follicular development. The current results provided a catalog of chicken ovarian follicular lncRNAs and genes for further study to understand their roles in regulation of egg laying performance. • A genome-wide analysis of lncRNAs and mRNAs in chicken ovarian follicles was performed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rapid development of animal husbandry has resulted in serious pollution issues in the livestock and poultry breeding industry, increasing the cost of environmental management. This issue is particularly prominent in China due to its rapid economic development, significant domestic consumption, and aggressive carbon neutrality targets. This study analyses pollution emissions and spatial-temporal variation in China's cattle breeding industry. Using an emission coefficient method and panel data of 31 Chinese provinces/municipalities between 2002 and 2017, we measure the total volume of pollutant emissions from China's cattle breeding industry and five major pollutants: chemical oxygen demand, total nitrogen, total phosphorus, copper, and zinc. We also analyse the dynamic variation of the spatial distribution. The results show that both the total emissions volume and emissions of the five major pollutants have decreased to different extents, among which chemical oxygen demand has decreased the fastest. Spatial divergence is strengthened as the heavy pollution areas have moved from the southeast to the northwest of the country. This study contributes to current research by its focus on the cattle breading industry and by our improvements to the pollutant emission measurement method. • The pollutant emissions brought by cattle breeding has been significant in China. • The emissions show a decreasing trend in total. • Specific five types of major pollutant emissions are examined further. • There is a spatial transferring of emissions from the east to the northwest of China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China's successful agriculture development has resulted in public concerned environmental problems. However, continuous and detailed data about Chinese agricultural non-point source pollution (ANPSP) loads are lacking. To assess and analyze Chinese ANPSP loads from 1978 to 2017, an inventory analysis was performed, and a socioeconomic and spatiotemporal analysis in the scale of provinces was conducted. The results showed that the pollution loads of chemical oxygen demand (COD), total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP) increased by 91.0%, 196.2% and 244.1%, respectively, and their variation underwent a free development stage, reform promotion stage, market regulation stage and policy incentive stage. The results of the pollution source analysis showed that over the past 40 years, the total percent contribution to COD by livestock and poultry breeding (LPB) and rural household waste (RHW) accounted for 83.1%–96.6%, the total percent contribution to TN by mineral fertilizers (MF) and LPB accounted for 72.3%–80.8%, and the total percent contribution to TP by LPB, RHW and MF accounted for 69.1%–88.6%. In addition, Shandong, Guangdong, Sichuan, and Henan were the top producers of ANPSP loads, and their COD, TN, and TP loads accounted for approximately 32%, 30%, and 35% of the national totals, respectively. The discharge intensity of COD, TN and TP decreased by 79.2%, 67.8%, and 62.6%, respectively. The discharge intensity exhibited a phasic feature that aligned with the national economic plan in the temporal scale and was closely related to the agricultural conditions in the spatial scale. • Agricultural non-point source pollution loads from 1978 to 2017 were estimated. • Total pollution loads increase by 114% and discharge intensity decreases by 70%. • The periodic growth characteristic of pollution loads is divided into four stages. • China's agricultural policies relevantly decreased the discharge intensity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]