Year-Round Forage Production for Sustainable Goat Farming

Abstract Goat farming in the U.S. is based on grazing lands. Forages available for grazing throughout most of the year are essential for supplying required nutrition for goats and minimizing production costs. Most goat farmers do not have pastures productive for an extended period. This situation results in poor performing animals and high production costs. Forage availability can improve by enhancing the productivity, quality, and production duration of pastures. The inclusion of browse species in grazing systems will also improve diet variety, minimize internal parasite problems, and better utilize the soil resources. Grazing opportunity can be extended by developing a woodland grazing system. Farmers can consider establishing a silvopasture system after the first and second thinning of forests or plantations by growing suitable forages and/or combinations in spaces between trees. Such operations diversify farmers’ income opportunities and increase environmental quality and social acceptance of land resources. Keywords: Year-Round Forage Production, Forage Production, Sustainable Goat Farming, Sustainable Farming, Grazin

An Evaluation of Management Options for the Clover Root Curculio (Sitona hispidulus), a Pest of Alfalfa (Medicago sativa) in the Intermountain West

The clover root curculio (CRC) is an important forage pest throughout North America. Extensive larval feeding on host roots has been associated with reduced stand establishment, disruption of nutrient and water uptake, increased secondary plant pathogen infection, decreased winter plant survival, and reductions in forage quality and yield. Due to the hidden nature of larvae in the soil, CRC is often overlooked and integrated pest management programs are limited as there is a lack of management options. First, I surveyed northern Utah alfalfa for CRC natural enemies, particularly insect-attacking nematodes and fungi (entomopathogens) that could be used in biological control programs against CRC larvae. I found Beauveria spp. fungi most commonly infecting CRC larvae belowground. Next, I used recent information on the CRC life cycle in the Intermountain West to test multiple field applications of soil-active biological insecticides (entomopathogenic nematodes, fungi, and bacteria) and a synthetic systemic insecticide, flupyradifurone. Although these insecticides were compatible with spray equipment and alfalfa production, applications of these products did not reduce CRC larval populations or root damage in my studies. Further, the two application timings tested (before larval peak and during larval peak) did not increase application effectiveness. However, evaluating CRC suppression in the field was challenging because they are hidden in the soil, have patchy distributions, and were observed in low numbers. Lastly, I tested existing root-pathogen resistant alfalfa varieties for potential cross-resistance to CRC, and evaluated alfalfa currently being bred at Cornell University for specific resistance to CRC larvae. Although commercial root-pathogen resistant alfalfa had no effect on CRC, the CRC-resistant alfalfa developed at Cornell University may alleviate the impact of CRC larval damage through increased nodule production. This research provides the groundwork for finding effective and long-term management solutions for CRC in the Intermountain West and will assist in the continued development of insecticide application programs and resistant host plants to ultimately improve alfalfa production

Effect of species, fertilization and harvest date on microbial composition and mycotoxin content in forage

The aim of the project was to evaluate the potential of microbial threat to feed safety in the year 2018. Analyses of the epiphytic community of several forage species (clovers, cocksfoot, fescue, festulolium, perennial ryegrass, timothy and trefoil) in variants of fertilized and non-fertilized vegetation were performed. The hypothesis is based on the fact that microorganisms are normally present on plant material during its growth all the way from the seed to the senescence; they are influenced by a plant's fitness, and they affect its harvest and utilization. Microflora was analyzed by cultivation on specific substrates, total microbial count and five specific microbial groups were observed and quantified. Forage species did not affect plant microflora. The highest risk factor of microbial contamination of feed was proved to be harvest date. Mycotoxin contamination of fresh feed was determined (deoxynivalenol and zearalenone) using ELISA. Zearalenone (ZEA) levels were negatively correlated to fertilization intensity, although these results were not statistically significant. Deoxynivalenol (DON) levels were the lowest in a moderate fertilization regime. Significant differences in mycotoxin content were found among botanical species.O

EFFECT OF SPROUTING USING SALINE WATER ON CHEMICAL COMPOSITION AND PROTEIN QUALITY AND FRACTIONATIONS OF EGYPTIAN CLOVER SPROUTS

The effect of salt stress on growth proximate analysis, amino acid profile, protein quality and fractionations in 3 days etiolated clover sprout samples was investigated. Sterilized and non-sterilized clover seeds were sprouting using tap water 1000 ppm and 2000 ppm NaCl solution. The results showed reduction effect of clover sprout characters with higher NaCl concentration. Clover seed sprouting increased the crude protein content using tap water or saline water for sprouting as compared with dry seeds. However using non-sterilized clover seeds for sprouting recorded the higher values of protein (44.73%), lipids (6.21%) and energy (318.51 kcal/g) in etiolated sprouts, while using sterilized seeds recorded higher carbohydrate (21.28%), fiber (14.57%) and  ash (4.46%). For amino acids, aspartic acid followed by glutamic acid were the most abundant, while Cysteine and methionine were the least in clover etiolated sprouts. Using saline water for clover seed sprouting caused increases in all amino acid compared with tap water except Methionine, aspartic acid and cysteine. For protein efficiency ratio (PER), essential amino acid index (EAAI%) and biological value (BV), from using saline water for sprouting had the higher values than sprouts from using tap water, but the values are less than dry seeds. On the other hand nutritional index (NI) recorded the higher values in salt stress compared with both using tap water and dry clover seeds. For protein fraction in etiolated clover sprouts albumin was the major protein fraction extracted from NaCl 2000ppm sprout fallowed by prolamin from tap water sprouts, glutelin from NaCl 1000 ppm sprout and globulin from tap water sprout. The clover sprout protein isolated and its fractions could have excellent applications for future product development by virtue of their nutritional and functional properties

Evaluating the winter diet of a reintroduced herd of elk in the Cumberland Mountains, Tennessee, using next-generation sequencing techniques

A distinct subspecies of elk (Cervus canadensis), the North American elk (C. canadensis canadensis), once inhabited portions of the southeastern United States, including Tennessee, until their extirpation in the mid 1800s. From 2000 to 2008, 201 Manitoban elk were reintroduced on the North Cumberland Wildlife Management Area (NCWMA). A year-long food habits study using histological analysis of plant material from feces was completed for the NCWMA elk from 2003 to 2004 and has since aided managers in their landscape planning. Since then, more elk have been released onto the area, food plots have been established throughout the NCWMA, and the population has had approximately 20 years to establish itself on the landscape. Thus, a reevaluation of dietary habits is warranted. We collected 357 groups of fecal pellets from 68 set openings within the 79,318 ha NCWMA weekly from February to April of 2019 for a winter fecal diet analysis using next-generation sequencing techniques, also referred to as metabarcoding. Metabarcoding is a non-invasive methodology that has proven to be more effective in identifying herbivore diets than previously used methods. We conducted DNA extractions, a two-step polymerase chain reaction protocol, and completed library preparation of the samples using the Illumina MiSeq sequencing protocol to isolate the plant DNA from the other genetic material in the scat. A bioinformatical analysis was then conducted to determine what plants were identified from sequencing. Statistical analyses performed include calculating proportions for the genera detected from sequencing, determining if specific plants were used differently by males and females from specific genetic groups on the NCWMA, investigating alpha and beta diversity of sample sequences, and assessing the use of forage classes by elk during the winter of 2019. The results from this study will further inform managers of the dietary habits of the reintroduced NCWMA herd and assist them in future habitat management

Developmental and Reproductive Effects of SE5-OH: An Equol-Rich Soy-Based Ingredient

Consumption of the isoflavones daidzein, genistein, glycitein, and their structural analogues is generally considered beneficial to human health. Equol is not found in soy, but is converted from daidzein by human gut bacterial flora. Research indicates that between 30–50% of the population is capable of converting daidzein to equol; therefore, there has been recent development of a new equol-rich functional food that relies on bacterial conversion of daidzein to equol under strictly controlled conditions. Therefore, a new equol-rich soy product (SE5-OH) has been developed, based on the bacterial conversion of daidzein; and its reproductive and developmental toxicity has been evaluated in a two-generation study and a developmental toxicity study with Sprague-Dawley rats at dose levels of 200, 1000, and 2000 mg/kg/day by gavage. SE5-OH contains approximately 0.65% equol, 0.024% daidzein, 0.022% genistein, and 0.30% glycitein. From the reproductive study, the no-observed-adverse-effect-level (NOAEL) for SE5-OH determined for both male and female rats is 1000 mg/kg/day (6.5 mg equol/kg/day). In the developmental toxicity phase of the study, no effects by SE5-OH were found in the embryo-fetus at any of the doses tested. The NOAEL for developmental effects of SE5-OH is 2000 mg/kg/day (13 mg equol/kg/day)