Invited review: Sustainability of the US dairy industry

The US dairy industry has realized tremendous improvements in efficiencies and milk production since the 1940s. During this time, farm and total cow numbers have decreased and average herd size has increased. This intensification, combined with the shift to a largely urban public, has resulted in increased scrutiny of the dairy industry by social and environmental movements and increased concern regarding the dairy industry's sustainability. In response to these concerns, a group of scientists specializing in animal welfare, nutrient management, greenhouse gas emissions, animal science, agronomy, agricultural engineering, microbiology, and economics undertook a critical review of the US dairy industry. Although the US dairy system was identified as having significant strengths, the consensus was that the current structure of the industry lacks the resilience to adapt to changing social and environmental landscapes. We identified several factors affecting the sustainability of the US dairy industry, including climate change, rapid scientific and technological innovation, globalization, integration of societal values, and multidisciplinary research initiatives. Specific challenges include the westward migration of milk production in the United States (which is at odds with projected reductions in precipitation and associated limitations in water availability for cattle and crops), and the growing divide between industry practices and public perceptions, resulting in less public trust. Addressing these issues will require improved alignment between industry practices and societal values, based upon leadership from within the industry and sustained engagement with other interested participants, including researchers, consumers, and the general public

Lipid profile and quality indices of ostrich meat and giblets

In this study, the lipid profile of 5 different edible tissues (leg, thigh, heart, gizzard, and liver) of ostrich was analyzed. Ostrich edible tissues presented a low fat content (38%), namely, linoleic and arachidonic acids. The leg presented simultaneously the highest PUFA/saturated fatty acids (SFA), the lowest n-6/n-3 ratios, and the most favorable lipid quality indices among all tissues in comparison.FCTinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Exportação de nutrientes pelos frutos de melancia em função de épocas de cultivo, fontes e doses de potássio Nutrients recruitment of watermelon fruits in relation to seasons, potassium sources and doses

Foram conduzidos dois experimentos em propriedades rurais, localizadas próxima a cidade de Borborema (SP), de outubro a dezembro/2001 e de fevereiro a abril/2002, com o objetivo de determinar as quantidades exportadas de nutrientes pelos frutos de melancia, em função de fontes e doses de potássio, em duas épocas de cultivo. O delineamento experimental utilizado foi o de blocos casualizados completos, em esquema fatorial 3x4, com três repetições, sendo avaliados as fontes: cloreto, nitrato e sulfato de potássio e as doses: 50; 100; 200 e 300 kg ha-1 de K2O. Com exceção do Mg, as maiores exportações de nutrientes pelos frutos foram obtidas no cultivo de outubro a dezembro. A massa seca e as exportações de N, P, K, e Ca aumentaram de forma quadrática com as doses de potássio. A aplicação KCl aumentou respectivamente, de forma quadrática e linear, as exportações de S e Cl pelos frutos de melancia.<br>Two field experiments were conducted in Borborema, São Paulo State, Brazil, from October to December 2001 and February to April 2002, to evaluate the nutrients recruitment of watermelon fruits, Tide hybrid, as a result of potassium sources and doses. The experimental design was a randomized complete block, with three replications, in 3x4 factorial scheme, the sources being evaluated: potassium chloride, nitrate and sulphate and doses of 50; 100; 200 and 300 kg ha-1 K2O. Greater recruitment of N, P, K, Ca, S and Cl by watermelon fruits was obtained in the first trial, while the recruitment of Mg was observed in the second trial. The dry mass and recruitment of N, P, K, and Ca increased with potassium doses. S and Cl of the watermelon fruits increased with the increase of KCl doses in a quadratic and linear form, respectively