Journal: Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems

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Cambridge University Press

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1742-1705
1742-1713

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2008 - 200912010 - 20202
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Publications 1 - 3 of 3
  • Tanniferous forage plants
    Item type: Journal Article
    Häring, Dieter Adrian; Scharenberg, Anna; Heckendorn, Felix; et al. (2008)
    Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems
    Tanniferous forage plants can have beneficial effects on ruminant productivity and health (improved protein supply, bloat safety and antiparasitic properties). However, condensed tannins can also lower palatability, voluntary feed intake and digestibility. The aim of our interdisciplinary project was to generate basic knowledge on plant management, feed palatability and the antiparasitic properties of tanniferous forage plants for their practical application in agronomy, focusing on their usefulness in controlling gastrointestinal nematodes in organic farming. We found that Onobrychis viciifolia (sainfoin), Lotus corniculatus (birdsfoot trefoil) and Cichorium intybus (chicory) were suitable for cultivation under the given temperate climatic conditions, whereas Lotus pedunculatus (big trefoil) was soon outcompeted by unsown species. Growing the tanniferous plant species in a mixture with Festuca pratensis (meadow fescue) rather than in a monoculture had the advantage of increasing total dry matter (DM) yield (especially in the case of tanniferous legumes) and of reducing the DM proportions of unsown species. However, due to dilution by non-tanniferous F. pratensis, the tannin concentrations of mixtures were clearly lower and the seasonal fluctuations in tannin concentrations greater than that of monocultures. Across species, tannin concentrations were highest for O. viciifolia, followed by L. corniculatus and very low for C. intybus. Palatability of all tanniferous forages was comparable to that of a ryegrass/clover mixture when fed as dried forage and, when offered as silage, palatability of O. viciifolia was clearly superior to that of the respective ryegrass/clover control. Administration of dried or ensiled O. viciifolia reduced parasite egg counts in feces of lambs co-infected with the gastrointestinal nematode species Haemonchus contortus and Cooperia curticei. We conclude that O. viciifolia is the most promising among the tested tanniferous forage plant species due to its suitability for cultivation, its high tannin concentration, its high palatability and its antiparasitic activity even in dried or ensiled form.
  • Insect and legume-based protein sources to replace soybean cake in an organic broiler diet: Effects on growth performance and physical meat quality
    Item type: Journal Article
    Leiber, Florian; Gelencsér, Tobias; Stamer, Andreas; et al. (2017)
    Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems
    Protein sources other than soybean for the diets of poultry are needed for agricultural systems in temperate regions to help avoid some negative social and ecological impacts of large-scale soybean imports from overseas. The aim of the present study was to test the suitability of alternative protein sources in diets for slow-growing organic broiler chicken. Four experimental broiler diets were tested against a commercial feed for organic broiler chicken fattening (control), containing 255 g kg−1 soybean cake. Each experimental diet was based on the control diet, but 130 g kg−1 of soybean cake was replaced with alternative feeds. The diet ‘HermAlf’ contained 78 g kg−1 Hermetia meal (dried larvae of the black soldier fly, Hermetia illucens) and 52 g kg−1 alfalfa (Medicago sativa) meal. Diet ‘HermPea’ contained 78 g kg−1 Hermetia meal and 52 g kg−1 pea (Pisum sativum) groats. Diet ‘AlfPea’ contained 78 g kg−1 alfalfa meal and 52 g kg−1 pea groats. Diet ‘PeaAlf’ contained 78 g kg−1 pea groats and 52 g kg−1 alfalfa meal. Both diets containing Hermetia meal had the same amount of crude protein (CP) concentration as the control, while CP concentration was lower in diet AlfPea (by 2.7%) and in diet PeaAlf (by 3.5%) compared with the control. Over the course of the experiment, 15 broilers each (slow-growing Hubbard S757) were fattened with one of the five diets ad libitum from days 7 to 82. Additionally, all broilers received water and wheat grains (Triticum aestivum) ad libitum. Feed intake was measured by group. Daily gains, live weights, carcass weights and meat quality were analyzed individually. Compared with the control, feed intake, daily weight gain, carcass weights and feed efficiency were equivalent for all experimental diets. Regarding quality parameters, only cooking loss was increased with the HermPea diet compared with the control. The results indicate that the alternative feeds tested could replace part of the soybean products in broiler diets while achieving equivalent feed efficiency and product quality.
  • Assessing the economic viability of integrated crop−livestock systems in Mato Grosso, Brazil
    Item type: Journal Article
    dos Reis, Júlio César; Kamoi, Mariana Y. T.; Latorraca, Daniel; et al. (2020)
    Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems
    Population growth and rising incomes have led to increasing global demand for meat products. Meeting this demand without converting remaining natural ecosystems or further degrading ecosystems is one of the largest global sustainability challenges. A critical step to overcoming this challenge is to increase the productivity of livestock grazing systems, which occupy the largest land area of any type of agriculture globally. Integrated crop−livestock systems (iCL), which re-couple crop and livestock production at the farm scale, have been considered a promising strategy to tackle this challenge by restoring degraded pasturelands and providing supplemental nutrition to livestock. However, few studies have analyzed the economic viability of such systems, especially in Brazil, an important player in global food systems. This paper presents an economic analysis of iCL in Mato Grosso, Brazil, the largest grain and beef producer in the country, which spans the ecologically diverse Amazon, Cerrado and Pantanal biomes. We compare the economic performance of an integrated soybean/corn and beef cattle system to a continuous crop (soybean/corn) system and a continuous livestock (beef cattle) production system from 2005 to 2012. We use empirical case study data to characterize a ‘typical’ farm for each production system within the study region. We find that the integrated crop−livestock system has a higher annual net present value (NPV) per hectare (ha) than continuous cropping or livestock under a range of discount rates. However, under a scenario of substantially higher crop prices, the continuous cropping outperforms iCL. While iCL is not feasible in all regions of the Amazon and Cerrado, our results indicate that in places where the biophysical and market conditions are suitable for production, it could be a highly profitable way to intensify cattle production and potentially spare land for other uses, including conservation. Nevertheless, additional credit and technical support may be needed to overcome high upfront costs and informational barriers to increase iCL areas as a sustainable development strategy for agriculture in the Amazon and Cerrado regions.
Publications 1 - 3 of 3