Breeding Sorghum for Diverse End Uses
Breeding Sorghum for Diverse End Uses

Author: Aruna C

Publisher: Woodhead Publishing

Published: 2018-08-22

Total Pages: 452

ISBN-13: 0081018800

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Breeding Sorghum for Diverse End Uses is a comprehensive overview of all significant global efforts for the genetic improvement of sorghum, a major crop of many semi-arid nations that is suitable for a huge range of uses, from human food, to biofuels. Split into two main sections, the book initially reviews the genetic suitability of sorghum for breeding, also providing the history of the genetic improvement of the grain. Finally, other sections look at specific breeding programs that could be improved in a number of areas, including human food, animal feed and industrial usage. Readers in academics, research, plant genetics and sorghum development will find this resource of great value. In addition, it is essential reading for engineers who utilize sorghum for food, feed and industrial materials in industry. - Provides information on key advances in the genetic makeup of sorghum - Allows plant breeders to apply this research to effectively breed new strains of sorghum that are dependent on final usage goals - Includes the latest findings in each section to orient researchers to plans for future genetic enhancement

Animal nutrition strategies and options to reduce the use of antimicrobials in animal production
Animal nutrition strategies and options to reduce the use of antimicrobials in animal production

Author: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations

Publisher: Food & Agriculture Org.

Published: 2021-07-15

Total Pages: 98

ISBN-13: 9251346704

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Antimicrobial resistance is a global and increasing threat. Stewardship campaigns have been established, and policies implemented, to safeguard the appropriate use of antimicrobials in humans, animals, and plants. Restrictions on their use in animal production are on the agenda worldwide. Producers are investing in measures, involving biosecurity, genetics, health care, farm management, animal welfare, and nutrition, to prevent diseases and minimize the use of antimicrobials. Functional animal nutrition to promote animal health is one of the tools available to decrease the need for antimicrobials in animal production. Nutrition affects the critical functions required for host defence and disease resistance. Animal nutrition strategies should therefore aim to support these host defence systems and reduce the risk of the presence in feed and water of potentially harmful substances, such as mycotoxins, anti-nutritional factors and pathogenic bacteria and other microbes. General dietary measures to promote gastrointestinal tract health include the selective use of a combination of feed additives and feed ingredients to stabilize the intestinal microbiota and support mucosal barrier function. This knowledge, used to establish best practices in animal nutrition, could allow the adoption of strategies to reduce the need for antimicrobials and contain antimicrobial resistance.

The economics of pastoralism in Argentina, Chad and Mongolia
The economics of pastoralism in Argentina, Chad and Mongolia

Author: Wane, A.; Cesaro, J.D.; Duteurtre, G.; Touré, I.; Ndiaye, A.; Alary, V.; Juanès, X.; Ickowicz, A.; Ferrari, S. and Velasco, G.

Publisher: Food & Agriculture Org.

Published: 2020-10-19

Total Pages: 92

ISBN-13: 9251333777

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Pastoralists make the most of resources distributed unevenly over space and time to provide a range of goods and services. Operating in a shock-prone environment, pastoralists deploy endogenous strategies such as mobility, diversification in agriculture or in non-agricultural activities, management of social networks, etc. However, accurate and reliable knowledge about the economics of pastoralism is yet to be understood and absorbed at the local, regional and national levels, based on reliable data. In the absence of such knowledge, governments and private firms neglect investment that would allow those systems to better connect to markets, and are unable to provide appropriate services, infrastructure and tenure security. With Argentina, Chad and Mongolia as pilot cases, this study by CIRAD, commissioned by FAO, funded by IFAD and facilitated by pastoralist associations (Fundación Gran Chaco, Réseau Billital Maroobé, and the National Federation of Pasture User Groups), aimed to fulfil this knowledge gap through a multifunctional assessment of pastoral production systems and their economic contribution. Importantly, incorporating self-consumption of pastoralist households’ productions themselves as an key component of gross revenue shows a significant increase in their contribution to national GDPs. The diversified sources of revenue and the importance of self-consumption also indicate that pastoral systems fulfil a range of functions (income, food security, flexible labor, etc.). Further, the study promotes close cooperation between pastoralist associations, research institutions and development partners. Such new partnerships allow strengthening the capacity of those pastoralist associations in collecting and managing their own data, as well as using this data in policy dialogue.

Global assessment of soil carbon in grasslands
Global assessment of soil carbon in grasslands

Author: Dondini, M., Martin, M., De Camillis, C., Uwizeye, A., Soussana, J.-F., Robinson, T., Steinfeld, H.

Publisher: Food & Agriculture Org.

Published: 2023-02-14

Total Pages: 76

ISBN-13: 925137550X

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Soils contribute to the achievement of the UN Sustainable Development Goals through carbon sequestration. By enhancing soil health and fertility, soils can play a crucial role in climate action, land degradation neutrality, and alleviating hunger. The present study provides a spatially explicit report on the state of grassland soils and can be used as a baseline for future work to explore the impacts of livestock management on soil carbon at regional, country and farm levels. Assessing the current state of grassland systems and their potential to sequester carbon in the soil is of key importance to understand the trade-offs between grassland services on food security, biodiversity conservation and climate mitigation.

Animal Husbandry Research, Education and Development
Animal Husbandry Research, Education and Development

Author: P.N. Bhat

Publisher: Scientific Publishers

Published: 2018-04-01

Total Pages: 302

ISBN-13: 9387991970

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Livestock industry is vital in providing nutritive food rich in animal protein, supplementing family incomes and generating gainful employment for rural India, particularly among the small, marginal farmers, landless laborers and women. With the livestock and its allied sub-sectors assuming an important role in the national economy, there is a requirement to improve the present knowledge and information dissemination to students, teachers, planners and farmers. Prominent features of this book include vast coverage of the events from pre-independence to post -independence period in the areas of policy planning, research and development activities in veterinary, animal husbandry and animal sciences leading to 'white revolution', 'green revolution', 'egg revolution', 'pink revolution' and taking India at number one position in milk production, third in egg production, and fifth in meat production globally, with a mix of public-private partnership, technology adoption, policy support and political will. The book is easily understandable with factual information making it an excellent reference book. Animal Husbandry is directed to veterinary and agricultural students under the same faculties in Forestry and Horticulture. The book is recommended for teachers, research scientists, PG and UG students in disciplines including animal health, reproduction and production, encompassing animal nutrition, livestock products technology, animal genetics and breeding, and veterinary medicine. The faculties in Animal Husbandry and related disciplines must be necessarily updated for transforming the science in rural India. The book will cater to the needs of scholars in the streams of veterinary science, animal sciences, animal husbandry and agriculture undergoing BVSc & AH, BSc & AH, MVSc, MSc and Doctoral (Ph.D.) degrees.

Good practices for the feed sector
Good practices for the feed sector

Author: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations

Publisher: Food & Agriculture Org.

Published: 2020-11-23

Total Pages: 140

ISBN-13: 9251335338

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This manual provides comprehensive information and practical guidelines to assist farmers, producers and all stakeholders along the feed value chain to comply with the requirements of the Codex Alimentarius Code of Practice on Good Animal Feeding. The application of the Code is an important step for the expansion of international trade of feed and products of animal origin. Both feed/food exporting and importing countries can benefit from a greater and safer trade of feed and products of animal origins. This manual is intended to guide managers of feedmills, the feed industry as a whole and on-farm feed mixers and producers. It will also be of value to national competent authorities, in particular those engaged in feed inspection, in their supervisory roles. It can also serve as a training manual and a guide to setting up national feed associations.

Pastoralism – Making variability work
Pastoralism – Making variability work

Author: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations

Publisher: Food & Agriculture Org.

Published: 2021-07-21

Total Pages: 58

ISBN-13: 9251347530

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Pastoral systems have evolved to function with the natural environment and therefore with variability. By identifying variability as an entry point, this paper aims at (i) engaging FAO in the mainstreaming of pastoralism by establishing the understanding of pastoralism, and its systematic inclusion in the normal operations of FAO, and at (ii) presenting an evidence based narrative on pastoralism to a specialists’ audience. Two main points are made in this document: First, pastoral systems are emblematic of farming with nature. Second, pastoral systems make use of variability in inputs (the environment) by matching it with variability in their own operational processes (flexibility in movements, animal breeds, labour force, etc.) in such a way as to reduce the variability in outputs (animal production and health, household’s food security, etc). Since 2015, the Pastoralist Knowledge Hub (PKH) has helped creating an institutional space for connecting and coordinating work on pastoralism within FAO. An Inter-Departmental Working Group on Pastoralism has been formed. The conceptual framework of this paper and early versions have benefited from comments and guidance of FAO staff as well as of specialists of pastoralism worldwide.

East Africa Animal Feed Action Plan
East Africa Animal Feed Action Plan

Author: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations

Publisher: Food & Agriculture Org.

Published: 2019-09-10

Total Pages: 64

ISBN-13: 9251317771

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The regional animal feed action plan was formulated through a consultative and participatory process building on experiences and lessons learnt by wide spectrum of key stakeholders in public and private sectors, notably, policy makers, traders, pastoralist and farmers' organizations, civil society, NGOs, and the development partners. It builds on the earlier consultative experience sharing workshop on feed by USAID, ILRI, IGAD and FAO in the region. The plan provides broad opportunities for partnerships with producers, governments, and private sector, development and humanitarian organizations at the national and regional levels. It provides a guided approach to collectively tackle the problems of animal feed and pave the way for sustainable production of quality animals and products while improving competitiveness, profitability and ensuring sustainable feed resource management for the entire Eastern African region. The aim of the action plan is to provide guidelines to communities, countries, private sector and livestock stakeholders to optimally utilize the available feed resources in East Africa to increase the supply as well as improve the quality of animals, products and by-products and to maximize the economic and social benefits of the livestock sector.

Abiotic Stress Management for Resilient Agriculture
Abiotic Stress Management for Resilient Agriculture

Author: Paramjit Singh Minhas

Publisher: Springer

Published: 2017-10-06

Total Pages: 520

ISBN-13: 9811057443

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This book offers a state-of-the-art overview of on abiotic stresses in terms of the challenges; scope and opportunities; copping strategies for adaptation and mitigation using novel tools for building resilience in agricultural crops and livestock; as well as for policy implementation. Divided into four major parts: advances and prospects for understanding stress environments; adaptation and mitigation options; crop-based mitigation strategies; and mitigation options in animal husbandry, the book focuses on problem-solving approaches and techniques that are essential for the medium to long-term sustainability of agricultural production systems The synthesis and integration of knowledge and experiences of specialists from different disciplines offers new perspectives in the versatile field of abiotic stress management, and as such is useful for various stakeholders, including agricultural students, scientists, environmentalists, policymakers, and social scientists.

Qualitative risk assessment for African swine fever virus introduction
Qualitative risk assessment for African swine fever virus introduction

Author: Rozstalnyy, A., Roche, X., TagoPacheco, D., Kamata, A., BeltranAlcrudo, D., Khomenko, S., Lockhart, C., Urdaz, J., Gioia, G., Gonzalez Serrano, A., VonDobschuetz, S., Dhingra, M., Sumption, K.

Publisher: Food & Agriculture Org.

Published: 2022-02-28

Total Pages: 80

ISBN-13: 9251358117

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Following the re-introduction of the African swine fever virus (ASFV) in the Americas after 40 years of absence, FAO conducted a qualitative risk assessment for the likelihood of entry of ASF from the Dominican Republic and Haiti to unaffected countries and territories of the Americas and the likelihood of exposure to susceptible animal populations should the disease be introduced. In addition, the potential economic and social impact of ASFV spreading across the continent was assessed. The risk assessment covers the period of December 2021 to February 2022 and considered six risk pathways of introduction and spread. The methodology, information used and results of the risk assessment and economic impact assessment are available in this publication along with recommendations for prevention and control of ASFV introduction and spread in the region. In addition, the publication compiles information collected from 35 countries/territories in the Americas through a questionnaire and presents evidence on the complex swine/pork value chains in the region retrieved from various sources.