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The aim of the present study was to determine the effects of mild drinking water restriction (WR) on feed intake, diet digestibility, rumen fermentation, and nitrogen (N) balance in a desert-adapted goat breed of Oman. Two feeding trials were conducted during the dry summer months (August-October) in 2013 and 2014. In each trial, nine adult male Batinah goats were exposed to two levels of mild WR (WR: 85% (WR15) and 70% (WR30) of individual ad libitum consumption; 100% (WR0)) in a 3 × 3 Latin Square design. Drinking water intake, feed offered and refused, and excretion of urine and faeces were quantified and samples analysed for crude nutrient and fibre fractions. Moreover, rumen microbial protein synthesis was estimated from urinary purine derivatives excretion. In trial 2, rumen fermentation characteristics were additionally studied in three rumen-fistulated goats. Linear and quadratic effects of WR in each trial were assessed by mixed model analysis, whereas correlations between drinking water intake and response variables were determined across both trials. For WR30, drinking water intake was 79% and 90%, respectively, of the water intake of WR0 goats in trial 1 and WR15 goats in trial 2. Water restriction had no effect on feed intake, rumen microbial protein synthesis, and N balance in both trials. However, apparent total tract digestibilities of neutral and acid detergent fibre tended to decrease linearly (p ≤ 0.081) with increasing WR level in trial 1, whereas those of dry matter and organic matter were lower (p ≤ 0.028) for WR15 than for WR0 and WR30 in trial 2. Proportions of butyrate (p ≤ 0.046) and isovalerate (p = 0.087) in rumen fluid were greater and those of propionate (p = 0.079) and valerate (p = 0.062) lower for WR30 as compared to one or both of the other WR levels. Duodenal microbial N flow and efficiency of microbial protein synthesis did not differ between WR levels. Yet, across both trials, both variables correlated positively with drinking water intake. Similarly, declining drinking water intake increased the ratio between faecal and urine N excretion (r=-0.55) and the N concentration in faeces (r=-0.42), but reduced the fibre concentration (r=0.38) and the proportion of undigested feed N in faeces (r=0.49). Mild restriction of drinking water intake to ≥ 79% of the ad libitum consumption, which is expected to occur more frequently with advancing climate change in the semi-arid tropics and subtropics, may impair feed nutrient use and thus performance of regionally adapted small ruminants, while improving the quality of their manure.
U. Dickhoefer; M.R. Ramadhan; S. Apenburg; A. Buerkert; E. Schlecht. Effects of mild water restriction on nutrient digestion and protein metabolism in desert-adapted goats. Small Ruminant Research 2021, 204, 106500 .
AMA StyleU. Dickhoefer, M.R. Ramadhan, S. Apenburg, A. Buerkert, E. Schlecht. Effects of mild water restriction on nutrient digestion and protein metabolism in desert-adapted goats. Small Ruminant Research. 2021; 204 ():106500.
Chicago/Turabian StyleU. Dickhoefer; M.R. Ramadhan; S. Apenburg; A. Buerkert; E. Schlecht. 2021. "Effects of mild water restriction on nutrient digestion and protein metabolism in desert-adapted goats." Small Ruminant Research 204, no. : 106500.
Urbanization is a main driver of agricultural transition in the Global South but how it shapes trends of intensification or extensification is not yet well understood. The Indian megacity of Bengaluru combines rapid urbanization with a high demand for dairy products, which is partly supplied by urban and peri-urban dairy producers. To study the impacts of urbanization on dairy production and to identify key features of dairy production systems across Bengaluru’s rural-urban interface, 337 dairy producers were surveyed on the socio-economic profile of their household, their dairy herd and management, resources availability and, in- and output markets. A two-step cluster analysis identified four spatially explicit dairy production systems based on urbanization level of their neighborhood, reliance on self-cultivated forages, pasture use, cattle in- and outflow and share of specialized dairy genotypes. The most extensive dairy production system, common to the whole rural-urban interface, utilized publicly available feed resources and pasture grounds rather than to cultivate forages. In rural areas, two semi-intensive and one intensive dairy production systems relying on self-cultivation of forage with or without pasture further distinguished themselves by their herd and breeding management. In rural areas, the village’s dairy cooperative, which also provided access to inputs such as exotic genotype through artificial insemination, concentrate feeds and health care, was often the only marketing channel available to dairy producers, irrespective of the dairy production system to which they belonged. In urban areas, milk was mostly sold through direct marketing or a middleman. Despite rapidly progressing urbanization and a population of 10 million, Bengaluru’s dairy sector still relies on small-scale family dairy farms. Shifts in resources availability, such as land and labor, are potential drivers of market-oriented intensification but also extensification of dairy production in an urbanizing environment.
Marion Reichenbach; Ana Pinto; Sven König; Raghavendra Bhatta; Eva Schlecht. Dairy production in an urbanizing environment—Typology and linkages in the megacity of Bengaluru, India. PLOS ONE 2021, 16, 1 .
AMA StyleMarion Reichenbach, Ana Pinto, Sven König, Raghavendra Bhatta, Eva Schlecht. Dairy production in an urbanizing environment—Typology and linkages in the megacity of Bengaluru, India. PLOS ONE. 2021; 16 (8):1.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMarion Reichenbach; Ana Pinto; Sven König; Raghavendra Bhatta; Eva Schlecht. 2021. "Dairy production in an urbanizing environment—Typology and linkages in the megacity of Bengaluru, India." PLOS ONE 16, no. 8: 1.
In arid and semi-arid environments, extensively managed ruminants regularly experience drinking water shortage, especially in the dry season. The present study therefore investigated the effects of mild drinking water restriction on feed intake, feed digestibility, solid digesta passage and composition of faeces including faecal microbial biomass. A feeding trial was conducted in Oman, during the dry summer months. Nine adult male Batinah goats were subjected to three watering regimes in a 3 × 3 Latin Square design. Treatments were (1) water offered ad libitum (100%, W100); (2) water restricted to 85% ad libitum consumption (W85); and (3) water restricted to 70% ad libitum consumption (W70). Animals were offered Rhodes grass hay and whole barley grains (1:1 ratio) at 1.3 times maintenance energy requirements. Each of the three experimental periods comprised 16 days of adaptation and 8 days of measurements. During the latter, feed offered and refused as well as faeces were sampled and quantified. Gastrointestinal digesta passage was determined using ytterbium-labelled Rhodes grass hay. Ergosterol and amino sugars were used as markers for faecal microbial biomass, that is the sum of fungi and bacteria. Water restriction had no effect on feed intake and digesta passage. However, feed dry matter, organic matter and fibre digestibility increased (p < 0.05) in W70 compared with W85, and the excreted amount of faecal dry matter, organic matter, nitrogen and neutral detergent fibre decreased (p < 0.05) in W70 compared with W85. Even though water restriction did not affect total faecal microbial biomass carbon (C) concentration, that of fungal biomass C increased (p < 0.05) in W70 compared with W85. Therefore, mild water restriction seems unproblematic from a physiological and nutrient utilization perspective as it increases feed digestibility without compromising feed intake.
M. R. Ramadhan; E. Schlecht; U. Dickhoefer; O. Mahgoub; R. G. Joergensen. Feed digestibility, digesta passage and faecal microbial biomass in desert‐adapted goats exposed to mild water restriction. Journal of Animal Physiology and Animal Nutrition 2021, 1 .
AMA StyleM. R. Ramadhan, E. Schlecht, U. Dickhoefer, O. Mahgoub, R. G. Joergensen. Feed digestibility, digesta passage and faecal microbial biomass in desert‐adapted goats exposed to mild water restriction. Journal of Animal Physiology and Animal Nutrition. 2021; ():1.
Chicago/Turabian StyleM. R. Ramadhan; E. Schlecht; U. Dickhoefer; O. Mahgoub; R. G. Joergensen. 2021. "Feed digestibility, digesta passage and faecal microbial biomass in desert‐adapted goats exposed to mild water restriction." Journal of Animal Physiology and Animal Nutrition , no. : 1.
The northeastern SAVA region of Madagascar is the largest vanilla producing area in the world and is flourishing due to a large global demand for natural vanilla. Although the general socio-economic situation has regionally improved because of high vanilla prices, little is known about the nutritional status of local vanilla farmers. We used a 12-month longitudinal food survey to analyze food security, food consumption and nutrient intake of local vanilla farming households (n = 140). Food consumption data was complemented with baseline, agro-economic, longitudinal and field-plot information to determine factors influencing food security, and the contribution of protein from Animal Source Food (ASF_protein) to household nutrition using a stepwise generalized linear model. Results show a high level (74%) of food insecurity and micronutrient deficiency but an acceptable level of protein intake among surveyed households. Consumption of rice, the principal source of carbohydrates, is stable across the year. Compared to other regions in Madagascar, local diets are moderately diversified with an acceptable share of ASF_protein (about 50%). Household size (P < 0.001) and cash income from rice sales (P < 0.001) were the most important factors influencing the food security index (FSI), while cash crop income (P < 0.01) and number of income sources (P < 0.01) were more important in the explanation of the dietary share of ASF_protein. Yet, neither livestock ownership nor contracting with vanilla buyers/exporters did improve food security of the surveyed households. Households who concluded contracts were significantly less food secure than non-contracting households (P = 0.01) with seasonal fluctuations across the year. Policy implications of our findings are that, although many actors of the vanilla value chain run social and environmental programs in the SAVA region, more needs to be done to improve diet quality at household level and strengthen farmers’ resilience to food insecurity.
Jessica Noromalala Andriamparany; Hendrik Hänke; Eva Schlecht. Food security and food quality among vanilla farmers in Madagascar: the role of contract farming and livestock keeping. Food Security 2021, 13, 981 -1012.
AMA StyleJessica Noromalala Andriamparany, Hendrik Hänke, Eva Schlecht. Food security and food quality among vanilla farmers in Madagascar: the role of contract farming and livestock keeping. Food Security. 2021; 13 (4):981-1012.
Chicago/Turabian StyleJessica Noromalala Andriamparany; Hendrik Hänke; Eva Schlecht. 2021. "Food security and food quality among vanilla farmers in Madagascar: the role of contract farming and livestock keeping." Food Security 13, no. 4: 981-1012.
The sustainable use of rangelands in pastoral areas requires the inclusion of all stakeholders to develop sound management strategies. However, the role of these actors in the sustainable management of natural resources is still poorly understood. The present study aims to (i) assess the perception of farmers and herders of the risks and opportunities of transhumance on rangeland resource use and management, and to (ii) generate useful knowledge for the design and implementation of policies that favor the coexistence of these actors and reduce competition over rangeland resources use in Benin. To this end, interviews were conducted with 240 crop farmers and herders using a semi-structured questionnaire in two contrasting agroecological zones in the northern (Kandi) and the southern (Kétou) part of the country. Among the respondents, 64% of farmers in the North were agro-pastoralists (owning 10.6 ha of land and 10.7 cattle) and 36% were herders (keeping 45.8 cattle and cultivating about 3.7 ha of land). They perceived that communal rangelands were entirely degraded. In the South, 36% of respondents were agro-pastoralists (with 0.3 cattle and farming 4 ha of land) and 64% cattle herders (raising 45.3 cattle and farming 0.9 ha of land only). Of the herders, 50% kept cattle for more than 20 years, while agro-pastoralists had no previous experience in cattle herding. Cultivation practices among crop farmers, such as high use of mineral fertilization (23.8%) and bush fires for land clearing (22.5%), were reported in Kandi (North) and Kétou (South) as factors that might contribute to land degradation. However, these farmers perceived transhumance as a threat to the sustainable use of natural resources. In contrast, herders perceived transhumance as an opportunity to valorize unused land and increase the availability of manure to cropland. The prevalent negative attitude of crop farmers regarding transhumant herders increases the vulnerability of cattle herding in both regions. There is an urgent need of raising awareness concerning the mutual benefits provided by the coexistence of crop farmers with herders to promote participative rangeland management strategies. This may contribute towards coping with the current challenges of food insecurity and increasing climate variability as well as to reducing recurrent conflicts in the region.
Rodrigue Diogo; Luc Dossa; Sèyi Vanvanhossou; Badirou Abdoulaye; Kossi Dosseh; Marcel Houinato; Eva Schlecht; Andreas Buerkert. Farmers’ and Herders’ Perceptions on Rangeland Management in Two Agroecological Zones of Benin. Land 2021, 10, 425 .
AMA StyleRodrigue Diogo, Luc Dossa, Sèyi Vanvanhossou, Badirou Abdoulaye, Kossi Dosseh, Marcel Houinato, Eva Schlecht, Andreas Buerkert. Farmers’ and Herders’ Perceptions on Rangeland Management in Two Agroecological Zones of Benin. Land. 2021; 10 (4):425.
Chicago/Turabian StyleRodrigue Diogo; Luc Dossa; Sèyi Vanvanhossou; Badirou Abdoulaye; Kossi Dosseh; Marcel Houinato; Eva Schlecht; Andreas Buerkert. 2021. "Farmers’ and Herders’ Perceptions on Rangeland Management in Two Agroecological Zones of Benin." Land 10, no. 4: 425.
Greenhouse gas emissions from livestock farming and in particular enteric methane (CH4) from ruminants are criticized for being one of the main contributors to climate change. Different breeding, feeding and management strategies are tested to decrease these emissions, but a status quo analysis is also relevant to implement such measures. The present study aimed to analyze the concentration of CH4 in air exhaled by dairy cows along a rural-urban gradient of Bangalore, India. Urban, mixed and rural areas were defined based on a survey stratification index (SSI) comprising build-up density and distance to the city center. Using a laser methane detector (LMD), CH4 concentration was determined in 2-min spot measurements of exhaled air of 448 cows at three equally spaced visits between June 2017 and April 2018. Mean, maximum and CH4 concentration per duration of the overall measurement, eructation and respiration bouts were calculated. For the overall mean and respiration bouts, CH4 concentration was higher in cows from urban areas, which had also higher milk yield than cows from mixed and rural areas. Although no differences were found in terms of the intake level of fibrous diet components, the type of measurement location (indoor, half-outdoor or outdoor) and pasture access had an impact on CH4 concentration. To our knowledge, this is the first study using the LMD on-farm and in an urbanizing environment. The LMD measurements show variations in enteric CH4 emissions along the rural-urban gradient of Bangalore that reflect differences in dairy husbandry systems governed by the social-ecological context.
Ana Pinto; Tong Yin; Marion Reichenbach; Raghavendra Bhatta; Pradeep Malik; Eva Schlecht; Sven König. Enteric Methane Emissions of Dairy Cattle Considering Breed Composition, Pasture Management, Housing Conditions and Feeding Characteristics along a Rural-Urban Gradient in a Rising Megacity. Agriculture 2020, 10, 628 .
AMA StyleAna Pinto, Tong Yin, Marion Reichenbach, Raghavendra Bhatta, Pradeep Malik, Eva Schlecht, Sven König. Enteric Methane Emissions of Dairy Cattle Considering Breed Composition, Pasture Management, Housing Conditions and Feeding Characteristics along a Rural-Urban Gradient in a Rising Megacity. Agriculture. 2020; 10 (12):628.
Chicago/Turabian StyleAna Pinto; Tong Yin; Marion Reichenbach; Raghavendra Bhatta; Pradeep Malik; Eva Schlecht; Sven König. 2020. "Enteric Methane Emissions of Dairy Cattle Considering Breed Composition, Pasture Management, Housing Conditions and Feeding Characteristics along a Rural-Urban Gradient in a Rising Megacity." Agriculture 10, no. 12: 628.
In many parts of the world, the utilization of rangelands is based on the targeted movement of herds within and across often vast territories. Crucial for the success of these livestock operations are decisions on how to flexibly allocate animals to the existing vegetation, both in terms of numbers and concentrations, and in space and time. Research from large scale ranching in the prairies of the Americas, and nomadic or transhumant livestock systems in Africa, the Middle East, and Central Asia, suggests that the more precisely specific patches of vegetation at a specific development stage can be targeted, the more beneficial will be the outcome in terms of animal nutrition and productivity. This also holds for the provision of environmental services such as aboveground net primary production, biodiversity preservation, and soil fertility. However, herding requires year-round labor investment, and in rural areas where seasonal migration is an important livelihood strategy, herding may suffer from absence of skilled workforce. Additional obstacles are political neglect and land use competition, insecurity, reduced self-ownership rates of herds, partial social isolation of herders, and hardship of the work. These make herding an increasingly unpopular occupation, especially for the young generation, but there are also factors that drive (young) people to take up or continue this profession. Reduced herding efforts, reflected in the reluctance to utilize remote grazing areas, may lead to overstocking of favorable pastures. This increases the risk of pasture degradation, long-term reduced herd productivity, social conflict, and public criticism of pastoralism as an anachronistic lifestyle and detrimental land stewardship, thereby further fueling the erosion of herding. By reviewing studies from Africa, the Middle East, and southern and eastern Asia, and including some insights from Europe and southern America, we discuss the ecosystem services produced by herding and herd mobility, and reflect on the ecological and social consequences of the loss of herding labor. Highlighting aspects that speak for this occupation at the individual level, we conclude by suggesting interventions that may sustain the herding profession, such as facilitation of labor sharing, labor contracts, improved herder security, and societal payments for ecological and cultural services.
Eva Schlecht; Matthew D. Turner; Christian G. Hülsebusch; Andreas Buerkert. Managing Rangelands Without Herding? Insights From Africa and Beyond. Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems 2020, 4, 1 .
AMA StyleEva Schlecht, Matthew D. Turner, Christian G. Hülsebusch, Andreas Buerkert. Managing Rangelands Without Herding? Insights From Africa and Beyond. Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems. 2020; 4 ():1.
Chicago/Turabian StyleEva Schlecht; Matthew D. Turner; Christian G. Hülsebusch; Andreas Buerkert. 2020. "Managing Rangelands Without Herding? Insights From Africa and Beyond." Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems 4, no. : 1.
The aim of the present study was to infer phenotypic trait expressions via mixed modeling considering both social and ecological continuous descriptors simultaneously. In this regard, we selected a challenging heterogeneous social-ecological environment, with focus on the rising megacity Bangalore, located in southern India. Dairy traits from 517 dairy cattle were recorded in 121 herds, equally distributed along a southern and a northern rural–urban gradient of Bangalore, distinguishing between urban, mixed, and rural areas. Repeated records from three visits per herd included production traits (daily milk yield in liter: MY), energy efficiency indicators (body condition score: BCS), cow wellbeing indicators (udder hygiene score: UddHS, upper leg hygiene score: ULHS, hock assessment score: HAS, rectal temperature in °C: RT), and health traits (locomotion score: LS, subclinical mastitis: SubMast). Associations between a continuous rural–urban gradient and phenotypic trait expressions were analyzed via mixed modeling, additionally considering “classic” environmental explanatory variables such as climatic conditions. MY and BCS were higher in urban than in rural areas, associated with reduced SubMast and improved hygiene scores for UddHS and ULHS. Scores for wellbeing indicators HAS and LS were unfavorable for cows in urban areas, indicating poor leg health conditions in that area. In rural areas, least-squares means for RT were quite large, probably due to the scarcity of shading and heat insulation of the barns. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study disentangling phenotypic trait expressions in the context of social-ecological heterogeneity, contributing to a deeper understanding of physiological mechanisms underlying genotype by environment interactions.
Ana Pinto; Tong Yin; Marion Reichenbach; Raghavendra Bhatta; Eva Schlecht; Sven König. Phenotypic Dairy Cattle Trait Expressions in Dependency of Social-Ecological Characteristics along Rural–Urban Gradients. Sustainability 2020, 12, 9021 .
AMA StyleAna Pinto, Tong Yin, Marion Reichenbach, Raghavendra Bhatta, Eva Schlecht, Sven König. Phenotypic Dairy Cattle Trait Expressions in Dependency of Social-Ecological Characteristics along Rural–Urban Gradients. Sustainability. 2020; 12 (21):9021.
Chicago/Turabian StyleAna Pinto; Tong Yin; Marion Reichenbach; Raghavendra Bhatta; Eva Schlecht; Sven König. 2020. "Phenotypic Dairy Cattle Trait Expressions in Dependency of Social-Ecological Characteristics along Rural–Urban Gradients." Sustainability 12, no. 21: 9021.
Climate variability, rising livestock numbers, decreasing herd mobility, and clustered grazing patterns have incited concern about the sustainable use of Mongolia’s natural pastures as the nutritional backbone of the country’s livestock sector. In 2013 and 2014 we studied daily itineraries, grazing behaviour, and feed and nutrient intake of small ruminants on spring and summer pastures in the southern Mongolian Altai, a remote livestock-dependent region. Offer of herbage dry matter (DM, kg ha−1) along the daily itinerary was higher in 2014 than in 2013 (837 versus 711; p > 0.05) but was comparable to previously reported values. Concentration of cell wall constituents in herbage increased from June to August in both years, whereas crude protein and phosphorus concentrations declined (p < 0.05). Animals grazed most actively at noon and in the afternoon; their daily DM intake amounted to 1151 ± 300.8 g per head, with 60–72% of the ingested feed being digested. Feed intake enabled the animals to cover their nutritional requirements for maintenance, locomotion, and sizeable growth, rebutting the notion of unsustainable use of the regional spring and summer pastures. However, crude protein and phosphorus intake were deficient, pointing to a decline in vegetation quality that has to be counteracted with appropriate herd and pasture management strategies.
Munkhnasan Tsevegemed; Togtokhbayar Norovsambuu; Greta Jordan; Eva Schlecht. Feed Intake of Small Ruminants on Spring and Summer Pastures in the Mongolian Altai Mountains. Sustainability 2019, 11, 5759 .
AMA StyleMunkhnasan Tsevegemed, Togtokhbayar Norovsambuu, Greta Jordan, Eva Schlecht. Feed Intake of Small Ruminants on Spring and Summer Pastures in the Mongolian Altai Mountains. Sustainability. 2019; 11 (20):5759.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMunkhnasan Tsevegemed; Togtokhbayar Norovsambuu; Greta Jordan; Eva Schlecht. 2019. "Feed Intake of Small Ruminants on Spring and Summer Pastures in the Mongolian Altai Mountains." Sustainability 11, no. 20: 5759.
Andreas Buerkert; Eva Schlecht. Rural–urban transformation: a key challenge of the 21st century. Nutrient Cycling in Agroecosystems 2019, 115, 137 -142.
AMA StyleAndreas Buerkert, Eva Schlecht. Rural–urban transformation: a key challenge of the 21st century. Nutrient Cycling in Agroecosystems. 2019; 115 (2):137-142.
Chicago/Turabian StyleAndreas Buerkert; Eva Schlecht. 2019. "Rural–urban transformation: a key challenge of the 21st century." Nutrient Cycling in Agroecosystems 115, no. 2: 137-142.
The present study evaluated the effects of energetic undernutrition on liquid and solid digesta passage and on nutrient digestibility as well as their interdependencies. Using a 4 x 4 Latin square design, 12 growing Boran steers (183 ± 15.2 kg live weight) were allocated to four levels of metabolizable energy (ME) supply fixed at 100, 80, 60 and 40% of individual maintenance energy requirements (MER) during four experimental periods. Each period comprised three weeks of adaptation, two weeks of data collection and two weeks of recovery. Diets MER80, MER60 and MER40 only consisted of Rhodes grass hay (RGH), whereas diet MER100 contained (as fed) 83% RGH, 8% cotton seed meal and 9% sugarcane molasses. Feed intake differed between treatments (p < .001) and ranged from 40 ± 0.6 g dry matter (DM) per kg of metabolic weight (kg0.75 ) in MER40 to 81 ± 1.3 g DM in MER100. Digestibility of neutral and acid detergent fibre (NDF, ADF) was highest at MER80, whereas rumen retention time of liquid and solid digesta was longest at MER40. The correlation of rumen retention time of liquid and solid digesta with the digestibility of proximate diet components was weak but positive, whereas the correlation of liquid and solid rumen retention time with quantitative feed and nutrient intake was strong (p < .01) and negative. Our results suggest that tropical cattle are able to buffer a moderate energy deficit by prolonging rumen retention time of digesta and hence improve diet digestibility. Conversely, a severe energy deficit cannot be buffered by digestive adaptation mechanisms and will inevitably lead to productivity losses.
Asep I.M. Ali; Shimels E. Wassie; Daniel Korir; John P. Goopy; Lutz Merbold; Klaus Butterbach‐Bahl; Uta Dickhoefer; Eva Schlecht. Digesta passage and nutrient digestibility in Boran steers at low feed intake levels. Journal of Animal Physiology and Animal Nutrition 2019, 103, 1325 -1337.
AMA StyleAsep I.M. Ali, Shimels E. Wassie, Daniel Korir, John P. Goopy, Lutz Merbold, Klaus Butterbach‐Bahl, Uta Dickhoefer, Eva Schlecht. Digesta passage and nutrient digestibility in Boran steers at low feed intake levels. Journal of Animal Physiology and Animal Nutrition. 2019; 103 (5):1325-1337.
Chicago/Turabian StyleAsep I.M. Ali; Shimels E. Wassie; Daniel Korir; John P. Goopy; Lutz Merbold; Klaus Butterbach‐Bahl; Uta Dickhoefer; Eva Schlecht. 2019. "Digesta passage and nutrient digestibility in Boran steers at low feed intake levels." Journal of Animal Physiology and Animal Nutrition 103, no. 5: 1325-1337.
Given their high nitrogen (N) concentration and low costs, sweet potato vine silage (SPVS) and urea-molasses blocks (UMB) are recommended supplements for tropical regions; therefore, they were investigated in this study. Six heifers were allocated to three diets: the roughage diet (R) consisted of wheat straw (0.61) and Rhodes grass hay (0.39; on dry matter (DM) basis); R + SPVS combined R (0.81) and SPVS (0.19); and with R + UMB animals had access to UMB. During two experimental periods, feed intake, feces and urine excretion, digesta passage, and rumen microbial protein synthesis were determined during seven days and methane emissions during three days. There was no treatment effect (p > 0.05) on DM and N intake. Apparent DM digestibility of R + SPVS (510 g/kg) was higher (p < 0.05) than of R (474 g/kg). Digesta passage and duodenal microbial N flow were similar for all diets (p > 0.05), while N retention was highest with R + SPVS (p > 0.05). Methane emissions per unit of digested feed (g CH4/kg dDM) were lower (p < 0.05) for R + SPVS (55.2) than for R (64.7). Hence, SPVS supplementation to poor–quality roughage has the potential to increase diet digestibility and N retention while reducing CH4 emissions.
Asep I. M. Ali; Shimels E. Wassie; Daniel Korir; Lutz Merbold; John P. Goopy; Klaus Butterbach-Bahl; Uta Dickhoefer; Eva Schlecht; Ali; Butterbach- Bahl. Supplementing Tropical Cattle for Improved Nutrient Utilization and Reduced Enteric Methane Emissions. Animals 2019, 9, 210 .
AMA StyleAsep I. M. Ali, Shimels E. Wassie, Daniel Korir, Lutz Merbold, John P. Goopy, Klaus Butterbach-Bahl, Uta Dickhoefer, Eva Schlecht, Ali, Butterbach- Bahl. Supplementing Tropical Cattle for Improved Nutrient Utilization and Reduced Enteric Methane Emissions. Animals. 2019; 9 (5):210.
Chicago/Turabian StyleAsep I. M. Ali; Shimels E. Wassie; Daniel Korir; Lutz Merbold; John P. Goopy; Klaus Butterbach-Bahl; Uta Dickhoefer; Eva Schlecht; Ali; Butterbach- Bahl. 2019. "Supplementing Tropical Cattle for Improved Nutrient Utilization and Reduced Enteric Methane Emissions." Animals 9, no. 5: 210.
Sustainable rangeland management is crucial for maintaining forage resources in pastoral systems, globally. However, pastoral regions are often remote and therefore data poor when it comes to resource monitoring. We tested participatory mapping as a means to rapidly assess rangeland use to identify areas with high grazing pressure. Participatory geographic information system data and herbaceous biomass production data were collected and georeferenced to establish a grazing pressure index for a summer pasture in the Mongolian Altay; simultaneously, a survey on herder perceptions and their recommended rangeland management measures was conducted. Areas with intense use, such as campsites and small and bovine ruminant grazing areas, corresponded with low biomass production and were found to be unsustainably grazed, likely prone to rangeland degradation. Participatory mapping was well received by herders and proved to be an effective method to appraise their herds’ impact on rangeland resources. The process incited discussion and awareness regarding not only spatial, but also temporal aspects of rangeland management. Participatory mapping is thus a valuable tool that should be incorporated into local management initiatives in order to quickly monitor rangeland use for creating feasible management plans.
Brianne A. Altmann; Greta Jordan; Eva Schlecht. Participatory Mapping as an Approach to Identify Grazing Pressure in the Altay Mountains, Mongolia. Sustainability 2018, 10, 1960 .
AMA StyleBrianne A. Altmann, Greta Jordan, Eva Schlecht. Participatory Mapping as an Approach to Identify Grazing Pressure in the Altay Mountains, Mongolia. Sustainability. 2018; 10 (6):1960.
Chicago/Turabian StyleBrianne A. Altmann; Greta Jordan; Eva Schlecht. 2018. "Participatory Mapping as an Approach to Identify Grazing Pressure in the Altay Mountains, Mongolia." Sustainability 10, no. 6: 1960.
Ecologically sound natural resources management is still the backbone of rural livelihoods in many regions of the world. The Altai-Dzungarian region between China and Mongolia constitutes an ideal site to study how political, economic, infrastructural, and cultural differences affect rural livelihoods. Structured semi-quantitative interviews were conducted with 483 households on both sides to characterise their current livelihood strategies and assess the importance of the various activities for the households’ current socio-economic situation by means of the categorical principal component and two-step cluster analysis. In total, four livelihood clusters were identified across both regions, whereby one cluster was only present in Mongolia. In general, all clusters mirrored the transition from almost pure pastoralist to agro-pastoralist livelihood strategies. While animal husbandry was more common in Mongolia and crop farming more common in China, most households in both countries pursued a rather mixed approach. The composition of the herds, as well as the richness and diversity of the livestock species, differed significantly between the countries and was generally higher in Mongolia. Supplementary feedstuff and pesticide and fertiliser use were higher in China, along with diversification of produces. Our analysis indicates that until very recently the livelihood strategies on both sides of the border were the same, manifesting in the fact that we can define three identical clusters across countries (environment factor) even though there are slight differences in land, livestock and asset endowment.
Munkhnasan Tsvegemed; Alimu Shabier; Eva Schlecht; Greta Jordan; Martin Wiehle. Evolution of Rural Livelihood Strategies in a Remote Sino-Mongolian Border Area: A Cross-Country Analysis. Sustainability 2018, 10, 1011 .
AMA StyleMunkhnasan Tsvegemed, Alimu Shabier, Eva Schlecht, Greta Jordan, Martin Wiehle. Evolution of Rural Livelihood Strategies in a Remote Sino-Mongolian Border Area: A Cross-Country Analysis. Sustainability. 2018; 10 (4):1011.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMunkhnasan Tsvegemed; Alimu Shabier; Eva Schlecht; Greta Jordan; Martin Wiehle. 2018. "Evolution of Rural Livelihood Strategies in a Remote Sino-Mongolian Border Area: A Cross-Country Analysis." Sustainability 10, no. 4: 1011.
In many regions of the world, traditional and local ecological knowledge is still important today for coping with environmental challenges. This study explored the relevance of such knowledge for predicting and coping with harsh winter conditions (dzud) in a remote area of western Mongolia, where government support to disaster-affected herders is restricted by weak infrastructure. Structured face-to-face interviews were held in 50 households (HHs), addressing aspects of livestock possession and management as well as disaster prediction and mitigation. The responses disclosed that livestock losses during the 2009/10 dzud averaged 112.4 animals per HH, equaling nearly 80% of the interviewees’ total livestock possession in summer 2013. To reduce such high losses in the future, herders planned to improve their hay-making efforts and winter pen preparation. However, they also stated that the earliest signs for a dzud occur in September, when it is already too late for substantial hay-making. Therefore, some herders underlined the necessity of maintaining livestock productivity through segregated summer grazing of specific animal groups, controlled mating and early sale of weak livestock. Animals are then entering a harsh winter in good body condition. National and international organizations wishing to support livestock keepers in this and similar regions should therefore highlight the relevance of local strategies for disaster prevention and support community-based approaches that can compensate for the prevalent lack of family labour.
Takuya Soma; Eva Schlecht. The relevance of herders’ local ecological knowledge on coping with livestock losses during harsh winters in western Mongolia. Pastoralism 2018, 8, 3 .
AMA StyleTakuya Soma, Eva Schlecht. The relevance of herders’ local ecological knowledge on coping with livestock losses during harsh winters in western Mongolia. Pastoralism. 2018; 8 (1):3.
Chicago/Turabian StyleTakuya Soma; Eva Schlecht. 2018. "The relevance of herders’ local ecological knowledge on coping with livestock losses during harsh winters in western Mongolia." Pastoralism 8, no. 1: 3.
This study compared the use of different land use classes and major foraging activities of pastoral and agro-pastoral livestock in the southern Sahelian, northern and southern Sudanian zone of Burkina Faso by monitoring three herds each of cattle, goats and sheep in three village territories during a 1-year cycle. Grazing routes were tracked using a Global Positioning System; coordinates logged every 10 s were overlaid on maps from where time and activity allocated to different land use classes were derived. Results indicate that daily distance travelled by cattle and goat herds was similar across agro-ecological zones (AEZs; p ≥ 0.05), whereas sheep travelled shorter distances in the southern Sudanian zone than in the two more northern zones (p ≤ 0.05). Daily pasturing time of cattle and sheep was longer (p ≤ 0.05) in the southern Sahelian and northern Sudanian zone than in the southern Sudanian zone. For goats, no significant difference was found between the two Sudanian zones, where their pasturing time was shorter than in the southern Sahelian zone. Except resting for cattle, browsing for goats and walking for sheep, time spent on different foraging activities by each species was similar across AEZs. Main areas for feeding across AEZs and species were degraded lands, fallows and harvested crop fields, as well as shrub and tree savannahs in the two Sudanian zones. To safeguard the nutrition of grazing livestock herds, interventions should focus on conserving still-existing pasture lands and regional livestock migration corridors to enable use of the remaining, often highly dispersed, pasture resources.
Nouhoun Zampaligré; Eva Schlecht. Livestock foraging behaviour on different land use classes along the semi-arid to sub-humid agro-ecological gradient in West Africa. Environment, Development and Sustainability 2017, 20, 731 -748.
AMA StyleNouhoun Zampaligré, Eva Schlecht. Livestock foraging behaviour on different land use classes along the semi-arid to sub-humid agro-ecological gradient in West Africa. Environment, Development and Sustainability. 2017; 20 (2):731-748.
Chicago/Turabian StyleNouhoun Zampaligré; Eva Schlecht. 2017. "Livestock foraging behaviour on different land use classes along the semi-arid to sub-humid agro-ecological gradient in West Africa." Environment, Development and Sustainability 20, no. 2: 731-748.
In this study, we try to capture the degree of specialization or integration, and of intensification or extensification, of (peri-) urban livestock production, along with the factors that influence such decisions and their impact on natural resource uses. A total of 181 and 187 structured questionnaires were completed in livestock-keeping households in Ouagadougou (Burkina Faso) and Tamale (Ghana). Categorical principal component and two-step cluster analysis were used to identify homogenous groups of livestock-keeping households. Cross tabulation and logistic regression analysis revealed factors that influence livestock husbandry, showing their impacts on resource use by livestock keepers in the two cities. A diversity of livestock species was kept, mostly integrated with crop farming. Yet, some households specialized in either sheep, pig or commercial milk production, and partly intensified their production. The decision to specialize and/or intensify livestock production is site-specific and influenced by the education level of the household head and security of land ownership. Higher inputs in livestock systems do not necessarily lead to higher outputs, and specialization inevitably leads to higher manure wastages. Therefore, links of livestock producers to crop farmers and markets for livestock manure must be strengthened to enable recycling of resources and limit negative externalities of specialized livestock production. Strategies need to be identified to improve livestock productivity by enhancing outputs as input use increases.
Regina Roessler; Serge E. Mpouam; Tichaona Muchemwa; Eva Schlecht. Emerging Development Pathways of Urban Livestock Production in Rapidly Growing West Africa Cities. Sustainability 2016, 8, 1199 .
AMA StyleRegina Roessler, Serge E. Mpouam, Tichaona Muchemwa, Eva Schlecht. Emerging Development Pathways of Urban Livestock Production in Rapidly Growing West Africa Cities. Sustainability. 2016; 8 (11):1199.
Chicago/Turabian StyleRegina Roessler; Serge E. Mpouam; Tichaona Muchemwa; Eva Schlecht. 2016. "Emerging Development Pathways of Urban Livestock Production in Rapidly Growing West Africa Cities." Sustainability 8, no. 11: 1199.
In order to investigate spatial and temporal characteristics of the purely grazing-based livestock husbandry system in southwestern Madagascar, individual animals from 12 cattle and 12 goat herds that were equally distributed across four villages were fitted with GPS tracking collars and their behaviour during pasturing was directly observed to identify seasonal variations in land use and movement patterns along the regional altitude and vegetation gradient. Monitoring occurred at regular intervals of two months over a two-year period to capture inter-annual variability.
Tobias Feldt; Eva Schlecht. Analysis of GPS trajectories to assess spatio-temporal differences in grazing patterns and land use preferences of domestic livestock in southwestern Madagascar. Pastoralism 2016, 6, 1 .
AMA StyleTobias Feldt, Eva Schlecht. Analysis of GPS trajectories to assess spatio-temporal differences in grazing patterns and land use preferences of domestic livestock in southwestern Madagascar. Pastoralism. 2016; 6 (1):1.
Chicago/Turabian StyleTobias Feldt; Eva Schlecht. 2016. "Analysis of GPS trajectories to assess spatio-temporal differences in grazing patterns and land use preferences of domestic livestock in southwestern Madagascar." Pastoralism 6, no. 1: 1.
To better understand the relative importance of the multi-purpose functions of small ruminants for their urban owners and related breeding practices including selection criteria, we undertook a comparative analysis across the West African cities of Kano (Nigeria), Bobo Dioulasso (Burkina Faso) and Sikasso (Mali). Semi-structured questionnaires were used to collect the required information from 301 sheep farmers (100, 102 and 99 in Kano, Bobo Dioulasso and Sikasso) and 306 goat farmers (100, 99 and 107 in Kano, Bobo Dioulasso and Sikasso). Sheep and goats were kept for a variety of reasons including income generation, insurance (sale for cash to meet unexpected expenditures) and economic security (sale for cash to support foreseeable expenses), social/religious functions and prestige in ownership. The relative importance given by respondents to the different functions varied significantly (p < 0.001) across cities and between species within a city. However, irrespective of city, both species were primarily kept for their financial functions whereby sheep were perceived as having higher economic value. Although breeding practices were very similar in many respects (low practice of castration, culling and replacement strategies, uncontrolled mating, no record keeping and selection criteria), the emphasis put on each selection criteria varied across cities and between species. Irrespective of city, most of the goats were of the indigenous type while keeping crossbred animals and/or maintaining more than one genotype in the same flock was more commonly practiced by sheep keepers. This points to a higher motivation for strategic breeding among sheep than goat keepers and indicates that the former might be interested in joining carefully designed participatory flock improvement programs.
Luc Hippolyte Dossa; Mamadou Sangaré; Andreas Buerkert; Eva Schlecht. Production objectives and breeding practices of urban goat and sheep keepers in West Africa: regional analysis and implications for the development of supportive breeding programs. SpringerPlus 2015, 4, 281 .
AMA StyleLuc Hippolyte Dossa, Mamadou Sangaré, Andreas Buerkert, Eva Schlecht. Production objectives and breeding practices of urban goat and sheep keepers in West Africa: regional analysis and implications for the development of supportive breeding programs. SpringerPlus. 2015; 4 (1):281.
Chicago/Turabian StyleLuc Hippolyte Dossa; Mamadou Sangaré; Andreas Buerkert; Eva Schlecht. 2015. "Production objectives and breeding practices of urban goat and sheep keepers in West Africa: regional analysis and implications for the development of supportive breeding programs." SpringerPlus 4, no. 1: 281.
In many arid and semi-arid regions, irrigated vegetable production leads to major carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) losses owing to high turnover rates. The goal of this experiment was therefore to test two amendments, activated charcoal and quebracho tannins, in their ability to stabilize soil organic carbon (SOC) from goat manure application in order to enhance nutrient and water retention. To this end, a 2-year field experiment was conducted on a sandy alluvial soil in Northern Oman investigating the effects of the two amendments either by mixing them with goat manure in the soil (MCmix and MTmix) or by applying manure from goats fed 2.5 % charcoal (MCfed) or 3.6 % tannin (MTfed) of their daily diet. Mineral fertilizer (NPK) and pure goat manure (M) served as controls. Application rates amounted to 335 kg N ha−1 year−1 and 6.4–8.2 t C ha−1 year−1 (depending on C and N concentrations) and 2.0 and 1.4 t activated charcoal ha−1 year−1 and 2.8 and 1.7 t quebracho tannin ha−1 year−1 (in 2010 and 2011, respectively). Goat manure applications, in general, increased SOC, total N, and basal respiration compared with mineral fertilizer. Mineral fertilizer reduced SOC by −25.5 % and total N by −20 %, whereas organic treatments increased SOC by up to 21 % and total N by 19 to 48 %. Basal respiration ranged between 4.1 and 8.5 μg CO2-C day−1 g−1 and was only affected by mineral fertilizer with an average reduction of 25 and 40 % in 2010 and 2011, respectively, compared with organic treatments. The metabolic quotient was not significantly altered by any of the treatments. Charcoal amendments increased SOC by 10.6 % when charcoal was fed to goats and by 21.3 % when charcoal was mixed with manure and reduced net C losses, whereas pure goat manure did not change it significantly. Tannins mixed with manure did not affect soil parameters, whereas tannins fed to goats showed opposite effects to the other goat manure treatments on pH and SOC.
M. Ingold; H. Dietz; André Sradnick; R. G. Joergensen; E. Schlecht; A. Buerkert. Effects of activated charcoal and quebracho tannin amendments on soil properties in irrigated organic vegetable production under arid subtropical conditions. Biology and Fertility of Soils 2014, 51, 367 -377.
AMA StyleM. Ingold, H. Dietz, André Sradnick, R. G. Joergensen, E. Schlecht, A. Buerkert. Effects of activated charcoal and quebracho tannin amendments on soil properties in irrigated organic vegetable production under arid subtropical conditions. Biology and Fertility of Soils. 2014; 51 (3):367-377.
Chicago/Turabian StyleM. Ingold; H. Dietz; André Sradnick; R. G. Joergensen; E. Schlecht; A. Buerkert. 2014. "Effects of activated charcoal and quebracho tannin amendments on soil properties in irrigated organic vegetable production under arid subtropical conditions." Biology and Fertility of Soils 51, no. 3: 367-377.