Pub Date : 2021-11-17DOI: 10.15212/ijafr-2020-0133
M. Brennan, T. Hennessy, E. Dillon
In line with growing consumer interest in sustainable food production, a number of farm-level sustainability indicator studies have been published in recent years. Despite the importance of animal welfare, many such frameworks fail to adequately take account of it, mostly due to difficulties in accessing suitable data. This paper demonstrates that it is possible to develop indicators of animal welfare that can be embedded within a wider sustainability framework using a representative farm-level dataset such as the European Union (EU) Farm Accountancy Data Network (FADN) for Ireland, the Teagasc National Farm Survey. The paper presents a set of sustainability indicators for dairy farms in Ireland for the 2014–2017 period and examines the impact of policy reform on sustainability performance. Headline results show that welfare standards on dairy farms in Ireland have remained stable over the period despite the considerable intensification of the dairy sector following EU milk quota removal. Furthermore, dairy farms that have expanded herd size significantly have improved welfare standards more than farms that have not increased production. An analysis of synergies and trade-offs between the various aspects of sustainability reveals that positive correlations exist between welfare standards and economic and environmental performance. The analysis facilitates the identification of win-win farm-level strategies that can be adopted to improve economic, environmental and animal welfare outcomes. The framework developed here presents opportunities for evaluating policy impacts at the farm level on various aspects of sustainability. The use of the FADN demonstrates the capacity to extend such an approach across the EU.
{"title":"Embedding animal welfare in sustainability assessment: an indicator approach","authors":"M. Brennan, T. Hennessy, E. Dillon","doi":"10.15212/ijafr-2020-0133","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.15212/ijafr-2020-0133","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000In line with growing consumer interest in sustainable food production, a number of farm-level sustainability indicator studies have been published in recent years. Despite the importance of animal welfare, many such frameworks fail to adequately take account of it, mostly due to difficulties in accessing suitable data. This paper demonstrates that it is possible to develop indicators of animal welfare that can be embedded within a wider sustainability framework using a representative farm-level dataset such as the European Union (EU) Farm Accountancy Data Network (FADN) for Ireland, the Teagasc National Farm Survey. The paper presents a set of sustainability indicators for dairy farms in Ireland for the 2014–2017 period and examines the impact of policy reform on sustainability performance. Headline results show that welfare standards on dairy farms in Ireland have remained stable over the period despite the considerable intensification of the dairy sector following EU milk quota removal. Furthermore, dairy farms that have expanded herd size significantly have improved welfare standards more than farms that have not increased production. An analysis of synergies and trade-offs between the various aspects of sustainability reveals that positive correlations exist between welfare standards and economic and environmental performance. The analysis facilitates the identification of win-win farm-level strategies that can be adopted to improve economic, environmental and animal welfare outcomes. The framework developed here presents opportunities for evaluating policy impacts at the farm level on various aspects of sustainability. The use of the FADN demonstrates the capacity to extend such an approach across the EU.","PeriodicalId":14659,"journal":{"name":"Irish Journal of Agricultural and Food Research","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2021-11-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"44468059","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2021-11-17DOI: 10.15212/ijafr-2020-0134
M. McCormack, C. Buckley, E. Kelly
The agricultural sector will play a key role in reaching the goals set out in the Water Framework Directive 2000/60/EC, and so understanding farmer behaviour in relation to farm management best practice is important. In this paper, we investigate if the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) can predict farmer adoption of an online nutrient management plan (NMP). A NMP has the potential to reduce the risk of nutrient transfer from agricultural land, without negatively affecting farm-level profitability. The TAM identifies two psychological constructs, perceived usefulness (PU) and perceived ease of use (PEOU), which are believed to be key factors in technology adoption. The data were collected through a survey from 358 farms by a team of professional data recorders in 2015. Results indicate that PU and PEOU of a NMP are positively and significantly related to a farmer’s intention to adopt and use the technology in the future. However, PU, which captures the perceived benefits in terms of usefulness, is the main driver of technology adoption. Results show that those farmers who adopt and use the technology are more likely to have larger farms and are full-time farmers. They use agricultural extension services and the farm is also more likely to be the main contributor to overall household income. The research recommends that the usefulness of a NMP, in terms of increased profitability, improving nutrient management practices, labour and time-saving advantages, should be highlighted and clearly communicated to farmers.
{"title":"Using a Technology Acceptance Model to investigate what factors influence farmer adoption of a nutrient management plan","authors":"M. McCormack, C. Buckley, E. Kelly","doi":"10.15212/ijafr-2020-0134","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.15212/ijafr-2020-0134","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000The agricultural sector will play a key role in reaching the goals set out in the Water Framework Directive 2000/60/EC, and so understanding farmer behaviour in relation to farm management best practice is important. In this paper, we investigate if the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) can predict farmer adoption of an online nutrient management plan (NMP). A NMP has the potential to reduce the risk of nutrient transfer from agricultural land, without negatively affecting farm-level profitability. The TAM identifies two psychological constructs, perceived usefulness (PU) and perceived ease of use (PEOU), which are believed to be key factors in technology adoption. The data were collected through a survey from 358 farms by a team of professional data recorders in 2015. Results indicate that PU and PEOU of a NMP are positively and significantly related to a farmer’s intention to adopt and use the technology in the future. However, PU, which captures the perceived benefits in terms of usefulness, is the main driver of technology adoption. Results show that those farmers who adopt and use the technology are more likely to have larger farms and are full-time farmers. They use agricultural extension services and the farm is also more likely to be the main contributor to overall household income. The research recommends that the usefulness of a NMP, in terms of increased profitability, improving nutrient management practices, labour and time-saving advantages, should be highlighted and clearly communicated to farmers.","PeriodicalId":14659,"journal":{"name":"Irish Journal of Agricultural and Food Research","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2021-11-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"48816399","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2021-11-16DOI: 10.15212/ijafr-2018-0030
C. Guy, T. Gilliland, D. Hennessy, F. Coughlan, B. McCarthy
White clover (Trifolium repens L.) is at a disadvantage to perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.; PRG) due to its limited cold tolerance and low growth rates at colder temperatures, which can affect subsequent spring herbage dry matter (DM) availability. The effect of PRG ploidy on white clover morphology and growth over winter, and its subsequent recovery in spring and the following growing season, is poorly understood. The objective of this study was to compare the effect of white clover inclusion and PRG ploidy on sward structure, plant morphology and growth of PRG–white clover swards over winter. Four swards (diploid PRG only, tetraploid PRG only, diploid PRG–white clover and tetraploid PRG–white clover) were evaluated over a full winter period (November–February) at a farmlet scale. The PRG ploidy had no effect on herbage DM production, white clover content or tissue turnover (P > 0.05) over winter. However, white clover inclusion caused a significant decrease in herbage DM production (P < 0.001; −254 kg DM/ha) and tiller density (P < 0.001; −1,953 tillers/m2) over winter. Stolon mass was not affected by PRG ploidy (P > 0.05); however, stolon length and number of leaves per stolon were affected by PRG ploidy (P < 0.05). Including white clover in PRG swards can alter winter sward dynamics, potentially causing difficulties in subsequent spring management and performance due to the reduced over-winter growth rate when compared with PRG.
{"title":"Changes in sward structure, plant morphology and growth of perennial ryegrass–white clover swards over winter","authors":"C. Guy, T. Gilliland, D. Hennessy, F. Coughlan, B. McCarthy","doi":"10.15212/ijafr-2018-0030","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.15212/ijafr-2018-0030","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000White clover (Trifolium repens L.) is at a disadvantage to perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.; PRG) due to its limited cold tolerance and low growth rates at colder temperatures, which can affect subsequent spring herbage dry matter (DM) availability. The effect of PRG ploidy on white clover morphology and growth over winter, and its subsequent recovery in spring and the following growing season, is poorly understood. The objective of this study was to compare the effect of white clover inclusion and PRG ploidy on sward structure, plant morphology and growth of PRG–white clover swards over winter. Four swards (diploid PRG only, tetraploid PRG only, diploid PRG–white clover and tetraploid PRG–white clover) were evaluated over a full winter period (November–February) at a farmlet scale. The PRG ploidy had no effect on herbage DM production, white clover content or tissue turnover (P > 0.05) over winter. However, white clover inclusion caused a significant decrease in herbage DM production (P < 0.001; −254 kg DM/ha) and tiller density (P < 0.001; −1,953 tillers/m2) over winter. Stolon mass was not affected by PRG ploidy (P > 0.05); however, stolon length and number of leaves per stolon were affected by PRG ploidy (P < 0.05). Including white clover in PRG swards can alter winter sward dynamics, potentially causing difficulties in subsequent spring management and performance due to the reduced over-winter growth rate when compared with PRG.","PeriodicalId":14659,"journal":{"name":"Irish Journal of Agricultural and Food Research","volume":"1 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2021-11-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"42158771","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2021-06-04DOI: 10.15212/IJAFR-2020-0128
A. Dasselaar, T. Becker, A. B. Fernández, G. Peratoner
Grassland-based dairy production provides multiple benefits to farmers and to the wider society, but the European grassland area has been significantly reduced during the last decades. This paper aims to explore societal and economic options to support grassland-based dairy production in Europe. In the recent past, several societal initiatives have emerged to stimulate grassland-based dairy production: treaties, premiums and market concepts. When developing stimulating initiatives, the mindset of the farmer should be taken into account. Farmers are key actors when it comes to maintaining and improving grassland-based dairy production systems since they decide on the day-to-day management of the farm. To maintain grassland-based dairy production and to preserve the associated ecosystem services, it is, therefore, necessary to clearly show the importance of this production system for society to the farmers (show the customer perspective) and to support this by valuing the products from these systems accordingly. “New” business models should financially reward farmers for their added value contributions in delivering ecosystem services.
{"title":"Societal and economic options to support grassland-based dairy production in Europe","authors":"A. Dasselaar, T. Becker, A. B. Fernández, G. Peratoner","doi":"10.15212/IJAFR-2020-0128","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.15212/IJAFR-2020-0128","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000Grassland-based dairy production provides multiple benefits to farmers and to the wider society, but the European grassland area has been significantly reduced during the last decades. This paper aims to explore societal and economic options to support grassland-based dairy production in Europe. In the recent past, several societal initiatives have emerged to stimulate grassland-based dairy production: treaties, premiums and market concepts. When developing stimulating initiatives, the mindset of the farmer should be taken into account. Farmers are key actors when it comes to maintaining and improving grassland-based dairy production systems since they decide on the day-to-day management of the farm. To maintain grassland-based dairy production and to preserve the associated ecosystem services, it is, therefore, necessary to clearly show the importance of this production system for society to the farmers (show the customer perspective) and to support this by valuing the products from these systems accordingly. “New” business models should financially reward farmers for their added value contributions in delivering ecosystem services.","PeriodicalId":14659,"journal":{"name":"Irish Journal of Agricultural and Food Research","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2021-06-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"49236322","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2021-06-04DOI: 10.15212/IJAFR-2020-0130
S. Fitzpatrick, M. Garvey, J. Flynn, B. O'Brien, D. Gleeson
Evaluation of teat disinfectant products for their effectiveness against the most prevalent mastitis-causing bacteria is important to identify the most effective ingredients against specific bacterial strains. Ninety-six commercially available teat disinfectant products were tested against three bacterial strains associated with mastitis in Ireland (Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus uberis and Escherichia coli) using the disc diffusion method. Products were reclassified by active ingredients (n = 9) for analysis. These ingredient groups included: chlorhexidine (n = 25), chlorine dioxide (n = 5), diamine (n = 1), iodine (n = 13), iodine combined with lactic acid (n = 5), lactic acid (n = 15), lactic acid combined with chlorhexidine (n = 21), lactic acid combined with hydrogen peroxide (n = 1) and lactic acid combined with salicylic acid (n = 10). The ingredient group chlorine dioxide resulted in the greatest zones of inhibition for all three bacterial strains. An individual product containing a combination of lactic acid and hydrogen peroxide resulted in the greatest zone of inhibition for Sta. aureus and Str. uberis, whereas a specific product within the chlorine dioxide group resulted in the greatest zones of inhibition for E. coli. High concentrations of active ingredient did not necessarily increase the effectiveness for the majority of teat disinfectant products. It is possible to use the disc diffusion method to evaluate/screen a large number of teat disinfectant products prior to conducting field trials to establish the products’ ability to reduce intramammary infections (IMI).
{"title":"Evaluating the effectiveness of commercial teat disinfectant products sold in Ireland using the disc diffusion method","authors":"S. Fitzpatrick, M. Garvey, J. Flynn, B. O'Brien, D. Gleeson","doi":"10.15212/IJAFR-2020-0130","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.15212/IJAFR-2020-0130","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000Evaluation of teat disinfectant products for their effectiveness against the most prevalent mastitis-causing bacteria is important to identify the most effective ingredients against specific bacterial strains. Ninety-six commercially available teat disinfectant products were tested against three bacterial strains associated with mastitis in Ireland (Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus uberis and Escherichia coli) using the disc diffusion method. Products were reclassified by active ingredients (n = 9) for analysis. These ingredient groups included: chlorhexidine (n = 25), chlorine dioxide (n = 5), diamine (n = 1), iodine (n = 13), iodine combined with lactic acid (n = 5), lactic acid (n = 15), lactic acid combined with chlorhexidine (n = 21), lactic acid combined with hydrogen peroxide (n = 1) and lactic acid combined with salicylic acid (n = 10). The ingredient group chlorine dioxide resulted in the greatest zones of inhibition for all three bacterial strains. An individual product containing a combination of lactic acid and hydrogen peroxide resulted in the greatest zone of inhibition for Sta. aureus and Str. uberis, whereas a specific product within the chlorine dioxide group resulted in the greatest zones of inhibition for E. coli. High concentrations of active ingredient did not necessarily increase the effectiveness for the majority of teat disinfectant products. It is possible to use the disc diffusion method to evaluate/screen a large number of teat disinfectant products prior to conducting field trials to establish the products’ ability to reduce intramammary infections (IMI).","PeriodicalId":14659,"journal":{"name":"Irish Journal of Agricultural and Food Research","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2021-06-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"47104542","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2021-06-03DOI: 10.15212/IJAFR-2020-0127
R. Byrne, A. Bhaskar, J. Spink, R. Freckleton, P. Neve, S. Barth
Following growers’ reports of herbicide control problems, populations of 30 wild oats, Avena fatua, were collected from the south-east main arable counties of Ireland in 2016 and investigated for the occurrence and potential for herbicide resistance to acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACCase) inhibitors pinoxaden, propaquizafop and cycloxydim, as well as acetolactate synthase (ALS) inhibitor mesosulfuron + iodosulfuron. Plant survival ≥20% was considered as the discriminating threshold between resistant and susceptible populations, when plants were treated with full recommended field rates of ACCase/ALS inhibitors. Glasshouse sensitivity screens revealed 2 out of 30 populations were cross-resistant to all three ACCase inhibitors. While three populations were cross-resistant to both pinoxaden and propaquizafop, and additionally, two populations were resistant to propaquizafop only. Different degree of resistance and cross-resistance between resistant populations suggest the involvement of either different point mutations or more than one resistance mechanism. Nevertheless, all populations including the seven ACCase-resistant populations were equally susceptible to ALS inhibitor. An integrated weed management (cultural/non-chemical control tactics and judicious use of herbicides) approach is strongly recommended to minimize the risk of herbicide resistance evolution.
{"title":"The occurrence of herbicide-resistant Avena fatua (wild oats) populations to ACCase-inhibiting herbicides in Ireland","authors":"R. Byrne, A. Bhaskar, J. Spink, R. Freckleton, P. Neve, S. Barth","doi":"10.15212/IJAFR-2020-0127","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.15212/IJAFR-2020-0127","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000Following growers’ reports of herbicide control problems, populations of 30 wild oats, Avena fatua, were collected from the south-east main arable counties of Ireland in 2016 and investigated for the occurrence and potential for herbicide resistance to acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACCase) inhibitors pinoxaden, propaquizafop and cycloxydim, as well as acetolactate synthase (ALS) inhibitor mesosulfuron + iodosulfuron. Plant survival ≥20% was considered as the discriminating threshold between resistant and susceptible populations, when plants were treated with full recommended field rates of ACCase/ALS inhibitors. Glasshouse sensitivity screens revealed 2 out of 30 populations were cross-resistant to all three ACCase inhibitors. While three populations were cross-resistant to both pinoxaden and propaquizafop, and additionally, two populations were resistant to propaquizafop only. Different degree of resistance and cross-resistance between resistant populations suggest the involvement of either different point mutations or more than one resistance mechanism. Nevertheless, all populations including the seven ACCase-resistant populations were equally susceptible to ALS inhibitor. An integrated weed management (cultural/non-chemical control tactics and judicious use of herbicides) approach is strongly recommended to minimize the risk of herbicide resistance evolution.","PeriodicalId":14659,"journal":{"name":"Irish Journal of Agricultural and Food Research","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2021-06-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"49159786","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2021-06-03DOI: 10.15212/IJAFR-2020-0122
L. Russell, C. Galindo, P. Whyte, D. Bolton
Although Salmonella spp., Escherichia coli O157, Listeria monocytogenes, Enterococcus faecalis and Clostridium spp. present a significant food safety and/or spoilage issue for the beef sector, there are limited data on their prevalence in Irish cattle. The objectives of this preliminary study were to investigate the distribution (percentage of farms positive) of Salmonella spp., E. coli O157, L. monocytogenes, E. faecalis and Clostridium spp. and the overall prevalence (%) of these bacteria in cattle on a small cohort of Irish beef farms. A total of 121 fresh bovine faecal samples were obtained on 10 randomly selected beef farms in the Northeast of Ireland and tested for the target pathogens using standard culture-based methods. Presumptive positives were confirmed using previously published polymerase chain reaction (PCR) methods. Salmonella were not detected in any of the samples. E. coli O157, L. monocytogenes, E. faecalis and Clostridium spp. were present on 50%, 40%, 100% and 100% of farms, respectively, with overall (all farms) prevalence rates in cattle of 9%, 8.2%, 61.9% and 87.6%, respectively. This study suggests that E. coli O157 may be more prevalent than previously thought and L. monocytogenes, E. faecalis and Clostridium spp. are widespread in Irish beef animals.
{"title":"A preliminary study of Salmonella spp., Listeria monocytogenes, Escherichia coli O157, Enterococcus faecalis and Clostridium spp. in Irish cattle","authors":"L. Russell, C. Galindo, P. Whyte, D. Bolton","doi":"10.15212/IJAFR-2020-0122","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.15212/IJAFR-2020-0122","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000Although Salmonella spp., Escherichia coli O157, Listeria monocytogenes, Enterococcus faecalis and Clostridium spp. present a significant food safety and/or spoilage issue for the beef sector, there are limited data on their prevalence in Irish cattle. The objectives of this preliminary study were to investigate the distribution (percentage of farms positive) of Salmonella spp., E. coli O157, L. monocytogenes, E. faecalis and Clostridium spp. and the overall prevalence (%) of these bacteria in cattle on a small cohort of Irish beef farms. A total of 121 fresh bovine faecal samples were obtained on 10 randomly selected beef farms in the Northeast of Ireland and tested for the target pathogens using standard culture-based methods. Presumptive positives were confirmed using previously published polymerase chain reaction (PCR) methods. Salmonella were not detected in any of the samples. E. coli O157, L. monocytogenes, E. faecalis and Clostridium spp. were present on 50%, 40%, 100% and 100% of farms, respectively, with overall (all farms) prevalence rates in cattle of 9%, 8.2%, 61.9% and 87.6%, respectively. This study suggests that E. coli O157 may be more prevalent than previously thought and L. monocytogenes, E. faecalis and Clostridium spp. are widespread in Irish beef animals.","PeriodicalId":14659,"journal":{"name":"Irish Journal of Agricultural and Food Research","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2021-06-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"49468672","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2021-06-03DOI: 10.15212/IJAFR-2020-0129
C. Looney, D. Hennessy, A. Wingler, A. Claffey, M. Egan
Altering autumn management affects the herbage mass available in spring. An experiment was established to determine the effect of five autumn closing dates (CDs) on herbage production, herbage quality, leaf, stem and dead proportions and tiller density over winter. In the study 50% of the herbage available in spring was accounted for by autumn CD. Each 1 d extra a sward was closed from 25 September to 9 December increased herbage mass by 16 kg DM/ha in spring. Swards closed earlier (25 September–26 October) had consistently higher herbage masses in spring (1,301 kg DM/ha) compared to swards closed later (11 November–9 December; 703 kg DM/ha). Later closed swards had greater herbage quality compared to earlier closed swards (organic matter digestibility = 852 and 825 g/kg DM, respectively) due to increased stem and dead material in the grazing horizon of earlier closed swards. There was no effect of autumn CD on sward quality in the subsequent defoliation in spring. However, following the initial spring grazing there was an effect of autumn CD on subsequent grass growth rates; swards closed in October had a lower growth rate (33 kg DM/ha per day) compared to swards closed in November and early December (49 kg DM/ha per day). Results indicate that earlier autumn closing is beneficial to meet high-feed demand in spring but can affect sward quality and growth rates in spring.
改变秋季管理会影响春季可用牧草的数量。通过试验测定了5个秋收日期对冬季牧草产量、牧草品质、叶、茎、死比例和分蘖密度的影响。在本研究中，秋季CD占春季可利用牧草的50%。从9月25日到12月9日，每多关闭1天，春季牧草质量增加16 kg DM/ha。与关闭较晚的草地（11月11日至12月9日；703 kg DM/ha）相比，关闭较早的草地（9月25日至10月26日）在春季的牧草质量一直较高（1301 kg DM/ha）。与早期封闭草地相比，后期封闭草地的牧草质量更高（有机物消化率分别为852和825 g/kg DM），这是因为早期封闭草地的放牧层中茎干和死物质增加。在随后的春季落叶中，秋季CD对草地质量没有影响。然而，在最初的春季放牧之后，秋季CD对随后的草生长率产生了影响；与11月和12月初关闭的草地（每天49公斤DM/公顷）相比，10月关闭的草地的生长率（每天33公斤DM/ha）较低。结果表明，早秋休有利于满足春季较高的饲料需求，但会影响春季的牧草质量和生长速度。
{"title":"An examination of the effect of autumn closing date on over-winter herbage production and spring yield","authors":"C. Looney, D. Hennessy, A. Wingler, A. Claffey, M. Egan","doi":"10.15212/IJAFR-2020-0129","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.15212/IJAFR-2020-0129","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000Altering autumn management affects the herbage mass available in spring. An experiment was established to determine the effect of five autumn closing dates (CDs) on herbage production, herbage quality, leaf, stem and dead proportions and tiller density over winter. In the study 50% of the herbage available in spring was accounted for by autumn CD. Each 1 d extra a sward was closed from 25 September to 9 December increased herbage mass by 16 kg DM/ha in spring. Swards closed earlier (25 September–26 October) had consistently higher herbage masses in spring (1,301 kg DM/ha) compared to swards closed later (11 November–9 December; 703 kg DM/ha). Later closed swards had greater herbage quality compared to earlier closed swards (organic matter digestibility = 852 and 825 g/kg DM, respectively) due to increased stem and dead material in the grazing horizon of earlier closed swards. There was no effect of autumn CD on sward quality in the subsequent defoliation in spring. However, following the initial spring grazing there was an effect of autumn CD on subsequent grass growth rates; swards closed in October had a lower growth rate (33 kg DM/ha per day) compared to swards closed in November and early December (49 kg DM/ha per day). Results indicate that earlier autumn closing is beneficial to meet high-feed demand in spring but can affect sward quality and growth rates in spring.","PeriodicalId":14659,"journal":{"name":"Irish Journal of Agricultural and Food Research","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2021-06-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"42430454","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2021-05-13DOI: 10.15212/IJAFR-2020-0131
M. Henchion, S. McCarthy, M. McCarthy
Consumers’ food choice decisions are generally relatively stable over time; consumers engage in habitual decision-making due to the high frequency of such decisions for efficiency reasons. As a result, habits are strong predictors of eating behaviour. However, changes in the life of the individual or the external environment can result in more conscious consideration of food choice motives and a transition to new patterns of behaviour to fit the new context. The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is examined in this paper as a particularly useful case of how a change in context affects food choice trajectories. Drawing on results from an online survey of 651 food consumers in Ireland, it examines food planning, shopping, preparation and eating behaviour, including stockpiling and influences on decision-making. Overall, it finds significant evidence of a transition towards new patterns of behaviours, with two distinct clusters identified – the “Covid copers” and the “restless restrictors”. For both groups, the shopping experience has become stressful resulting in reduced frequency of shopping and higher levels of planning. Conversely, time pressures related to cooking have reduced, with enjoyment associated with such activities. This is also reflected in stockpiling behaviour; the top three foods most likely to have been stockpiled in Ireland were pasta/rice, eggs and flour, reflecting the nation’s desire to bake and cook during the pandemic. These behaviours are discussed in the context of emerging supply chain actor responses, with considerations for future strategic decisions identified, along with some opportunities for public health nutrition interventions.
{"title":"A time of transition: changes in Irish food behaviour and potential implications due to the COVID-19 pandemic","authors":"M. Henchion, S. McCarthy, M. McCarthy","doi":"10.15212/IJAFR-2020-0131","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.15212/IJAFR-2020-0131","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000Consumers’ food choice decisions are generally relatively stable over time; consumers engage in habitual decision-making due to the high frequency of such decisions for efficiency reasons. As a result, habits are strong predictors of eating behaviour. However, changes in the life of the individual or the external environment can result in more conscious consideration of food choice motives and a transition to new patterns of behaviour to fit the new context. The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is examined in this paper as a particularly useful case of how a change in context affects food choice trajectories. Drawing on results from an online survey of 651 food consumers in Ireland, it examines food planning, shopping, preparation and eating behaviour, including stockpiling and influences on decision-making. Overall, it finds significant evidence of a transition towards new patterns of behaviours, with two distinct clusters identified – the “Covid copers” and the “restless restrictors”. For both groups, the shopping experience has become stressful resulting in reduced frequency of shopping and higher levels of planning. Conversely, time pressures related to cooking have reduced, with enjoyment associated with such activities. This is also reflected in stockpiling behaviour; the top three foods most likely to have been stockpiled in Ireland were pasta/rice, eggs and flour, reflecting the nation’s desire to bake and cook during the pandemic. These behaviours are discussed in the context of emerging supply chain actor responses, with considerations for future strategic decisions identified, along with some opportunities for public health nutrition interventions.","PeriodicalId":14659,"journal":{"name":"Irish Journal of Agricultural and Food Research","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2021-05-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"48297909","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2021-05-12DOI: 10.15212/IJAFR-2020-0121
B. Velusami, S. Jordan, T. Curran, H. Grogan
Spent mushroom substrate (SMS) is an organic manure that can be used with advantage in agriculture. Under European Union (EU) (Good Agricultural Practice for Protection of Waters) Regulations, SMS cannot be applied to land over the winter months and must be stored on concrete surfaces, either covered or uncovered, to prevent nutrient-rich runoff seeping into groundwater. Spent mushroom substrate at four storage facilities, two covered and two uncovered, was analysed for physical and chemical characteristics after storage for up to 12 mo. Significant differences (P<0.05) were identified for all parameters across the four sites, except for pH, but there were no consistent differences that correlated with uncovered or covered storage conditions. The content of nitrogen (N) and manganese (Mn) was significantly lower in uncovered SMS, while the content of iron (Fe) and copper (Cu) was significantly higher. The chemical nitrogen-phospous-potassium (NPK) fertiliser equivalent value of SMS, when applied at a rate of 10 t/ha, was between €105 and €191 per hectare. Nitrogen-phospous-potassium concentrations per kg wet weight were all higher in SMS that was stored under cover, meaning higher chemical fertiliser savings are possible. The high pH of stored SMS (7.8–8.1) means it could be used with good effect on acid soils instead of ground limestone. The low bulk density of SMS (0.545–0.593 g/cm 3) makes it an ideal amendment to soils to improve soil structure and quality. There is some variability in the nutrient content of SMS from different sources, so it is advisable to get the material analysed when including in nutrient management plans.
{"title":"Fertiliser characteristics of stored spent mushroom substrate as a sustainable source of nutrients and organic matter for tillage, grassland and agricultural soils","authors":"B. Velusami, S. Jordan, T. Curran, H. Grogan","doi":"10.15212/IJAFR-2020-0121","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.15212/IJAFR-2020-0121","url":null,"abstract":"Spent mushroom substrate (SMS) is an organic manure that can be used with advantage\u0000 in agriculture. Under European Union (EU) (Good Agricultural Practice for Protection\u0000 of Waters) Regulations, SMS cannot be applied to land over the winter months and must\u0000 be stored on concrete surfaces, either covered or uncovered, to prevent nutrient-rich\u0000 runoff seeping into groundwater. Spent mushroom substrate at four storage facilities,\u0000 two covered and two uncovered, was analysed for physical and chemical characteristics\u0000 after storage for up to 12 mo. Significant differences (P<0.05) were identified for\u0000 all parameters across the four sites, except for pH, but there were no consistent\u0000 differences that correlated with uncovered or covered storage conditions. The content\u0000 of nitrogen (N) and manganese (Mn) was significantly lower in uncovered SMS, while\u0000 the content of iron (Fe) and copper (Cu) was significantly higher. The chemical nitrogen-phospous-potassium\u0000 (NPK) fertiliser equivalent value of SMS, when applied at a rate of 10 t/ha, was between\u0000 €105 and €191 per hectare. Nitrogen-phospous-potassium concentrations per kg wet weight\u0000 were all higher in SMS that was stored under cover, meaning higher chemical fertiliser\u0000 savings are possible. The high pH of stored SMS (7.8–8.1) means it could be used with\u0000 good effect on acid soils instead of ground limestone. The low bulk density of SMS\u0000 (0.545–0.593 g/cm\u0000 3) makes it an ideal amendment to soils to improve soil structure and quality. There\u0000 is some variability in the nutrient content of SMS from different sources, so it is\u0000 advisable to get the material analysed when including in nutrient management plans.","PeriodicalId":14659,"journal":{"name":"Irish Journal of Agricultural and Food Research","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2021-05-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"48819280","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
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