Grass and Forage Science最新文献

Ornithopus sativus Brot. (French serradella) is a forage legume that is well adapted to acidic coarse textured soils (sands) which are characterized by poor nutrition and an inability to retain water. During the process of domestication of O. sativus, there was an unintentional loss of seed physical dormancy (PY) thus compromising its self-regeneration after a cropping interval. Through mass screening of seed, we identified for the first time that heritable sources of PY exist in three populations of O. sativus. This rare genetic material was then incorporated into suitable genetic backgrounds of differing maturity through targeted hybridization. We demonstrated that the heritability of PY was dominant in the population of 97ZAF5sat but inconsistently recessive in the population of cv. Emena. Flowering time was variable in each source population, with a large variation in time to emergence of first flowers (95–175 days). Selection for early flowering maturity was heritable and stable. F₆ generations selected for PY in different maturity classes were then evaluated in situ to establish whether PY would allow a proportion of seeds to survive in the soil through consecutive seasons exposed to a Mediterranean climate. The breeding lines FHS3, 7 and 23 remained dormant, thus viable, in the soil for up to 3 years, indicating the likelihood that O. sativus with PY could survive and persist in a ley farming system. The de-domestication program in O. sativus has resulted in commercially successful cultivars (most recently cv. Fran₂o) suited to sustainable dryland agriculture in a Mediterranean climate.

Arachis pintoi, commonly known as pinto or forage peanut, is used mainly in consortia with grass pastures and as cover plant. In addition to increasing the productivity of livestock and plantations, it contributes to the mitigation of environmental impacts (reduction of greenhouse gas emissions) and soil improvement (nitrogen fixation, reduction of fertilizers use), as well as to pests and disease management. Several cultivars that are tolerant to specific climates and soil conditions are suitable to be used as ground covers in agroforestry and silvopastoral systems, orchards, and plantations. Biotechnological and phytochemical investigations revealed the potential of pinto peanut as a sustainable source of resveratrol and other stilbenoids. Extracts from plants grown under natural conditions and from materials obtained in vitro displayed allelopathic, anthelmintic, or antioxidant activities. Other studies revealed the potential of pinto peanut for erosion control, phytoremediation, seed and essential oils production, materials for animal tissue engineering, synthesis of nanoparticles for drug delivery, and as green biorefineries to produce proteins, biochemicals, and biomaterials.

Sustainable food systems provide food security while stewarding economic, social, and environmental bases in ways to meet future generations' needs. Sustainable food systems encompass the health of animals, people, and ecosystems. Healthy and productive ruminants can produce meat and milk products with fewer resources, and consequently, often fewer greenhouse gas emissions are produced. Ruminant livestock faces the dual challenge of being impacted by and contributing to climate change, while also experiencing increased demand for ruminant meat and milk products due to growing global population and increased incomes. This challenge presents different ways forward depending upon solutions and how one values certain aspects of sustainability, ranging from simply building upon past improvements in ruminant agriculture to dramatic reductions in ruminant livestock populations. Better understanding the concerns with ruminant's role in sustainable food systems is important, as is understanding the different viewpoints and interpretation of evidence both for and against ruminant agriculture. This review provides a brief overview of some of the key issues related to the role ruminant animals play in sustainable food systems, including greenhouse gas emissions, feed-food competition and land use, and human nutrition. The review also highlights how improved animal health outcomes can enhance ruminants' role in sustainable food systems. Ultimately, ruminants make unique contributions to human flourishing via providing nutrition, livelihoods, and ecosystem services from forage resources and grassland landscapes. However, the status quo is unlikely to meet the challenges of the coming decades, thus investing in research and development into sustainable ruminant systems is required.

Grazing management and nitrogen fertilisation may affect forage accumulation (FA), nutritive value, and grazing efficiency (GE) of the highly productive ‘Zuri’ guineagrass [Megathyrsus maximus (Jacq.) B.K.Simon & S.W.L. Jacobs syn. Panicum maximum Jacq.]. The objective of this study was to assess the effects of pre-graze canopy heights [55 and 75 cm (H55 and H75, respectively)] and N fertilisation rates [150 and 300 kg N ha⁻¹ year⁻¹ (N150 and N300, respectively)] on FA, GE, grazing losses (GL), and nutritive value of Zuri under rotational stocking. The stubble height was 50% of the pre-graze canopy height. The total FA was 20% greater under H75 than H55 (22,120 vs. 18,370 kg DM ha⁻¹ year⁻¹), as well as the GL was greater under H75 (85%) than under H55 (79%). Regardless of pre-graze height, the upper stratum of the canopy was composed mostly of leaves contributing to similar crude protein (CP) (142 g kg⁻¹) and in vitro digestible organic matter (IVDOM) (559 g kg⁻¹) concentrations. Greater N rate (N300) increased FA (23,500 vs. 16,980 kg DM ha⁻¹ year⁻¹) and resulted in greater GE (84% vs. 80%) compared to N150. The CP and IVDOM concentrations under N300 (157 and 571 g kg⁻¹, respectively) were greater than under N150 (128 and 547 g kg⁻¹). Zuri guineagrass grazed at H75 has great FA and GE, maintaining a similar forage nutritive value compared to H55.

‘Gannong No. 2’ triticale (×Triticosecale Wittmack) is a cold-resistant annual forage crop variety, which can be planted as artificial pasture to solve the problem of forage shortage in the Gannan alpine grazing area of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. However, the optimal nitrogen fertilization rate and seeding density for obtaining high yield and quality forage are still unknown. In this study, the effects of nitrogen fertilization rate and seeding density on the forage yield and quality of autumn-sown ‘Gannong No. 2’ triticale were studied. We used a split-plot design, with five nitrogen fertilization rates assigned to the main plots, namely 0 (A1), 120 (A2), 240 (A3), 360 (A4), and 480 kg N ha⁻¹ (A5), and five seeding densities assigned to subplots: 506 × 10⁴ (B1), 675 × 10⁴ (B2), 843 × 10⁴ (B3), 1011 × 10⁴ (B4), and 1180 × 10⁴ seeds ha⁻¹ (B5). Significant differences in lodging rate, tiller number, hay yield, crude protein content, neutral detergent fibre, and relative feed value were observed at different fertilization levels. Significant differences were found in lodging rate, plant height, tiller number, hay yield, contents of neutral detergent fibre and acid detergent fibre, dry matter digestibility, and relative feed value among the seeding density treatments. The interaction of nitrogen fertilization rate and seeding density significantly affected forage yield and quality, with the A3B3 treatment having the highest comprehensive evaluation value. In alpine grazing areas of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, 240 kg N ha⁻¹ and 843 × 10⁴ seeds ha⁻¹ should therefore be used for autumn-sown triticale.

Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are commonly used as silage inoculants. Manganese sulphate (MnSO₄) has been proposed to protect certain LAB during oxygen exposure and improve silage aerobic stability (ASTA). The aim of the present study was to assess the efficacy of inoculants in preservation of different forages. A short-term screening trial investigated the effect of 24 additive treatments, compared to a negative control, on ensiling perennial grass in mini-silos (2.75 L) for 7 d. The additive treatments comprised different ratios of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum [IMI 507026, IMI 507027, and IMI 507028] and Pediococcus pentacaceus [IMI 507024 and IMI 507025], with or without MnSO₄. Target parameters, such as low levels of fresh matter loss, pH, acetic acid, ammonia-nitrogen fraction (NH₃–N/Total N), and high levels of lactic acid and ASTA, were considered for treatment selection. Eight treatments were selected based on a principal component analysis and hierarchical clustering of the target parameters. These selected treatments subsequently underwent a 100 d long-term trial using lucerne, perennial grass, and perennial grass-white clover forages. All silages treated with the eight additives exhibited an improved homolactic fermentation and a lower (p < .001) pH, acetic acid, and ethanol content than the control. Although DM losses and ASTA markedly improved in the treatments containing MnSO₄ in the short-term trial, these effects were not observed in the long-term trial. These outcomes suggest that the selected additives can improve silage fermentation quality across a broad range of forages, but further studies are required to assess the impact of MnSO₄ on ASTA.

The ongoing simplification of agricultural production systems has resulted in several negative consequences, ranging from losses in soil organic carbon and biodiversity to a high dependency on external inputs to maintain high yields. We identify how grassland leys in crop rotations may help to mitigate these effects, by conserving soil organic carbon and enhancing nutrient efficiency. In particular, grasslands containing legumes enhance these benefits by providing nitrogen, and displacement of mineral N fertilizer. In crop rotations, these grasslands may transfer some of the acquired nitrogen to arable follow-on crops, thereby reducing the necessity for external inputs, while at the same time providing additional benefits, such as improvement of soil quality and reduction of weed pressure. However, there are still considerable knowledge gaps about how to optimize the community composition of grassland leys to best enhance the supply of these ecosystem services. Although the benefits of multi-species grasslands for the grassland crop have been shown repeatedly and across a large gradient of environments, further research is required to determine the benefits for follow-on crops, particularly across different environmental conditions. Here, we emphasize the importance of multi-site research, such as in the research network LegacyNet. Finally, we present management techniques that are optimized for both ecosystem services and agronomic performance in mechanically cut and grazed systems. For the latter, we consider how the inclusion of bioactive plant species can enhance animal health and lower methane emissions in grazing ruminants.

The conservation and elimination of the growing point of Leymus chinensis (Trin.) Tzvel. are two common contrasted scenarios during grazing. However, the biomass and nutrient allocation in L. chinensis, as well as their contribution to yield under these conditions are unclear. Therefore, a simulated grazing experiment was conducted using a factorial design that combined two defoliation heights (conservation versus elimination of growing points) and four plant heights (18, 24, 31, and 35 cm) during two growing seasons (2020 and 2021), resulting in eight treatments. Additionally, the experiment also included two identical control treatments with a single mowing in mid-August. The results demonstrated that conservation treatments for the growing point increased the regeneration time of L. chinensis during the entire growing season in both years compared to elimination treatments for the growing point, due to the alteration in biomass allocation priority and C: N: P stoichiometric ratio between stems and leaves of L. chinensis, as well as root morphological traits. The growth strategy in the treatment with 17 cm defoliation height at 35 cm plant height demonstrated the optimal combination, resulting in stabling the accumulated DM yield of L. chinensis in both years. The findings emphasize the significance of comprehending the correlation between the growing point of L. chinensis and its yield, providing a pioneering approach to guide sustainable grazing practices for L. chinensis grassland.