Evaluation of laboratory-scale composting reactors to simulate compost barn bedding dynamics.

Efficient management of compost bedding is essential for sustainability and animal welfare in Compost Barns (CBs). This study evaluated laboratory-scale bioreactors as tools to simulate CB composting dynamics, focusing on temperature control, aeration, and wood shaving supplementation. Three sequential experiments were conducted. Test 1 used a 50:50 mix of shavings and compost bedding for three months. Test 2 operated 1-week cycles with 100% compost bedding without temperature control. Test 3, also lasting 1 week, applied active temperature regulation at 39◦C with 100%bedding. Aeration wasset at15 mL/min in Tests 2 and 3. All experiments included initial and final measurements of pH, total solids (TS), and microbiological indicators. Results indicated that temperature control in Test 3 improved organic matter degradation and suggested enhanced pathogen reduction. These findings demonstrate that laboratory-scale bioreactors are effective for simulating CB composting and underscore the importance of temperature and aeration management. Future studies should further optimize temperature control and reactor design to enhance microbial activity and compost stabilization. To our knowledge, this is the first study to validate 3‑L laboratory-scale bioreactors specifically for simulating CB bedding dynamics

Microbial inoculants supporting sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) under low water and nitrogen supplies in the Brazilian drylands.

This study investigated the interactive effects of nitrogen (N) fertilization and water supply across distinct microbial treatments in sorghum (Sorghum bicolor). A factorial experiment was conducted under field conditions with different microbial strains, nitrogen application rates (20 and 140 kg N ha 1), and two water availability levels (45 % and 100 % evapotranspiration, ETC). Results indicate that N fertilization, irrigation level, and microbial inoculation significantly influenced aboveground biomass production and the efficiency of N fertilization under the different levels of nitrogen fertilization, water supply, and microbial inoculation tested, highlighting those inoculants with Bacillus spp. ESA 13 and ESA 402, Rhizobium sp. ESA 15, Agrobacterium sp. ESA 441, and Herbaspirillum seropedicae BR 11417. Triple interaction also influenced potassium (K) uptake, while water supply and microbial inoculation influenced the extraction of N, calcium, Cu, and Zn from the soil. The plant height, stem diameter, and leaf area index were influenced by different bacteria and water supply when Pelomonas sp. ESA 424, Azospirillum baldaniorum BR 11005T, and the yeast Meyerozyma sp. ESA 37 stood out in two (out of three) parameters under the most detrimental condition (45 % ETC and 20 kg N ha 1). These findings suggest the potential of the bacteria and yeasts tested to undergo further field assays using inoculants with more than one strain, each with complementary mechanisms, to enhance crop resilience and productivity in semiarid region

Selection of morphoagronomic traits for screening tropical forage genotypes for waterlogging tolerance under controlled conditions.

This study aimed to identify morphoagronomic traits that discriminate waterlogging tolerance in tropical forage grasses and to assess the performance of genotypes with contrasting responses under controlled conditions, providing practical criteria for earlystage selection in breeding programs

Air-water interfacial and foaming properties of crude and purified globulins from pigeon pea seeds.

Protein concentrates or isolates are widely used by the food industry to produce aerated foods. Although the foamability is primarily attributed to proteins, highly surface-active minor compounds are also present in these ingredients, and their presence must be considered when investigating their air-water interfacial properties. In this study, the air-water interfacial and foaming properties of crude and purified globulin extracts from pigeon pea seeds were evaluated. At low bulk concentration, no difference in the interfacial behavior was observed between crude and purified globulins. At high bulk concentration, crude globulin extracts formed less rigid interfacial films compared to purified globulins, with the latter leading to viscoelastic solid-like interfacial layers. This suggests that in more concentrated suspensions, minor compounds of the crude extracts accumulate more at the interface, competing with globulins for adsorption, which leads to a reduction in the mechanical rigidity of the interfacial film. Purified globulins demonstrated superior aqueous foam stability compared to whey protein isolate and bovine serum albumin, highlighting the potential of pigeon pea globulins as effective foaming agents in food applications

Genomic structure and selection history across Angus populations worldwide: insights from ROH, selection mapping, and functional analyses.

Angus cattle, originally from Scotland, have been selectively bred for over 400 years, making them one of the most prominent beef breeds globally. Known for their adaptability, natural polled traits, and high-quality beef, Angus cattle have been intensively selected for growth, body size, and feed efficiency. This study investigates the genetic diversity, selection history, and key genomic regions across five Angus populations from the USA, Canada, Australia, Brazil, and Red Angus of America. Genomic data from 71,283 animals born between 1961 and 2024 were analyzed using Principal Component Analysis (PCA), phylogenetic tree construction, and Runs of Homozygosity (ROH), with the Generation Proxy Selection Mapping (GPSM) approach used to assess selection history. Functional annotation identified candidate genes and pathways related to selection. Our analysis revealed both similarities and differences across populations. The PCA and FST metrics showed minimal differentiation between the American, Canadian, Australian, and Brazilian populations, with greater differentiation observed in the Red Angus population. The ROH analysis revealed that the Brazilian population had the highest number of ROHs. The ROH islands identified on BTA8 and BTA13 in the American and Australian populations were linked to traits like body weight, marbling, and tenderness. The GPSM identified significant markers associated with body weight and growth in all populations, reflecting ongoing selection pressures. This study highlights the potential of genomics to improve our understanding of Angus cattle’s genetic architecture and selection history. It underscores the feasibility of integrating global populations for more accurate genomic evaluations, enhancing genetic predictions, and supporting sustainable beef production worldwide

Color analysis and UV-VIS-NIR spectroscopy in the selection of Passiflora edulis hybrids for fresh consumption.

ABSTRACT. In this study, an alternative method was developed to evaluate fruit and pulp color, using the CIE-L*a*b* kernel space and near-infrared reflectance spectroscopy in predicting the chemical characteristics of Passiflora edulis fruits. Five passion fruit hybrids were evaluated, four with purple-skinned (H09-163, H09-164, H09-166, and H09-125) and one with yellow--skinned (H09-165), in addition to BGP418 (control, yellow-skinned). BGP418 stood out for most physical characters, mainly in the weight of the fruits (224.67 g) and the pulp with seeds (112.77 g). However, its pulp yield was 11% lower compared to other genotypes. Cluster analysis based on fruit skin and pulp color using CIE-L*a*b* space, revealed greater consistency of groups compared to using the conventional method with a color palette. A higher soluble solids content was recorded in fruits with light purple-skinned and light-yellow pulp. Based on the skin and pulp color, the other chemical characteristics did not differ between the groups formed. With UV-VIS-NIR spectra, it was possible to distinguish the genotypes in the 350 and 2,500 nm spectra and the separation between the purple and yellow-skinned l genotypes. However, there was no consistent grouping in relation to the skin and pulp color or relationship with the chemical characteristics of the fruits. The breeding program can utilize the information generated to continue the development of cultivars for fresh consumption

Putting abandoned farmlands in the legend of land use and land cover maps of the Brazilian tropical savanna.

Farmland abandonment is becoming a growing land use challenge in the Brazilian Cerrado, yet its extent, spatial distribution, and underlying drivers remain poorly understood. This study addresses the following question: Can deep learning methods reliably identify abandoned farmlands in tropical savanna environments using multispectral satellite images? To answer this question, we used a Fully Connected Neural Network (FCNN) classifier to map abandoned farmlands in the municipality of Buritizeiro, Minas Gerais State, Brazil, using Sentinel-2 images acquired in 2018 and 2022. Seven land use and land cover (LULC) classes were mapped using visible and near-infrared bands, spectral indices, spectral mixture components, and principal components as input parameters for the CNN. The LULC map for 2022 achieved high classification performance (overall accuracy = 94.7%; Kappa coefficient = 0.93). Agricultural areas classified in 2018 as annual croplands, cultivated pastures, eucalyptus plantations, or harvested eucalyptus that transitioned to grasslands or shrublands in 2022 were considered abandoned. Based on this definition, we identified 13,147 hectares of abandoned land in 2022, representing 4.7% of the municipality’s agricultural area in 2018. Most abandoned areas corresponded to eucalyptus plantations established for charcoal production. This study provides the first deep learning-based assessment of farmland abandonment in the Cerrado. Our findings demonstrated the potential of FCNN classifiers for detecting abandoned farmlands in this biome and provide important contribution for public policies focused on ecological restoration, carbon sequestration, and sustainable agricultural planning.Na publicação: Gustavo Bayma

Inbreeding depression affecting stayability in Italian Holstein cows.

Advances in selection and reproduction methods, particularly the implementation of genomic evaluations alongside assisted reproductive technologies, have substantially enhanced productivity and efficiency, notably within specialized dairy cattle populations. Nevertheless, the widespread use of a limited number of elite sires and dams has also led to increased levels of inbreeding, posing a risk to animal performance in production, reproduction, and functional longevity. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of inbreeding on stayability in the Italian Holstein population. Stayability, defined as the ability of cows to remain productive in the herd from one parity to another, was assessed across 5 periods: STAY12, from parity 1 to 2; STAY23, from parity 2 to 3; STAY34, from parity 3 to 4; STAY13, from parity 1 to 3; and STAY14, from parity 1 to 4. Individual inbreeding coefficients were estimated using 3 methods: pedigree information, diagonal elements of the genomic relationship matrix, and the proportion of the total length of runs of homozygosity (ROH) segments relative to the total autosomal genome covered by SNPs. Furthermore, different ROH length classes were evaluated separately to distinguish between the effects of recent and ancient inbreeding. Two datasets were extracted from the breeders’ association database with no interference in the herds’ usual management: one including both genotyped and nongenotyped individuals and another with only genotyped animals. The first, comprising 828,056 cows, was used to assess pedigree-measured inbreeding depression in the Italian Holstein population. The second, including 48,833 genotyped cows, was used to compare inbreeding measures. The effect of inbreeding was estimated as best linear unbiased estimates on the liability scale within a Bayesian framework. In the stayability analysis, milk yield level relative to contemporary group was included as an additional fixed effect to account for its influence. Estimates were converted to the probability scale, using a cumulative distribution function, and then used to compare models and assess survival probabilities according to varying levels of inbreeding. Increased inbreeding consistently resulted in decreased stayability. The magnitude of inbreeding depression was greater for traits involving cumulative periods, such as STAY13 and STAY14. The expected variation in stayability resulting from a 1-unit increase in the pedigree inbreeding coefficients (FPED), ranged from −0.06% to −0.44%, depending on the model and trait. Models using genomic inbreeding captured larger effects of inbreeding depression. In these cases, the expected variation in stayability ranged from −0.22% to −1.60% per 1-unit increase in FPED. Inbreeding estimated from the sum of ROH segments longer than 2 Mb were associated with reduced stayability, whereas shorter segments were not. This suggests that recent inbreeding contributes to inbreeding depression on this trait, whereas ancient inbreeding does not. It should be noted that part of the observed inbreeding depression may be attributable to voluntary culling related to the production level of cows within their herds. Thus, in a selection index that includes milk yield and penalizes future inbreeding, stayability should preferably be analyzed using a model that incorporates production level as a fixed effect

Fertilization efects on nitrogen and phosphorus budgets in tambaqui (Colossoma macropomum) pond grow-out systems.

This study quantified nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) budgets in tambaqui (Colossoma macropomum) cultured for 10 months in fertilized and unfertilized ponds in a tropical region. Juveniles (94 ± 15 g) were stocked at 0.55 fish m−2 in 600-m2 ponds, with four replicates per treatment. Inputs consisted of water, feed, fish, and fertilizer, whereas outputs included harvested fish, sediment, and outlet water. Feed and inlet water were the primary sources of nutrients in the pond systems, while outlet water and fish biomass represented the major nutrient outputs. Total N input was higher in fertilized ponds, whereas total P input was similar between treatments. Feed contributed a larger proportion of total N and P in unfertilized ponds than in fertilized ponds. In fertilized ponds, fertilizer accounted for 19% of total N and 6% of total P. Total N and P outputs did not differ between treatments, although N output showed high variability due to sediment accumulation. Fish recovered 15–20% of N and 22% of P inputs. Greater N use efficiency was observed in unfertilized ponds. Overall, fertilization did not improve nutrient recovery or total nutrient output but reduced feed inputs, suggesting that fertilizer, particularly nitrogen, should be carefully evaluated regarding its environmental and economic relevance in tambaqui pond culture

The challenges of family farming from the perspective of third-generation public policies for rural development in Brazil.

The article in question aims to analyze the scenarios of third-generation public policies for family farming and their challenges. The methodology includes a systematic literature review and documentary research. The main obstacles identified include limited access to credit, inadequate infrastructure, and a lack of information about programs among a significant portion of the population. The results highlight the importance of effective public policies to promote actions for productive inclusion and sustainable rural development, integrating economic, social, and environmental aspects