Alfalfa hay is a major crop supporting U.S ruminant livestock industry, particularly dairy. Several cellulosic feedstocks will be needed to meet current ethanol production goals. Alfalfa has considerable potential as a feedstock for production of ethanol and other industrial materials because of its high biomass production, perennial nature, ability to provide its own nitrogen fertilizer, and v...

Livestock is a vital source of methane and nitrous oxide gas which are considered as hazardous greenhouse gas (GHG) causing global warming. This study was conducted to assess GHG emissions from different livestock categories of different (small, medium, large) dairy farming in Bangladesh by using IPCC guideline 2006 and CIGR 2002. The emission rate of CH4, N2O (mainly emits from manure) is incr...

The evolution of livestock production is analysed on its historical perspective and forecasted up to year 2020. Livestock production needs at year 2020 and the amount of required animal populations are estimated on the basis of the trend of the period 1971-1999 relative to human population, consumption, and animal efficiency index. At word level, the deficit between production and needs is rema...

The 'Mycoplasma mycoides cluster' comprises the ruminant pathogens Mycoplasma mycoides subsp. mycoides the causative agent of contagious bovine pleuropneumonia (CBPP), Mycoplasma capricolum subsp. capripneumoniae the agent of contagious caprine pleuropneumonia (CCPP), Mycoplasma capricolum subsp. capricolum, Mycoplasma leachii and Mycoplasma mycoides subsp. capri. CBPP and CCPP are major livest...

C hina’s future role in international agricultural trade continues to be a puzzle. Part of this puzzle, namely that related to grains, has received far more attention than has livestock trade, which has been relatively neglected. China is a net exporter of livestock products, although over the last two decades imports have been increasing faster than exports. Figure 1 shows the time path of net...

Forage legumes have a relatively high biomass yield and crude protein content, but their grazed and harvested biomass lacks the high-energy carbohydrates required to meet the productivity potential of modern livestock breeds. Because of their low carbohydrate content, forage legume diets are typically supplemented with starch rich cereal grains or maize (Zea mays), leading to the disruption of ...

The effects of climate change on humans and other living ecosystems is an area of on-going research. The ruminant livestock sector is considered to be one of the most significant contributors to the existing greenhouse gas (GHG) pool. However, there are opportunities to combat climate change by reducing the emission of GHGs from ruminants. Methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O) are emitted by ru...

Introduction It is evident from several on-farm surveys that levels of parasite infections vary markedly between livestock production systems and from one farm to another [1]. The background for these differences relates to livestock breeds, different management factors and other practices that directly or indirectly affect parasite infections, and also to farmers’ attitudes e.g. the chosen thr...

Livestock is an important element in the pathway out of poverty for millions of rural people in Asia and the Pacific. However, helminth parasites, particularly roundworms, have been a problem in the region, causing millions of dollars in productivity losses. Over the years, many technologies have been developed for worm control in large and small ruminants, but their uptake has been low (McLeod...

Methanogenesis plays a crucial role in the digestive process of ruminant animals. During this process, methanogenic archaea produce methane as byproduct their metabolism. However, production by ruminants is also significant contributor to greenhouse gas emissions. Methane potent that has 28-fold greater global warming potential than carbon dioxide. Around 15% all anthropogenic emissions are gen...