Royal Agricultural University Repository
Not a member yet
647 research outputs found
Sort by
Risk Communication: Diet, Nutrition, and Health
No full textNutrition and food safety related diseases such as foodborne illnesses, some cancers, and obesity belong to the most challenging health concerns of our time. As a consequence, the provision of information about diet, health, and nutrition is increasing, and spreads rapidly by the (mass) media, including social media. Communication regarding diet, health, and nutrition is about providing knowledge and skills so that consumers are better able to select and consume healthy and safe foods. Various barriers to effective communication about healthy food choices can be identified. Communicators need to focus on a variety of issues, ranging from reaching the right target population to ensuring that the message is understood and implemented in daily life. Therefore, in the present article some relevant consumer behavior issues facing the communication of risk in the field of nutrition and diet will be examined
Calf health veterinary services: Making them work for calves, farmers and veterinarians
Get PDFBackground
Despite an appetite among UK veterinarians (vets) and farmers to improve calf health, vets face challenges in delivering and sustaining proactive calf health services.
Methods
Forty-six vets and 10 veterinary technicians (techs) participated in a project to determine what makes calf health services successful while improving their own services. In four facilitated workshops and two seminars, carried out between August 2021 and April 2022, participants described their approaches to calf work, discussed measures of success, identified challenges and success factors, and addressed knowledge gaps.
Results
Many approaches to calf health services were described, and these could be categorised into three overlapping models. Success involved enthusiastic, knowledgeable vets/techs, supported by their practice team, fostering positive attitudes among farmers by providing the services they need, creating a tangible return on investment for farmers and the practice. Lack of time was identified as the most prominent challenge to achieving success.
Limitations
Participants were self-selected from one nationwide group of practices.
Conclusion
Successful calf health services depend on identifying the needs of calves, farmers and veterinary practices, and delivering measurable benefits to each. More calf health services embedded as a core part of farm veterinary practice could bring wide ranging benefits to calves, farmers and vets
Where Are We Now? Feeds, Feeding Systems and Current Knowledge of UK Horse Owners When Feeding Haylage to Their Horses
No full textDespite our improved understanding of equid digestive health and accurate rations formulations, obesity in the UK horse population remains high. Study aims: (1) to determine how owners are feeding their horses and what influences their choices, (2) to understand owners’ knowledge of haylage and (3) to identify key areas that require additional education. Data were collected in 2020 from 1338 UK horse owners via two online surveys. Survey 1 was on general feeding practices, and Survey 2 was specifically on the feeding of haylage. Data were processed using chi square analyses + Bonferroni tests, with a significance p < 0.05. Equal numbers of leisure and performance horse owners completed both surveys. For Survey 1, 67% fed hay as the only forage, 30% fed forage (hay/haylage) + balancer, 36% fed haylage and hay to manage energy intake, 84% added a cube or coarse mix, 88% did not do forage analyses, 74% did not see the need for it and 16% did not know analyses could be done. In Survey 2, those who were not feeding haylage, 66% were not sure how to feed it, 68% worried about aerobic spoilage and 79% said the bale size was unsuitable. Body weight measurements (Survey 1 and Survey 2) were rarely performed (11%). Aspects of ration formulations, the value of feed analyses and how to interchange hay and haylage require additional education to owners for improved ration compilation
Response of Cyclopia subternata to drought stress � assessment of leaf composition, proteomics and product quality
Get PDFHoneybush tea is made from the fynbos plant Cyclopia subternata, which is unique to South Africa. Cultivation takes place in its natural environment, which has a Mediterranean climate with dry summers and wet
winters. During the summer, the plant is vulnerable to drought, an abiotic stress factor that is likely to affect
its development and yield. This study investigated the effect of drought stress for a short duration on the
leaf, as well as the quality of the herbal tea. Protein expression in the leaf was measured to gain insight into
possible mechanisms used by the plant to cope with drought stress conditions. Fifteen-month-old C. subternata plants were subjected to three water treatments (control, moderately-stressed (MS), and severelystressed (SS)) for ten days. Leaves were sampled at regular intervals throughout the treatment period to
determine their relative water content (RWC). Leaves were also sampled on the 11th day for untargeted and
targeted chemical composition and protein expression analyses. The remaining leaves and stems were processed to obtain the herbal tea. Descriptive sensory analysis of the herbal tea was performed to determine
whether drought stress affected product quality. RWC was substantially higher (p < 0.05) in the control
plants (100%) than in the MS and SS treated plants (83�90% and 47%, respectively). Untargeted analysis
revealed that drought stress considerably altered leaf chemical composition. According to targeted analysis,
the proline content of SS treated plants increased more than 40-fold when compared to the control, however,
the treatments had no effect on the total carbohydrate and major phenolic compound content of the leaves,
nor on the sensory quality of the herbal tea. Differences in the expression of 27 proteins, 24 of which were
identified using proteomic analysis, were observed. During drought stress, 17 of these proteins increased,
whereas seven decreased. Thirteen of the 24 identified proteins produced statistically significant results
based on their Byonic scores. The findings laid the foundation for future research into the functions of
drought response genes in Cyclopia species, as well as helping with the identification of stress-tolerant honeybush genotypes
Developing perennial wildflower strips for use in Mediterranean orchard systems
No full textTo support sustainable food production and the delivery of ecosystem services through ecological intensification, wildflower strips have become a popular strategy. Despite their success in temperate orchard systems, they remain understudied in Mediterranean ecosystems, which poses a significant barrier to uptake. In order to further promote their adoption, seed mixes must be optimised for commercial orchard systems and for the Mediterranean climate. Plant species should be selected for their consistent performance, whilst the availability of resources for ecosystem service providers determines the quality of the wildflower strip. In this study, the suitability of 12 native perennial forbs and two tussock-forming grass species for wildflower strips in commercial Citrus orchards was assessed over a 3-year period. Distinct resources for natural enemies according to the different plant growth stages were used an indicator of wildflower strip quality. The wildflower strips were managed under two different cutting strategies: (i) standard management, in which wildflower strips were cut once annually in February, and (ii) active management, in which wildflower strips were cut two additional times each year. The establishment and success of the sown species were compared. The influence of wildflower strips and their management on plant species richness, community structure, and the provision of resources was com -pared with a control treatment, in which alleyways were managed conventionally by cutting any naturally occurring vegetation to a height of ≤5 cm, four to five times annual. For the first time, the performance of native perennial plant species has been assessed in Mediterranean orchard systems and a seed mix developed for targeting pest regulation services. The wildflower strips were successful in increasing plant species richness and the available resources expected to support natural enemies. However, only wildflower strips managed with cutting once annually enhanced vegetation cover relative to the control, whilst extending the flowering period. This study therefore provides crucial tools for the further development of sustainable approaches to food production in Mediterranean orchard systems
The potential of wildflower strips to enhance pollination services in sweet cherry orchards grown under polytunnels
No full textSweet cherry production benefits from insect pollination, but the extent to which wildflower strips can boost pollinator visitation under polytunnels is unknown. Wildflowers were established in alleyways between tree rows under polytunnels in 10 commercial cherry orchards. Their management involved either a single cut in September (Standard Wildflower Strips (SWS)) or being actively maintained to 20 cm with regular cutting (Actively Managed Wildflower Strips (AMWS)), compared with unsown Control Strips (CS). Flower visitors of cherry and wildflowers were recorded by visual observations for 3 years (2017?2019), while cherry production (quantity and quality) was assessed in 2019. In total, 67 visitor species were identified; managed commercial species (Apis mellifera and Bombus terrestris) made up ~74% of all records. During the cherry blossom period (anthesis), AMWS had the highest visitor density to cherry blossoms compared with CS and SWS but no significant difference in harvestable fruit was recorded. After anthesis, greater visitor density, diversity and richness were observed in both wildflower treatments compared with CS, being greatest in SWS, which was consistent with differences in floral communities between treatments. Although visitor density was not correlated with fruit set, pollinating insects were key for fruit yields and quality. Fruit set was ~17% from blossoms exposed to visitors compared with <1% when excluded. Furthermore, hand pollination resulted in ~32% fruit set, indicating greatest pollination deficits in CS (~50%) compared with AMWS (~28%) and SWS (~35%). Synthesis and applications. Sweet cherry is highly dependent on pollinators to underpin commercial yields, and pollination deficits exist under polytunnels. Growers should, therefore, reconsider their pollination strategies and look to combine effective pollinator management with polytunnel use to mitigate deficits; establishing and actively managing wildflowers in alleyways could enhance wild visitors and pollination
The Viking Great Army north of the Tyne; A Viking camp in Northumberland?
No full textA site in the Coquet valley, Northumberland, has yielded an extensive Viking-Age metal-detector assemblage, with striking parallels in material retrieved from documented Viking camps in England and Ireland. This paper introduces the site, its topography and small finds and details the results from initial geophysics and lidar surveys. We argue that the site was strategically situated and long-lived, with evidence for occupation spanning the Roman to later medieval periods. We note, in particular, indications of high-status early medieval activity, which stand out in a Northumbrian context. We propose that this regionally important, but hitherto unknown site was occupied in the 870s in connection with the Viking leader Halfdan’s campaigns against the Picts. As such, it contributes to growing evidence for the size and character of Viking encampments and the movements across Britain of the Viking micel here
Excerpted Abstracts of the 7th Water Efficiency Conference 2022: Theme:“Water Resources Resilience for Small Island Developing States (SIDS)” 24th-16th December 2022.
Get PDFIn an increasingly uncertain world, water is constant and central to most things: the economy, energy, transport,
agriculture, health, leisure, wellbeing, social and cultural life. The 7th Water Efficiency (WATEF) Conference 2022 was, for the
first time, held outside Europe in the Caribbean, at the Faculty of Engineering, The University of the West Indies, Saint
Augustine Campus, Trinidad and Tobago on 14th-16th December, 2022. Many challenges reflect the changing climate,
increasingly unpredictable weather, and the efforts towards sustainable development necessary for social equity and economic
growth. Proactive partnerships and collaborations across civil society is necessary to succeed in this effort. A conference on
water efficiency and resilience is justified in the face of these challenges and during an energy, cost-of-living, food, and other
crises. The WATEF-2022 Conference’s theme was “Water Resources Resilience for Small Island Developing States (SIDS)”.
Trinidad and Tobago has a relatively high reliable water infrastructure (including desalination plants) for its population but in
recent times water resources have been impacted by unforeseen climate change events. This twin-island republic was best
suited for this conference, geographically and technically. Parallel with invited keynotes and feature speeches, technical
presentations and panel discussions were made addressing various topics and areas associated with the conference’s theme.
This paper contains a total of 28 abstracts excerpted from the Conference proceedings that address towards collaborative
solutions to the water and resilience challenges faced globally and experienced more intensely by SIDS
Good methods for good farmers? Mapping the language of good farming with “diligent farmers” in Hong Kong
Get PDFThis paper explores two questions facing the use of the concept of the ‘good farmer’ in rural studies: what are the most appropriate methods to understand good farming; and what is the relevance of the concept in non-western countries? The paper explores these issues in the context of pig farmers’ biosecurity decisions and daily disease management practices in the New Territories of Hong Kong. Specifically, we argue that to broaden the relevance of the good farming concept, we need to devise specific methodologies to capture the relational practices among farmers, non-human life forms and substances that construct the ‘good farmer’ meaning in different cultural contexts. Firstly, we consider the language of ‘good farming’, its possible translations, potential meanings and alternative phrases used amongst Chinese-speaking farmers. Secondly, we develop a farmer-oriented methodology to analyse how these locally specific translations of good farming are constructed and used in relation to the management of animal disease. Drawing on 12 farmers’ mapping and their interview discussion, we develop a narrated mapping methodology in which the creation of farm maps acts as a device to illustrate and talk about biosecurity and good farming. This visual method triangulates the graphical data with subsequent interview data of farmers’ maps. From this we show how the idea of the ‘diligent farmer’ has much stronger resonance in Hong Kong than good farming. Farm maps identify specific symbols of diligence, highlighting values of productivism, environmentalism and social relationships. The mapping methodology also reveals the performative work involved in becoming a diligent farmer. In conclusion, the paper considers the broader methodological implications for the concept of good farming, suggesting that cultural linguistic differences need to be recognised in the concept, and arguing for further methodological advancement