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Improving vitamin D content in pork meat by UVB biofortification
Get PDFPublication history: Accepted - 11 January 2023; Published online - 14 January 2023Vitamin D deficiency is prevalent worldwide and identification of alternative food-based strategies are urgently warranted. In two studies, 12-week old crossbred pigs (Duroc x (Large White x Landrace)) were exposed daily to narrowband UVB radiation for ∼10 weeks or control (no UVB exposure) until slaughter. In Study 1 (n = 48), pigs were exposed to UVB for 2 min and in Study 2 (n = 20), this duration was tripled to 6 min. All pigs were fed the maximum permitted 2000 IU vitamin D3/kg feed. Loin meat was cooked prior to vitamin D LC-MS/MS analysis. In Study 1, pork loin vitamin D3 did not differ between groups. Study 2 provided longer UVB exposure time and resulted in significantly higher loin vitamin D3 (11.97 vs. 6.03 μg/kg), 25(OH)D3 (2.09 vs. 1.65 μg/kg) and total vitamin D activity (22.88 vs. 14.50 μg/kg) concentrations, compared to control (P < 0.05). Pigs remained healthy during both studies and developed no signs of erythema. Biofortification by UVB radiation provides an effective strategy to further safely increase the naturally occurring vitamin D content of pork loin, alongside feed supplementationThis work was funded as part of a Department for the Economy (DfE) Co-operative Awards in Science and Technology (CAST) PhD studentship, supported by Devenish Nutrition Limited and Agri-Food Quest Competence Centre (AFQCC)
Dietary protected fat and conjugated linoleic acid improves ewe milk fatty acid composition
Get PDFPublication history: Accepted - 4 february 2023; Published - 15 May 2023.The effects of protected fats (Optima 100) and conjugated linoleic acid (Endulac®-CLA) supplementation on sheep milk saturated and unsaturated fatty acid composition were investigated. Sheep were divided into four experimental groups (15 ewes/group) including: i) a control group - basal diet without any nutritional supplements; ii) experimental group 1 - basal diet + 12g/sheep/day of the protected source of fats in the feed; iii) group 2 - 12 g of CLA in the feed; iv) group 3 - 12 g of protected fats and CLA in feed. Sixty milk fatty acids were different in milk from treated fat and CLA-treated sheep compared to the control group. The most biologically important fatty acid constituents of milk were identified as butyric, caproic, caprylic, lauric, myristic, palmitic, stearic, arachidonic, behenic, oleic, and linoleic acid (C4 to C18). Ewes that received protected fat or CLA, or both, displayed an increased concentration of oleic acid compared to the control. Both treatments modified milk lipid quality parameters and increased the polyunsaturated/saturated fatty acids ratio (PUFA/SFA), the polyunsaturation index (PI), and the thrombogenic index (TI). Group 3 had similar milk lipid quality parameters as untreated animals. Compared to the CLA and control groups, milk production in the protected fat treatment was higher in Turcana dairy ewes. The inclusion of protected fats and CLA as dietary supplements in lactating ewes modified the milk fatty acid profile, with a concomitant impact on suckling lamb performance and consumer health.This work was funded by a research grant awarded to L.S. by Banats University of Agricultural and Veterinary Medicine, King Michel First from Timisoara, Romani
Performance of Dairy Cows Offered Grass Silage Produced within Either a Three- or Four-Harvest System When Supplemented with Concentrates on a Feed-to-Yield Basis
Get PDFPublication history: Accepted - 4 January 2023; Published online - 7 January 2023More frequent harvesting of grass swards provides an opportunity to improve the nutritive value of grass silage. This study investigated the effect of offering silages produced within either a three- (3H) or four-harvest (4H) system on dairy cow performance when concentrate supplements were offered according to the individual cow’s milk yield (feed-to-yield). Cows (n = 80) were allocated to either 3H or 4H at calving and remained on experiment for 25 weeks. Within both treatments, cows were offered silage from each harvest consecutively in proportion to the dry matter (DM) yield for each harvest. Silage was offered as a mixed ration with concentrate added at a rate of 8 kg/cow/day. Additional concentrates were offered on a feed-to-yield basis. Herbage yields were reduced in the 4H system, but 4H silage contained higher metabolisable energy and crude protein content compared to 3H. Cows offered the 4H silage had greater silage DM intake, milk yield and milk protein content, while milk fat content was greater in cows offered 3H silages. In conclusion, increasing harvesting frequency from three to four harvests per year can improve silage feed value, silage intakes and milk yields when concentrates are offered on a feed-to-yield basis.This project was funded by Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) in Northern Ireland, and by AgriSearch (Farmers Levy)
Farm Safety: A Study of Young Farmers’ Awareness, Attitudes and Behaviors
No full textPublication history: Published online - 14 February 2023Objectives: Agriculture in the United Kingdom (UK) continues to be one of the most dangerous occupations, accounting for around a fifth of fatal workplace injuries and many other injuries, both major and minor. This study examines young farmers’ awareness of, attitude to and behaviors around safety practices on-farm. Method: A survey was undertaken amongst a group of young farmers aged 16-years and over who were actively engaged in farming in Northern Ireland, focusing on attitudes and behaviors towards safety on-farm. Drawing on previous literature, this study examined whether younger farmers demonstrate a higher degree of risk tolerance and are more likely to engage in risk taking behavior when undertaking routine farming practices leading to potential injuries and lost work-ing days. The young farmers surveyed were classified into three groups and differences in risk perception were examined. Results: The results indicate that, statistically, farmer age, intensity of farming alongside the level of farming experience contribute to incident occurrence. Our results indicate a need for attitudinal and behavioral change, particularly around risk-taking behaviors that ultimately result in farm incidents, impacting on both the performance of the farm business and individual farmer well- being. Conclusion: Policies aimed at addressing perception and acceptance of risks among farmers are recommended.The work was supported by the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development
Modeling Microplastic Transport in the Marine Environment: Testing Empirical Models of Particle Terminal Sinking Velocity for Irregularly Shaped Particles
Get PDFPublication history: Accepted - 6 March 2023; Published online - 22 March 2023.Microplastic (mP) pollution has been indicated as an area of concern in the marine environment. However, there is no consensus on their potential to cause significant ecological harm, and a comprehensive risk assessment of mP pollution is unattainable due to gaps in our understanding of their transport, uptake, and exchange processes. This research considers drag models that have been proposed to calculate the terminal settling velocity of regularly and irregularly shaped particles to assess their applicability in a mP modeling context. The evaluation indicates three models that predict the settling velocity of mPs to a high precision and suggests that an explicit model is the most appropriate for implementation in a mP transport model. This research demonstrates that the mP settling velocity does not vary significantly over time and depth relevant to the scale of an ocean model and that the terminal settling velocity is independent of the initial particle velocity. These findings contribute toward efforts to simulate the vertical transport of mPs in the ocean, which will improve our understanding of the residence time of mPs in the water column and subsequently their availability for uptake into the marine ecosystem.This work was supported by the Natural Environment Research Council under the Queen’s University Belfast and
the University of Aberdeen Doctoral Research and Training Doctoral Training Partnership (QUADRAT DTP)
Initial ecological change in plant and arthropod community composition after wildfires in designated areas of upland peatlands
Get PDFPublication history: Accepted - 5 January 2023; Published - 11 February 2023.Wildfires are an increasing concern due to rising temperatures and incidence of droughts associated with changing climate, poor land management, and direct human interference. Most studies of the impact of fire on temperate heathland and bog examined the consequences of controlled or prescribed burning. Less is known about the impacts of uncontrolled wildfires on sites designated for their conservation value. We examined the initial impact and short-term trajectory (3.5 years) of cool temperate peatland plant and arthropod communities on designated upland sites in Northern Ireland following wildfires, that is, unplanned with respect to where and when they occur, severity, and duration. These near simultaneous wildfires were often due to a failure to control prescribed burns. Wildfires were associated with a loss of blanket bog and heath indicator species. Broad vegetation groups showed initial recovery characterized by a decrease in bare ground and increasing cover of shrub species and bryophytes. However, at a species level, Sphagnum spp and bryophyte communities, which are central to peatland ecosystem functioning, showed no sign of recovery to prefire composition. Rather, bryophyte communities became more divergent over the course of the study and were mainly characterized by increased abundance of the alien pioneer acrocarp Campylopus introflexus. Similarly, composition of arthropod communities (ground beetles and spiders) differed between burnt and unburnt areas and showed no evidence of a return to species composition in unburnt areas. The nationally rare beetle Carabus nitens was more common in the aftermath of wildfire. Synthesis. Whilst, long-term recovery was not investigated, these short-term changes suggest enduring detrimental impacts on the distinctive communities associated with peatlands, primarily through the loss of Sphagnum spp., affecting ecosystem services such as carbon sequestration and water and soil retention. It may not be possible to restore exact prefire species composition of plant and animal communities. We suggest a precautionary approach involving management of upland vegetation, public education, and vigilance, to prevent further wildfires and protect these key upland habitats.This study was commissioned and funded by the Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA) via the Natural Heritage Research Partnership (NHRP) with Quercus, Queen's University Belfast (QUB), and the National Museums of Northern Ireland (NMNI)
Genome analyses of species A rotavirus isolated from various mammalian hosts in Northern Ireland during 2013−2016
Get PDFPublication history: Accepted - 27 June 2023; Published - 4 July 2023.Rotavirus group A (RVA) is the most important cause of acute diarrhoea and severe dehydration in young mammals. Infection in livestock is associated with significant mortality and economic losses and, together with wildlife reservoirs, acts as a potential source of zoonotic transmission. Therefore, molecular surveillance of circulating RVA strains in animal species is necessary to assess the risks posed to humans and their livestock. An RVA molecular epidemiological surveillance study on clinically diseased livestock species revealed high prevalence in cattle and pigs (31 per cent and 18 per cent, respectively) with significant phylogenetic diversity including a novel and divergent ovine artiodactyl DS-1-like constellation G10-P[15]-I2-R2-C2-M2-A11-N2-T6-E2-H3. An RVA gene reassortment occurred in an RVA asymptomatic pig and identified as a G5-P[13] strain, and a non-structural protein (NSP)2 gene had intergenomically reassorted with a human RVA strain (reverse zoonosis) and possessed a novel NSP4 enterotoxin E9 which may relate to the asymptomatic RVA infection. Analysis of a novel sheep G10-P[15] strain viral protein 4 gene imparts a putative homologous intergenic and interspecies recombination event, subsequently creating the new P[15] divergent lineage. While surveillance across a wider range of wildlife and exotic species identified generally negative or low prevalence, a novel RVA interspecies transmission in a non-indigenous pudu deer (zoo origin) with the constellation of G6-P[11]12-R2-C2-M2-A3-N2-T6-E2-H3 was detected at a viral load of 11.1 log10 copies/gram. The detection of novel emerging strains, interspecies reassortment, interspecies infection, and recombination of RVA circulating in animal livestock and wildlife reservoirs is of paramount importance to the RVA epidemiology and evolution for the One Health approach and post-human vaccine introduction era where highly virulent animal RVA genotypes have the potential to be zoonotically transmitted
Defining sustainable and precautionary harvest rates for data-limited short-lived stocks: a case study of sprat (Sprattus sprattus) in the English Channel2023
Get PDFPublication history: Accepted - 3 March 2023; Published - 17 April 2023.Empirical harvest control rules set catch advice based on observed indicators and are increasingly being used worldwide to manage fish stocks that lack formal assessments of stock and exploitation status. Within the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea, trend-based rules that adjust advice according to recent survey observations have been adopted; however, there is increasing evidence that such rules do not work well for short-lived pelagic species that can exhibit large inter-annual fluctuations in stock size. Constant harvest rates, removing a fixed proportion of observed biomass index, have been proposed as a suitable strategy for managing short-lived species. Unknown survey catchability has, however, remained a barrier to reliance on their application on these stocks in the past. We apply simulation testing to define a robust, sustainable constant harvest rate for a data-limited short-lived stock, using the English Channel sprat as a case study. By conditioning a management strategy evaluation framework based on existing and borrowed life-history parameters and precautionary considerations, we test and show that a constant harvest rate outperforms trend-based catch rules, maximizing yields while reducing risks of stock overexploitation, and conclude an 8.6% constant harvest rate provides sufficiently precautionary catch advice for this stock.Part of this work was funded by the UK Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Measuring the Sensitivity of the Northern Ireland Protocol on the All-Ireland Agri-Food Supply Chain
Get PDFPublication history: Published - 29 March 2023The agri-food sectors in Northern Ireland (NI) and Ireland (IRL) have become more integrated
with more investments from IRL in the north and advances in all Ireland cooperation on animal health
and welfare, and disease control. However, as both jurisdictions are considered structurally similar and
both have a large dairy and beef sector, they are competing in the Great Britain (GB) market for agrifood
products. When considering the island of Ireland agri-food sectors in the context of Brexit and the
NI Protocol, there will be clear winners and losers under different Brexit and NI protocol scenarios.
What constitutes a relatively “good” economic outcome for NI farmers may come at the expense of IRL
farmers, while relatively “good” economic outcomes for IRL farmers may amplify negative outcomes
for NI farmers. This paper analyses the impacts of the NI Protocol in terms of what it means for the
agri-food sectors in IRL, NI, but also for the island of Ireland (ISL) as a whole
Toward the automated detection of behavioral changes associated with the post-weaning transition in pigs
Get PDFPublication history: Accepted - 7 December 2022; Published - 4 January 2023.We modified an automated method capable of quantifying behaviors which
we then applied to the changes associated with the post-weaning transition
in pigs. The method is data-driven and depends solely on video-captured
image data without relying on sensors or additional pigmarkings. It was applied
to video images generated from an experiment during which post-weaned
piglets were subjected to treatments either containing or not containing in-
feed antimicrobials (ZnO or antibiotics). These treatments were expected to
aect piglet performance and health in the short-term by minimizing the risk
from post-weaning enteric disorders, such as diarrhea. The method quantified
total group feeding and drinking behaviors as well as posture (i.e., standing
and non-standing) during the first week post-weaning, when the risk of post-
weaning diarrhea is at its highest, by learning from the variations within each
behavior using datamanually annotated by a behavioral scientist. Automatically
quantified changes in behavior were consistent with the eects of the absence
of antimicrobials on pig performance and health, and manifested as reduced
feed e ciency and looser feces. In these piglets both drinking and standing
behaviors were increased during the first 6 days post-weaning. The correlation
between fecal consistency and drinking behavior 6 days post weaning was
relatively high, suggesting that these behaviors may have a diagnostic value.
The presence or absence of in-feed antimicrobials had no eect on feeding
behavior, which, however, increased over time. The approach developed here
is capable of automaticallymonitoring several dierent behaviors of a group of
pigs at the same time, and potentially thismay be where its value as a diagnostic
tool may lie.This research was part of the EU-China HealthyLivestock
project. The authors wish to acknowledge that HealthyLivestock
is funded by the European Union H2020 research and
innovation program under grant agreement number 773436.
The European Commission’s support for the production of this
publication does not constitute an endorsement of the contents,
which reflect the views only of the authors, and the Commission
cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of
the information contained therein. IK was funded by BBSRC
BB/M011364/1 during the development of this work