Breeding Sustainable Beef Cows: Reducing Weight and Increasing Productivity.
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ABSTRACT:
SUBMITTER: Snelling WM
PROVIDER: S-EPMC9311566 | biostudies-literature |
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
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Project description:This study evaluated 53 primiparous cows (36.8±1.23 months old and 484±40.9 kg of body weight) performance tested (GrowSafe® System) from 22±5 to 190±13 days of lactation in order to obtain daily dry matter intake (DMI). The animals received a high-forage diet (forage-to-concentrate ratio of 90:10). Milk production of the cows was evaluated three times by mechanical milking and the energy-corrected milk yield (ECMY) was calculated. Energy status (through the indicators glucose, cholesterol, triglycerides, and ?-hydroxybutyrate), protein status (indicators albumin, urea, and creatinine), mineral status (indicators calcium, phosphorus, and magnesium), and hormonal status (indicators insulin and cortisol) were estimated four times throughout lactation. The residual feed intake (RFI) of cows was calculated considering DMI, average daily gain (ADG) and mid-test metabolic weight (BW0.75) obtained in early lactation (from 22±5 to 102±7 days), and the animals were classified as negative (most efficient) or positive RFI (least efficient). The RFI model explained 53% of the variation in DMI. The mean DMI, ADG, ECMY, and calf weight as a percentage of cow weight were 12.47±2.70 kg DM/day, 0.632±0.323 kg/day, 10.47±3.23 kg/day, and 36.6±5.39%, respectively. Negative RFI cows consumed 11.5% less DM than positive RFI cows, with performance and metabolic profile being similar to those of positive RFI cows, except for a lower milk protein content and higher blood cholesterol concentration. In conclusion, negative (most efficient) and positive RFI (least efficient) Nellore cows, fed an ad libitum high-forage diet, produced similar amounts of milk, fat and lactose and had similar subcutaneous fat thickness, weight, calf weight as a percentage of cow weight, and blood metabolite concentrations (except for cholesterol). Therefore, there are economic benefits to utilizing RFI in a cow herd since cattle had decreased DMI with similar overall performance, making them more profitable due to lower input costs.
| S-EPMC7269248 | biostudies-literature
Project description:In terms of tillering potential, the aboveground portions of rice are significantly influenced by the nitrogen level (NL) and transplant density (TD). To obtain a suitable combination of NL and TD, five NLs (0, 90, 180, 270 and 360 kg ha-1) and two TDs [high density (HD), 32.5×104 hills ha-1; low density (LD), 25.5×104 hills ha-1] were used in the rice experiments during 2012 to 2014, in Jiangsu, China. The results showed the highest grain yield of rice obtained at HD and LD when N supply was 180 and 270 kg ha-1, respectively. That's because there are more tillers per unit area, a larger leaf biomass fraction of total aboveground biomass, a larger leaf area index (LAI) and a larger canopy photosynthesis potential (CPP) at HD. It can be concluded that, higher rice planting densities resulted in less N inputs, while more N is needed to improve single plant actual tiller ability under low density to offset the reduced planting density. When the NL was more than 180 kg ha-1, the actual tillering ability of a single plant at LD was 20% more than that at HD. Based on these results, the supply of 1 kg N can be replaced by adding approximately 1000 planting hills per hectare. Therefore, adjusting the transplant density could be an efficient method to reduce the amount of nitrogen fertilizer and increase the nitrogen fertilizer use efficiency, which is very conducive to the sustainable development of agriculture.
| S-EPMC5540556 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundBeef cows herd accounts for 70% of the total energy used in the beef production system. However, there are still limited studies regarding improvement of production efficiency in this category, mainly in developing countries and in tropical areas. One of the limiting factors is the difficulty to obtain reliable estimates of weight variation in mature cows. This occurs due to the interaction of weight of maternal tissues with specific physiological stages such as pregnancy. Moreover, variation in gastrointestinal contents due to feeding status in ruminant animals is a major source of error in body weight measurements.ObjectivesDevelop approaches to estimate the individual proportion of weight from maternal tissues and from gestation in pregnant cows, adjusting for feeding status and stage of gestation.Methods and findingsDataset of 49 multiparous non-lactating Nellore cows (32 pregnant and 17 non-pregnant) were used. To establish the relationships between the body weight, depending on the feeding status of pregnant and non-pregnant cows as a function of days of pregnancy, a set of general equations was tested, based on theoretical suppositions. We proposed the concept of pregnant compound (PREG), which represents the weight that is genuinely related to pregnancy. The PREG includes the gravid uterus minus the non-pregnant uterus plus the accretion in udder related to pregnancy. There was no accretion in udder weight up to 238 days of pregnancy. By subtracting the PREG from live weight of a pregnant cow, we obtained estimates of the weight of only maternal tissues in pregnant cows. Non-linear functions were adjusted to estimate the relationship between fasted, non-fasted and empty body weight, for pregnant and non-pregnant cows.ConclusionsOur results allow for estimating the actual live weight of pregnant cows and their body constituents, and subsequent comparison as a function of days of gestation and feeding status.
| S-EPMC4368534 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Parent study:
A Coordinated Approach to Cancer and Health (CATCH), was designed to compare the efficacy of two intervention arms (described below) intended to increase breast, cervical, and colon cancer screening rates among patients served by community health centers. A central focus of CATCH is to evaluate sustainable strategies for maximizing cancer screening rates among populations facing significant cancer disparities.
CATCH was conducted in partnership with the large health clinic in Massachusetts, which serves a largely Hispanic low income population. Focusing on the use of an Interactive Voice Response (IVR) telephone technology system, the study is examining the extent to which the IVR, when developed in a culturally sensitive and appropriate manner (focus groups will be conducted to inform the intervention), can improve breast, cervical and colon cancer screening rates compared to a control group. Furthermore, we plan to determine if pairing IVR with telephone calls from a prevention care coordinator (PCC) will result in higher screening rates (when compared to the IVR only group). We will determine the cost-effectiveness of IVR alone vs. IVR + PCC.
Substudy:
We conducted a substudy of the parent study, looking at a comparison of return rates of two colorectal cancer screening home test kits: Fecal Occult Bood Tests (gFOBTs) and Fecal Immunochemical Tests (FITs). As well we surveyed people who pick up one of these two types of tests to assess barriers and facilitators of returning the completed kit to the health center for assessment.
| 2109855 | ecrin-mdr-crc
Project description:Although performance benefits of monensin have been extensively studied in finishing cattle, growing cattle, and dairy cows, considerably less published work is available evaluating response to monensin supplementation in cow-calf production systems. This meta-analysis investigated the impacts of monensin on performance of beef cows and developing replacement heifers. The replacement heifer analysis was conducted using data from 18 different peer-reviewed publications and experiment station reports. The mature cow analysis included 21 different publications and experiment station reports. The metaphor package (version 2.4-0; Viechtbauer, 2010) for R (version 4.0.3; www.r-project.org) was used to determine the overall effect size of monensin compared to a negative control. Each study's n, means, and SEM or P value was used to calculate the mean difference and estimate of within study variance for responses of interest. In replacement heifers, monensin treatment increased (P < 0.01); average daily gain (+0.03 ± 0.008 kg/d), feed efficiency (+0.013 ± 0.008 gain:feed), and percentage cycling before the breeding season (+15.9 ± 5.13%); while decreasing (P < 0.01): dry matter intake (0.293 ± 0.081 kg), and age at puberty (-8.9 ± 1.48 d). Six studies reporting ad libitum forage intake for mature cows showed decreased (P = 0.008) DMI by 0.85 ± 0.32 kg/d. Six studies reported milk yield and revealed an increase (P = 0.01) of 0.39 ± 0.15 kg/d when cows were supplemented with monensin. Monensin supplementation resulted in a reduction (P = 0.02) in days to first estrus by 18 ± 8.2 d and percentage of cows exhibiting estrus prior to the breeding season was increased by 19 ± 8% (P = 0.03). There were no differences in artificial insemination pregnancy nor total pregnancy for either the heifer or mature cow data sets. This analysis indicates potential for use of monensin in heifer development and beef cow production systems. Further research is needed to elucidate the effects on reproductive efficiency, DMI, milk production, weight, and body composition change.
| S-EPMC9290909 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Nutrition imprinting carries consequences across generations. The effect of 55% vs. 65% of mature cow body weight (MBW; 545 kg) at breeding on the reproductive performance of heifers and their offspring was investigated. Angus-cross dam heifers were randomly fed to attain 55% (n = 1622) vs. 65% (n = 1578) of MBW, and offspring (F1) heifers born to dam heifers [55% (n = 1285) vs. 65% (n = 1324)] were fed to attain 65% of MBW. Bodyweight and reproductive indices were recorded throughout the study. In dam heifers, puberty (44% vs. 53%), breeding season pregnancy (86.4% vs. 90.6%) and 21-day calving rates (55.2% vs. 65.4%) did vary, but dystocia rate (8.7% vs. 9.0%) did not differ between 55% and 65% MBW groups. Puberty (49.2% vs. 58.2%), breeding season pregnancy (87.2% vs. 92.8%) and 21-day calving rates (53.8% vs. 64.1%) did differ (p < 0.05), but dystocia rate (8.4 vs. 9.2%) did not differ between F1 heifer groups. In conclusion, 55% of MBW at breeding negatively affected the reproductive performance of heifers and its offspring heifers. The recommendation is to feed heifers a balanced diet to reach 65% of MBW at breeding with consideration of production traits.
| S-EPMC8533008 | biostudies-literature
Project description:We evaluated liver transcriptome throughout gestation and early lactation of purebred and crossbred beef cows (Angus, Hereford and their F1 crossbreeds, CR), grazing high or low herbage allowances (HA) of native grasslands (4 and 2.5 kg DM/kg BW annual mean; n = 16) using an Agilent 4x44k bovine array. A total of 4,661 transcripts were affected by days (272 ≥ 2.5-fold difference, FDR ≤ 0.10) and 47 pathways were altered during winter gestation (-165 to -15 days relative to calving, d). Gluconeogenesis and fatty acid oxidation pathways were substantially upregulated, while cell growth, DNA replication and transcription pathways were downregulated (FDR ≤ 0.25). We observed only small changes in the liver transcriptome during the early lactation period (+15 to +60 d). A total of 225 genes were differentially expressed (47 ≥ 2-fold difference, FDR ≤ 0.10) between HA. The majority of those were related to glucose and pyruvate metabolism and were upregulated in high HA, reflecting their better metabolic status. Two genes were upregulated in CR cows, but 148 transcripts (74 ≥ 2-fold change difference, FDR ≤ 0.10) were affected by the HA and cow genotype interaction. The transcriptional changes observed indicates a complex and previously unrecognized adaptive program in beef cow liver. We report novel candidate genes, metabolic pathways, and regulatory mechanisms, which can be used as targets of future studies.
2014-03-07 | GSE52085 | GEO
Project description:We evaluated liver transcriptome throughout gestation and early lactation of purebred and crossbred beef cows (Angus, Hereford and their F1 crossbreeds, CR), grazing high or low herbage allowances (HA) of native grasslands (4 and 2.5 kg DM/kg BW annual mean; n = 16) using an Agilent 4x44k bovine array. A total of 4,661 transcripts were affected by days (272 M-bM-^IM-% 2.5-fold difference, FDR M-bM-^IM-$ 0.10) and 47 pathways were altered during winter gestation (-165 to -15 days relative to calving, d). Gluconeogenesis and fatty acid oxidation pathways were substantially upregulated, while cell growth, DNA replication and transcription pathways were downregulated (FDR M-bM-^IM-$ 0.25). We observed only small changes in the liver transcriptome during the early lactation period (+15 to +60 d). A total of 225 genes were differentially expressed (47 M-bM-^IM-% 2-fold difference, FDR M-bM-^IM-$ 0.10) between HA. The majority of those were related to glucose and pyruvate metabolism and were upregulated in high HA, reflecting their better metabolic status. Two genes were upregulated in CR cows, but 148 transcripts (74 M-bM-^IM-% 2-fold change difference, FDR M-bM-^IM-$ 0.10) were affected by the HA and cow genotype interaction. The transcriptional changes observed indicates a complex and previously unrecognized adaptive program in beef cow liver. We report novel candidate genes, metabolic pathways, and regulatory mechanisms, which can be used as targets of future studies. Complete randomized block design with two spatial replications and a factorial arrangement of herbage allowance (HA) and cow genotype (CG). Herbage allowance treatments represented 4 and 2.5 kg DM/kg BW of annual mean (HI and LO, respectively). Four purebred (PU M-bM-^@M-^S Hereford, H and Angus, A) and four crossbred (CR - F1, HA and AH) multiparous pregnant cows (5 to 6 year-old), were evaluated per treatment (HI-CR, HI-PU, LO-CR, and LO-PU) throughout the gestation and lactation period (-165 to +60 days relative to parturition, days). Cows belonged to or were descendants of experimental animals generated as part of a diallel crossbreeding experiment carried out for 10 years at the Experimental Station and were assigned to the same forage allowance (HI or LO) since May 2007 and gestated and lactated one calf every year from 2007 to 2009.
2014-03-07 | E-GEOD-52085 | biostudies-arrayexpress
Project description:Climate change during the last 40 years has had a serious impact on agriculture and threatens global food and nutritional security. From over half a million plant species, cereals and legumes are the most important for food and nutritional security. Although systematic plant breeding has a relatively short history, conventional breeding coupled with advances in technology and crop management strategies has increased crop yields by 56 % globally between 1965-85, referred to as the Green Revolution. Nevertheless, increased demand for food, feed, fiber, and fuel necessitates the need to break existing yield barriers in many crop plants. In the first decade of the 21st century we witnessed rapid discovery, transformative technological development and declining costs of genomics technologies. In the second decade, the field turned towards making sense of the vast amount of genomic information and subsequently moved towards accurately predicting gene-to-phenotype associations and tailoring plants for climate resilience and global food security. In this review we focus on genomic resources, genome and germplasm sequencing, sequencing-based trait mapping, and genomics-assisted breeding approaches aimed at developing biotic stress resistant, abiotic stress tolerant and high nutrition varieties in six major cereals (rice, maize, wheat, barley, sorghum and pearl millet), and six major legumes (soybean, groundnut, cowpea, common bean, chickpea and pigeonpea). We further provide a perspective and way forward to use genomic breeding approaches including marker-assisted selection, marker-assisted backcrossing, haplotype based breeding and genomic prediction approaches coupled with machine learning and artificial intelligence, to speed breeding approaches. The overall goal is to accelerate genetic gains and deliver climate resilient and high nutrition crop varieties for sustainable agriculture.
| S-EPMC7903322 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Genomic selection (GS) plays an essential role in livestock genetic improvement programs. In dairy cattle, the method is already a recognized tool to estimate the breeding values of young animals and reduce generation intervals. Due to the different breeding structures of beef cattle, the implementation of GS is still a challenge and has been adopted to a much lesser extent than dairy cattle. This study aimed to evaluate genotyping strategies in terms of prediction accuracy as the first step in the implementation of GS in beef while some restrictions were assumed for the availability of phenotypic and genomic information. For this purpose, a multi-breed population of beef cattle was simulated by imitating the practical system of beef cattle genetic evaluation. Four genotyping scenarios were compared to traditional pedigree-based evaluation. Results showed an improvement in prediction accuracy, albeit a limited number of animals being genotyped (i.e., 3% of total animals in genetic evaluation). The comparison of genotyping scenarios revealed that selective genotyping should be on animals from both ancestral and younger generations. In addition, as genetic evaluation in practice covers traits that are expressed in either sex, it is recommended that genotyping covers animals from both sexes.
| S-EPMC10064214 | biostudies-literature