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Socio-economic Drivers of Food Security among Rural Households: Evidence from Smallholder Maize Farmers
No full textPublication history: Accepted - 8 December 2020; Published online - 20 January 2021Issues relating to food availability, accessibility/afordability, and food utilization remain
paramount among diferent stakeholders such as policymakers and academics. Using data
from 250 maize farming households in Nigeria, the study used Foster–Greer–Thorbecke
and probit regression model to investigate the factors determining households food security. The food insecurity measure shows that 23.2% points of the households express the
incidence of food insecurity while 5.5% points and 1.8% points were found to have depth
and severity of food insecurity, respectively. After controlling for households’ socio-economic and demographic characteristics, the probit regression model suggested that, among
others, value of output sold, education, credit access and participation in government
safety nets program signifcantly infuenced food security among the maize farmers in the
study area. Based on our fndings, efort should be intensifed to enhance the productivity
of land through improved production practices. There should be high-level awareness that
will increase farmers’ participation in safety net programs. Thus, government at all levels
(local, state, and federal) should have adequate budget allocation to this course in order to
improve the livelihood outcomes of the farming households
Evaluation of veterinary antimicrobial benchmarking systems at farm level in Europe: implications for the UK ruminant sector
Get PDFPublication history; Accepted - 15 March 2020; Published online - 6 April 2020Background A number of European countries currently conduct mandatory farm- level benchmarking for
antimicrobial usage (AMU). This review describes the systems used, with emphasis on metric type and practical
implications.
Methods This report describes examples of four types of metrics used to measure AMU: count- based, massbased,
daily dose- based and course- based, each with its own advantages and disadvantages.
Results The Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark and Switzerland use daily dose- based metrics to benchmark
AMU at farm- level, but each country diverges from the European Surveillance of Veterinary Antimicrobial
Consumption methodology in its own way, including how the population ‘at risk’ is calculated. Germany operates
a count- based system. Threshold AMU values have been speciied at farm- level in the Netherlands, Belgium
and Denmark, and action is required from producers to reduce AMU above these values. The Netherlands and
Belgium also benchmark veterinarians.
Conclusions For mixed species farms common in the UK and Ireland, splitting AMU by species is recommended.
It is also recommended that high priority critically important antimicrobials are benchmarked separately to other
antimicrobials. No one metric is optimum; however, for ruminant livestock a daily dose- based metric allows for
country- speciic adaptations which may allow a higher degree of precision at farm- level benchmarking in the UK
and Ireland.This study was funded by the Department of Agriculture, Environment and
Rural Affairs
Supplementation strategies for lactating dairy cows offered very high quality grass silages: Starch-based or fibre-based concentrates offered with or without straw
Get PDFPublication history: Accepted - 13 February 2020; Published online - 15 February 2020.A three-period change-over design study using 24 mid-lactation multiparous Holstein-Friesian dairy cows, examined
supplementation strategies for a high quality grass silage (dry matter (DM), 418 g/kg; crude protein
(CP), 170 g/kg DM; metabolisable energy (ME), 12.1 MJ/kg DM). Four treatments, in a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement,
compared concentrate type (High-starch or High-fibre) and straw inclusion (Straw or No-straw).
Concentrates had a starch and neutral detergent fibre content of 373 and 258 g/kg DM, respectively (Highstarch),
and 237 and 339 g/kg DM, respectively (High-fibre). In the No-straw treatments, silage and concentrates
were offered as a total mixed ration in a 57:43 DM ratio. In the Straw treatments, chopped straw was added at
4% of total DM, replacing part of the silage component of the diet. Following this study, the effect of diet on
nutrient utilisation efficiency was examined using four cows/treatment. There were no interactions between
concentrate type and straw inclusion for any cow performance or digestibility parameters. Silage dry matter
intake (DMI) and total DMI were reduced with the High-fibre concentrate (P = 0.001 and P = 0.006, respectively)
and straw inclusion (P < 0.001 and P = 0.014, respectively). Neither concentrate type nor straw inclusion
had a significant effect on milk yield or milk fat content. The High-starch concentrate increased milk
protein content (P < 0.001), while straw inclusion decreased milk protein content (P = 0.036). Treatment had
no effect on cow body weight, condition score, faecal scores, digestibility coefficients or nitrogen and energy
utilisation efficiency. In conclusion, supplementing a high quality grass silage with a carefully formulated ‘high
starch’ concentrate improved DMI and milk protein content with no adverse effects on cow performance. Straw
inclusion in the diet had no beneficial effects on DMI, milk production or nutrient utilisation efficiency.This project was funded by Department of Agriculture, Environment
and Rural Affairs (DAERA) in Northern Ireland, and by AgriSearch
(Farmers Levy)
Does rod catch reflect the background size structure of the sea trout stock in a small coastal river?
No full textPublication history: Accepted - 2 November 2020; Published online - 21 November 2020.DAERA N
Antimicrobial Properties of Basidiomycota Macrofungi to Mycobacterium abscessus Isolated from Patients with Cystic Fibrosis
Get PDFPublication history: Published online - 12 March 2019.Background: Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) has now emerged as a global public health crisis. Of particular concern is AMR associated with
the genus Mycobacterium, including Mycobacterium tuberculosis and the nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM). Emergence of the NTM, in
particular Mycobacterium abscessus, in patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) represents both a diagnostic and a treatment dilemma. Such resistance
drives the need to investigate novel sources of antimicrobials. Medicinal fungi have a well‑documented history of use in traditional oriental
therapies. Not only is this an ancient practice, but also still today, medical practice in Japan, China, Korea, and other Asian countries continue to
rely on fungal‑derived antibiotics. A study was, therefore, undertaken to examine the antimicrobial activity of 23 native macrofungal (mushrooms/
toadstools) taxa, collected from woodlands in Northern Ireland against six clinical (CF) isolates of M. abscessus, as well as M. abscessus National
Collection of Type Cultures (NCTC) Reference strain (NCTC 13031). Methods: Free‑growing saprophytic and mycorrhizal macrofungi (n = 23)
belonging to the phylum Basidiomycota were collected and were definitively identified employing Polymerase Chain reaction/ITS DNA
sequencing. Macrofungal tissues were freeze‑dried and reconstituted before employment in antibiotic susceptibility studies. Results: All
macrofungi examined showed varying inhibition of the M. abscessus isolates examined with the exception Russula nigricans. The macrofungi
displaying maximum antimycobacterial activity against the clinical isolates were (in descending order) M. giganteus (33.6 mg/ml), Hygrocybe
nigrescens (38.5 mg/ml) and Hypholoma fasciculare (25.3 mg/ml). Conclusion: Macrofungi may represent a source of novel antimicrobials
against M. abscessus, which have not yet been fully explored nor exploited clinically. This is the first report describing the antimycobacterial
properties of extracts of M. giganteus against M. abscessus. Further work is now required to identify the constituents and mode of the inhibitory
action of these macrofungi against the M. abscessus. Given the gravity of AMR in the NTMs, particularly M. abscessus and the clinical treatment
dilemmas that such AMR present, antibiotic drug discovery efforts should now focus on investigating and developing antibacterial compounds
from macrofungi, particularly M. giganteus, where there are no or limited current treatment options
Is There a Relationship Between Bovine Tuberculosis (bTB) Herd Breakdown Risk and Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis Status? An Investigation in bTB Chronically and Non-chronically Infected Herds
Get PDFPublication history: Accepted - 23 January 2019; Published - 14 February 2019.Background: Bovine tuberculosis (bTB; Mycobacterium bovis) remains a significant
problem in a number of countries, and is often found where M. avium subsp.
paratuberculosis (MAP) is also present. In the United Kingdom, bTB has been difficult
to eradicate despite long-term efforts. Co-infection has been proposed as one partial
mechanism thwarting eradication.
Methods: A retrospective case-control study of 4,500 cattle herds in Northern Ireland,
where serological testing of cattle for MAP, was undertaken (2004–2015). Blood samples
were ELISA tested for MAP; infection of M. bovis was identified in herds by the
comparative tuberculin test (CTT) and through post-mortem evidence of infection.
Case-herds were those experiencing a confirmed bTB breakdown; control-herds were
not experiencing a breakdown episode at the time of MAP testing. A second model
included additional testing data of feces samples (culture and PCR results) to better
inform herd MAP status. Multi-level hierarchical models were developed, controlling for
selected confounders. A sensitivity analysis of the effect of MAP sample numbers per
event and the prior timing of tuberculin-testing was undertaken.
Results: 45.2% (n = 250) of case observations and 36.0% (3,480) of control
observations were positive to MAP by ELISA (45.8% and 36.4% when including ancillary
fecal testing, respectively). Controlling for known confounders, the adjusted odds ratio
(aOR) for this association was 1.339 (95%CI:1.085–1.652; including ancillary data
aOR:1.356;95%CI:1.099–1.673). The size-effect of the association increased with the
increasing number of samples per event used to assign herd MAP status (aOR:1.883 at
>2 samples, to aOR:3.863 at >10 samples), however the estimated CI increased as N
decreased. 41.7% of observations from chronic herds were MAP serology-positive and
32.2% from bTB free herds were MAP positive (aOR: 1.170; 95%ci: 0.481–2.849).
Byrne et al. MAP Co-infection Impacts bTB Risk
Discussion: Cattle herds experiencing a bTB breakdown were associated with
increased risk of having a positive MAP status. Chronic herds tended to exhibit higher
risk of a positive MAP status than bTB free herds, however there was less support for this
association when controlling for repeated measures and confounding. MAP co-infection
may be playing a role in the success of bTB eradiation schemes, however further studies
are required to understand the mechanisms and to definitively establish causation.Funding was provided as part of the Evidence and Innovation
Strategy from the Department of Agriculture, Environment,
and Rural Affairs (DAERA; Grant numbers: 15/03/08
Tuberculosis in chronic herds in Northern Ireland; PI: AB;
15/03/10 Concurrent endemic diseases in Northern Ireland;
PI: AB). Open access publication fees were institutionally
funded (AFBI)
Characterisation of Cellulose Nanofibres Derived from Chemical and Mechanical Treatments
Get PDFPublication history: Published online - 14 January 2019.Optimised routes have been established to obtain high aspect ratio cellulose microfibrils derived from plant feedstocks, involving a combination of a chemical and mechanical treatment using a high pressure microfluidizer. By this means, nano-cellulose was produced using different pretreatment protocols. The nanofibres produced were characterised for its particle size distribution measurement (laser diffraction and zeta potential analysis) and fourier transform infrared for its structural analysis. Results obtained and subsequent trends observed in chemical, mechanical and chemo-mechanical treated nanofibres were compared and contrasted. The chemomechanical treatment (TEMPO-oxidation and high pressure microfluidisation) yielded higher aspect ratio nanofibrils than nanofibrils made by solely chemical or mechanical treatment.We wish to acknowledge Research Management, Innovation & Commercialization Centre (RMIC), UniSZA, for the financial support of this work through Special Research Grant Scheme (UniSZA/2017/SRGS/11)
The effect of an antimicrobial mixture on Cryptosporidium
Get PDFPublication history: Published online - June 2019Cryptosporidium is an enteric protozoan parasite that causes gastrointestinal disorders in humans and in a wide range
of animals, mainly in calves. As there is no available efficient treatment for cryptosporidiosis, in this study we evaluated
the effect of Auranta 3001, a natural feed additive on animal growth, number of days with liquid diarrhoea and oocyst
excretion, mean oocysts/gram faeces and on biochemical and physical parameters. The study showed that calves fed
with Auranta 3001 as a feed additive administered prior to infection with C. parvum, significantly reduced (P < 0.05)
the number of days with liquid diarrhoea, the number of days with oocyst excretion, the number of days of antibiotic
administration and mean oocysts/gram faeces. Moreover, the prophylactic administration of Auranta 3001,
significantly (P < 0.05) reduced the percentage of calves with fever and increased the body weight at day 56. However,
significant differences were not seen between IgG, total protein intake and haematocrit percentage. This study showed
the efficacy of Auranta 3001 in reducing cryptosporidiosis manifestations in calves.This work has been funded through a research
grant awarded to NC by Auranta, Nova UCD,
Belfield Innovation Park, Belfield, Dublin 4,
Irelan
Evaluation of energy balances and greenhouse gas emissions from different agricultural production systems in Minqin Oasis, China
Get PDFPublication history: Accepted - 4 February 2019; Published online - 26 June 2019Agricultural production in Minqin Oasis, China, is commonly categorized as intensive crop production (ICP), integrated crop–livestock production (ICLP), intensive livestock production (confined feeding) (IFLP), and extensive livestock production (grazing) (EGLP). The objectives of the present study were to use a life cycle assessment technique to evaluate on-farm energy balances and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of agricultural production, and to compare the differences among the four systems. Data used in the present study were collected from published literature and face-to face questionnaires from 529 farms in eight towns (two towns per production system) within Minqin county. The ANOVA of averaged data from 2014 to 2015 indicated that the net energy ratio (Output/Input) for the EGLP system was significantly higher than that for any other system (P < 0.01), whereas the difference among other three systems were not significant. The EGLP system generated lower CO2-eq emissions per hectare of farmland than other systems (P < 0.01). Relating carbon economic efficiency to market values (US/kg CO2-eq) of the IFLP system was significantly greater than that of other systems (P < 0.01). The major GHG emission sources varied across the systems, that is, soil respiration is the dominant source in EGLP, while the main sources in IFLP are enteric methane and manure management; in ICLP major sources are enteric methane, soil respiration and fertilizer; and in ICP are soil respiration and fertilizer. The structural equation modelling analysis showed that livestock category was strongly linked to net income. The direct effects and total effects of water use efficiency, via its positive influence on energy balances and GHG emissions were much stronger than those of other dependent variables. The study provides important benchmark information to help develop sustainable agricultural production systems on energy balances and GHG emissions in northwestern China.This study was financially supported by the Strategic Priority Research Program of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Grant No. XDA20100102, National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 31660347 and 31672472), Program for Changjiang Scholars and Innovative Research Team in University (IRT_17R50)
Extended nursing and/or increased starter diet allowances for low weaning weight pigs
Get PDFPublication history: Accepted - 3 October 2019; Published online - 21 October 2019.Objective: To evaluate the use of nurse sows and post-weaning nutrition strategies for low wean weight (WW) pigs on lifetime growth and efficiency.
Methods: Animals (n = 270) were assigned to one of five treatments at 28 d. Low WW pigs (<6 kg) were either weaned and offered a special dietary regime recommended for low WW pigs (WEAN) or placed on a nurse sow (NURSE) and weaned at 49 d. Normal WW pigs (9 kg) (NORM) were also weaned at 28 d. After weaning, NORM and NURSE pigs were offered either a ‘high’ (4 kg/pig of starter 1 diet followed by 8 kg/pig of starter 2 diet) or ‘low’ (8 kg/pig of starter 2 diet) starter diet allowance in a 2×2 factorial arrangement. A typical grower diet was then offered, followed by a typical finisher diet until 147 d of age.
Results: NORM pigs where heavier throughout their life compared to NURSE pigs (91.4 kg vs 76.2 kg at 147 d; p<0.001). WEAN pigs were heavier at 70 d compared to NURSE pigs (23.9 kg vs 21.0 kg; p<0.001), but there was no significant difference at 147 d between NURSE and WEAN treatments. NURSE pigs had reduced feed intake throughout the finishing period (1.6 kg/d; p<0.001) compared to WEAN (2.0 kg/d) and NORM (1.9 kg/d) pigs. Feed conversion ratio (FCR) of NURSE (2.20) was lower than NORM and WEAN during the finishing period (2.40 and 2.79, respectively).
Conclusion: Extended (up to 49 d) nursing for low WW pigs resulted in improved FCR during the finishing period, but no overall improvement in growth rate compared to low WW pigs weaned at 28 d and offered a specialised starter regime. Normal WW pigs where significantly heavier than low WW pigs throughout the study.This work was part of a PhD project sponsored by DARD and Pig Regen Ltd. The authors gratefully acknowledge the funders and the technical and farm staff at AFBI Hillsborough