37 research outputs found
Effect of concentrate supplementation on fattening performance and carcass composition of finished meat-goat kids
ArticleA study on the effective usage of the concentrated feed supplement to Boer meat goat
kids was carried out within the framework of the project âZootechnical and economic efficiency
of feeding of fodder pulses to ruminantâs meat productionâ. Since the Boer goat breed in Latvia
is still very rare, there is a lack of experience in the feeding and production of meat goat for better
carcass traits and meat quality. This study was arranged in autumn period, using the Boer cross
breed male kids born in 2018. In control group (OG) four kids were kept together with mothers
till finishing and were fed by oats as concentrated feed supplement. In research group (BG) four
goat kids were weaned from mothers and placed in shed to explain influence of mix of 85% of
oats and 15% of fodder beans as protein supplement to the fattening outcomes. In the trial kids
were weighed at the starting and ending of the trial. Carcass quality is assessed according to the
European standard for the classification of carcasses of sheep, where EUROP letter designations
have been used to denote musculature development, and the fat deposition level is indicated by
numbers 1â5. The length of the carcass and the circumference of the hips were measured using
the tape measure. The carcasses were analyzed by type of tissue: muscle, bone, fat. The fastest
growing rate during the fattening period of 72 days was given to BG kids with a mean daily live
weight gain of 72 g, while the OG kids achieved 69 g. After slaughter, the carcass yield of OG
kids was from 42.5% to 51.4%, but for BG kids was 38.5% to 42.5%. The quality of the obtained
carcasses was an average, and score for musculature was from R to P class, but the average score
for fat deposition was from 2.25 to 2.75 points and higher fat cover was observed in BG kids.
Higher proportion of lean meat (59.1%) and fat tissues (16.3%) were observed to OG kids, but
higher proportion of bone (25.9%) was in BG kidâs carcasses. The consumption of concentrated
feed for 1 kg of live weight gain indicates the conversion of feed nutrients. The consumption of
oats per kilogram of live weight gain was 3.21 kg for OG kids, but the consumption of the feed
mix of oats and beans for BG kids was 2.83 kg. Based on physical parameters of goat kid carcass
and high level of lean meat, fattening of Boer cross breed goat kids by using of oats or feed mix
can be an ideal choice for farmers, which try to find new products and free market for consumers
The influence of dietary inclusion of peas, faba bean and lupin as a replacement for soybean meal on pig performance and carcass traits
ArticleThe effect of peas, faba
bean and lupin seed inclusion in growing and finishing pig
diets was evaluated. The control diet included soybean meal at 15%, but in the trial groups diets
peas were 15 or 28%, faba bean 20 or 25%, lupin seed 12 or 15%, completely replacing soybean
meal.
Diets formulated to be isoenergetic for ME and with the same crude protein content. The
faba bean and, especially, lupin seed meal inclusion in pig diets for growing per
iod significantly
reduced ADG
P
=
0.02 and 0.01
), and G : F was
also
signi
fi
cantly
influ
enced
(
P
=
0.02
) for pigs
in lupin seed meal groups. There were no effects on finisher pigs average daily gain, inclusion
peas or faba bean, daily gain were, respectively 892
±
19 and 915
±
11, 867
±
12 and 828
±
11,
except lupin seed meal (
P
=
0.04
) inclu
sion. There were no
significantly
effects on carcass quality
and to pork chemical content, but pigs fed the diets with peas 28% and faba bean 25% had less
of lean meat content, greater backfat thickness and internal fat than other groups which have a
simil
ar results. The muscle chemical content show that inclusi
o
n of pulses increased the total fat
content in pork. In conclusion, results from this experiment suggest that pigs fed peas and faba
bean have equal or slightly lower growth performance and carcass
traits than pigs fed soybean
meal, except lupin seed meal
Effect of replacement of coated barley grain with hulless barley in diet on growth, carcass and meat quality traits of fattening pigs
Received: January 31st, 2021 ; Accepted: May 27th, 2021 ; Published: June 1st, 2021 ; Correspondence: [email protected] amount of experimental pigs were 40 crossbred pigs (Yorkshire Ă Landrace). The
initial body weight of pigs were average 27.0 kg. The goal of research was to assess the effect of
replacement of coated barley grain with hulless barley in diet on pig growth, carcass and pork
quality indices. Experimental groups of pigs on the holding were conducted according to age and
sex. For trial group of pigs, a compound feed with hulless barley (38.9â45.4%) was prepared, for
the control with coated barley (39.3â43.3%). The feed recipes made according the pigs age. The
other feed ingredients were not changed and were wheat, soybean meal and oil, premivit, and
from 20 till 70 kg liveweight also fish meal. Diets were formulated with the same of
metabolizable energy and crude protein content. During the study the live weight of pigs was
monitored and the feed consumption was counted. At the end of the study all pigs slaughtered,
determined carcasses traits and took samples of loin muscle for chemical analyses. The results
showed that pig fattening indices (daily liveweight gain were in control pig group 0.686 ± 0.183
and trial 0.716 ± 0.174) did not differ significantly between groups (P > 0.05), although its were
slightly lower in the control group pigs by 4.37%. Feed consumption for live weight gain in both
groups ranged from 3.14 to 3.25 kg. Carcasses scores showed significant differences in lean meat
and chops (P < 0.05). There were also differences in the backfat thickness. The thickness of
backfat was 2.62 mm less in the control pig group, which indicates that when feeding coated
barley to fattening pigs, the carcasses have a higher proportion of lean meat (62.1 ± 0.7%). Pigs
were slaughtered reaching a live weight of 110 to 114 kg. The meat yield 71.7% and moisture
level (70.2â75.2%), as well as protein (22.3â22.9%) indicators showed that fattening pigs are
sold at the optimal age. In conclusion, results from this study suggest that feeding hulless barley
to fattening pigs results in higher live weight gain. Carcass indicators showed a significantly
higher proportion of lean meat and weight of chops when pigs eating coated barley. Chemical
composition of pork in groups without significant differences
Influence of local extruded soybean cake and imported soybean meal on fattening pig productivity and pork quality
The aim of this study was to determine the influence of feeding local and imported
soybean protein feeds to fattening pigs and examining it impact on the quality of pork. The trial
was created with 40 pigs divided in two groups (20 in each). Pigs in the control group received
imported soybean meal, in the trial group local farm grown in Latvia extruded soybean cake
mixed in the compound feed. The diets were designed to be nutritionally equivalent. For fattening
pigs each diet were available on an ad libitum basis to pens. During the study pigs were weighed
three times at 84, 140 and 190 days at age. Feed consumption, pig carcass traits and meat chemical
composition were determined. The final live weight in control group was 108.33 ± 2.904 kg and
in trial group was 111.88 ± 2.793 kg there were no significant difference (P > 0.05). Average
daily live weight gain in the all experimental period in control group was 0.779 ± 0.096 kg and
in trial group was 0.822 ± 0.103 kg, there were no significant difference (P > 0.05). Feed
consumption per kg of live weight in control group was 2.39 kg in trial group was 2.24 kg. Pig
carcass traits and meat chemical composition were similar for both groups without significant
differences (P > 0.05). Soybeans grown and processed in Latvia were equivalent to imported
soybeans and gives good rates of pig growth and quality of pork
The nutrition value of soybeans grown in Latvia for pig feeding
ArticleSoybean products are excellent sources of protein for pigs because their amino acid
profiles complement those of cereal grains. Soy protein is rich in the limiting amino acids lysine,
threonine, and tryptophan that are present in relatively low concentrations in the most commonly
fed cereal grains. Amino acids in soy protein are more digestible than amino acids in most other
plants proteins, which results in less nitrogen being excreted in the manure from pigs fed diets
containing soybean meal than if other protein sources are used. The phosphorus in soy products
is bound to phytic acid, which has a low digestibility to pigs, but the digestibility of phosphorus
in soy products may be increased to more than 60% if diets are supplemented with microbial
phytase. There are no much results about nutrition value of soybean growing in Latvia. Therefore
the aim of study was determined chemical composition of soybeans growing in Latvia and
evaluates their potential in pig feeding.
Research object were soybeans growing in Latvia. In the studied samples content of protein, fat,
ash, fibre, composition of amino acids were determined and metabolizable energy were
calculated. Evaluated that protein content varied from 32.7 till 40.7%, fat content was from
18.4â21.4% and significantly differed (p < 0.05) among growing places, but the sum of essential
amino acids in the soy beans determined 115â125 g kg-1
, and were not differed significantly by
varieties. The content of lysine in protein were determined 5.1â5.5 g 100 g
-1
. Concluded that soy
bean growing in Latvia provides equilibrium high metabolizable energy for pigs â from 13.2 to
17.6 MJ kg-1
and could be used in feed
Bryophytes: how to conquer an alien planet and live happily (ever after)
There are many push and pull factors that commonly drive individuals to leave their homeland. For example, escaping competition and occupying a novel habitat undoubtedly offer the advantage of new opportunities to pilgrims, but the absence of unfavorable biotic interactions can be counterbalanced by other antagonistic abiotic forces. After all, conquering an alien planet is not now nor ever was an easy task. We cannot know how many attempts and failures have punctuated the journey that led ancestral, photosynthetic organisms to leave the aquatic world and successfully establish on dry land. However, some traits developed by the ancestors of modern bryophytes that allowed them to adapt their life cycle to such a different habitat and persist there, have been undoubtedly identified
Trends in milk yield productivity and emissions from the dairy sector in Latvia
Received: January 31st, 2023 ; Accepted: May 8th, 2023 ; Published: May 26th, 2023 ; Correspondence: [email protected] cow productivity continuously increased in Latvia in recent years. Despite
decreasing numbers of dairy cow population dairy farms have been identified as an important
source of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Dairy sector emissions create the largest share of
enteric fermentation emissions as well as emissions from manure in housing facilities, during
long-term storage and field application within agriculture sector total emissions. The main
objective of this study is to present the results of trend analysis in the productivity of the dairy
sector and corresponding emission in Latvia. Research is focused on analysis of dairy cow
productivity and feeding strategies to quantify the effect of increasing milk yield on GHG
emissions. In the framework of this research, emissions were calculated and evaluated for low
and high productivity dairy cows according to the methodology of â2019 Refinement to the 2006
Guidelines for National Greenhouse Gas Inventoriesâ. During the last decade dairy cow
productivity in Latvia has increased and the average milk yield in standard lactation was 8,320 kg
per year in 2021. It was observed that 60% of the total number of dairy cows met the requirements
of a high-productivity system, while 40% of the dairy cows belonged to low-productivity systems
in Latvia. Research results show that total GHG emissions for high-productivity system can reach
5.3 kt CO2 eq. per 1,000 cows per year, however, for low-productivity system the total amount
of emissions does not exceed 3.1 kt CO2 eq. per 1,000 cows
Correlation between hormonal homeostasis and morphogenic responses in Arabidopsis thaliana seedlings growing in a Cd/Cu/Zn multi-pollution context
To date, almost no information is available in roots and shoots of the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana about the hierarchic relationship between metal accumulation, phytohormone levels, and glutathione/phytochelatin content, and how this relation affects root development. For this purpose, specific concentrations of cadmium, copper and zinc, alone or in triple combination, were supplied for 12 days to in vitro growing seedlings. The accumulation of these metals was measured in roots and shoots, and a significant competition in metal uptake was observed. Microscopic analyses revealed that root morphology was affected by metal exposure, and that the levels of trans-zeatin riboside, dihydrozeatin riboside, indole-3-acetic acid, and the auxin/cytokinin ratio varied accordingly. By contrast, under metal treatments, minor modifications in gibberellic acid and abscisic acid levels occurred. RT-PCR analysis of some genes involved in auxin and cytokinin synthesis (e.g., AtNIT in roots and AtIPT in shoots) showed on average a metal up-regulated transcription. The production of thiol-peptides was induced by all the metals, alone or in combination, and the expression of the genes involved in thiol-peptide synthesis (AtGSH1, AtGSH2, AtPCS1 and AtPCS2) was not stimulated by the metals, suggesting a full post-transcriptional control. Results show that the Cd/Cu/Zn-induced changes in root morphology are caused by a hormonal unbalance, mainly governed by the auxin/cytokinin ratio
Double gamersâcan modified natural regulators of higher plants act as antagonists against phytopathogens? The case of jasmonic acid derivatives
As key players in biotic stress response of plants, jasmonic acid (JA) and its derivatives cover a specific and prominent role in pathogens-mediated signaling and hence are promising candidates for a sustainable management of phytopathogenic fungi. Recently, JA directed antimicrobial effects on plant pathogens has been suggested, supporting the theory of oxylipins as double gamers in plant-pathogen interaction. Based on these premises, six derivatives (dihydrojasmone and cis-jasmone, two thiosemicarbazonic derivatives and their corresponding complexes with copper) have been evaluated against 13 fungal species affecting various economically important herbaceous and woody crops, such as cereals, grapes and horticultural crops: Phaeoacremonium minimum, Neofusicoccum parvum, Phaeomoniella chlamydospora, Fomitiporia mediterranea, Fusarium poae, F. culmorum, F. graminearum, F. oxysporum f. sp. lactucae, F. sporotrichioides, Aspergillus flavus, Rhizoctonia solani, Sclerotinia spp. and Verticillium dahliae. The biological activity of these compounds was assessed in terms of growth inhibition and, for the two mycotoxigenic species A. flavus and F. sporotrichioides, also in terms of toxin containment. As expected, the inhibitory effect of molecules greatly varied amongst both genera and species; cis-jasmone thiosemicarbazone in particular has shown the wider range of effectiveness. However, our results show that thiosemicarbazones derivatives are more effective than the parent ketones in limiting fungal growth and mycotoxins production, supporting possible applications for the control of pathogenic fungi
The aflatoxÂź project: Approaching the development of new generation, naturalâbased compounds for the containment of the mycotoxigenic phytopathogen Aspergillus flavus and aflatoxin contamination
The control of the fungal contamination on crops is considered a priority by the sanitary authorities of an increasing number of countries, and this is also due to the fact that the geographic areas interested in mycotoxin outbreaks are widening. Among the different preâ and postâharvest strategies that may be applied to prevent fungal and/or aflatoxin contamination, fungicides still play a prominent role; however, despite of countless efforts, to date the problem of food and feed contamination remains unsolved, since the essential factors that affect aflatoxins production are various and hardly to handle as a whole. In this scenario, the exploitation of bioactive natural sources to obtain new agents presenting novel mechanisms of action may represent a successful strategy to minimize, at the same time, aflatoxin contamination and the use of toxic pesticides. The AflatoxÂź Project was aimed at the development of newâgeneration inhibitors of aflatoxigenic Aspergillus spp. proliferation and toxin production, through the modification of naturally occurring molecules: a panel of 177 compounds, belonging to the thiosemicarbazones class, have been synthesized and screened for their antifungal and antiâaflatoxigenic potential. The most effective compounds, selected as the best candidates as aflatoxin containment agents, were also evaluated in terms of cytotoxicity, genotoxicity and epiâgenotoxicity to exclude potential harmful effect on the human health, the plants on which fungi grow and the whole ecosystem