Intrauterine Growth Retarded Progeny of Pregnant Sows Fed High Protein:Low Carbohydrate Diet Is Related to Metabolic Energy Deficit

High and low protein diets fed to pregnant adolescent sows led to intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR). To explore underlying mechanisms, sow plasma metabolite and hormone concentrations were analyzed during different pregnancy stages and correlated with litter weight (LW) at birth, sow body weight and back fat thickness. Sows were fed diets with low (6.5%, LP), adequate (12.1%, AP), and high (30%, HP) protein levels, made isoenergetic by adjusted carbohydrate content. At −5, 24, 66, and 108 days post coitum (dpc) fasted blood was collected. At 92 dpc, diurnal metabolic profiles were determined. Fasted serum urea and plasma glucagon were higher due to the HP diet. High density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDLC), %HDLC and cortisol were reduced in HP compared with AP sows. Lowest concentrations were observed for serum urea and protein, plasma insulin-like growth factor-I, low density lipoprotein cholesterol, and progesterone in LP compared with AP and HP sows. Fasted plasma glucose, insulin and leptin concentrations were unchanged. Diurnal metabolic profiles showed lower glucose in HP sows whereas non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA) concentrations were higher in HP compared with AP and LP sows. In HP and LP sows, urea concentrations were 300% and 60% of AP sows, respectively. Plasma total cholesterol was higher in LP than in AP and HP sows. In AP sows, LW correlated positively with insulin and insulin/glucose and negatively with glucagon/insulin at 66 dpc, whereas in HP sows LW associated positively with NEFA. In conclusion, IUGR in sows fed high protein∶low carbohydrate diet was probably due to glucose and energy deficit whereas in sows with low protein∶high carbohydrate diet it was possibly a response to a deficit of indispensable amino acids which impaired lipoprotein metabolism and favored maternal lipid disposal

Resilient and dynamic soil biology

Agricultural intensification has delivered great gains in terms of food production but has come at great environmental cost. Consequently, there is growing societal demand for more sustainable farming systems, i.e., sustainable intensification. Within this, there is increasing recognition of the ecosystem services provided by soil organisms that contribute both to agricultural production and environmental sustainability. Conventional tillage-based farming systems experience frequent and significant soil disturbance, which negatively impacts many key soil organism groups, e.g., fungi and earthworms. Loss of these soil organisms results in loss of critical soil ecosystem services, including those related to soil nutrient cycling, crop nutrient uptake, and soil water management. Conversion of farming systems from conventional tillage to no-till can allow recovery of soil biology and restoration of soil ecosystem services. Thus, no-till farming systems can contribute positively towards sustainable intensification. However, important knowledge gaps and challenges remain. Greater knowledge of what soil organisms are present in soil and what services they provide is urgently needed. The ultimate goal is to understand how soil biology can be manipulated through management to provide desirable ecosystem services in space and time