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The Case for Long-Term Land Leasing: A Review of the Empirical Literature
Get PDFPublication history: Accepted - 24 February 2021; Published - 1 March 2021.Land, as a factor of production, has a vital role within the agricultural sector compared
with other sectors. However, in recent years, land mobility has become a significant issue around
the world with increased concentration and competition for land ownership, limiting the overall
competitiveness of the agri-food sector and constraining the potential opportunities for new entrant
farmers to access land. While land leasing is increasingly being embraced as a common form of land
tenure serving as an alternative to the purchase of land for agriculture, the length of lease has been
shown to have a significant impact on land productivity and sustainability. In this study, we provide
a comprehensive and systematic review exploring the benefits of longer-term land leasing with a
particular focus on developed countries and some selected developing countries in the context of
commercial farming with more formal arrangements. Specifically, we highlight the barriers to longterm
land leasing and identify potential incentives that might be adopted to encourage long-term
land leasing for both landowners and farmers who seek to rent land.This research was funded by Department of Agriculture Environment and Rural Affairs
(DAERA), Northern Ireland as part of the Evidence and Innovation Programme (DAERA
E&I, 19/1/05)
Pestivirus Apparent Prevalence in Sheep and Goats in Northern Ireland: A Serological Survey
Get PDFPublication history: Accepted - 30 October 2020; Published - 12 January 2021.Background: Bovine viral diarrhoea virus (BVDV) and border disease virus
(BDV) can cause significant health problems in ruminants and economic
impacts for farmers. The aim of this study was to evaluate pestivirus exposure in Northern Ireland sheep and goat flocks, and to compare findings with
a previous study from the region.
Methods: Up to 20 animals were sampled from 188 sheep and 9 goat flocks
(n = 3,418 animals; 3,372 sheep and 46 goats) for pestivirus antibodies. Differentiation of the causative agent in positive samples was inferred using serum
neutralisation. Abortion samples from 177 ovine cases were tested by BVDV
reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction and antigen ELISA.
Results: Apparent animal and flock (one antibody positive animal within a
flock) prevalence was 1.7% and 17.3%, respectively, a statistically significant
drop in apparent prevalence since a survey in 1999. 52.6% of samples testing
positive had higher antibody titres to BVDV than to BDV. Of the ovine abortion
samples, only one positive foetal fluid sample was detected by ELISA.
Conclusion: The present study found that, since 1999, there has been a
decrease in apparent animal and flock prevalence of 3.7 and 12.8 percentage points respectively, suggesting pestivirus prevalence has decreased across
Northern Ireland between 1999 and 2018.This research was funded by the Department
of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs
Can carbon storage in West Antarctic fjords have an impact on climate change, following glacier retreat?
Get PDFPublication history: Accepted - 10 December 2021; Published online - 19 December 2021.Zwerschke et al’s (2021) paper ‘Quantification of blue carbon pathways contributing to
negative feedback on climate change following glacier retreat in West Antarctic fjords’ provides
an interesting insight into the potential for Antarctic fjords to store carbon, following glacial
retreat. The authors used ash free dry mass (AFDM) as a proxy for carbon content in the carbon
content of sediments and microbenthic infauna within the fjords to estimate their carbon
sequestration potential. This equates to between 0.05 and 0.19 % of the estimated carbon buried
at the seafloor. Consequently, the paper’s assertion that these fjords could provide a negative
feedback against climate change is tenuous when considered against the wider impacts of
Antarctic deglaciation
Using the Tea Bag Index to determine how two human pharmaceuticals affect litter decomposition by aquatic microorganisms.
Get PDFPublication history: Accepted - 25 May 2021; Published - 15 June 2021.This study demonstrates that independent additive effects of two human pharmaceuticals, the antibiotic trimethoprim and the artificial estrogen 17a-Ethinylestradiol (EE2), inhibit plant litter decomposition by aquatic microorganisms. The constant release of pharmaceuticals, such as these, has the potential to affect aquatic microbial metabolism and alter biogeochemical cycling of carbon and nutrients. Here we advance the Tea Bag Index (TBI) for decomposition by using it in a series of contaminant exposure experiments testing how interactions between trimethoprim and EE2 affect aquatic microbial activity. The TBI is a citizen science tool used to test microbial activity by measuring the differential degradation of green and rooibos tea as proxies for respectively labile and recalcitrant litter decomposition. Exposure to either trimethoprim or EE2 decreased decomposition of green tea, suggesting additive effects upon microbial activity. Exposure to EE2 alone decreased rooibos tea decomposition. Consequently, trimethoprim and EE2 stabilized labile organic matter against microbial degradation and restricted decomposition. We propose that the method outlined could provide a powerful tool for testing the impacts of multiple interacting pollutants upon microbial activity, at a range of scales, across aquatic systems and over ecologically relevant time scales.This work was funded through start-up funds provided to WRH by the University of Ulster School of Geography and Environmental Science. JMS acknowledges the Swedish Research Council (Vetenskapsrådet) for funding
Phenotypic plasticity masks range-wide genetic differentiation for vegetative but not reproductive traits in a short-lived plant
Get PDFPublication history: Accepted - 19 May 2021; Published - 5 August 2021.Genetic differentiation and phenotypic plasticity jointly shape intraspecific trait
variation, but their roles differ among traits. In short-lived
plants, reproductive
traits may be more genetically determined due to their impact on fitness, whereas
vegetative traits may show higher plasticity to buffer short-term
perturbations.
Combining a multi-treatment
greenhouse experiment with observational field
data throughout the range of a widespread short-lived
herb, Plantago lanceolata,
we (1) disentangled genetic and plastic responses of functional traits to a set of
environmental drivers and (2) assessed how genetic differentiation and plasticity
shape observational trait–environment
relationships. Reproductive traits showed
distinct genetic differentiation that largely determined observational patterns, but
only when correcting traits for differences in biomass. Vegetative traits showed
higher plasticity and opposite genetic and plastic responses, masking the genetic
component underlying field-observed
trait variation. Our study suggests that genetic
differentiation may be inferred from observational data only for the traits
most closely related to fitness.Eesti Teadusagentuur, Grant/Award
Number: PRG609 and PUT1409; Academy
of Finland; Natural Sciences and
Engineering Research Council of Canada;
Science Foundation Ireland, Grant/Award
Number: 15/ERCD/2803; Spanish Ministry
of Science, Innovation and Universities,
Grant/Award Number: IJCI-2017-
32039;
European Regional Development Fun
Examining the Links between Multi-Frequency Multibeam Backscatter Data and Sediment Grain Size
Get PDFPublication history: Accepted - 13 April 2021; Published - 15 April 2021.Acoustic methods are routinely used to provide broad scale information on the geographical distribution of benthic marine habitats and sedimentary environments. Although single-frequency multibeam echosounder surveys have dominated seabed characterisation for decades, multifrequency approaches are now gaining favour in order to capture different frequency responses from the same seabed type. The aim of this study is to develop a robust modelling framework for testing the potential application and value of multifrequency (30, 95, and 300 kHz) multibeam backscatter responses to characterize sediments’ grain size in an area with strong geomorphological gradients and benthic ecological variability. We fit a generalized linear model on a multibeam backscatter and its derivatives to examine the explanatory power of single-frequency and multifrequency models with respect to the mean sediment grain size obtained from the grab samples. A strong and statistically significant (p < 0.05) correlation between the mean backscatter and the absolute values of the mean sediment grain size for the data was noted. The root mean squared error (RMSE) values identified the 30 kHz model as the best performing model responsible for explaining the most variation (84.3%) of the mean grain size at a statistically significant output (p < 0.05) with an adjusted r2 = 0.82. Overall, the single low-frequency sources showed a marginal gain on the multifrequency model, with the 30 kHz model driving the significance of this multifrequency model, and the inclusion of the higher frequencies diminished the level of agreement. We recommend further detailed and sufficient ground-truth data to better predict sediment properties and to discriminate benthic habitats to enhance the reliability of multifrequency backscatter data for the monitoring and management of marine protected areas.This research was funded by the Marine Institute under the Marine Research Programme by
the Irish Government Cruise CE19007 Backscatter and Biodiversity of Shelf Sea Habitats (BaBioSSH)
survey. Staffing was supported through the Marine Protected Area Monitoring and Management
(MarPAMM) project, which is supported by the European Union’s INTERREG VA Programme, managed by the Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPM) with matching funding from the Government of
Ireland, the Northern Ireland Executive, and the Scottish Government, as well as the PhD studentship
through a Vice Chancellor Research Scholarship of Ulster University (U.K.)
Rumen microbiota of Tibetan sheep (Ovis aries) adaptation to extremely cold season on the Qighai-Tibetan Plateau
Get PDFPublication history: Accepted - 3 May 2021; Published online - 25 may 2021.The Qinghai-Tibet Plateau is characterized by low temperatures and hypoxia, and this
feature is more obvious in the winter. However, it is not clear how Tibetan sheep
adapt to extreme cold climates. To address this, we used physiological methods
combined with next-generation sequencing technology to explore the differences in
growth performance, forage nutrient digestion, serum biochemical indexes, and rumen
microbial communities of Tibetan sheep (Ovis aries) between the summer and winter. In
the summer, owing to the high nutritional quality of the forage, the Tibetan sheep showed
enhanced forage degradation and fermentation though increased counts of important
bacteria in the rumen, such as Bacteroidetes, Prevotella_1, Prevotellaceae_UCG-003,
Ruminococcus_1, Saccharofermentans, and Ruminococcaceae_UCG-014, to improve
the growth performance and increase serum immunity and antioxidant status. In the
winter, owing to the low nutritional quality of the forage, the Tibetan sheep presented
low values of forage degradation and fermentation indicators. The relative abundance
of Firmicutes, the Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio, microbial diversity, interactive activity
between microorganisms, and metabolism were significantly increased, implying that
the rumen microbiota could promote the decomposition of forage biomass and the
maintenance of energy when forage nutritional value was insufficient in the winter.
Our study helps in elucidating the mechanism by which Tibetan sheep adapt to the
high-altitude harsh environments, from the perspective of the rumen microbiota.This work was supported by the Program for Strategic Priority Research Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (Grant No. XDA20100102), the Second Tibetan Plateau Scientific Expedition and Research: Grassland Ecosystem and Ecological Animal Husbandry (Grant No. 2019QZKK0302), and Innovative Research Team of the Ministry of Education (Grant No. IRT_17R50)
The Fate of Foodborne Pathogens in Manure Treated Soil
Get PDFPublication history: Accepted - 22 November 2021; Published online - 10 December 2021.The aim of this review was to provide an update on the complex relationship between
manure application, altered pathogen levels and antibiotic resistance. This is necessary
to protect health and improve the sustainability of this major farming practice in
agricultural systems based on high levels of manure production. It is important to
consider soil health in relation to environment and land management practices in
the context of the soil microflora and the introduction of pathogens on the health of
the soil microbiome. Viable pathogens in manure spread on agricultural land may be
distributed by leaching, surface run-off, water source contamination and contaminated
crop removal. Thus it is important to understand how multiple pathogens can persist in
manures and on soil at farm-scale and how crops produced under these conditions
could be a potential transfer route for zoonotic pathogens. The management of
pathogen load within livestock manure is a potential mechanism for the reduction
and prevention of outbreaks infection with Escherichia coli, Listeria Salmonella, and
Campylobacter. The ability of Campylobacter, E. coli, Listeria and Salmonella to combat
environmental stress coupled with their survival on food crops and vegetables postharvest emphasizes the need for further study of these pathogens along with the
emerging pathogen Providencia given its link to disease in the immunocompromised
and its’ high levels of antibiotic resistance. The management of pathogen load within
livestock manure has been widely recognized as a potential mechanism for the reduction
and prevention of outbreaks infection but any studies undertaken should be considered
as region specific due to the variable nature of the factors influencing pathogen content
and survival in manures and soil. Mediocre soils that require nutrients could be one
template for research on manure inputs and their influence on soil health and on
pathogen survival on grassland and in food crops.This work was funded by the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA); https://www.daera-ni.gov.uk) as part of the DAERA Postgraduate Studentship Programme and by the DAERA Evidence and Innovation project 18/1/21: Evaluating the impact of a range of organic manures applied to arable land on soil, crop and NI agriculture
Climatic and evolutionary contexts are required to infer plant life history strategies from functional traits at a global scale
Get PDFPublication history: Accepted - 15 January 2021; Published online - 27 February 2021.Life history strategies are fundamental to the ecology and evolution of organisms and are 2 important for understanding extinction risk and responses to global change. Using global 3 datasets and a multiple response modelling framework we show that trait-climate interactions 4 are associated with life history strategies for a diverse range of plant species at the global scale. 5 Our modelling framework informs our understanding of trade-offs and positive correlations 6 between elements of life history after accounting for environmental context and evolutionary 7 and trait-based constraints. Interactions between plant traits and climatic context were needed 8 to explain variation in age at maturity, distribution of mortality across the lifespan, generation 9 time of species. Mean age at maturity and the distribution of mortality across plants’ lifespan 10 were under evolutionary constraints. These findings provide empirical support for the 11 theoretical expectation that climatic context is key to understanding trait to life history 12 relationships globally.Irish Research Council - RK was supported by the Irish Research Council postdoctoral
fellowship scheme, Project ID GOIPD/2016/324. The Irish
Research Council Laureate Awards 2017/2018 funded YMB IRCLA/2017/60, and ALJ IRCLA/2017/186.
European 604 Research Council Synergy grant no. ERC-2013-SyG 610028-IMBALANCE-
A Review of Beef Production Systems for the Sustainable Use of Surplus Male Dairy-Origin Calves Within the UK
Get PDFPublication history: Accepted - 29 March 2021; Published - 27 April 2021The UK dairy herd is predominantly of the Holstein-Friesian (HF) breed, with a major
emphasis placed on milk yield. Subsequently, following years of continued single-trait
selection, the beef production potential of dairy bred calves has declined. Thus, male
HF calves are commonly seen as a by-product of the dairy industry. Limited markets,
perceived low economic value and high rearing costs mean that these surplus calves are
often euthanised shortly after birth or exported to the EU for further production. Welfare
concerns have been raised regarding both euthanasia and long distance transportation
of these calves. Furthermore, total UK beef consumption increased by 8.5% from 2009
to 2019. Thus, in light of this growing demand, beef from the dairy herd could be
better utilized within the UK. Therefore, the potential for these calves to be used in a
sustainable, cost-effective beef production system with high welfare standards within
the UK requires investigation. Thus, the aim of this review was to evaluate both steer and
bull beef production systems, examining the impact on performance, health, welfare,
and economic potential to enable a sustainable farming practice, while meeting UK
market requirements. The principal conclusions from this review indicate that there is
the potential for these calves to be used in UK based production systems and meet
market requirements. Of the steer production systems, a 24 month system appears
to achieve a balance between input costs, growth from pasture and carcass output,
albeit the literature is undecided on the optimum system. The situation is similar for
bull beef production systems, high input systems do achieve the greatest gain in the
shortest period of time, however, these systems are not sustainable in volatile markets
with fluctuating concentrate prices. Thus, again the inclusion of a grazing period, may
increase the resilience of these systems. Furthermore, production systems incorporating
a period at pasture are seen to have animal welfare benefits. The main welfare concern
for surplus dairy bred calves is often poor colostrum management at birth. While in
steer systems, consideration needs to be given to welfare regarding castration, with the
negative impacts being minimized by completing this procedure soon after birth.This work was jointly funded by the Department of Agriculture,
Environment and Rural Affairs for Northern Ireland
and AgriSearchNI