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News reports and policymakers frequently link African civil conflicts and wars to agricultural crises caused by droughts. However, empirical studies of the relationship between rainfall and civil conflict or war remain inconclusive. I reexamine this relationship focusing on rainfall over each country's agricultural land during the growing seasons. I also incorporate that the relationship between rainfall and agricultural output is hump-shaped, as rainfall beyond a threshold decreases output. I find a U-shaped relationship between rainfall and the risk of civil conflict and war in (Sub-Saharan) African countries. This relationship mirrors the hump-shaped relationship between rainfall and agricultural output. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since its emergence in the early 2000s, livestock-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus clonal complex 398 (LA-MRSA CC398) has led to an increasing number of human infections in Denmark and other European countries with industrial pig production. LA-MRSA CC398 is primarily associated with skin infections among pig farm workers but is also increasingly recognized as a cause of life-threatening disease among elderly and immunocompromised people. Pig farm workers may serve as vehicles for the spread of LA-MRSA CC398 and other farm-origin bacteria between farms and into the general population. Yet, little is known about the bacterial community dynamics in pig farm workers and other persons with long- and short-term exposure to the pig farm environment. To gain insight into this, we investigated the nasal microbiomes in pig farm workers during a workweek on four LA-MRSA CC398-positive pig farms, as well as in short-term visitors two hours before, immediately after, and 48 hours after a 1-hour visit to another LA-MRSA CC398-positive pig farm. S. aureus and LA-MRSA CC398 carriage was quantified by means of culture, and the composition of the bacterial communities was investigated through sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene. Pig farm workers often carried LA-MRSA CC398 and other bacteria from the pig farm environment, both at work and at home, although at lower levels at home. In contrast, short-term visitors were subject to a less dramatic and rapidly reversible change in the nasal bacterial community composition. These results suggest that pig farm workers may be an important source of LA-MRSA CC398 and perhaps other pathogens of human and veterinary relevance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rodents serve as amplifiers of Salmonella infections in poultry flocks and can serve as a source of Salmonella contamination in the environment even after thorough cleaning and disinfection. This study aims to determine the dynamics of Salmonella occurrence in rodents and its relation to Salmonella contamination in the layer farm environment, including air dusts and eggs. From 2008 to 2017, roof rats (Rattus rattus), environmental swabs, air dusts, and eggs were collected from an intensive commercial layer farm in East Japan and were tested for Salmonella spp. using standard procedures. In roof rat samples, the Salmonella isolation rate was reached at 10% (95% confidence interval [CI] 8.1–21.9) in which Salmonella Corvallis, Salmonella Infantis, Salmonella Potsdam, and Salmonella Mbandaka were the frequent isolates from the cecal portion of the intestines. On the other hand, the prevalence rate of Salmonella in environmental swabs was at 5.1% (95% CI 2.2–7.4) while air dusts were at 0.9% (95% CI 0.2–1.8). It was observed that the prevalence of predominant Salmonella serotypes shifted over time; in roof rats, it was noted that Salmonella Potsdam gradually replaced Salmonella Infantis. In environmental swabs and eggs, Salmonella Corvallis and Salmonella Potsdam increased significantly while Salmonella Infantis became less frequent. In air dusts, Salmonella Corvallis was observed to decrease and Salmonella Potsdam became more common. Based on our findings, the role of roof rats in the epidemiology of Salmonella in layer farms was expanded from being a reservoir and an amplifier host into a shifting vessel of the most predominant serotypes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effectiveness of antibiotics has been challenged by the increasing frequency of antimicrobial resistance (AR), which has emerged as a major threat to global health. Despite the negative impact of AR on health, there are few effective strategies for reducing AR in food-producing animals. Of the antimicrobial resistant microorganisms (ARMs), extended-spectrum β-lactamases (ESBLs)-producing Enterobacteriaceae are an emerging global threat due to their increasing prevalence in livestock, even in animals raised without antibiotics. Many reviews are available for the positive selection of AR associated with antibiotic use in livestock, but less attention has been given to how other factors including soil, water, manure, wildlife, and farm workers, are associated with the emergence of ESBL-producing bacteria. Understanding of antibiotic resistance genes and bacteria transfer at the interfaces of livestock and other potential reservoirs will provide insights for the development of mitigation strategies for AR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This review paper investigated the durability and corrosion of materials used in the construction of agricultural buildings. Even though concrete and metal were the materials of choice in the construction of farm structures, they are susceptible to corrosion and environmental degradation. Acid attacks result in the oxidation of metals and mass losses and reduced compressive strength of the metal structures. Concrete structures are degraded in high humidity environments, such as lagoons, agricultural effluents, and animal manure. Poultry, cow, and pig manure contain variable quantities of corrosion-inducing chemicals, such as sulfates, nitrates, chlorides, hydrogen sulfide, and ammonia. However, the degradation of concrete structures can be mitigated by the utilization of modified concrete containing sulfur, fly ash, silica fume, and nanoparticles such as silica. Concrete structures made of fiber-reinforced polymers are less prone to corrosion and are more durable. The design for durability has also emerged as a viable option for optimizing the service life of agricultural buildings by adhering to the exposure limits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While Plutella xylostella (L.) is a cosmopolitan pest of brassica crops, little is known about small-scale farmers' knowledge, perceptions and practices (KPPs) in response to the pest's increasing status. Using a non-probability sampling method, face to face interviews were conducted based on a structured questionnaire. Botswana brassica farmers were interviewed to understand current KPPs. Plutella xylostella emerged as a major challenge in brassica production with highest prevalence in the hot-dry spring season. Farmers relied on 41 different hazardous synthetic pesticides that were applied injudiciously with prophylactic sprays, regardless of acute and chronic health effects or environmental risk potential. Most farmers neither knew (62.7%) nor had first-hand experience (93.1%) on Integrated Pest Management or biological control methods (79.4%), including the use of biopesticides (70.6%). There were also knowledge gaps of P. xylostella natural enemies and other non-chemical pest management alternatives, fundamental components of IPM. Our findings underline human and environmental welfare concerns and sustainability challenges in pesticide use practices in small-scale brassica production systems and the urgent need for more benign alternative pest management options. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents data for agricultural work-related fatal injuries to nonworking youth (<18 years old) in Pennsylvania. Cases were identified from the Pennsylvania Farm Fatality (PA-FF) database for the period 2000-2018. The circumstances of the death in each incident were reviewed from news clippings, death certificates, and other reports available to determine the victim's status as a bystander, passenger, or other nonworking child. The study identified 69 agricultural work-related fatalities to non-working youth in Pennsylvania. Incidents were coded as non-working accomplice (26), non-working accomplice extra rider (14), non-working attendant (25), and ambiguous (4). Fatalities to children <5 years old accounted for 74% of the non-working youth fatalities, and most (75%) of the victims were male. Plain Sect community members (Anabaptists) comprised 78% of the cases. Children contribute significantly to the overall burden of agricultural work-related fatal injuries in Pennsylvania, especially as bystanders. From the review of the data, we conclude that fatal injuries to non-working children on farms are preventable. The process of identifying different injury patterns associated with non-work-related child activity has increased our understanding of how safety professionals and community members may help prevent these fatalities. Many researchers have noted a variety of intervention efforts that show potential for providing safer farm and home environments but will need long-term commitments in various capacities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The emergence of livestock-associated (LA)-methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in livestock animal has become a significant zoonotic concern. In the present study, we investigated nationwide prevalence of LA-MRSA across pork production chain including pig farms, slaughterhouses, and retail markets. A total of 40 MRSA strains were isolated during the investigation and the overall prevalence of MRSA was 3.4% (n = 37), 0.6% (n = 2), and 0.4% (n = 1) in pig farms, slaughterhouses, and retail markets, respectively. Multilocus sequence typing analyses revealed that the 2 most significant clonal lineages in pork production chain in Korea were ST398 (n = 25) and ST541 (n = 6). All of the 40 MRSA isolates were further characterized to investigate key genotypic and phenotypic correlates associated with the emergence and spread of clonal complex 398 (CC398; ST398, and ST541) LA-MRSA. Although the prevalence of swine-associated MRSA was still relatively low and mostly restricted to pig farms, multidrug-resistant CC398 LA-MRSA isolates with new spa types (t18102 and t18103) were identified as a major clonal lineage. The CC398 LA-MRSA strains tended to exhibit increased levels of multiple drug resistance (MDR) phenotype compared with non-CC398 MRSA strains. Of note, in comparison with non-CC398 MRSA isolates, CC398 LA-MRSA isolates exhibited significantly enhanced tetracycline (TET) and zinc resistance. These findings suggested that co-selection pressure associated with MDR phenotype, especially TET resistance, and zinc resistance may have played a significant role in the emergence and persistence of CC398 LA-MRSA in pig farms in Korea. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

New fossil lungfish remains comprising two parasphenoids, tooth plates and scales from the Famennian Witpoort Formation of South Africa are described. From the parasphenoid material, which bears similarity to Oervigia and Sagenodus but is nevertheless unique, a new genus, Isityumzi mlomomde gen. et sp. nov. is erected. Tooth plates and scales from the same locality may be conspecific but are not yet assigned until further material becomes available. The tooth plates closely resemble those of some taxa in the Carboniferous genus Ctenodus. The new taxon is significant as only the second Devonian lungfish described from the African continent, and for hailing from the high-latitude (polar) Waterloo Farm environment situated close to 70° south during the Famennian. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Objective] The paper was lo study the wind-reducing effect of windbreak wall at different sheltering distances and the effects of wind speed on cattle performance. [Method] The 40 cattle with insignificant difference in initial weight were randomly distributed in four selected stalls, and were divided into two groups according to the distance between stalls and windbreak wall lo measure their daily gain. According to the actual conditions and weather conditions of fattening cattle farm, the wind speed, temperature and other environmental indexes of measuring point and heat production of beef cattle were carried out field measurement and analysis.[Result] The windbreak wall in fattening cattle farm reduced the wind speed by 40%—70% within a horizontal distance of 10 times of the wall height at a height of 1.2 m. The best sheltered area behind windbreak wall was 2—4 times of the height of windbreak wall. Within the distance of 6 times of the wall height, the wind speed reduction effect was obvious and the maximum reduction rate reached 70%. With an external WCI of—15.61 and average beef cattle weight of 480 kg, the WCI of fattening cattle farm equipped with windbreak wall reached -9.00, and the heat loss reduced by each cow was 3.31 MJ/h. Meantime, due to the difference in distance from windbreak wall, the daily gain difference of beef cattle was 0.15 kg/head day, but the difference was not significant (P>0.05). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: An extensive source investigation was conducted on a dairy farm with neurolisteriosis and subclinical mastitis cases to identify infection source and potential transmission routes of Listeria monocytogenes. Methods and Results: A total of 36 L. monocytogenes isolates were obtained from animal clinical cases (neurolisteriosis and udder infection) and the farm environment (silage, faeces, water). Isolates were typed using pulsed‐field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) and whole‐genome sequencing (WGS). Their virulence potential was assessed using the gentamicin protection assay and WGS‐based identification of virulence genes. PFGE and WGS revealed a high genetic diversity of L. monocytogenes. An epidemiological link was confirmed for isolates from (i) several subclinical mastitis cases, (ii) silage and subclinical mastitis cases and (iii) different water sources. The neurolisteriosis isolate belonged to clonal complex (CC) 1, but infection source was not identified. A high occurrence (9/47 cows; 19·1%) of subclinical mastitis was observed with isolates belonging to CC2, CC4 and CC11. Conclusions: The dairy farm environment was contaminated with diverse L. monocytogenes strains, including genotypes associated with human disease. Several isolates harboured genetic determinants associated with increased infectious potential in humans. Significance and Impact of the Study: Results suggest that subclinical listerial mastitis should not be neglected as a potential source of milk contamination. The presence of hypervirulent CCs in subclinical mastitis cases calls for the implementation of improved mastitis detection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bacillus cereus not only has adverse effects on the nutrition and shelf life of dairy products but also seriously endanger people's health. This study was conducted to reveal the prevalence and genetic diversity of B. cereus strains isolated from raw milk and cattle farm environments. A total 56 of B. cereus strains were detected from 300 environmental samples (soil, water, fodder, air, milk pails, milking machines, cowsheds, bedding, excrement, cow surfaces, udders, overalls, soles, and staff hand samples) and 50 raw milk samples, and divided into 18 sequence types (STs) using multilocus sequence typing method. These STs included ST27, ST61, ST92, ST142, ST168, ST208, ST378, ST427, ST766, ST 857, ST1098, ST1140, ST1194, ST1236, ST1336, ST1339, ST1341, and ST1348, among them, ST857 (7/56, 12.5%) was the dominant ST, and were detected from air, cowsheds, bedding, excrement, and raw milk samples. Our findings could reveal the distribution and genetic diversity of B. cereus strains in raw milk and cattle farm environments, and provide a theoretical basis for controlling the potential harm of this pathogenic bacteria in dairy products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Growing up in farms protect from developing allergies later in life. • Farm-induced protection is mediated by a gene–environment interaction. • Farm dust components confer protection by acting on both barrier and immune cells. It is now well established that the exposure to certain environments such as farms has the potential to protect from the development of allergies later in life. This protection is achieved when repeated exposure to the farming environment occurs early in life, but persists when children spend sufficient amount of time in contact with livestock and hay, and drink unpasteurized milk. The capacity of farm dust to protect from allergy development lies, amongst others, in the microbe composition in the farm. These protective microbes release various metabolites and cell wall components that change farmers' home dust composition, when compared to urbanized home dust. Additionally, they can colonize various barrier sites (skin, lung, intestine) in farmers' children, leading to persistent changes in the way their immune system and their barrier cells respond to environmental allergens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mycobacterium avium ssp. paratuberculosis (MAP) is the etiological agent of paratuberculosis, a disease that affects ruminants worldwide. Despite global interest in the control of this disease, gaps exist in our knowledge of fecal shedding patterns and concurrent serological patterns. This longitudinal study in dairy cattle herds with high MAP seroprevalence in France aimed at accurately describing fecal shedding patterns over 1 year; relating those shedding patterns to individual animal characteristics (age, breed, parity); and exploring the association between fecal shedding patterns and serological patterns. To describe temporal fecal shedding patterns and continuity of shedding, along with the standard quantitative PCR (qPCR) threshold cycle we used a cutoff value that related to low or nonculturable fecal shedding. We also defined a threshold cycle indicative of shedding in high quantities to describe infection progression patterns. Twenty-one herds completed the study, and 782 cows were tested 4 times each. We obtained 4 sets of paired fecal qPCR and serum ELISA results from 757 cows. Although we targeted highly likely infectious animals, we found a large diversity of shedding patterns, as well as high variability between herds in the proportion of animals showing a given pattern. The fecal qPCR results of almost 20% of the final study sample were positioned at least once in the range that indicated low or nonculturable fecal shedding (between the adjusted and the standard cutoff value). Although these animals would typically be classified as non-shedders, they could be important to infection dynamics on the farm. Animals that shed at least twice consecutively and animals that shed in high quantities rarely reverted to negativity. Repeated fecal qPCR can be used to detect temporal fecal shedding traits, and the decision to cull an animal could practically be based on temporal, semiquantitative results. Overall, we found a mismatch between fecal shedding and ELISA seropositivity (637 animals were ELISA-negative 4 times, but only 13% of those animals were qPCR-negative 4 times). We found that having more than 2 ELISA-positive samples was strongly related to persistent and continuous shedding. We suggest that although serological testing is much less sensitive than qPCR, it can also be used, particularly over the course of multiple testing events, to identify animals that are most likely to contribute to the contamination of the farm environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A few reports indicate that livestock might represent a new reservoir for carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae (CPE). In 2015, VIM-1-producing Escherichia coli were detected at slaughter in colon contents of animals from a German fattening pig farm within the national monitoring on ESBL-producing E. coli. In this study, pooled faces samples from pigs, as well as samples from the barn surrounding environment of this fattening farm were taken, to evaluate the dissemination of CPEs. Several modifications of the culture-dependent detection procedure were investigated for their potential to improve the sensitivity of the CPE isolation method. The current reference procedure was adapted by adding a real-time PCR pre-screening and additional enrichment steps. It was possible to isolate 32 VIM-1-producing E. coli from four fecal samples of three different barns using two serial enrichment steps in combination with real-time PCR and selective agar plates. By genetic typing, we confirmed the presence of two E. coli clonal lineages circulating on this particular farm: one was harboring the bla VIM–1 on an IncHI2 plasmid while the second lineage carried the gene on the chromosome. Despite its different locations, the bla VIM–1 gene was harbored on a class 1 integron in both clonal lineages. Whole-genome sequencing revealed that the VIM-1-carrying plasmids exhibited only slight variability in its compositions and sizes. We assume that the prevalence of CPEs in animal production in Germany and other European countries might be underestimated and there is a concern of further spread of VIM-1-producing bacteria in German livestock and food. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An electrochemically activated solution (ECAS), generated by electrolysis of a dilute sodium chloride solution in a four-chamber electrolytic cell (Ecas4), was tested as a sanitising aerosol in eliminating bacteria from the environment of a weaning room vacated 24-48h earlier, at a continuous flow pig farm. An ultrasonic humidifier was used to fill the environment with a fog (droplets with diameters of 1–5 μm) containing 0.25 ppm of hypochlorous acid. The weaning room was fogged for 3 min at 30 min intervals during five hours of aerosol disinfection. An innovative sample treatment with propidium monoazide dye in conjunction with cyclonic air sampling was optimised and adapted for discerning live/dead bacteria in subsequent molecular quantification steps. Without fogging, total bacterial load ranged from 5.06 ± 0.04 to 5.75 ± 0.04 Log10 CFU/m3. After the first hour of fogging, a 78% total bacterial reduction was observed, which further increased to > 97% after the second hour, > 99.4% after the third and 99.8% after the fourth hour, finally resulting in a 99.99% reduction from the farm environment over five hours. Unlike the current formaldehyde spray disinfection protocol, which requires a long empty period because of its hazardous properties, this economically viable and environmentally friendly disinfection protocol may significantly lower downtime. Moreover, ECAS fogging can be easily adapted to a variety of applications, including the elimination of pathogens from livestock farm air environment for disease prevention, as well as decontamination after disease outbreaks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• We analysed the genetic variability of 16 European Merino sheep breeds. • The studied breeds showed a noticeable genetic variability. • The Merino Pozo Blanco showed a genetic uniqueness. • Spanish origin of the Merinos branch seems to be confirmed. Although the Merino breed originated in the Iberian Peninsula, the Merino and Merino-derived sheep breeds have nowadays been widely distributed across the world both as purebreds and as admixed populations. In Europe, the Merino trunk has both high phenotypic and genetic diversity which originated from several genetic types adapted to different economic and farming environments. For these reasons, Merino and Merino-derived breeds must be presently considered cosmopolitan breeds that have an important role worldwide in the production of high-quality wool. This paper presents the results of the genetic characterization by 35 STR markers of 539 animals which are the most important 16 Merino and Merino-derived sheep breeds in Europe. The results highlighted a remarkable level of genetic variability in all breeds. Overall, microsatellite polymorphism analysis revealed the Merino Pozo Blanco as the most homogeneous breed. The subdivision between the studied breeds was shown by the STRUCTURE analysis even though a genetic admixture is particularly evident in the three Italian Merino derived breeds. In this study, the historical background of the Merino breed has been assessed from the genetic point of view, and the Spanish origin of the Merinos branch seems to be confirmed. In general, despite their common ancestral origin, nowadays the investigated Merino and Merino-derived breeds present a genetic identity in accordance with their geographical location probably due to different selection strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: The present study was carried out to determine load of total bacteria, Escherichia coli and Salmonella spp. in dairy farm and its environmental components. In addition, the antibiogram profile of the isolated bacteria having public health impact was also determined along with identification of virulence and resistance genes by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) under a one-health approach. Materials and Methods: A total of 240 samples of six types (cow dung - 15, milk - 10, milkers' hand wash - 10, soil - 10 water - 5, and vegetables - 10) were collected from four dairy farms. For enumeration, the samples were cultured onto plate count agar, eosin methylene blue, and xylose-lysine deoxycholate agar and the isolation and identification of the E. coli and Salmonella spp. were performed based on morphology, cultural, staining, and biochemical properties followed by PCR. The pathogenic strains of E. coli stx1, stx2, and rfbO157 were also identified through PCR. The isolates were subjected to antimicrobial susceptibility test against 12 commonly used antibiotics by disk diffusion method. Detection of antibiotic resistance genes ereA, tetA, tetB, and SHV were performed by PCR. Results: The mean total bacterial count, E. coli and Salmonella spp. count in the samples ranged from 4.54±0.05 to 8.65±0.06, 3.62±0.07 to 7.04±0.48, and 2.52±0.08 to 5.87±0.05 log colony-forming unit/g or ml, respectively. Out of 240 samples, 180 (75%) isolates of E. coli and 136 (56.67%) isolates of Salmonella spp. were recovered through cultural and molecular tests. Among the 180 E. coli isolates, 47 (26.11%) were found positive for the presence of all the three virulent genes, of which stx1 was the most prevalent (13.33%). Only three isolates were identified as enterohemorrhagic E. coli. Antibiotic sensitivity test revealed that both E. coli and Salmonella spp. were found highly resistant to azithromycin, tetracycline, erythromycin, oxytetracycline, and ertapenem and susceptible to gentamycin, ciprofloxacin, and imipenem. Among the four antibiotic resistance genes, the most observable was tetA (80.51-84.74%) in E. coli and Salmonella spp. and SHV genes were the lowest one (22.06-25%). Conclusion: Dairy farm and their environmental components carry antibiotic-resistant pathogenic E. coli and Salmonella spp. that are potential threat for human health which requires a one-health approach to combat the threat. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract This study was carried out to determine the occurrence and characteristics of enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC) and Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) strains in cow's milk, cheese and dairy cattle farm environments, and to estimate distribution of antimicrobial resistance. A collection of 18 atypical EPEC -aEPEC, 14 STEC, and one E. albertii was obtained and characterized from 502 samples. Occurrence of aEPEC in cow's milk was high (>6%) whereas non-O157 STEC was isolated in ca. 2% of milk samples. Detection of these diarrheagenic E. coli was absent in more than 100 cheese samples obtained from raw milk. This is the first report identifying E. albertii (O69:HNM) in a dairy cattle farm. Nearly one-third of aEPEC strains showed antimicrobial resistance, mostly presenting a multidrug resistance pattern. One clonal complex (ST20 Cplx) containing aEPEC strains from milk and faecal samples was determined. Two STEC strains belonged to serotypes with importance in human disease (O91:H21 and O55:H8) and were isolated from air samples which suggests a high dissemination potential. Spanish bulk tank cow's milk can constitute an important source of aEPEC strains besides STEC, bearing multiple antimicrobial resistance and with high diversity of both serotypes and genetic features linked to potential human infection. Highlights • In cows' milk, occurrence is high (>6%) for aEPEC whereas ca. 2% for STEC. • No detection of diarrheagenic E. coli in cheese obtained from raw cows' milk. • Spanish cows' milk is source of high-diverse aEPEC with multiple antibiotic resistance. • Milk and farm environment are sources of non-O157 STEC with clinical importance. • Isolation of the emerging human enteropathogen E. albertii in a dairy cattle farm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Individuals raised on a farm appear to have less asthma than individual raised elsewhere. However, selective migration might contribute to this as may also the suggested protection from farm environment. This study investigated if parents with asthma are less likely to raise their children on a farm. This study involved three generations: 6045 participants in ECRHS/RHINE cohorts (born 1945–1973, denoted G1), their 10,121 parents (denoted G0) and their 8260 offspring participating in RHINESSA (born 1963–1998, denoted G2). G2-offspring provided information on parents not participating in ECRHS/RHINE. Asthma status and place of upbringing for all three generations were reported in questionnaires by G1 in 2010–2012 and by G2 in 2013–2016. Binary regressions with farm upbringing as outcome were performed to explore associations between parental asthma and offspring farm upbringing in G0–G1 and G1–G2. Having at least one parent with asthma was not associated with offspring farm upbringing, either in G1–G2 (RR 1.11, 95% CI 0.81–1.52) or in G0–G1 (RR 0.99, 0.85–1.15). G1 parents with asthma born in a city tended to move and raise their G2 offspring on a farm (RR 2.00, 1.12–3.55), while G1 parents with asthma born on a farm were less likely to raise their G2 offspring on a farm (RR 0.34, 0.11–1.06). This pattern was not observed in analyses of G0–G1. This study suggests that the protective effect from farm upbringing on subsequent asthma development could not be explained by selective migration. Intriguingly, asthmatic parents appeared to change environment when having children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the increasing production of farmed Litopenaeus vannamei, the discharge of culture sewage and the accumulation of deleterious substances (nitrite, ammonia, sulfide...) in ponds have been more severe, especially at the mid-late farming stage, severely inhibiting the sustainability of aquaculture. Considering vital roles of microorganisms in cycling processes, we thereupon comprehensively investigated microbiotas in water, sediment and effluent of L. vannamei ponds under different culture modes by 16S rRNA gene and metagenome sequencing. Results revealed that microbial communities in water, sediment and effluent of white shrimp ponds were diverse and had active metabolism. Genes related to quorum sensing were abundant. Furthermore, we uncovered carbon fixation, such as CBB, WL and 3-HP; N, S, P cycling except nitrification and sulfide oxidation were active in shrimp farming environments at mid-late farming stage. Remarkably, each gene encoding key enzyme involved in cycling processes was assigned to specific taxa, such as Rhodobacteraceae, Rubrivivax and so on. Interestingly, many functional taxa (Vibrio, Aeromonas) were also potential pathogens to shrimp and microbiotas' structure along with function were correlated with environmental factors, reminding us of regulating variations of environmental factors during the shrimp farming period. Meanwhile, water, sediment and effluent under different culture modes had different microbial diversity and characteristics. Notably, we called for urgent management of direct discharge of aquaculture sewage including numerous genes related to human diseases, which is vital to public health. Briefly, this was the first study analyzing microbiotas' structure, function, ecology cycling in different L. vannamei culture surroundings and their correlation with environmental factors, advancing our knowledge for aquaculture ecosystems and providing preliminary data for probiotics screening and cycling regulation in the future. • Metagenomics was used to study microbiotas in aquaculture farming environments for the first time. • Genes related to quorum sensing and human diseases were abundant in water, sediment and effluent of shrimp ponds. • C, N, P, S cycling except nitrification and sulfide oxidation were active in shrimp farming environments. • Many functional taxa including potential pathogens to shrimp could participate in C, N, P, S cycling processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We developed a novel strain of red sea bream Pagrus major that showed resistance to red sea bream iridoviral disease (RSIVD) using marker-assisted selection combined with DNA-based family selection and evaluated survival of its G 2 in a farm environment. The G 1 population was derived from a single RSIVD-resistant male (G 0). The G 1 progeny of the resistant male were identified by DNA parentage analysis using microsatellites. Marker-assisted selection using a quantitative trait locus linked to the RSIVD-resistant trait (Pma4_014) was conducted, and individuals inheriting the resistant allele of Pma4_014 (+) were selected. Two G 2 populations were produced in 2016 and 2017, and reared for approximately three months, during the summer, at an aquaculture facility. A normal production cohort was also reared at the same farm in 2016 and survival compared. Survival rates of the G 2 populations produced in 2016 and 2017 were 78.8% and 83.5%, respectively. The survival rate of the 2016 normal production cohort was 63.8%. The segregation pattern of the resistant allele showed 1 (+/+): 2 (+/−): 1 (−/−) in G 2 , and genotype frequency of Pma4_014 was calculated using approximately 200 individuals collected from 2016 and 2017 G 2 populations before and after the field trial. Numbers of each genotype were estimated based on the number of introduced and surviving fish. Individuals with the resistant allele, (+/+) and (+/−), showed over 80% of the estimated survival rates, but individuals without the resistant allele (−/−) showed lower survival (50%) in both years. This result strongly suggests that the resistant allele dominantly affects RSIVD resistance, and the newly developed G 2 population is useful for further propagation of RSIVD-resistant red sea bream fingerlings. • An RSIVD-resistant strain of red sea bream was developed by marker-assisted selection. • Survival rate of F 2 was ~80% in two field trials. • Survival rates of F 2 individuals inheriting the resistant allele were over 80% in both trials. • The RSIVD resistant allele of Pma4_014 was found to be dominant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The small-scale agricultural structure, commonly found above all in the east and south of Poland, is seen as undesirable by Polish policy makers, who assign a high priority to the promotion of change from small to larger units. Against the background of multiple social-ecological crises, often tied to practices of intensive, industrial and large-scale agriculture, the question must be raised whether these efforts can achieve the goal of sustainability. To investigate this issue, an empirical study was carried out in two regions of a small-scale agrarian structure in the east and south-east of Poland with the aim to see what life situations and economic activities could be found in small farms and whether they could provide a counterweight to the multiple social and ecological crisis phenomena in agriculture. The present article focusses on three different economic models that were pursued by the interviewed farmers (economically successful full-time farming, part-time farming out of choice and farming out of economic necessity), on the main motivations underlying the farmers' activities (the desire for a secure existence and for autonomy) and on challenges that small scale farmers have to face with respect to the current institutional and economic-political environment for agriculture. The study's findings show that the economic activities pursued on the investigated farms can contribute to the sustainable development of rural areas only in a limited sense; what they demonstrate above all is the urgency of the change needed in the economic-political framing conditions for agriculture if nature-conserving agricultural practices, which are at the same time financially attractive for the farmers, are to make their contribution to the sustainable development of rural areas. Highlights • Market economy- and CAP-regulations make agriculture an entrepreneurial challenge. • Small-scale farmers can hardly earn their living by farming under these conditions. • Desire for secure existence and autonomy are the main drivers for farmers' activities. • Contribution of small-scale farming to sustainable rural development is limited. • CAP-regulations must be changed to foster nature-conserving farming practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • Human activities are the main causes of agricultural land fragmentation. • Large scale are more efficient to identify the most influential driving forces. • Agricultural fragmentation will increase in the projected year of 2025. Abstract The fragmentation of agricultural land is influenced by political, economic, social, ecological and environmental factors, which affect its dynamics, patterns, structures, and functions. However, a deep analysis aimed at examining agricultural land fragmentation and its driving forces, and predicting future agricultural land fragmentation is needed. We investigated the degree of fragmentation in a case study in Torres Vedras municipality (Portugal). This territory has experienced significant agricultural land use changes in the last twenty years, mainly in the form of agricultural intensification and land fragmentation. The purposes of the study are: (1) to identify different degrees of agricultural land fragmentation; (2) to analyse and recognize underlying driving forces; (3) to identify the effect of scale; (4) and to predict agricultural land fragmentation for 2025 in a business as usual scenario. This approach concentrates on a cluster analysis to define the agricultural land fragmentation and a multi-layer perceptron to project agricultural land fragmentation. The results indicate that a 5 by 5 km scale of analysis is more efficient than 2 by 2 km to identify the most influential driving forces, in which human activities are one of the main causes of agricultural land fragmentation. In addition, the results also predict that agricultural land fragmentation will increase in 2025. These outcomes should be used to forecast agricultural land fragmentation and to reduce negative impacts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Leaching of nutrients from agricultural areas is the main cause of water pollution and eutrophication of the Baltic Sea. A variety of remedial actions to reduce nitrogen and phosphorus losses from agricultural holdings and cultivated fields have been taken in the past. However, knowledge about the risk of nutrient leaching has not yet reached many farmers operating in the water catchment area of the Baltic Sea. Methods: The nutrient balance method known as "At the farm gate" involves calculating separate balances for nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and potassium (K). After estimating all the components of the nutrient balance, the total balance for NPK is calculated and the data obtained is expressed as the ratio of total change (surplus) to the area of arable land on a farm. In addition, the nutrient usage efficiency on a farm is also calculated. An opinion poll was conducted in 2017 on 3.6% (n = 31) of the farms located in commune of Puck. The total area of the farms including arable and grass land ranged from 5 to 130 ha with an average of 45.82 ha. The arable land was on average 30.79 ha ranging from 4.45 to 130 ha while the grassland averaged 12.77 ha and ranged from 0 to 53 ha. Results: The average consumption of mineral fertilizer in the sample population of farms was 114.9 kg N, 9.3 kg P, and 22.9 kg K•ha-1of agricultural land (AL), respectively. N balance in the sample farms being ranged from -23.3 to 254.5 kg N•ha-1AL while nutrient use efficiency ranged from 0.40% to 231.3%. In comparison, P surplus in the sample farms was 5.0 kg P•ha-1AL with the P use efficiency of 0.4-266.5%. Discussion: Mean N fertilizer consumption in the tested farms was higher than the average usage across Poland and in the Pomeranian Voivodeship. However, mean consumption of potassium fertilizers was lower than mentioned averages. Mean P fertilizer consumption was higher than in the Pomeranian Voivodeship, but lower compared to the entire country. Generally, on the basis of designated research indicators of farm pressures on water quality, concentrations of total nitrogen and total phosphorus were obtained. CalcGosPuck (an integrated agriculture calculator) will help to raise farmers' awareness about NPK flow on farm scale and to improve nutrient management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate and land-use change interactively affect biodiversity. Largescale expansions of bioenergy have been suggested as an important component for climate change mitigation. Here we use harmonized climate and land-use projections to investigate their potential combined impacts on global vertebrate diversity under a low- and a highlevel emission scenario. We combine climate-based species distribution models for the world's amphibians, birds, and mammals with land-use change simulations and identify areas threatened by both climate and land-use change in the future. The combined projected effects of climate and land-use change on vertebrate diversity are similar under the two scenarios, with land-use change effects being stronger under the low- and climate change effects under the highemission scenario. Under the low-emission scenario, increases in bioenergy cropland may cause severe impacts in biodiversity that are not compensated by lower climate change impacts. Under this lowemission scenario, larger proportions of species distributions and a higher number of small-range species may become impacted by the combination of land-use and climate change than under the highemission scenario, largely a result of bioenergy cropland expansion. Our findings highlight the need to carefully consider both climate and land-use change when projecting biodiversity impacts. We show that biodiversity is likely to suffer severely if bioenergy cropland expansion remains a major component of climate change mitigation strategies. Our study calls for an immediate and significant reduction in energy consumption for the benefit of both biodiversity and to achieve the goals of the Paris Agreement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Organic fertilizers, such as manure and compost, are promising additions for synthetic fertilizers in order to increase soil fertility and crop yields. However, the organic fertilizers applied to soils may increase nitrous oxide (N 2 O, a greenhouse gas) emissions due to their lower C/N ratios, and therefore potentially contribute to global warming. Very few studies have used process-based models to assess the environmental advantages and drawbacks of compost soil amendments compared to other field treatments. In this study, the UK-DNDC model was modified for simulation of nitrous oxide (N 2 O) fluxes emitted from the soils treated with green compost and farmyard manure at three UK farms (WE, PW and NW): one winter wheat and two grasslands. The results show that the annual overall N 2 O emissions were 1.45 kg N ha −1  y −1 for WE treated with farmyard manure, 0.71 for WE with green compost, 1.09910 for PW treated with farmyard manure, 0.94 for PW treated with green compost, 1.19 for NW treated with farmyard manure, and 1.18 for NW treated with green compost. A two dimensional linear model was developed to correlate nitrogen loading and soil pH for calculations of emissions and emission factors (EFs). The linear model could fit the emissions obtained from the UK-DNDC model well. The squares of correlation coefficients of the emissions between two models are 0.993 and 0.985 for farmyard manure and green compost, respectively. Analysis of correlation coefficients between N 2 O emissions and air temperature, precipitation as well as the time period between fertilizer application and sample measurement (PFS) for the three sites treated with farmyard manure and compost indicated that N 2 O emissions were mainly related to PFS. The modified DNDC model provides an approach to estimating N 2 O emissions from compost amended soils. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abolition of the milk quota in the European Union and favourable market conditions have stimulated the expansion of the dairy sector in Ireland, causing more milk to be produced from poorly drained land. This work evaluated the environmental impacts of alternative agricultural uses for poorly drained farm land in Ireland using life cycle assessment (LCA). The avoided burden of the displaced product was used to calculate the net environmental consequences in the context of regional or global markets. The impact categories evaluated were climate change, eutrophication and acidification, all expressed per hectare of land for the alternative land uses, which were pasture-based milk, suckler beef and lowland sheep production and coniferous forestry. Beef had the lowest net climate change impact with global marginal and average product substitution while sheep had the lowest net climate change impact with European displaced product. For net eutrophication and acidification, dairy had the lowest impacts with European and global average displaced product. With global marginal displaced product, forestry had the lowest net eutrophication impact and sheep had the lowest net acidification impact. From an Irish perspective, forestry would generate the lowest environmental impacts and would also increase soil carbon stock, but this was not the best land use option from global perspective. Overall it can be concluded that a pasture based dairy or sheep system would have the greatest net global impact reduction (i.e. greatest global benefit) as land use options for farms with poorly drained soils. Prioritizing climate change, suckler beef system would perhaps be more favourable. It is clear that the choice of the displaced regional or global co-product from the market has a great influence on the results and there is a need to consider more detailed consumption modelling to better understand the substitution process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The potential for agricultural landscapes to support biodiversity may vary greatly based on agricultural land use. Current knowledge suggests that agricultural composition and intensity are dominant drivers of biodiversity in agricultural landscapes, with variable effects of agricultural configuration and landscape diversity. The aim of this study was to determine the relative effects of agricultural composition, intensity, configuration, and landscape diversity on the species diversity of six distinct bird guilds on the landscape scale in a large and complex landscape in Ontario, Canada. We found that agricultural configuration, specifically patchiness of croplands, and to a lesser degree forage lands, was the strongest predictor of bird diversity for three of the six bird guilds considered (forest, shrubland, and town). The effects of increased cropland patchiness were variable, with forest and shrubland bird diversity increasing from small to moderate patchiness, and town bird diversity declining from moderate to high patchiness. Grassland birds, a group of considerable conservation concern, increased near linearly with increased agricultural land cover in the landscape, highlighting the need to consider agricultural lands in conservation planning for this species group. Woodland bird diversity declined significantly with all increasing measures of agricultural intensity, including the proportion of high-intensity agriculture and larger patches of agricultural land. Wetland birds were unique from the other guilds, showing primarily a strong association between diversity of land cover types and guild-level bird diversity. Surprisingly, increased cover of agricultural lands, which we predicted to be a dominant driver of guild-level bird diversity declines due to habitat loss, had weak, non-significant effects relative to the other land use variable being tested, except for the positive association with grassland birds. Our findings suggest that a mix of management strategies should be employed to consider the varying effects of agricultural lands on different bird guilds, such as the inclusion of agricultural land in conservation strategies for grassland species and further managing the configuration of agricultural lands to enhance biodiversity of agricultural landscapes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To protect fertile agricultural land and guarantee food security in regions that are strongly affected by urban growth, it is crucial to use and design appropriate policy instruments. In Switzerland, as well as in many other countries worldwide, one of the most important instruments for steering urban development is zoning. Zoning regulations are usually implemented at local governance levels (i.e. at municipality level) and have proven to effectively account for externalities. To determine whether zoning across municipalities could lead to a better protection of fertile agricultural soils, we developed an innovative approach based on multi-objective optimization. Using this approach we quantified the trade-off between reducing the loss of agricultural productivity and obtaining compact urban development patterns. We show that cooperation between municipalities is useful at two different stages in the decision-making process. Firstly, municipalities should cooperate when they define their environmental and socio-economic development goals and rank their preferences concerning different goals. Secondly, municipalities should cooperate when deciding on how much agricultural land should be converted into urban land. These results allow decision-makers to understand if zoning at a supra-municipal level significantly reduces the loss of agricultural productivity and should thus be favoured over zoning at the municipal level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Enterococcus faecalis and Enterococcus faecium are ubiquitous opportunistic pathogens found in the guts of humans and farmed animals. This study aimed to determine the occurrence, antimicrobial resistance, virulence, biofilm-forming ability and genotypes of E. faecalis and E. faecium from swine farms. Correlations between the genotypes, virulotypes, antibiotic resistance, and the environmental factors such as locality of farms and farm hygiene practice were explored. Methods. E. faecalis and E. faecium strains were isolated from the oral, rectal and fecal samples of 140 pigs; nasal, urine and fecal samples of 34 farmers working in the farms and 42 environmental samples collected from seven swine farms located in Peninsular Malaysia. Antibiotic susceptibility test was performed using the disk diffusion method, and the antibiotic resistance and virulence genes were detected by Polymerase Chain Reaction. Repetitive Extragenic Palindromic-Polymerase Chain Reaction and Pulsed-Field Gel Electrophoresis were performed to determine the clonality of the strains. Crosstab/Chi-square test and DistLM statistical analyses methods were used to determine the correlations between the genotypes, virulence factors, antibiotic resistance, and the environmental factors. Results. A total of 211 E. faecalis and 42 E. faecium were recovered from 140 pigs, 34 farmers and 42 environmental samples collected from seven swine farms in Peninsular Malaysia. Ninety-eight percent of the strains were multidrug-resistant (resistant to chloramphenicol, tetracycline, ciprofloxacin and erythromycin). Fifty-two percent of the strains formed biofilms. Virulence genes efa, asaI, gelE, esp, cyl and ace genes were detected. Virulence genes efa and asaI were most prevalent in E. faecalis (90%) and E. faecium (43%), respectively. Cluster analyses based on REP-PCR and PFGE showed the strains were genetically diverse. Overall, the strains isolated from pigs and farmers were distinct, except for three highly similar strains found in pigs and farmers. The strains were regional- and host-specific. Discussion. This study revealed alarming high frequencies of multidrug-resistant enterococci in pigs and swine farmers. The presence of resistance and virulence genes and the ability to form biofilm further enhance the persistence and pathogenicity of the strains. Although the overall clonality of the strains were regionals and host-specific, strains with high similarity were found in different hosts. This study reiterates a need of a more stringent regulation to ensure the proper use of antibiotics in swine husbandry to reduce the wide spread of multidrug-resistant strains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is a well-known fact that soil degradation is dramatically increasing and currently threatens agricultural soils all around the world. The objective of this study was to reveal the possible connection between soil degradation and seven physical-geographical factors - slope steepness, altitude, elevation differences, rainfall, temperature, soil texture and solar radiation – in the form of threshold values (if these exist), where soil degradation begins and ends. The analysis involved the whole area of the Czech Republic which consists of 13,027 cadasters (78,866 km 2 ). The greatest total degradation threat occurs in areas with slope steepness >7 degrees, average annual temperature <5.9 °C, elevation differences >10.54, altitude >766 m a.s.l. Similarly, the results for water erosion, wind erosion, soil compaction, loss of organic matter, acidification and heavy metal contamination were processed. The results enable us to identify the relationships of different levels of threats which could consequently be used in various ways – for classification of threatened areas, for more effective implementation of anti-degradation measures, or purely for a better understanding of the role of physical geographical factors in soil degradation in the Czech Republic, and thus could increase the chances of reducing vulnerability to land degradation not only in the Czech Republic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A comprehensive analysis of multiple aspects of food production is needed to address related concerns, such as the use of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium fertilizers, the consumption of water, the occupation or transformation of land, and greenhouse gas emissions. We examine the environmental properties of plant factories with sunlight and plant factories with artificial light, comparing them with conventional Japanese horticulture systems. Process conditions and inventory data were extracted from demonstration factories in Chiba, Japan. We found that these plant factories reduced the use of irreplaceable resources for food production, i.e., phosphorus, water, and land area, at the expense of additional energy consumption compared with conventional Japanese horticulture systems. By employing emerging energy technology options, energy consumption can be reduced sufficiently to be competitive with that of conventional horticulture systems. The results indicate that plant factories could become a viable or competitive production technology, changing the slope factors in the nexus of food, energy, and water systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Farmers hold a key to reaching biodiversity targets, but will only carry out this service to society if they are sufficiently motivated to do so. The aim of this study is to evaluate the potential of on-farm advice as a tool for motivating farmers to take action to preserve or even to enhance biodiversity on their farms. Design/methodology/approach: To address this aim, we surveyed 133 farmers (response rate 43.9%), of whom 23 had received on-farm advice about farmland biodiversity conservation over a period of six years. Findings: The results showed that key beliefs and motivations were positively influenced by farmer advisory services. Farmers who had received advice agreed significantly more strongly in the compatibility of biodiversity conservation and production; that biodiversity is important; and that nature conservation on farms is appreciated by society. Practical Implications: These results allow the conclusion that on-farm biodiversity advice might be a useful way of positively influencing the beliefs and enhancing motivations of farmers to contribute to biodiversity conservation on their farms. Theoretical implications: Although several papers have examined the influence of agricultural extension on farmer behaviour, the results of this study contribute to explaining some of the contradictions in the literature about the effectiveness of advisory services. Furthermore, this study addresses [Batary, P., L. V. Dicks, D. Kleijn, and W. J. Sutherland. 2015. “The Role of Agri-Environment Schemes in Conservation and Environmental Management.” Conservation Biology 29: 1006-1016.] challenge that there has been insufficient research on the link between farmer advice and the effectiveness of agri-environmental schemes. Originality/value: This paper is among the first to address these research gaps and is the first to examine the influence of advice on farmer conservation behaviour in the Swiss context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study is an assessment of the hydrothermal carbonisation of poultry slaughterhouse wastes sludge for the solid recovered fuel. The effects of hydrothermal carbonisation were evaluated by varying the reaction temperatures in the range of 170 °C–220 °C. After hydrothermal carbonisation was completed, the capillary suction time, time to filter, and particle size decreased by ranges of 170.4 to 25.9 s, 40 to 7.0 s, and 220 to 98 um, respectively, with increasing hydrothermal carbonisation temperature. This effect improved the dewaterability to release additional free water from the sludge. Moreover, hydrothermal carbonisation increased the heating value though the reduction of the hydrogen and oxygen content of solid fuel in addition to investigating drying performance. As shown in the Van Krevelen diagram, the H/C and O/C ratios decreased, in correlation with primary reactions of coalification. These results suggest that the hydrothermal carbonisation process is an advantageous technology in improving the properties of poultry slaughterhouse wastes as an alternative solid recovered fuel by converting the physical and chemical structure of the poultry slaughterhouse wastes in addition to also providing other benefits to treat organic and biomass waste. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objectives of the present study were to isolate Beauveria bassiana strains from cattle farm soils, analyze the phylogenetic relationships among the fungal strains isolated from these soils, and determine the acaricidal effect of B. bassiana isolates on engorged Rhipicephalus microplus tick strains resistant or susceptible to chemical acaricides. Six strains of B. bassiana were obtained and isolated from cattle farm soils in the Mexican tropics using the Galleria bait method, and their acaricidal effect was assessed against 2 populations of R. microplus ('Media Joya' chemical acaricide-resistant strain or 'CLAR' chemical acaricide-susceptible strain) using the adult immersion test. The BbV03 strain produced 86.7% and 60% mortality in resistant and susceptible ticks on day 20, respectively, whereas the BbV04 strain produced 66.7% and 53.5% mortality in resistant and susceptible ticks on day 20, respectively. The BbV03 and BbV04 strains reduced egg laying on both R. microplus populations. There was no statistical difference in the acaricidal effect of B. bassiana strains among chemical acaricide-susceptible or -resistant R. microplus populations ( P > 0.05). The BbV03 strain was the most virulent against R. microplus with an LC50 of 2 × 107 and LC99 of 7 × 108 conidia/ml. We found that the 6 B. bassiana isolated clustered in the same clade with other previously reported B. bassiana strains (from GenBank) but were separated into 3 different sub-clades. This study shows that some B. bassiana strains are a promising coadjuvant alternative for biological tick control, including tick populations that are resistant to chemical acaricides. Beauveria bassiana is present in the pastures of tropic cattle farms, and there are genetic variations between B. bassiana strains living in this ecosystem that might play an important role in the natural control of R. microplus in cattle farm paddocks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Costa Rica, considerable effort goes to conservation and protection of biodiversity, while at the same time agricultural pesticide use is among the highest in the world. Several protected areas, some being wetlands or marine reserves, are situated downstream large-scale banana farms, with an average of 57 pesticide applications per year. The banana industry is increasingly aware of the need to reduce their negative environmental impact, but few ecological field studies have been made to evaluate the efficiency of proposed mitigation strategies. This study compared the composition of benthic macroinvertebrate communities up- and downstream effluent water from banana farms in order to assess whether benthic invertebrate community structure can be used to detect environmental impact of banana farming, and thereby usable to assess improvements in management practises. Aquatic invertebrate samples were collected at 13 sites, using kick-net sampling, both up- and downstream banana farms in fast flowing streams in the Caribbean zone of Costa Rica. In total, 2888 invertebrate specimens were collected, belonging to 15 orders and 48 families or taxa. The change in community composition was analysed using multivariate statistics. Additionally, a biodiversity index and the Biological Monitoring Working Party (BMWP) score system was applied along with a number of community composition descriptors. Multivariate analyses indicated that surface waters immediately up- and downstream large-scale banana farms have different macroinvertebrate community compositions with the most evident differences being higher dominance by a single taxa and a much higher total abundance, mostly of that same taxon. Assessment of macroinvertebrate community composition thus appears to be a viable approach to detect negative impact from chemical-intensive agriculture and could become an effective means to monitor the efficacy of changes/proposed improvements in farming practises in Costa Rica and similar systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plant extracts have been proposed as substitutes for chemical feed additives due to their potential as rumen fermentation modifiers and because of their antimicrobial and antioxidant activities, possibly reducing methane emissions. This study aimed to evaluate the use of oregano (OR), green tea extracts (GT), and their association as feed additives on the performance and methane emissions from dairy between 28 and 87 d of lactation. Thirty-two lactating dairy cows, blocked into 2 genetic groups: 16 Holstein cows and 16 crossbred Holstein-Gir, with 522.6 ± 58.3 kg of body weight, 57.2 ± 20.9 d in lactation, producing 27.5 ± 5.0 kg/cow of milk and with 3.1 ± 1.8 lactations were evaluated (means ± standard error of the means). Cows were allocated into 4 treatments: control (CON), without plant extracts in the diet; oregano extract (OR), with the addition of 0.056% of oregano extract in the dry matter (DM) of the diet; green tea (GT), with the addition of 0.028% of green tea extract in the DM of the diet; and mixture, with the addition of 0.056% oregano extract and 0.028% green tea extract in the DM of the diet. The forage-to-concentrate ratio was 60:40. Forage was composed of corn silage (94%) and Tifton hay (6%); concentrate was based on ground corn and soybean meal. Plant extracts were supplied as powder, which was previously added and homogenized into 1 kg of concentrate in natural matter, top-dressed onto the total mixed diet. No treatment by day interaction was observed for any of the evaluated variables, but some block by treatment interactions were significant. In Holstein cows, the mixture treatment decreased gross energy and tended to decrease the total-tract apparent digestibility coefficient for crude protein and total digestible nutrients when compared with OR. During the gas measurement period, GT and OR increased the digestible fraction of the ingested DM and decreased CH4 expressed in grams per kilogram of digestible DMI compared with CON. The use of extracts did not change rumen pH, total volatile fatty acid concentration, milk yield, or most milk traits. Compared with CON, oregano addition decreased fat concentration in milk. The use of plant extracts altered some milk fatty acids but did not change milk fatty acids grouped according to chain length (short or long), saturation (unsaturated or saturated), total conjugated linoleic acids, and n-3 and n-6 contents. Green tea and oregano fed separately reduced gas emission in cows during the first third of lactation and have potential to be used as feed additives for dairy cows. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the 2014 release of the International Standards Organization’s (ISO’s) international water footprint standard (ISO 14046), the subject of water footprint assessment based on life cycle assessment has gained increased attention in research communities. In this study, a dairy farm and five processing plants in a large Chinese enterprise’s dairy industrial chain were selected for a comprehensive water footprint assessment using ISO 14046. Results indicate that the water scarcity footprint at the plants was not only related to total freshwater consumption and production, but also closely related to the scarcity of water resources in the watershed basin or area. The water footprint assessment focused on volume but ignored environmental impacts, which are prone to errors and deviations. For the dairy farm, the indirect water scarcity footprint accounted for more than 92% of the total water footprint and was much larger than its direct water scarcity footprint. In the dairy industry chain, cow breeding had a larger contribution to environmental water scarcity, while dairy processing was the main contributor to the water degradation footprint. The results of the water degradation footprint composition show that impact from water eutrophication pollution (NH 3 -N, TP and TN) was greater than that of organic pollution (COD). Furthermore, in terms of the water eutrophication footprint, nitrogen pollutants contributed to a much greater extent than phosphorus pollutants. Finally, the results highlight that the water footprint of the dairy industrial chain could be greatly reduced by increasing the water efficiency of each production process, improving wastewater treatment capacity, reducing the water footprint of the supply chain, and considering the water sustainability of the river basin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding the interannual variability (IAV) and investigating the physical and biological controls on the IAV of evapotranspiration (ET) is fundamental for better simulating the hydrological processes in cropland where ET is the dominant component of water cycle. However, this topic has not been fully studied, although the number of long-term field observations is growing. By using a combination of long-term field observations (10 years) and agro-hydrological modelling, this study attempted to examine the IAV of ET and the physical and biological controls on the IAV of ET in an irrigated cropland in the North China Plain. This study reveals that the IAV of ET was only 7% in the selected dry subhumid area, which was much smaller than that of water supply (i.e., the sum of precipitation and irrigation). Moreover, the water supply was not the primary controlling factor that influenced the IAV of annual ET. Biological factors, including the leaf area index and bulk stomatal conductance, were found to be the dominant contributors to the IAV of annual ET. Irrigation was an essential water source for crop growth, particularly for winter wheat growth, whereas its contribution to the IAV of ET was smaller than that of precipitation because of the sufficient amount of irrigation. This study demonstrates that the variability of biological factors should be adequately represented in eco-hydrological models to accurately simulate the IAV of annual ET. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Quantification of the environmental performance of dairy farms should allow comparisons between farms. We assess whether IPCC Tier 1 methodology for emissions from soil management is sufficiently precise to analyse and differentiate the carbon footprint of milk production between practical dairy farms and whether we can correctly identify which farms have the lowest and the highest GHG emissions per product unit, respectively. We used data from 20 Norwegian dairy farms which are very similar in structure, but differ in organic/non-organic management and the share of peat soil of their farmland. We assessed the uncertainty of the carbon footprint by running Monte Carlo simulations with the uncertainty ranges given in Tier 1 of the IPCC guidelines. The carbon footprint is considered different when 95% of all Monte Carlo iterations assume that one farm has higher product-related GHG emissions than the farm in comparison. The uncertainty of results in the single farms, expressed as two-times the standard deviation divided by the median result, ranges between 4.2% and 15.3%. This means that 95% of values in the resulting distribution of one farm are within a range of 4–16% of the median of that farm. Farms can be differentiated when the variation of the carbon footprint is higher than the uncertainty of farm-related emissions. From all 190 direct comparisons of two farms in the study, 78% are significantly different. For this uncertainty assessment, it must be established that background processes, especially the datasets for import feed, can be judged covariant in order to prohibit them from influencing the comparison between farms. Secondly, the uncertainty ranges used for the calculation must be appropriate for the assessed systems. We were able to confirm the hypothesis that a significant differentiation of the milk carbon footprint between farms is possible with an IPCC Tier 1 approach for a majority of our comparisons, and found a difference of above 8.7% sufficient to establish significance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Significant reductions in phosphorous (P) inputs from cropland are needed to address the re-eutrophication of Lake Erie. Previous studies aimed at addressing non-point source pollution have primarily analyzed the effectiveness of conservation practices (CPs) as land-management strategies. However, the effectiveness and efficiency of these practices have not been compared to those of possible land-use changes. We develop a spatially explicit integrated modeling approach that compares the effectiveness and economic efficiency of alternative spatially optimal land-use and -management strategies for P abatement in the Sandusky River watershed. Using the Soil and Water Assessment Tool and data on costs and profits from crop and forest production and urban development, we evaluated joint impacts on P reduction and economic-returns for optimized land-use changes and/or implementation of CPs in the watershed. Results showed a combination of both CPs and land-use changes are likely required to meet current abatement targets for dissolved reactive phosphorus. Additionally, the combination of these approaches can generate a positive, synergistic effect on economic efficiency in meeting key policy targets. This is largely because the combined strategy will establish CPs on the most productive cropland, while achieving greater nutrient reduction through land-use change away from corn-soybean rotations on less productive lands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ongoing technological transformation, socially accepted and corresponding to the requirements, becomes relevant for regional development. Understanding this development requires an insight into the related driving forces. One of those, which has induced both direct and indirect changes to land use, and accelerated the urban growth, is the construction of motorways. Many studies have analysed the impact of motorway construction on changes in the landscape structure and urban land cover as well as in biological and landscape diversity, but relatively less attention has been paid to determining the impact of the infrastructure development on agricultural land and sustainable development of rural areas. We are of the opinion that applying hypotheses on infrastructure development (motorway construction) as a driving force derived from a case study can be a way of holding a more integrative view on regional sustainable development of rural areas, and can contribute to choosing the best variant of a motorway route. The aim of the paper is to present a theoretical framework and methodology for analysing the impact of a motorway on agricultural land and regional sustainable development. The change of land features and a decrease in their income value were determined by means of a simplified method. In the initial stage, it analyses the route of the motorway axis and determines the starting parameters, taking into account the width of the roadway, the category of lands taken over for the construction of the motorway, the layout (distribution) of plots, and the arrangement of existing roads and designed viaducts. The initial parameters were selected in order to ultimately enable the evaluation of the impact of the construction of the motorway on four main directions as well as the determination of the role of individual factors distinguished in this impact. The analysis provides a scientific basis for the understanding of sustainable development of rural areas and its protection in the spatial planning processes on local and regional levels. Establishing the changes of farms' value is necessary, among other things, to determine compensations for the losses caused by the motorway construction. It should be performed at the stage of elaborating the detailed design of the motorway, or immediately after completing the investment process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Irish agricultural policy ‘Food Harvest 2020’ is a roadmap for sectoral expansion and Irish dairy farming is expected to intensify, which could influence the environmental and economic performance of Irish milk production. Evaluating the total environmental impacts and the real cost of Irish milk production is a key step towards understanding the possibility of sustainable production. This paper addresses two main issues: aggregation of environmental impacts of Irish milk production by monetization, to understand the real cost of Irish milk production, including the environmental costs; and the effect of the agricultural policy ‘Food Harvest 2020’ on total cost (combining financial cost and environmental cost) of Irish milk production. This study used 2013 Irish dairy farming as a baseline, and defined ‘bottom’, ‘target’ and ‘optimum’ scenarios, according to the change of elementary inputs required to meet agricultural policy ambitions. The study demonstrated that the three monetization methods, Stepwise 2006, Eco-cost 2012 and EPS 2000, could be used for aggregating different environmental impacts into monetary unit, and to provide an insight for evaluating policy related to total environmental performance. The results showed that the total environmental cost of Irish milk production could be greater than the financial cost (up to €0.53/kg energy corrected milk). The dairy expansion policy with improved herbage utilization and fertilizer application could reduce financial cost and minimize the total environmental cost of per unit milk produced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]