Journal of Animal Science and Technology (JAST) is a peer-reviewed, open access journal publishing original research, review articles and notes in all fields of animal science. Topics covered by the journal include: genetics and breeding, physiology, nutrition of monogastric animals, nutrition of ruminants, animal products (milk, meat, eggs and their by-products) and their processing, grasslands and roughages, livestock environment, animal biotechnology, animal behavior and welfare.

Journal of Animal Science and Technology (JAST) is a peer-reviewed, open access journal publishing original research, review articles and notes in all fields of animal science. Topics covered by the journal include: genetics and breeding, physiology, nutrition of monogastric animals, nutrition of ruminants, animal products (milk, meat, eggs and their by-products) and their processing, grasslands and roughages, livestock environment, animal biotechnology, animal behavior and welfare.

Ginger (Zingiber officinale) is one of the major high-value cash crops in Nepal. Low yield, conventional farming, and limited access to production resources such as improved cultivars, production technologies, and extension services are the existing problems of Nepali ginger farmers. In this study, we conducted community based-participatory research in Ilam district, Nepal, in 2015–2017. This research aimed to explore the appropriate ginger farming technology considering yield, income, and environment. We compared the effect of four different ginger production technologies on ginger yield and net farm income that include: i) traditional practice with mother rhizome harvest, ii) traditional practice without mother rhizome harvest, iii) good agricultural practice (GAP) with mother rhizome harvest, and iv) GAP without mother rhizome harvest. The experiment was conducted in a randomized complete block design with five replications. The yield of ginger under GAP and without mother rhizome harvest was observed 17.9 t·ha⁻¹, which was 39.8% higher than the farmers’ existing practices and 45.5% higher than the national average. The cost of production was almost the same in all treatments; however, the GAP with mother rhizome-harvested treatment gave the highest benefit–cost ratio (1.5) along with the maximum net farm income ($2072.6·ha⁻¹·year⁻¹). Thus, we suggest ginger producers adopting GAP rules to obtain a higher yield and harvesting mother rhizomes earlier for obtaining maximum profit. The GAP rules will additionally protect the environment. This study also suggests policymakers and related stakeholders promoting GAP as a sustainable production technology in agriculture-based countries like Nepal.

Background: Despite high nutritional and economic value, alfalfa yield has not been improved in the United States. Soil moisture critically influences alfalfa's yield and quality, affecting its physiological processes, nutrient uptake, and stand growth. Additionally, the maturity stage at harvest can significantly impact both hay yield and quality. Thus, this study aimed to assess the effect of different soil moisture levels and harvesting times on forage yield, nutritive value, and the overall profitability of commercially cultivated alfalfa.Methods: Two conventional and three lower‐lignin alfalfa varieties were planted in a randomized complete block with split plot design under drought, rainfed, and irrigation conditions in 2020 in Manhattan, Kansas, USA. The dry matter yield (DMY) and forage nutritive value were evaluated at late bud, early flowering, and 7 days after early flowering stages, respectively.Results: DMY varied with production year, soil water availability, and growth stages, with drought conditions causing a decline in DMY of 5% to 38% in the second production year. Water conditions and maturity stages influenced crude protein (CP) and in vitro dry matter digestibility (IVDMD). Higher soil moisture and advancing maturity stages negatively impacted CP, IVDMD, and relative forage quality. The study revealed net profit margins of 62%, 64%, and 52% for drought‐prone, rainfed, and irrigated production, respectively.Conclusions: Harvest timing and irrigation practices were found to have substantial implications for forage yield and nutritive value of alfalfa. The yield‐quality trade‐off differed under drought and irrigation, with early harvesting leading to lower yields but higher protein content and digestibility. The study findings provide potential guidance for improving alfalfa hay yield, quality, and profitability.

Agricultural activities are the major anthropogenic source of nitrous oxide (⁠ $N2O$⁠), an important greenhouse gas and ozone-depleting substance. However, the role of forage conservation as a potential source of $N2O$ has rarely been studied. We investigated $N2O$ production from the simulated silage of the three major crops—maize, alfalfa, and sorghum—used for silage in the United States, which comprises over 90% of the total silage production. Our findings revealed that a substantial $N2O$ could be generated, potentially placing forage conservation as the third largest $N2O$ source in the agricultural sector. Notably, the application of chlorate as an additive significantly reduced $N2O$ production, but neither acetylene nor intermittent exposure to oxygen showed any impact. Overall, the results highlight that denitrifiers, rather than nitrifiers, are responsible for $N2O$ production from silage, which was confirmed by molecular analyses. Our study reveals a previously unexplored source of $N2O$ and provides a crucial mechanistic understanding for effective mitigation strategies.

The yield and production of alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) have not been significantly improved in Kansas for the last 30 years even though farmers are using improved varieties. We have noted a significant yield difference between average alfalfa yield reported by farmers and researchers. The magnitude of yield gap in Kansas and its underlying factors are still unknown. Thus, understanding of potential yield is essential to meet the future forage demand with the limited production resources. The main objective of this study was, therefore, to quantify the current yield gap and identify the main yield-limiting factor for rainfed alfalfa grown in Kansas. To achieve this objective, we selected 24 counties in Kansas based on the rainfed production area and total production, and used county-level yield, daily temperature, and rainfall data from the past 30 yrs (1988–2017) of those selected counties. We applied four statistical approaches: (i) probability distribution function to delineate county-level alfalfa growing season, (ii) stochastic frontier yield function to estimate optimum growing season rainfall (GSR) and attainable yield, (iii) linear boundary function to estimate minimum water loss, water use efficiency, and water-limited potential yield, and (iv) conditional inference tree to identify the major yield contributing weather variables. The probability distribution function delineated the alfalfa growing season starting from mid-March to mid-November in Kansas. The frontier model estimated the attainable yield of 9.2 Mg ha⁻¹ at an optimum GSR of 664 mm, generating a current yield gap of 18%. The linear boundary function estimated the water-limited potential yield of 15.5 Mg ha⁻¹ at an existing GSR of 624 mm, generating a yield gap of 50%. The conditional inference tree revealed that 24% of the variation in rainfed alfalfa yield in Kansas was explained by weather variables, mainly due to GSR followed minimum temperature. However, we found only 7% GSR deficit in the study area, indicating that GSR is not the only cause for such a wide yield gap. Thus, further investigation of other yield-limiting management factors is essential to minimize the current yield gap. The statistical models used in this study might be particularly useful when yield estimation using remote sensing and crop simulation models are not applicable in terms of time, resources, facilities, and investments.