Lighting is an important environmental parameter in livestock farming, which can affect the physiology and behavior of animals, and it can regulate animal production. To explore the comprehensive effects of light intensity and duration on the performance, behavior, and physiological indicators of piglets, a 3 × 2 two-factor experiment (three levels of lighting intensity × two lighting durations) was conducted. The three light intensities used were high (100–120 lux), medium (40–50 lux), and low (5–20 lux). The two lighting durations were 8 h and 10 h of light per day. The experiment used a total of six lighting combinations, which corresponded with the six test units. A total of 96 Landrace–Yorkshire hybrid piglets, with an initial body weight of 13.23 ± 0.18 kg, were randomly assigned to six lit units, four pens per unit, and four piglets per pen. The results showed that lighting intensity and duration had no significant effect on the average daily feed intake, average daily gain, feed/gain, or water consumption of pigs (p > 0.05). For IgM, the main effect caused by the light duration was significant. When the light intensity was 5–20 lux and 40–50 lux, the serum IgM levels of piglets in the 10 h/day light group were 45.80% and 39.54% higher than those in the 8 h/day group, respectively (p < 0.05). For SOD and GSH-Px, the interaction between the lighting duration and intensity was significant (p < 0.05). In the 8 h/day light group, the serum SOD levels of piglets at light intensities of 5–20 lux and 40–50 lux were significantly higher than those at 100–120 lux (p < 0.05). When the light intensity was 5–20 lux and 40–50 lux, the SOD level in the 8 h/day group was significantly higher than that of the 10 h/day group (p < 0.05). The main effect of lighting duration on lying down and abnormal behavior was significant (p < 0.05). In the 8 h/day light group, the abnormal behavior of piglets under a light intensity of 5–20 lux was twice that of 40–50 lux (p < 0.05), and the lying percentage of piglets under a light intensity of 40–50 lux was 14.03% higher than that of piglets under a light intensity of 5–20 lux (p < 0.05). Overall, under the conditions used in this study, although extending the duration of light with an intensity of 40–50 lux to 10 h can improve some immune-related indicators, the extent of this effect was limited. The recommended lighting scheme for piglet houses is a light intensity of 40–50 lux and a lighting duration of 8 h. However, the range of lighting conditions set in this study was still very limited, and various environmental factors must be comprehensively considered in an actual production setting.

This study aimed to evaluate the digestible energy (DE), metabolizable energy (ME), and standardized ileal digestibility (SID) of amino acids (AA) in fermented soybean meal (FSBM) fed to growing pigs. In experiment 1, twenty-two growing pigs (Duroc × Landrace × Yorkshire; 32.0 ± 4.2 kg BW) were fed one of 11 diets in a replicated 11 × 3 incomplete Latin square design to determine the DE and ME of FSBM. The diets included a corn-based diet and 10 experimental diets formulated by replacing the corn with 29.10% FSBM. In experiment 2, eleven growing pigs (Duroc × Landrace × Yorkshire; 24.3 ± 2.3 kg BW) were surgically equipped with a T-cannula and arranged in an 11 × 6 incomplete Latin square design with 11 diets and six periods. The diets included an N-free diet and 10 experimental diets containing 40% FSBM as the sole source of AA. The results showed that the contents of dry matter (DM), gross energy, crude protein, crude fiber, neutral detergent fiber, acid detergent fiber, calcium, and phosphorus averaged 91.83% (ranging from 89.24 to 94.55%), 18.44 MJ/kg (ranging from 18.00 to 18.95 MJ/kg), 50.63% (ranging from 50.00 to 51.81%), 4.51% (ranging from 3.41 to 5.40%), 9.17% (ranging from 7.02 to 10.30%), 6.38% (ranging from 4.97 to 7.45%), 0.32% (ranging from 0.29 to 0.34%), and 0.67% (ranging from 0.61 to 0.84%), respectively. The average DE and ME were 17.55 and 16.33 MJ/kg DM, respectively, with ranges of 15.72 to 18.80 MJ/kg DM and 14.30 to 17.72 MJ/kg DM, respectively. Significant differences were observed in the SID of essential AA (p < 0.05), except for Thr and Arg. The SID of Lys, Met, Trp, and Thr ranged from 68.13 to 83.27% (mean = 76.62%), 62.23 to 89.30% (mean = 75.25%), 72.30 to 90.29% (mean = 80.96%), and 74.17 to 84.41% (mean = 77.90%), respectively. These results indicate significant variability in chemical composition, energy content, and the SID of AA among the selected FSBM samples. The chemical composition of FSBM can be used to predict DE and ME values.

Background: Indigofera pseudotinctoria, a traditional Chinese forage and medicine widely used in East Asia, holds significant economic and agricultural value. Despite this, genomic information regarding I. pseudotinctoria remains conspicuously lacking. Methods: In this study, we utilized genome survey sequencing to elucidate the complete genome sequence of this species. Results: The genome size of I. pseudotinctoria to be around 637–920 Mb with a heterozygosity rate of 0.98% and a repeat rate of 66.3%. A total of 240,659 simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers were predicted in the genome of I. pseudotinctoria. Substantial differences were observed among nucleotide repeat types, for instance, mononucleotide repeats were found to be predominant (62.47%), whereas pentanucleotide repeats were notably scarce (0.24%). Furthermore, among dinucleotide and trinucleotide repeats, sequence motifs AT/AT (66.57%) and AAT/ATT (54.15%) were found to be particularly abundant. Among the identified unigenes, 58,790 exhibited alignment with known genes in established databases, including 33,218 genes within the Gene Ontology (GO) database and 10,893 genes in the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) database. Conclusions: This study marks the first attempt to both sequence and delineate the genomic landscape of I. pseudotinctoria. Importantly, it will serve as a foundational reference for subsequent comprehensive genome-wide deep sequencing and the development of SSR molecular markers within the scope of I. pseudotinctoria research.

High-temperature stress adversely affects the yield and quality of red clover (Trifolium pratense). However, the molecular mechanisms underlying red clover’s heat tolerance remain incompletely understood, which limits targeted genetic improvement. This study employed a multi-omics approach to compare a heat-tolerant cultivar (“HL”) and a heat-sensitive cultivar (“Tp615”). Under high-temperature stress, “HL” exhibited superior physiological adaptation, showing 1.8 times higher chlorophyll retention compared to “Tp615.” Transcriptome analysis identified 3104 core differentially expressed genes, including 175 transcription factors, with qRT-PCR validation confirming expression patterns consistent with the transcriptomic data. Broad-targeted metabolomics revealed 1242 differentially accumulated metabolites. Multi-omics integration highlighted the crucial role of the phenylpropanoid biosynthesis pathway in enhancing red clover’s heat tolerance. This study deciphers the mechanisms underlying red clover’s heat resistance and offers valuable genetic resources and a theoretical foundation for breeding stress-tolerant forage crops.