Explore the vast range of titles available.

All terrestrial ectotherms are constrained to some degree by their thermal environment and the extent to which they can behaviorally buffer variable thermal conditions. New biophysical modeling methods (NicheMapR) allow the calculation of the body temperature of thermoregulating animals anywhere in the world from first principles, but require detailed observational data for parameterization and testing. Here we describe the thermoregulatory biology of marching bands of the desert locust, Schistocerca gregaria, in the Sahara Desert of Mauritania where extreme heat and strong diurnal fluctuations are a major constraint on activity and physiological processes. Using a thermal infrared camera in the field, we showed that gregarious nymphs altered the microhabitats they used, as well as postural thermoregulatory behaviors, to maintain relatively high body temperature (nearly 40°C). Field and laboratory experiments demonstrated that the preferred body temperature accelerated digestive rates. Migratory bands frequently left foraging sites with full guts before consuming all vegetation and moved to another habitat before emptying their foregut. Thus, the repertoire for behavioral thermoregulation in the desert locust strongly facilitates foraging and digestion rates, which may accelerate developmental rates and increase survival.We used our data to successfully parameterize a general biophysical model of thermoregulatory behavior that could capture hourly body temperature and activity at our remote site using globally available environmental forcing data. This modeling approach provides a stronger basis for forecasting thermal constraints on locust outbreaks under current and future climates.

This book is an up to date reference work covering all aspects of macro and trace element nutrition in farm livestock. Sufficient information is given on metabolism, functions and interactions to explain why needs, feeds and imbalances are not always easy to define or anticipate. The major emphasis is on the mineral nutrition of ruminant livestock since they are most likely to be affected by imbalances but where pigs and poultry are the more vulnerable, extensive coverage of the non-ruminant is given. This new edition of a highly successful text has been thoroughly revised and significantly expanded. Many chapters have been extensively updated and several chapters on new topics introduced. Calcium, phosphorus, sodium and potassium are now treated separately. Over 40 new figures are presented, and extensive use made of tables to summarise important data. Chapters on trace elements have been drastically revised. Claims for enhanced availability for new chelated sources arecritically reviewed. Completely new chapters focus on: The unique need of the ruminant for elemental sulphur; Occasionally beneficial elements and essentially toxic elements; The improved conduct and interpretation of supplementation trials.

Les céréales (maïs fourrager compris) occupent plus de 60 % des terres arables wallonnes. Les filières céréalières, d’abord organisées pour assurer la sécurité alimentaire, se sont progressivement orientées vers d’autres débouchés. Dès maintenant, il s’agit d’inscrire la filière céréalière wallonne dans le contexte de nouveaux défis globaux : concilier la compétitivité et la durabilité des productions végétales et animales, répondre aux attentes sociétales et aux besoins en biomasse à finalité énergétique ou à l’élaboration de produits agro-sourcés. Dans ce contexte, cette recherche est le point de départ d’une thématique de recherche plus vaste, l’évaluation des performances environnementales et socio-économiques de différents scénarios d’évolution possible des valorisations alimentaires et non alimentaires des céréales wallonnes. Le présent article dresse un état des lieux des cultures céréalières wallonnes et de leurs débouchés en 2010. Les différents maillons de la chaine de production céréalière y sont analysés : production, collecte, négoce et transformation. Quatre grands types d’utilisation définissent le secteur de la transformation des céréales. Ceux-ci sont regroupés sous l’appellation « 4F » pour Food (valorisation en alimentation humaine), Feed (valorisation en alimentation animale), Fuel (valorisation énergétique) et Fiber (valorisation « matière »). Grâce à la collecte de données auprès des acteurs de la filière en Wallonie, des estimations de flux de matières pour les quatre finalités ont été réalisées permettant ainsi d’établir une photographie qualitative et quantitative des ressources céréalières wallonnes. Cette approche est un préalable indispensable à l’élaboration de scénarios de valorisation des céréales wallonnes à l’horizon 2030, qui seront présentés dans un second article. Survey on cereal resources in Wallonia according to their different uses. More than 60% of the arable cropped area in Wallonia is dedicated to cereals. Cereal chains were initially aimed at ensuring food security but are now progressively oriented towards new non-food uses. Walloon cereal chains are now having to face up to new global challenges: to ensure the competitiveness and sustainability of vegetal and animal chains, to match society’s expectations and to meet the biomass needs for energy uses and bio-based products. Within this framework, this research aims to evaluate the environmental and socio-economic sustainability of future scenarios of current and potential food and non-food uses for Walloon cereals. This paper, the first in a series of two, presents the current picture of Walloon cereal crops and their uses. Various steps are analyzed: production, collection, wholesale and processing. Four main uses characterize cereal processing: the so-called “4Fs”, representing Food (human food uses), Feed (animal feed uses), Fuel (energy uses) and Fiber (material uses). Data collected from stakeholders in the Walloon cereal chain enabled us to assess cereal flows for the “4Fs”, drawing a qualitative and a quantitative picture of Walloon cereal resources including the key elements of the cereal chains. This approach serves as a basis for a prospective exercise, described in a companion paper, which develops potential uses for Walloon cereal resources at the 2030 horizon.

The study was conducted to evaluate the effect of Zn and Mn source (inorganic vs. organic) in the diet for hens on laying performance, eggshell and bones quality. The experiment was carried out on 84 Hy Line Brown hens, from 25 to 70 weeks of age, allocated to seven experimental groups, each containing 12 hens individually caged on wire-mesh floor. All layers were fed the same basal diet with 52 mg Zn/kg and 30 mg Mn/kg. Experimental diets were supplemented with 30 mg Zn/kg and 50 mg Mn/kg and inorganic forms of Zn (ZnO) and Mn (MnO) were gradually replaced (in 0, 50 or 100%) with their organic sources (amino acid complexes). Egg production, egg weight, feed intake and feed efficiency were not affected by dietary treatments. Substitution of Zn and Mn oxides with amino acid complexes of microelements had no effect on physical and geometrical characteristics of tibia, ash content in tibia and in toes, eggshell percent, eggshell thickness and eggshell density, but improved (P less than 0.05) the eggshell breaking strength in the late phase of the laying cycle (at 62 and 70 weeks of age). Our results indicate that feeding Zn and Mn organic complexes could alleviate the negative effect of hen age on eggshell breaking strength.

A balanced diet for bovines: strategies to improve the efficiency of nitrogen use. The main aim of this paper was to present some feeding recommendations, which, when applied on the farm, would increase nitrogen use by bovines and to give information as to how the effects of the nitrogen produced can be reduced. Ruminants have the ability to digest structural carbohydrates and to produce meat and milk proteins for human consumption. At the animal cells level, amino acids are essential for biological functions, mainly involving their maintenance and production. These amino acids are supplied by the intestinal digestion of microbial protein and feed protein that escapes microbial degradation in the rumen. Today, the efficiency of nitrogen utilization is typically low and highly variable in ruminants. Nitrogen excretion by ruminants mainly depends on the level of nitrogen intake and of the animal's productivity. Optimal N utilization may be achieved through an understanding of the key mechanisms involved in the control of N digestion and metabolism. These include the efficiency of N capture in the rumen and the protein degradation according to the type of diet and forage, the control of the rumen microorganisms involved in protein degradation and the proper formulation of the diet, avoiding feeding excess protein in relation to requirements. The dependence on energy supply in transferring feed nitrogen into milk and meat protein is strong both at the rumen and the cell levels of ruminants. The rumen metabolism is identified as the single most important factor contributing to the low level of efficient use of nitrogen in ruminants and partially depends on practical farming operations. [PUBLICATION ABSTRACT]

In 2013, more than 308 million tons of cereals were produced within the European Union, of which about 60 million tons were grown as barley. The protein content of barley is rather low when compared to protein feedstuffs such as soybean meal. However, due to its high dietary inclusion level, up to half of the protein requirement of pigs can be met by barley.

Mineral nutrition of livestock is an area of significant importance due to its contribution to farm animal economics and health. With a focus on macromineral utilization in farm animals, this book brings together quantitative aspects of phosphorus and calcium metabolism in farm animals in chapters written by leading researchers worldwide. It covers isotope dilution technique, phosphorus and calcium utilization in ruminants (sheep, goats and cattle) and non-ruminants (swine, horses) and recommended value of phosphorus and calcium inclusion in feed. It is an essential resource for researchers and students in animal sciences and nutrition.

There are tremendous benefits to feeding ruminants nitrogen and phosphorus supplements, in terms of milk production and productivity. However what goes in, must also come out. Nitrogen and phosphorus excretions from dairy cattle are a major environmental pollutant. This book describes the latest knowledge in nitrogen and phosphorus nutrition of cattle including requirements, ruminal and total tract metabolism, possibilities of increasing the efficiency of nitrogen utilization and reducing nitrogen and phosphorus excretions from dairy and beef operations. It also includes aspects of the effects of dietary nitrogen and phosphorus on the reproductive efficiency of cattle.