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AbstractSorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench] is one of the major fodder crops. Sufficient nitrogen (N) supply is essential for a good yield and forage quality. However, N excess may cause nitrate accumulation in the plant, which can be toxic to ruminant livestock animals. Silicon (Si) application reportedly enhances the utilization of N and reduces the nitrate content in plants. However, our knowledge regarding the interaction between Si and N in sorghum is still limited. Hence, this study investigated the possibility of nitrate content reduction by Si application in sorghum. We analyzed the nitrate content in the shoots of 6-week-old hydroponically grown plants with or without Si application. The analysis was also conducted with plants at the heading stage (13-week-old) receiving higher N supply. The dry matter production was not affected by Si application in either experiment. The assimilated N was slightly decreased by Si application in 6-week-old plants, but not in plants at the heading stage. The nitrate content was reduced by Si application in both experiments. The effect of Si application on the N metabolism was confirmed by a modulated expression of the genes for N transport and assimilation, in which an upregulation of the cytokinin signal transduction pathway might be involved. The in vitro digestibility was not significantly affected by Si application. These findings suggest that Si application benefits fodder sorghum production by reducing nitrate content without compromising the biomass yield and quality, although further study with plants grown under more practical conditions is necessary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, the dental microwear analysis technique has been proven as an approach for contributing to animal husbandry research. It has been tested with good results on providing information related to the animal feeding strategies of bygone agri-livestock societies. In this paper, we present the first dental microwear study from the northeast of Tarraconensis province –the administrative region covering the northeastern Iberian Peninsula in Late Antiquity (4th – 8th c. CE) – in order to provide first order information about the different systems that may have been used to nourish sheep flocks. A total of 146 lower sheep (Ovis aries) molars from five archaeological sites were analysed. The results allow us to propose that different livestock practices were conducted, and various natural resources were exploited by the region’s inhabitants during Late Antiquity, with fodder being particularly important as a feeding system to nourish the flock. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agriculture, especially cereals, is important in sustaining economies and food security globally. This study delves into the Moroccan agricultural landscape, specifically focusing on predicting livestock feed sales to assist cereal company producers in optimizing production, streamlining supply chain operations, and enhancing customer satisfaction. Data collected from various markets across Morocco, including sales dates and locations, was combined with climate data and analyzed using advanced machine learning techniques, particularly the gradient boosting regression (GBR) algorithm, which achieved high accuracy with a mean absolute error (MAE) of 0.0203 and a root mean square error (RMSE) of 0.0281. The evaluation of multiple regression models revealed promising results, demonstrating the effectiveness of predictive models in accurately forecasting sales. These findings contribute valuable insights to sales forecasting in the cereal industry by considering weather conditions, production methods, and livestock-related variables, highlighting the importance of leveraging advanced machine learning techniques for optimizing production processes and meeting market demands efficiently in the agribusiness sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Hairy vetch a plant that can be used in different ways, such as fodder, silage, grazing, and green manure and its seeds can be used to feed poultry. Like other legume family plants, vetch can improve and strengthen the soil and fix nitrogen. Iron (Fe) is an essential micronutrient to virtually all forms of life. Although Fe is the second most abundant metal element in earth's crust its low solubility and high fixation in soil reduce its bioavailability to the plant roots. Fe plays a major role in redox reactions in metabolic processes such as photosynthesis, respiration, and nitrogen assimilation besides being involved in the biosynthesis of chlorophyll and hormones, Drought stress is the most common environmental stress that reduces crop production, and low soil moisture leads to the lack of low consumption elements, especially iron and zinc elements in plants, So With the aim of investigating the effect of foliar application of different sources of iron fertilizer on fodder characteristics of vetch, this research was conducted. Materials and methods: The research was conducted in the agricultural research farm of the Agricultural Jihad Organization in Baneh city in Kurdistan province, at 2021 crop season. The experimental design was implemented as a split plot where different levels of irrigation include no irrigation (rainfed conditions), one irrigation and two irrigations in the main plots, and foliar spraying of different sources of iron fertilizer including, control (spraying solution with water), iron chelate (Fe-EDTA), iron nanochelate (Khizra) and nonchelated source of iron sulfate were placed in sub-plots in three replicates. In the study chlorophyll index, plant height, fresh forage yield, dry fodder yield, Fodder protein percentage, digestibility percentage, ADF, NDF, soluble carbohydrates, crude fiber and ash percent of fodder were measured. Results and discussion: The results showed that the main effect of irrigation and foliar spraying on all investigated traits was significant. Results revealed that the interaction effect of irrigation with iron fertilizer foliar application on chlorophyll index, plant height, digestibility percentage, cell wall NDF, fiber percentage, and ash percentage was a significant, In our study dry conditions, compared to the treatment of two times of irrigation, decreased the wet fodder yield and dry fodder yield and the protein content of fodder by 71.65, 50.16, and 58.58%, respectively, and increased the insoluble fibers in the acidic cell (ADF) by 48.15%. Also, under iron nano chelate treatment of fresh and dry fodder yield, the protein content of the fodder and the content of soluble carbohydrates increased by 84.35, 40.19, 22.90 and 64.08, respectively, and the insoluble fibers in the neutral cell wall (NDF) decreased by 11.60%. Among the interaction treatments of irrigation with the iron foliar application, the highest chlorophyll content (133.45 and 131.04 mg/g fresh weight respectively), plant height (23.81 and 23.43 cm respectively), fodder digestibility percentage (72 42.42 and 77.10% respectively), fiber percentage (37.75 and 40.98 respectively) and fodder ash percentage (19.37 and 21.01% respectively) And the lowest NDF of the cell wall (21.78 and 26.93% respectively) was recorded in the treatment of iron chelate (Fe-EDTA) and iron nano chelate with two times of irrigation. The results of the interaction treatments also showed that iron chelate (Fe-EDTA) under the one-time irrigation treatment could significantly increase the leaf chlorophyll content, the percentage of forage digestibility and the percentage of forage fiber compared to the control treatment. Conclusion: It can be concluded that foliar application of iron fertilizer from sources of iron chelate (Fe-EDTA) and nano-iron chelate (Khizra) with two times of irrigation to achieve the maximum quantitative and qualitative characteristics of the fodder of the cluster flower is recommended, therefore it can be stated that supplementary irrigation and foliar application of iron fertilizer can be a solution to improve the quantitative and qualitative characteristics of fodder in vetch. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pertanian berkelanjutan merupakan strategi esensial dalam menjaga keseimbangan ekosistem dan keamanan pangan. Penelitian ini mengkaji integrasi antara penggunaan lahan pertanian dan pemeliharaan ternak dalam rangka pengembangan energi terbarukan melalui teknologi biodigester. Potensi produksi biogas dari limbah kotoran ternak dinilai sangat tinggi. Dengan lahan seluas 7.11 hektar yang terbagi menjadi 2.27 hektar untuk ditanami rumput gajah dan 4.48 hektar untuk ditanami jagung mampu mendukung kebutuhan pakan bagi 11 ekor sapi. Dari limbah kotoran yang dihasilkan diperoleh potensi produksi biogas harian sebesar 2.2 m3. Proses digestifikasi anaerob menggunakan biodigester berkapasitas minimal 4.4 m3 berhasil menghasilkan gas metana murni sebanyak 1.45 m3 per hari. Hasil ini menunjukkan bahwa kesesuaian lahan dan jumlah ternak memiliki peranan signifikan dalam mendukung efektivias biodigester untuk menghasilkan energi terbarukan. Hasil pengujian biogas pada efisiensi kompor menunjukkan nilai efisiensi sebesar 0.8% lebih besar dari pada biogas tanpa dilakukan pemurnian. Penggunaan biodigester juga memberikan kontribusi pada pengurangan emisi gas rumah kaca dan pemberdayaan masyarakat pedesaan melalui teknologi ramah lingkungan.

Silvopasture is a farming practice involving the integration of tree and livestock grazing operations on the same land. Intensive management of these systems enables them to generate short and long-term economic returns from forest products and forage. Silvopastoral systems have been considered to increase efficiency while reducing the environmental burden and extreme ranching/animal husbandry systems. Over the past few years, there has been a rapid accumulation of scientific evidence supporting the role of silvopasture in meeting the fundamental needs of not only humans but also the animal population in the era of climate change. In South Asian countries like India, the silvopastoral system can be a viable option to provide balanced food as well as shelter for the livestock. This review aims to provide a critical and systematic evaluation of the scientific literature about the effect of different silvopasture systems on the fodder production, environment and performance of livestock, especially in the context of South Asia. We conducted a search using PubMed, Scopus, Science Direct, Web of Science and Google Scholar to identify the key literature on the theme. A total of 98 manuscripts underwent a four-step PRISMA appraisal process, resulting in the final selection. This process resulted in a final sample of 56 articles, which were used to explore the potential for long-term improvement in fodder quality through expanding the silvopastoral system. One of the key conclusions is that by improving the social acceptability of these silvopastoral systems and also addressing the challenges, their economic and environmental sustainability can be further enhanced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China produces a large amount of corn straw after the harvest of staple grains every year. Fodder application of corn straw can reduce the waste of straw resources. Such usage also can guarantee the supply of highquality coarse fodder for livestock and help the development of husbandry and the increase of production and income of farmers and herdsmen in China. Based on the requirements of livestock for straw feed consumption, the corn straw treatment process engineering was studied, and the overall structure, transmission scheme, and main working components of the corn straw crushing and rubbing filament machine were designed. The equipment was developed with three-dimensional modeling and solid design. Key components were verified through finite element analysis. Finally, a prototype was produced for testing. The experimental results showed that when the moisture content of corn straw was tested to be 20%, the percentage of filamentous straw of the equipment was 97.2%, and the calibrated unit power productivity could reach 82.8 kg/(kW ⋅ h). Through experiments, all indicators of the equipment met the relevant technical standards of the straw crushing and rubbing filament machine, providing theoretical basis and technical support for the design of the straw crushing and rubbing filament machine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Forages resources represent the vector between vegetal production and animal production, constituting, at the same time, the category of essential inputs for obtaining favourable technical-economic results in the animal breeding sector. The paper analysis the challenges and risks faced by these fodder resources in the context of environmental and climate changes, also presenting substitution alternatives, in case of deficit situations. As research methods used, descriptive and comparative analysis can be listed, along with correlations and analysis of statistical indicators, based on available official data. The analysis highlights the fact that, in the conditions of climate changes, ensuring the fodder for animal farms can present certain risks and, consequently, it is necessary to take managerial decisions to improve efficiency and reorientation in the structure of fodder crops, considering their nutritional qualities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In local maize agro-ecosystems in Nepal leaf stripping is, historically, practiced as a source of fodder for livestock. However, its effects on hybrid maize have not been studied. The aim of this study was to determine how defoliation below the cob affects the grain and fodder production of hybrid maize and what value the stripped leaves have as fodder for ruminants. Seven hybrid maize cultivars were evaluated for their response to leaf stripping in a randomized complete block design with three replications in Sundarbazar, Lamjung, Nepal. Evaluation of phenological parameters, agronomic factors, cob properties, and grain yield revealed significant cultivar-related differences. While leaf stripping at grain silking stage had little or no impact on yield characteristics, the outcomes confirmed the significance of cultivar selection for the best grain and stover characteristics. Leaf stripping can be a clever way to increase ruminant's feed availability while maintaining grain output. The results of the study support the integration of leaf stripping as a sustainable management technique within crop-livestock systems, particularly in comparable agroecological zones. These findings provide smallholder farmers with useful advice for the use of green leaves as fodder during the grain silking stage of hybrid maize-based agricultural systems.

The present study was carried out at Agricultural Research Station, Keshwana, Jalore during winter cycle 2018-19 and 2019-20 on "Effect of different levels and foliar application of nitrogen in oat under transitional plain of Luni basin". The soils of the experimental fields were loamy sandy in texture, alkaline in reaction, low in organic matter and nitrogen content and low to medium in Phosphorous medium to high in potassium content. The experiment used a split plot design with three treatment in main plot and three plot in sub plot repeated with three times. The experiment included three levels of nitrogen, namely 50 %, 75% and 100 % of recommended nitrogen i.e. F1, F2 and F3 and 4 urea spray namely water spray, 2% urea spray at 15, 30 and 45 DAS was used. Application of nitrogen as a basal and foliar had a significant effect on the growth, green and dry fodder yields of the oat. Application of 100% RDN showed a significant higher results with respect to tillers per plant, plant height, CGR, RGR, Dry matter percentage during both the year of experiment but it was recorded at par with the 75% RDN during both the years. Green and dry fodder yields during 2018-19 were recorded significantly higher with the Application of 75% RDN, while in succeeding year it was recorded higher with 100% RDN. Foliar spray of urea 2% at 30 DAS recorded significant effect on the growth and yield parameters of the fodder oat but it was at par with the 45 DAS. Positive linear relationships were observed with respect to nitrogen application and green (R²= 0.7826) and dry (R²= 0.8019) fodder yields of oat. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Copyright of International Forestry Review is the property of Commonwealth Forestry Association and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Dual-purpose crops can alleviate the feed gap to integrate crop and livestock systems when forage deficit is severe. However, there is limited information about type of dual-purpose management and cereal species that would be most optimal for both forage and grain production. A study was conducted on twenty oat (Avena sativa L.) genotypes to evaluate the nutritional constituents, antinutritional factors and yield with an aim to identify the superior dual-purpose oat genotypes. In oat fodder, average content of crude protein, crude fibre, total soluble sugars was 11.5%, 21.7%, 25.0 mg g−1, respectively. In oat grain, average content of crude protein, ether extract, β-glucan, total soluble sugars and starch was found to be 11.3%, 4.66%, 16.0 mg g−1, 8.1 mg g−1, 568 mg g−1. The OL-1871, OL-1802 and OL-1708 genotype exhibited maximum crude protein content in both grain and fodder. Among all genotypes, OL-1905, OL-1906, OL-1907 had low tannins, phytic acid and saponin content in both grain and fodder. Principal component analysis showed that first two principal components exhibited 44.3% of the total genotypic variability. Cluster analysis revealed that genotypes OL-1901, OL-1907, OL-1908, OL-1708, OL-1802 are nutritionally important as these possessed high crude protein and carbohydrates content. These genotypes also possessed good fodder yield and seed yield. These genotypes can be utilized in the breeding programme to develop nutritionally important genotypes coupled with high yield traits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Perennial crops, especially legumes, have a crucial role in the development of sustainable agriculture. One such species may be fodder galega (Galega orientalis Lam.), whose utility values, including persistence and multi-directional use, are still not sufficiently known and appreciated. The aim of this study was to evaluate fodder galega yield dynamics, taking into account some indices of fodder value and the accumulation of mineral components in long-term use in light soil under moderate climate conditions with periodic shortages of precipitation. The results of six long-term experiments conducted at the Mochełek Research Station (53°120′ N, 17°510′ E) were evaluated. The dynamics of dry matter, total protein yield, and accumulation of minerals were best reflected by trend lines in the form of logarithmic functions, where during the first 4–5 years of use, a significant increase in the assessed values was noted, and in subsequent years, the increase continued but at a lower rate. The advancement in plant development in the establishment year had a significant impact on yields in the first production year. On average, during 10 production years, the dry matter yield obtained was 936 g m2, and the total protein yield was 177 g m2. Between 50% and 60% of the yield was determined by herbage accumulation in the first cut. Among minerals, the highest accumulation level was achieved for potassium. The height of shoots and the content of crude fiber in the plants increased linearly in the following years. The shoot density, leafiness, and content of minerals did not depend on the age of the galega stand, and their values were different among growth periods within a season. The number of shoots per 1 m2 in successive cuts was 170, 139, and 92, and their height was 79, 67, and 31 cm, respectively. The share of leaves in the first cut yield was 50%, and in the second and third cuts, it was 65% on average. In these conditions, over 10 years of use, galega turned out to be a valuable, persistent, and reliably yielding fodder crop. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The livestock fattening business carried out by the partner group in Cot Karieng Village Blang Bintang Sub-District, Aceh Besar is a part-time business with a traditional pattern. Provision of feed only relies on efforts to find field grass every day. Meanwhile, the availability of forage is very fluctuating wherein during the rainy season, fresh forage is abundantly available, while during the dry season, it is very scarce. The purpose of this activity was to increase the knowledge and skills of partner groups in procuring animal feed, especially for the dry season. The solution offered was the use of hydroponic forage cultivation technology (hydroponic fodder). The seed of the fodder plant used was corn seed. The program implementation method was carried out through a participatory approach (partners were involved and worked together) starting from the initial stage to the final stage. In the first stage, coordination meetings were held so that all involved parties understood the scope of activities. In the second stage, training was carried out on hydroponic fodder cultivation methods, while assembling and applying technology which included making fodder houses (green-houses), installing green-house water networks and the process of cultivating hydroponic fodder plants was conducted in in the third stage. The stages of the cultivation process included washing and disinfecting the corn seeds by immersing them in a 1% chlorine solution for 15 minutes, then the seeds were spread out on trays. Seed moisture was always maintained by an aeroponic system every 1-2 hours for 10 minutes. After 14 days of cultivation, 1 kg of corn seed produced 6 kg of corn fodder. After washing and air-drying the corn fodder was ready to be given to livestock. The results achieved from all the implementation of this activity are the availability of facilities for the production of fodder hydroponic fodder system and the partner groups already have the skills of cultivating fodder using hydroponic fodder system.

This experiment was applied in Al-Hussainiya district in Karbala governorate. The experiment was for the pierod 6/1/2022- 11/4/2022. The aim of the study was the effect of adding zeolite with and without urea on the performance of Awassi lamps and investigates its effect on the rumen fluid. Sixteen sheep with 3-4 months of age with 18 kg weight have been used in the experiment. This number was divided into four treatments. The first treatment was fed the control treatment without any added, while the second treatment was fed with 3% zeolite, the third treatment was 3% zeolite, 1.5% urea, and the fourth treatment was 3% zeolite and 3% urea. The factorial experiment using the complete randomly design randomized design has been used to analysis the data. The results have been showed that no significant differences at the level of p

Objectives: The aim of the study was to assess the feasibility of fodder Sorghum as poultry feed in terms of growth performance (plant height and fresh weight), nutritional quality (moisture, ash, crude protein, extract ether, crude fiber, extract material without nitrogen, and metabolic energy), and scanning electron microscopy energy dispersive X-ray (SEM-EDX). Materials and Methods: The study used a completely randomized design with six treatments and three replications. The treatments consisted of planting times of 24, 48, 72, 120, and 240 h and a control (0 h). Results: The results showed that there was a significant effect (p ≤ 0.05) when planting Sorghum fodder (SGF) on growth performance and moisture, but it had no significant effect on fresh weight, ash, crude protein, extract ether, crude fiber, nitrogen-free extract, energy metabolic aspects, and SEM-EDX. Conclusion: SGF is suitable as a feed ingredient for poultry in terms of nutrition and contains ZrO2, which functions as an antifungal. [J Adv Vet Anim Res 2023; 10(2.000): 222-227]

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The stress caused by dryness can affect plant growth and physiology. Several coping mechanisms (recovery, avoidance, tolerance and drought escape) have been developed to mitigate the impact of drought stress, and most strategies involve survival during stress condition. The aim of this study was to compare the morphological and physiological characteristics of two varieties of sorghum forage (Pegah and Speedfeed) under drought stress conditions in order to provide beneficial and functional recommendations to farmers in the study area.METHODS: This study was performed as a spit-plot plot in a complete randomised design with 3 replications for two years in Esfahan, Iran. Experimental treatments included drought stress at three levels for two varieties of sorghum. Mechanisms of sorghum response to drought stress, including physiological and morphological alterations, were also proposed. Treatment means were compared by the Duncan test at 5% and 1% levels of probability. The statistical analysis was applied to the data using the R software.FINDING: Lower irrigation showed a gradual decrease in plants height, number of leaves per plant, stem diameter, nitrogen and crude protein, with an increase in the length and weight of their panicle. Compared to Pegah variety, Speedfeed cultivar with 12% increase enhanced the contents of chlorophyll (1.7 times) in the two years of experiment. It could be concluded that Speedfeed variety exhibited better yield and quality characteristics against drought stress compared to Pegah variety. Considering the tolerance index and the harmonic mean index, Pegah showed the highest sensitivity to drought stress.CONCLUSION: This study indicated that sorghum had several adaptive mechanisms for dealing with drought stress, so that it could be applied as a suitable alternative for other crops with higher water needs such as Zea.

The study was to study the effect of six common roughage raw materials for donkeys on nutrient degradation rate in vitro by a three-step in vitro method (pepsin-trypsin-cecal fluid method). The single factor randomized design was used to compare the nutrient degradation rates of six kinds of roughages (whole plant corn silage, corn straw, cereal grass, alfalfa, oat grass and Leymus chinensis) in vitro. Each roughage was treated as a treatment, with six replicates in each group. The roughages were digested in simulated stomach environment for 1 h and small intestine environment for 24 h, and then continuously cultured in external cecum environment for 48 h. The results showed that the degradation rates of DM, OM and CP in the stomach and small intestine of whole plant corn silage and alfalfa by donkey were significantly higher than those of corn straw, oat grass, cereal grass and Leymus chinensis ( P<0.05). The degradation rates of DM, OM, NDF and HCL and DE in vitro of whole plant corn silage and alfalfa were significantly higher than those of the other four roughages ( P<0.05). The degradation rate of CP of alfalfa was the highest, which was significantly higher than that of other roughages ( P<0.05), followed by whole plant corn silage and oat grass. The experiment indicates that the whole plant corn silage and alfalfa in fodder have better cecal fermentation effect in vitro, suggesting that their nutritional value is higher than that of cereal grass, corn straw, oat grass and Leymus chinensis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The subalpine grasslands of Bucegi Mountains represent an important source of fodder for ruminants, due to the richness and biodiversity of plants present in the grassy carpet. The quality of fodder varies greatly depending on the floristic composition and the improvement methods applied. The chemical composition of feed is an indication of its quality, which is defined by the main nutritional parameters analysed. The study was located in the Bucegi Mountains at 1800 m altitude, in August and was carried out over a period of three years (2017-2019). This work focused on the effect of applying different improvement methods on the quality of fodder obtained on 5 experimental plots, grazed by dairy cows. The feed quality assessment was carried out by determining the main quality parameters: crude protein (CP), ash (ASH), crude fiber (CF), acid detergent fiber (ADF), lignin (ADL), neutral detergent fiber (NDF), digestibility of dry matter (DDM) and digestibility of organic matter (DOM). It was found that, following the results obtained, the quality of the fodder on the improved plots was superior, compared to that obtained on the control plot (unimproved). All the improved experimental plots recorded significantly higher differences (p≤0.05), in terms of the average content in crude protein in the forage, compared to the unimproved control plot. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The subalpine grasslands of Bucegi Mountains represent an important source of fodder for ruminants, due to the richness and biodiversity of plants present in the grassy carpet. The quality of fodder varies greatly depending on the floristic composition and the improvement methods applied. The chemical composition of feed is an indication of its quality, which is defined by the main nutritional parameters analysed. The study was located in the Bucegi Mountains at 1800 m altitude, in August and was carried out over a period of three years (2017-2019).This work focused on the effect of applying different improvement methods on the quality of fodder obtained on 5 experimental plots, grazed by dairy cows. The feed quality assessment was carried out by determining the main quality parameters: crude protein (CP), ash (ASH), crude fiber (CF), acid detergent fiber (ADF), lignin (ADL), neutral detergent fiber (NDF), digestibility of dry matter (DDM) and digestibility of organic matter (DOM). It was found that, following the results obtained, the quality of the fodder on the improved plots was superior, compared to that obtained on the control plot (unimproved). All the improved experimental plots recorded significantly higher differences (p≤0.05), in terms of the average content in crude protein in the forage, compared to the unimproved control plot. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adapting our food production chain and increasing the flora and fauna's livelihood in climate change-affected areas using Opuntia is not only theoretical but already exists in practice in many places. This cactus grows in unsuitable soil for most species as it is adapted to arid and semi-arid soils and hot weather. In these regions, Opuntia protects from erosion and contributes to soil health. The usage of this plant as fodder is also discussed, with immense potential in substituting a part of livestock's diet and even increasing the quality of the animal's by-products and decreasing water consumption. This would result in a feed that is low-cost and has a lower environmental impact. It is to be noted that Opuntia has a high potential as an invasive species, with caution always being recommended when dealing with this specie. The high content of specific compounds, such as proline, indicaxanthin, and betanin, found in Opuntia ficus-indica, influence the plant's adaptation to unfavourable conditions. This collective evidence depicts Opuntia as a crop that can battle climate change and ensure food security. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Maize is an excellent fodder crop due to its high biomass, better palatability, succulency, and nutrition. Studies on morpho-physiological and biochemical characterization of fodder maize are limited. The present study aimed to explore the genetic variation in fodder maize landraces for various morpho-physiological traits and estimation of genetic relationship and population structure. Methods and results: The study on 47 fodder maize landraces revealed significant variation for all morpho-physiological traits except leaf-stem ratio. Plant height, stem girth, leaf-width and number of leaves showed positive correlation with green fodder yield. Morpho-physiological traits-based clustering grouped the landraces into three major clusters, whereas neighbour joining cluster and population structure analysis using 40 SSR markers revealed four and five major groups, respectively. Most landraces of Northern Himalaya-Kashmir and Ludhiana fall into a single group, whereas rest groups mainly had landraces from North-Eastern Himalaya. A total of 101 alleles were generated with mean polymorphic information content value of 0.36 and major allele frequency of 0.68. The pair wise genetic dissimilarity between genotypes ranged from 0.21 to 0.67. Mantel test revealed weak but significant correlation between morphological and molecular distance. Biochemical characterisation of superior landraces revealed significant variation for neutral detergent fibre, acid detergent fibre, cellulose and lignin content. Conclusion: Interestingly, significant, and positive correlation of SPAD with lignin content can be explored to bypass the costly affair of invitro quality assessment for digestibility parameters. The study identified superior landraces and demonstrated the use of molecular markers in genetic diversity assessment and grouping of genotypes for fodder maize improvement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of the research was to carry out some analyses in order to establish the physico-chemical composition and the fungal load of the plant substrates used for raising animals, in a cattle farm in the Moldova area in 2022. There were five categories of samples (75 determinations in total) - alfalfa hay, corn silage, mixed feed ration, concentrates, corn grains and were analysed randomly from the farm. The results of the physico-chemical composition of the feed by the FT-NIRS technique were in accordance with the regulations in force and no significant differences were found between the samples, it is certain that the humidity had a higher percentage, hence the fact that there were developed species of fungi speaking from the point of view of mycotic contamination. The highest fungal load was recorded in corn grains and corn silage, and the lowest value was recorded in alfalfa hay. The number of colony-forming units per gram of sample was determined by the serial dilution technique in a double agar layer. The results obtained during the analysed period highlighted the presence of the genus Penicillium to the greatest extent (28%), and the lowest percentage was recorded for the genus Cladosporium (5.3%). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agro-morphological attributes are the key parameters for evaluating field crops including fodders. The genetic divergence of cereal forages provide sustainability to modern intensive production systems in the worlds. Changing climate situation is challenging for sorghum and other field crops. Therefore, characterization of agro-morphological attributes of sorghum is crucial for plant fitness, adaptability, livestock and human food supply in the worlds. A field study in the regular arrangement of randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replications was conducted at the experimental farm, RCA, Udaipur. The study was aimed to evaluate and characterize sixteen multi-cut fodder sorghum genotypes for various agro-morphological traits. As per recorded data, genotypes displayed significant variability for various traits. Additionally, green fodder yield (GFY) at first cut manifested significant and positive association with regeneration score whereas genotypic and phenotypic coefficient variation (GCV & PCV) remained high for dry fodder yield at second cut. Furthermore, high heritability (h2) along with high expected genetic gains were exhibited by dry fodder yield at second cut. Moreover, plant height exhibited the maximum direct effect on green fodder yield at first cut followed by regeneration ability score and leaf: stem ratio. To conclude, genotype SPH-1877 showed better performance for green fodder and dry fodder yield, and also exhibited better regeneration score compared to the rest of the genotypes. This study suggests that the best sorghum cultivar with better agro-morphological and yield related traits can be useful for sustainable sorghum production and ensuring the fodder supply for livestock. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to determine the effect of feeding fodder obtained from diversified dry land farming on daily weight gain, chest girth, shoulder height, and body length of male fattening Bali cattle. This study used a double Latin square design (LSD) with 4 treatments, namely T0 = local feed of farmers in Timor (farmer model). T1 = Diversified farm feed (T1 + mulato grass), T2 = T1 + legume Clitoria tarnatea, T3 = T2 + horticulture by-product using 4 periods as replicates. The livestock observed were eight male Bali cattle aged eight months to one year and weighed 97-121 kg (average 108.5 kg). The results showed that the feeding fodder obtained from the diversified farming had a significant effect (P0.05) on the linear body size measurements (chest girth, shoulder height, and body length). Considering the economical and convenient features, T2 feed treatment provided a greater contribution of 21.74% compared to control.