Search Results (830)

Heat stress (HS) is a significant concern in broiler chickens, which is vital for global meat supply in the dynamic field of poultry farming. The impact of heat stress on the ileum and its influence on the redox homeostatic genes in chickens remains unclear. We hypothesized that adding zinc to the feed of heat-stressed broilers would improve their resilience to heat stress. However, this study aimed to explore the effects of organic zinc supplementation under HS conditions on broiler chickens’ intestinal histology and regulation of HS index genes. In this study, 512 Xueshan chickens were divided into four groups: vehicle, HS, 60 mg/kg zinc, and HS + 60 mg/kg zinc groups. Findings revealed that zinc supply positively increased the VH and VH: CD in the ileum of the broilers compared to the HS group, while CD and VW decreased in Zn and HS+Zn supplemented broilers. Zn administration significantly increased superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione (GSH), and decreased the enzymatic activities of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and malondialdehyde (MDA) compared to the HS group. In addition, Zn administration significantly increased relative ATP, complex I, III, and V enzyme activity compared to the HS group. Furthermore, the expression of acyl-CoA synthetase long-chain family member 4 (ACSL4), lactate transporter 3 (LPCAT3), peroxiredoxin (PRX), and transferrin receptor (TFRC) in the protein levels was extremely downregulated in HS+Zn compared to the HS group. Zn supply significantly decreased the enrichment of RORγ, P300, and SRC1 at target loci of ACSL4, LPCAT3, and PRX compared to the HS group. The occupancies of histone active marks H3K9ac, H3K18ac, H3K27ac, H3K4me1, and H3K18bhb at the locus of ACSL4 and LPCAT3 were significantly decreased in HS+Zn compared to the HS group. Moreover, H3K9la and H3K18la at the locus of ACSL4 and LPCAT3 were significantly decreased in HS+Zn compared to the HS group. This study emphasizes that organic Zn is a potential strategy for modulating the oxidative genes ACSL4, LPCAT3, PRX, and TFRC in the ileum of chickens via nuclear receptor RORγ regulation and histone modifications. Full article

In recent years, the integration of Internet of Things technologies in smart agriculture has become critical for sustainability and efficiency, to the extent that recent improvements have transformed greenhouse farming. This study investigated the complexity of IoT architecture in smart greenhouses by introducing a greenhouse language family (GreenH) that comprises three domain-specific languages designed to address various tasks in this domain. The purpose of this research was to streamline the creation, simulation, and monitoring of digital twins, an essential tool for optimizing greenhouse operations. A three-stage methodology was employed to develop the GreenH DSLs, a detailed metamodel for enhanced smart monitoring systems. Our approach used high-level metamodels and extended Backus–Naur form notation to define the DSL syntax and semantics. Through a comprehensive evaluation strategy and a selected language usability metrics, the expressiveness, consistency, readability, correctness, and scalability of the DSL were affirmed, and areas for usability improvement were highlighted. The findings suggest that GreenH languages hold significant potential for advancing digital twin modeling in smart agriculture. Future work should be aimed at refining usability and extending its application range. The anticipated integration with additional model-drive engineering and code generation tools will improve interoperability and contribute to digital transformation in the smart greenhouse domain and promote more sustainable food production systems. Full article

This study explores how an inclusive governance of “niche” innovations with family farmers enables or limits the realization of just transitions in family farming at different scales, from the local to the national levels. The research focuses on a case study in the Brunca region of Costa Rica, which has pioneered innovations for bean research with family farmers. The primary source of information for the study was in-depth interviews with relevant stakeholders. Secondary information comes from a desk review of the relevant policies and strategic documents from the relevant authorities. Lastly, a semi-scoping review was conducted to explore gender and intergenerational gaps in plant breeding, as well as potential conflicts between plant breeding and on-farm agro-diversity. The inclusive governance of bean research contributes to the realization of just-transition dimensions of justice, such as recognitional, procedural, and distributional justice, as a result of farmers’ engagement in participatory plant-breeding processes, and due to the coordination between different institutions at the local and national levels. Progress has been made in terms of the recognition and participation of farmers in research and in decision-making locally. The findings show interactions between the local and national scales, in terms of the commercialization of farmers’ seeds. However, the Costa Rican program for bean research struggles to engage family farmers in national decision-making processes and falls short of addressing equality and intergenerational issues. It also faces challenges in reaching a balance between short-term income generation and long-term conservation of agro-biodiversity on the farm. Fostering just transitions in family farming would require a greater inclusion of women and youth by the Costa Rican bean system. This implies allocating resources to increase their capacities and participation in bean research, as well as in decision-making at all levels. This is imperative and could be achieved if the government and relevant stakeholders align their strategic objectives and priorities to shorten gender and intergenerational gaps within the bean production system. Full article

This study evaluated 290 recombinant inbred lines (RILs) from the Nested Association Mapping (NAM) population in the UK, consisting of 24 hybrid families. All genotypes were grown in Southeastern Kazakhstan (Kazakh Research Institute of Agriculture and Plant Growing, Almaty region, 2021–2022) and Northern Kazakhstan (Alexandr Barayev Scientific-Production Center for Grain Farming, Akmola region, 2020). The studied traits included six yield-related characteristics: spike length (SL, cm), number of productive spikes per plant (NPS, pcs), number of kernels per spike (NKS, pcs), weight of kernels per spike (WKS, g), thousand kernel weight (TKW, g), and yield per square meter (YM2, g/m²). The significant phenotypic variability among genotypes was observed, which was suitable for the genome-wide association study of yield-related traits. Pearson’s index showed positive correlations among most yield-related traits, although a negative correlation was found between NKS and TKW in southeastern regions, and no correlation was recorded for northern regions. Top-performing RILs, surpassing local checks, were identified for NKS, TKW, and YM2, suggesting their potential for breeding programs. The application of GWAS allowed the identification of 72 quantitative trait loci (QTLs), including 36 QTLs in the southeastern region, 16 QTLs in the northern region, and 19 in both locations. Eleven QTLs matched those reported in previous QTL mapping studies and GWAS for studied traits. The results can be used for further studies related to the adaptation and productivity of wheat in breeding projects for higher grain productivity. Full article

China’s agricultural sector is transitioning from extensive management to intensive management, and land transfer brings about changes in land use and management methods, which may encourage the agricultural sector to enter a sustainable development track, but this mechanism has not been effectively proven. Using the SBM-GML index to construct a green total factor productivity index to measure the level of sustainable agricultural development in each province (or autonomous region or municipality directly under the central government) and provincial panel data from 2010 to 2022, we applied a panel interactive fixed-effects model to empirically test the impact of land transfer on sustainable agricultural development, with a focus on analyzing the heterogeneity and related mechanisms of this impact. The results indicate that (1) land transfer significantly promotes sustainable agricultural development, and this conclusion still held true after robustness tests such as controlling for regional omitted variables, replacing dependent variables, changing the sample size, IV estimation, and GMM estimation. (2) The mechanism testing found that land transfer mainly promotes sustainable agricultural development by increasing the desirable output, and has no significant effect on reducing non-point source pollution. At the same time, land transfer mainly improves the desirable output through factor allocation effects rather than scale operation effects, thereby promoting sustainable agricultural development. (3) The heterogeneity analysis found that the higher the quantile of agricultural development level is, the weaker the role of land transfer in promoting sustainable agricultural development, indicating that land transfer has a greater impact on areas with poor agricultural development foundations, and areas with poor agricultural development foundations are more likely to obtain sustainable development space through land transfer. The impact of different land transfer methods and land transfer objects on sustainable agricultural development was heterogeneous. Compared with non-market transfer methods such as exchange and transfer, market-oriented transfer methods such as leasing and equity had a more significant impact on sustainable agricultural development. Compared to transferring land to ordinary farmers, transferring land to new business entities such as family farms, professional cooperatives, and enterprises can significantly promote sustainable agricultural development. Full article

Anthropogenic pressures such as over-urbanization, intensive agriculture/forestry practices, and the development of energy farms alter natural landscapes. Intensive urban development poses the greatest threat to natural ecosystems. Habitat degradation, fragmentation, and loss are among the key factors behind the current rise of biodiversity loss. In this study, we hypothesized that urbanization advances the adaptation of forest bird populations to relatively new urban ecosystems. The study was conducted in Kaunas, Lithuania, located in Eastern Europe. Genetic samples were collected in the city, representing urban landscapes, and its surrounding forests. In total, 160 nest boxes were erected, of which 80 were placed in the urban areas and 80 in the forests. Using a set of microsatellite markers, we investigated the genetic differentiation, genetic diversity, gene flow, and population structure of two common forest bird species of the Paridae family, the great tit (Parus major) and blue tit (Cyanistes caeruleus), in forests and urbanized areas. We observed low but significant differences between urban and forest great tit and blue tit populations, proving relatively high population genetic diversity. We determined that cities’ spatial structure and fragmented natural habitats can influence the formation of small and isolated bird populations (subpopulations). Urban blue tits had higher genetic differentiation and a higher tendency to form subpopulations. In conclusion, forest birds can inhabit urbanized landscapes but both great tits and blue tits respond differently to urbanization-related changes. Full article

Despite the huge potential of aquaculture in the Amazon, several producers have abandoned the activity due to a lack of assistance, technology, and innovation. Thus, the objective of this study was to identify factors that have contributed to the withdrawal of aquaculturists from the municipality of ‘Vigia de Nazaré’, state of Pará (Northern Region of Brazil). This case study took place in 2022 through a quanti-qualitative survey, applying structured questionnaires to former aquaculturists. A total of 30 fish farms were investigated, with 11 of them being abandoned. They are distributed across 10 rural communities that have developed fish farming, with ‘Vila de Itapuá’ (18.2%) being the most representative. When active, fish farming was practiced by men (100%) aged between 51 to 60 years (54.5%) with an incomplete primary education (100%), who carried out the activity for an average of 5 years (81.8%), quitting fish farming between the years 2019 and 2020 (72.7%). All former aquaculturists owned small properties, with excavated ponds in an extensive system and used family labor. The absence of technical assistance and the high cost of feed were pointed out as the main problems in the production chain. It is worth noting that the monoculture of Tambaqui (Colossoma macropomum) accounted for 63.6% of the species produced in rural communities. In conclusion, former aquaculturists express the desire to return to fish farming due to its socio-economic importance. For this, government actions supporting technical assistance and advanced studies in fish nutrition by educational, research, and extension institutions are necessary. Full article

Ecuador is one of the world’s leading banana exporters; however, low productivity resulting from inadequate agronomic management requires an analysis of banana production units. This study aimed to define the types of banana production units based on the different agronomic management practices adopted by producers in two Ecuadorian provinces. Data from the National Institute of Statistics and Censuses (INEC) for 2021 were used, with a sample of 319 production units. Principal component and cluster analyses were applied to identify the different types of production units, resulting in four types: high technology conventional (Cluster 1), balanced conventional (Cluster 2), intensive conventional (Cluster 3), and agroecological (Cluster 4). It is important to highlight that 58% of the production units are intensive conventional and use an average of 3.5 management practices, with 98% using fertilizers, 100% using fungicides and pesticides, and 45% using improved genotypes. In contrast, agroecological production is still incipient in Ecuador (4.7%). Regression analysis showed that waste is important in high-yield production units in the three clusters. In addition, Cluster 2 relied on regional factors, family labor, and irrigation efficiency, while in intensive conventional farms (Cluster 3), banana yield was related to fungicide application. Therefore, public policies should be customized according to cluster-specific characteristics to optimize agronomic management practices and facilitate their transfer among groups. Full article

Part-time farming is a widespread phenomenon associated with the long-term global trend of urbanization, especially in China since its reform and opening-up in 1978. The shift of agricultural labor to non-agricultural sectors has significantly impacted cultivated land use activities, yet the connection between part-time farming and cultivated land use sustainability (CLS) remains understudied. Here, we construct an index system for assessing CLS that integrates ecological, economic, and social sustainability. Using survey data from seven Chinese villages across three provinces, we analyze the impact pattern and mechanism of part-time farming on CLS. We find the following: (1) The impact of part-time farming on CLS presents an inverted U-shape, peaking negatively at a 45% inflection point; (2) Spatial heterogeneity exists in the effect of part-time farming on CLS; (3) A household’s non-agricultural workforce size and the gender of the household head significantly moderate the link between part-time farming and CLS; (4) CLS strongly hinges on various factors including the household head’s health, other family members’ education levels, commercial insurance, and agricultural skills training. Our findings provide empirical insights into governing part-time farming for sustainable cultivated land use and, eventually, rural human–land system sustainability. Full article

The Macavirus genus, Gammaherpesvirinae subfamily, Herpesviridae family, contains ovine gammaherpesvirus 2 (OvGHV2), the cause of sheep-associated malignant catarrhal fever (SA-MCF). Members of the Macavirus genus associated with the development of malignant catarrhal fever (MCF) in their respective hosts share the 15A antigenic epitope, are conserved within the DNA polymerase gene and are collectively referred to as the malignant catarrhal fever virus (MCFV) complex. The ability of MCFV and/or OvGHV2 to produce abortions in ruminants is currently unknown, with little documentation of infections by these agents in bovine fetuses. This report presents the findings observed due to the detection of OvGHV2 DNA and MCFV tissue antigens in aborted bovine fetuses from southern Brazil. Four aborted bovine fetuses from three farms, located in a geographical region of Paraná State with elevated immunohistochemical (IHC) prevalence of MCFV tissue antigens, with gestational ages varying between 78 to 208 days were investigated. Significant gross and histopathological alterations were not observed in any of these fetuses. An IHC assay using the 15A-monoclonal antibody (15A-MAb), which is based on the 15A antigenic epitope of Macavirus, identified MCFV tissue antigens in multiple organs from two fetuses (#1 and #4); however, positive immunoreactivity to the 15A-MAb IHC assay was not detected in Fetus #2 and #3. Molecular testing amplified OvGHV2 DNA only from the myocardium and lungs of Fetus #1 that had positive intracytoplasmic immunoreactivity to the 15A-MAb IHC assay in these tissues. Furthermore, infections by Leptospira spp. were confirmed by molecular assays in fetuses #1, #3, and #4, while PCR detected Neospora caninum in the myocardium of Fetus #2. Additionally, molecular assays to identify well-known fetopathy agents of cattle, including bovine viral diarrhea virus, bovine alphaherpesvirus 1, Histophilus somni, and Listeria monocytogenes, did not amplify the nucleic acids of these pathogens. PCR assays to identify bovine gammaherpesvirus 6 (BoGHV6), another Macavirus known to infect cattle in Brazil, were unsuccessful. These findings confirmed that the 15A-MAb IHC assay can be efficiently used to detect MCFV antigens in organs of aborted bovine fetuses. The identification of MCFV antigens with the simultaneous detection of OvGHV2 DNA confirmed that Fetus #1 was infected by OvGHV2 and added to the few descriptions of this infection in aborted fetuses of ruminants worldwide. Moreover, the IHC detection of MCFV in multiple organs of Fetus #4, without the molecular detection of OvGHV2 or BoGHV6, may suggest that this fetus was infected by a Macavirus that was not previously diagnosed in cattle herds from Brazil. These findings strongly suggest that OvGHV2 and MCFV can produce transplacental infections in cattle. Full article

The Food Resource Equity for Sustainable Health (FRESH) study started as a tribe community-based nutrition education program in 2018, implemented with children and parents in Osage Nation. The purpose of the FRESH study is to examine the effects of a farm-to-school family intervention on diet. The FRESH study did not directly intervene on adult caregiver participants’ diet, and, as far as we know, it is the first of its kind to implement a farm-to-school intervention in rural/tribally owned Early Childhood Education. Two communities received intervention and two served as wait-list controls. Outcomes included diet and other secondary health outcomes including vitamin and mineral intake. There were 193 children (n = 106 intervention; n = 87 control) and 170 adults (n = 93 intervention; n = 77 control) enrolled. Among adult caregiver participants, carbohydrate, cholesterol, and caffeine intake significantly decreased after the intervention (p < 0.05). There is a hidden hunger issue among caregivers in Native American populations. The family-based nutritional intervention, which includes educational components for caregivers, might have some effect on improving micronutrient status. Future studies focusing on key micronutrients through efficient methods are warranted. Full article

Family Parvoviridae consists of small, non-enveloped viruses with linear, single-stranded DNA genomes of approximately 4-6 kilobases, subdivided into three subfamilies, Parvovirinae, Densovirinae, and Hamaparvovirinae, and unassigned genus Metalloincertoparvovirus. Parvoviruses of aquatic animals infect crustaceans, mollusks, and finfish. This review describes these parvoviruses, which are highly host-specific and associated with mass morbidity and mortality in both farmed and wild aquatic animals. They include Cherax quadricarinatus densovirus (CqDV) in freshwater crayfish in Queensland, Australia; sea star-associated densovirus (SSaDV) in sunflower sea star on the Northeastern Pacific Coast; Clinch densovirus 1 in freshwater mussels in the Clinch River, Virginia, and Tennessee, USA, in subfamily Densovirinae; hepatopancreatic parvovirus (HPV) and infectious hypodermal and hematopoietic necrosis virus (IHHNV) in farmed shrimp worldwide; Syngnathid ichthamaparvovirus 1 in gulf pipefish in the Gulf of Mexico and parts of South America; tilapia parvovirus (TiPV) in farmed tilapia in China, Thailand, and India, in the subfamily Hamaparvovirinae; and Penaeus monodon metallodensovirus (PmMDV) in Vietnamese P. monodon, in unassigned genus Metalloincertoparvovirus. Also included in the family Parvoviridae are novel parvoviruses detected in both diseased and healthy animals using metagenomic sequencing, such as zander parvovirus from zander in Hungary and salmon parvovirus from sockeye salmon smolts in British Columbia, Canada. Full article

This article addresses the issue of public support for the development of renewable energy and the assessment of this support from the perspective of farmers in Eastern Poland. Since it is a region characterized by a relatively high share of agriculture in the economy, a diversified structure of this sector, and at the same time, a region with a relatively high level of energy poverty, it can be considered a good example for illustrating the research problem. To achieve the goal, surveys were carried out covering 519 farms. Upon the consideration of a literature review and the research results of other authors, the collected opinions of the owners of these farms regarding the motivators encouraging them to invest in renewable energy technologies and the assessment of the role of the state in supporting energy transformation allowed for the formulation of conclusions. The research results indicate that renewable energy technologies are present in 47% of the surveyed farms, while in 36% of them, investments were financed from farmers’ own funds. This means that the possibility of obtaining support from public funds is not a necessary condition for implementing renewable energy investments. Full article

Encephalitozoon cuniculi is a microsporidian, domestic rabbits being the main host. The disease can be acute or subclinical, but treatment options are limited and usually with unrewarding results; therefore, diagnosis and prevention of encephalitozoonosis in rabbits are of the utmost importance. This study aims to obtain the first preliminary information of the prevalence of E. cuniculi in the north-western region of Romania. A total of 176 rabbits were clinically examined and 2 mL of blood was sampled from each. An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kit by Medicago (Medicago, Uppsala, Sweden) on the resulted blood serum was utilized. Statistical analysis of the results was conducted using the EpiInfo 2000 software (CDC, Atlanta, GA, USA). A total prevalence of 39.2% (69/176) was identified, with statistically significant differences in relation to the rabbits’ clinical status, age, season of sampling, breeding system, body condition score and county of origin; the different family farms tested also had a statistically significant difference. This study gives the first preliminary information on this pathogen distribution on Romania’s territory, but further studies need to be performed on larger regions to declare the prevalence in the country. Full article

Chinese family farms are continuously expanding; they are also facing various business risks that lead to a shorter lifespan. This paper constructed a family farm business risk assessment model that combined a hesitant fuzzy linguistic term sets (HFLTS) model with a hesitant fuzzy weighted average (HFWA) operator. On the basis of the factor analysis, this study built a family farm indicator system that included the natural, technical, market, policy, society, and management risk. The HFLTS was used for the assessment of weights in pairwise comparison matrices, and the HFWA operator was used as an aggregation operator to calculate the business risk score of family farms. For our case study, a method comparison analysis was also performed to check the validity of the results obtained by our risk assessment model. Full article