The Timing of Daily Grazing on Annual Ryegrass or Sulla Forage: The Effects on Milk Yield and Composition of Comisana Ewes

The timing and duration of grazing greatly affect the response of animals. Night grazing, in addition to grazing during the day, seems to be one of the most important practices for improving animal performance (Bayer et al., 1987). Many authors have already underlined the major benefits of night grazing, such as improved body condition, reduced heat stress, increased forage intake and milk production. However, labour constraints, insecurity, damage to crops by animals are considered as the main reasons for not practising day and night grazing. The aim of this research was to improve knowledge about the effects of daily grazing time in ryegrass or sulla forage on milk yield and composition of Comisana ewes

Use of Green Sulla Forage for Feeding. 1. Effects on Lamb Growth and Gastrointestinal Nematode Parasite Infestation

Recent studies have shown that some forage legumes containing condensed tannins (CT), such as sulla (Hedysarum coronarium L.), can reduce the gastrointestinal nematode burden in sheep (Niezen et al., 1998) and increase post-ruminal protein availability (Waghorn et al., 1994). This study aimed to evaluate the anthelmintic and nutritional properties of sulla forage in relation to its CT content. Thus, the growth performance and the level of nematode infestation of lambs fed sulla were compared with those of lambs fed ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum Lam. subsp. wersterwoldicum), lacking in CT

The Girgentana Goat Breed: A Zootechnical Overview on Genetics, Nutrition and Dairy Production Aspects

In recent years, there has been a great interest in recovering and preserving local livestock breeds. An interesting situation is represented by the Girgentana goat, an ancient local breed reared in Sicily. Over recent years, this breed has become almost extinct, in part as a consequence of the marked decrease in fresh goat milk consumption. On the basis of these considerations, several studies on its genetic structure and management aspects have been conducted in order to protect the Girgentana goat from the risk of extinction and recover its genetic and economic value. In this context, information on genetics, nutrition and dairy production aspects may have a crucial role in the improvement and management of the breed. Thus, this chapter describes some points of these applications through recent investigations on this goat breed

Relationships among diet, plasma and milk total polyphenol content in milking goats

Some Mediterranean forages are interesting for their polyphenol content, which may perform beneficial functions to animal and nutraceutical effects on consumer. In ruminants, the fraction transferred into the milk may reflect the feeding regime and thus used as biomarker for the diet traceability. In order to highlight the relationships among polyphenols in feed intake, plasma and milk, total polyphenols was measured in the diets used by goats and in the corresponding plasma and milk. During March-May, twelve Girgentana goats, averaging 37.2 kg live weight, 86 days in milk and 2.0 kg milk yield were allocated to three groups and, according to a 3 x 3 Latin square design with three periods of 21 days (14 days for adaptation and 7 days for measuring and sampling), fed with three diets in succession: sulla fresh forage (SFF), sulla fresh forage plus 800 g/d barley meal (SFB), mixed hay plus 800 g/d barley meal (MHB). During each period, offered and refused feed of each goat were weighed daily, sampled twice and disaggregated into botanical parts to estimate the mean amount and the quality of feed intake; the individual milk yield was recorded daily and samples of milk and blood were collected at the end of each period. During each period, observations means of total polyphenols intake (ItP), and the corresponding total polyphenols in plasma (PtP) and milk (MtP) were used for Pearson correlation. Due to the polyphenols content of sulla forage, such as condensed tannins, the SFF and SFB diets increases ItP (9.21 and 9.29 vs. 2.84 g GAE/d; P<0.001), PtP (304 and 309 vs. 294 microg/ml GAE; P<0.05) and MtP (0.964 and 1.081 vs 0.819 g GAE/d; P<0.05). During the first period of experiment (March), a positive correlation between ItP and MtP was detected (r=0.60; P=0.040). This relationship might depend on a high percentage of leaf blade in the fresh forage ingested in this period compared to the others. Also, ItP and PtP content showed a positive correlation (r=0.61; P=0.038). Regarding all experimental periods, a positive correlation between plasma free polyphenol content and MtP content was found (r=0.38; P=0.031). Our results suggests that polyphenol content in animal diets is reflected in mil

Relationships among diet, plasma and milk total polyphenol content in milking goats.

Some Mediterranean forages are interesting for their polyphenol content, which may perform beneficial functions to animal and nutraceutical effects on consumer. In ruminants, the fraction transferred into the milk may reflect the feeding regime and thus used as biomarker for the diet traceability. In order to highlight the relationships among polyphenols in feed intake, plasma and milk, total polyphenols was measured in the diets used by goats and in the corresponding plasma and milk. During March-May, twelve Girgentana goats, averaging 37.2 kg live weight, 86 days in milk and 2.0 kg milk yield were allocated to three groups and, according to a 3 x 3 Latin square design with three periods of 21 days (14 days for adaptation and 7 days for measuring and sampling), fed with three diets in succession: sulla fresh forage (SFF), sulla fresh forage plus 800 g/d barley meal (SFB), mixed hay plus 800 g/d barley meal (MHB). During each period, offered and refused feed of each goat were weighed daily, sampled twice and disaggregated into botanical parts to estimate the mean amount and the quality of feed intake; the individual milk yield was recorded daily and samples of milk and blood were collected at the end of each period. During each period, observations means of total polyphenols intake (ItP), and the corresponding total polyphenols in plasma (PtP) and milk (MtP) were used for Pearson correlation. Due to the polyphenols content of sulla forage, such as condensed tannins, the SFF and SFB diets increases ItP (9.21 and 9.29 vs. 2.84 g GAE/d; P<0.001), PtP (304 and 309 vs. 294 microg/ml GAE; P<0.05) and MtP (0.964 and 1.081 vs 0.819 g GAE/d; P<0.05). During the first period of experiment (March), a positive correlation between ItP and MtP was detected (r=0.60; P=0.040). This relationship might depend on a high percentage of leaf blade in the fresh forage ingested in this period compared to the others. Also, ItP and PtP content showed a positive correlation (r=0.61; P=0.038). Regarding all experimental periods, a positive correlation between plasma free polyphenol content and MtP content was found (r=0.38; P=0.031). Our results suggests that polyphenol content in animal diets is reflected in mil

Seismicity at the Castor gas reservoir driven by pore pressure diffusion and asperities loading

The 2013 seismic sequence at the Castor injection platform offshore Spain, including three earthquakes of magnitude 4.1, occurred during the initial filling of a planned Underground Gas Storage facility. The Castor sequence is one of the most important cases of induced seismicity in Europe and a rare example of seismicity induced by gas injection into a depleted oil field. Here we use advanced seismological techniques applied to an enhanced waveform dataset, to resolve the geometry of the faults, develop a greatly enlarged seismicity catalog and record details of the rupture kinematics. The sequence occurred by progressive fault failure and unlocking, with seismicity initially migrating away from the injection points, triggered by pore pressure diffusion, and then back again, breaking larger asperities loaded to higher stress and producing the largest earthquakes. Seismicity occurred almost exclusively on a secondary fault, located below the reservoir, dipping opposite from the reservoir bounding fault

Induced seismicity risk analysis of the hydraulic stimulation of a geothermal well on Geldinganes, Iceland

The rapid increase in energy demand in the city of Reykjavik has posed the need for an additional supply of deep geothermal energy. The deep-hydraulic (re-)stimulation of well RV-43 on the peninsula of Geldinganes (north of Reykjavik) is an essential component of the plan implemented by Reykjavik Energy to meet this energy target. Hydraulic stimulation is often associated with fluid-induced seismicity, most of which is not felt on the surface but which, in rare cases, can be a nuisance to the population and even damage the nearby building stock. This study presents a first-of-its-kind pre-drilling probabilistic induced seismic hazard and risk analysis for the site of interest. Specifically, we provide probabilistic estimates of peak ground acceleration, European microseismicity intensity, probability of light damage (damage risk), and individual risk. The results of the risk assessment indicate that the individual risk within a radius of 2km around the injection point is below 0.1 micromorts, and damage risk is below 10-2 for the total duration of the project. However, these results are affected by several orders of magnitude of variability due to the deep uncertainties present at all levels of the analysis, indicating a critical need in updating this risk assessment with in situ data collected during the stimulation. Therefore, it is important to stress that this a priori study represents a baseline model and starting point to be updated and refined after the start of the project

Earthquakes in Switzerland and surrounding regions during 2017 and 2018

This report summarizes the seismicity in Switzerland and surrounding regions in the years 2017 and 2018. In 2017 and 2018, the Swiss Seismological Service detected and located 1227 and 955 earthquakes in the region under consideration, respectively. The strongest event in the analysed period was the ML 4.6 Urnerboden earthquake, which occurred in the border region of cantons Uri, Glarus and Schwyz on March 6, 2017. The event was the strongest earthquake within Switzerland since the ML 5.0 Vaz earthquake of 1991. Associated ground motions indicating intensity IV were reported in a radius up to about 50&nbsp;km and locally approached intensity VI in the region close to the epicentre. Derived focal mechanisms and relative hypocentre relocations of the immediate aftershocks image a NNW–SSE striking sinistral strike-slip fault. Together with other past events in this region, the Urnerboden earthquake suggests the existence of a system of sub-parallel strike-slip faults, likely within in the uppermost crystalline basement of the eastern Aar Massif. A vigorous earthquake sequence occurred close to Château-d'Oex in the Préalpes-Romandes region in western Switzerland. With a magnitude of ML 4.3, the strongest earthquake of the sequence occurred on July 1, 2017. Focal mechanism and relative relocations of fore- and aftershocks image a NNE dipping normal fault in about 4&nbsp;km depth. Two similarly oriented shallow normal-fault events occurred between subalpine Molasse and Préalpes units close to Châtel-St-Denis and St. Silvester in 2017/18. Together, these events indicate a domain of NE–SW oriented extensional to transtensional deformation along the Alpine Front between Lake Geneva in the west and the Fribourg Fault in the east. The structural complexity of the Fribourg Fault is revealed by an ML 2.9 earthquake near Tafers in 2018. The event images a NW–SE striking fault segment within the crystalline basement, which might be related to the Fribourg Fault Zone. Finally, the ML 2.8 Grenchen earthquake of 2017 provides a rare example of shallow thrust faulting along the Jura fold-and-thrust belt, indicating contraction in the northwestern Alpine foreland of Switzerland