Collectively, nematode parasites of domestic ruminants continue to pose the greatest disease problem in grazing livestock systems worldwide, despite the powerful and extensive chemotherapeutic arsenal available for their control. The widespread development of anthelmintic resistance, particularly in nematode parasites of small ruminants, and the trend towards non-chemical (ecological, organic, ...

This paper focuses on the role of scavenging poultry in integrated farming systems and is mainly based on previous studies and past research and development attempts to improve scavenging poultry in Ethiopia. Village poultry production is an integral part of a balanced farming system and has a unique position in the rural household economy, supplying high quality protein to the family. In this ...

Pig production plays an important role in smallholder farming systems in upland villages of Lao PDR. It serves as an income source or as capital accumulation needed when crop (rice) production fails. Farmers raise pigs in many ways or systems depending on the availability of feed resources and the intensity of farming systems. There are two main problems in smallholder systems—disease and seaso...

In the future the Mallee is going to be hot and dry. Farming in the Mallee is going to be very profitable sometimes, middling profitable in some years and not profitable at all at times as has always been the case. In 10 years time there will be less Mallee farmers; they will be farming a little differently to now; and most will earn a good living. The scale of operations will be greater. The r...

Organic farming system and sustainable management of soil pathogens aim at reducing the use of agricultural chemicals in order to improve ecosystem health. Despite the essential role of microbial communities in agro-ecosystems, we still have limited understanding of the complex response of microbial diversity and composition to organic and conventional farming systems and to alternative methods...

Computerized information systems can potentially help the dairy producer to deal with the increased complexity of decision making and availability of information in dairy farming. These systems, however, should be fully integrated to ensure a coordinated execution of dairy farming activities. A framework was developed, therefore, to support the creation of computerized management and control sy...

The concept of organic farming is summarised and compared as an example to farming with biotechnology-derived crops. If done within an ecological concept, both methods can be seen as environmentally acceptable. Organic farming does not offer consistent arguments for the rejection of transgenic crops. Some arguments (from genomics to biodiversity) are discussed in order to demonstrate that the c...