Crop density is a means that controls grain yield establishment. This study was focused on evaluating the effect of four crop densities (CD1—50,125 plants ha⁻¹, CD2—59,523 plants ha⁻¹, CD3—69,686 plants ha⁻¹, and CD4—79,365 plants ha⁻¹) on yield components, grain yield, sustainable yield index (SYI), and rain use efficiency (RUE) of the maize hybrids ZP 500, NS 5010, and AS 534 during 2016–2018. In 2017, due to unfavorable meteorological conditions, ear length, number of grains per ear, grain weight per ear, 1000-grain weight, grain yield, SYI, and RUE were low compared to 2016 and 2018. The hybrid NS 5010 had the lowest ear length, number of grains per ear, grain weight per ear, 1000-grain weight, grain yield, and SYI. Increasing crop density significantly decreased yield components and increased grain yield, SYI, and RUE. The lowest ear length was recorded in treatments CD3 and CD4, the lowest number of grains per ear, grain weight per ear, and 1000-grain weight in treatment CD4. However, the highest grain yield, SYI, and RUE were recorded in the CD4 treatment because the number of plants per unit area is an essential determinant of the final grain yield.

The global demand for sustainable lamb production is increasing due to the need for high-quality meat with minimal environmental impact, making the choice of feeding systems crucial. This study investigates the effects of supplemented pasture feeding during the last 60 days of rearing on the meat fatty acid profile, pH value, colour characteristics, and mineral composition of lambs, highlighting the benefits of such feeding systems. Ninety lambs (MIS sheep breed) were divided into three distinct feeding regimes: Group I (alfalfa and concentrate feeding), Group II (white clover [Trifolium repens] pasture with concentrate supplementation), and Group III (birds’ foot trefoil [Lotus corniculatus] pasture with concentrate supplementation). The results have shown that supplemented pasture feeding improves the fatty acid profile by increasing n-3 content and desirable fatty acids, while reducing the n-6/n-3 ratio and atherogenic index (p < 0.05), particularly in lambs finished on an L. corniculatus diet. However, forage-supplemented feeding also reduces meat colour lightness and redness (p < 0.05). On the other hand, it enhances the meat’s mineral profile, with higher calcium, selenium, and iron levels, especially in lambs fed L. corniculatus. These findings underscore the benefits of moderate grazing with supplemental concentrates in optimising lamb meat quality. Importantly, they also highlight the potential of forage legumes like T. repens and L. corniculatus to significantly enhance the nutritional profile of lamb meat, offering a promising outlook for the future of sustainable lamb production. Additionally, this research provides valuable insights that could guide the development of future agricultural practices, dietary guidelines, and environmental policies to advance sustainable and nutritious food systems.

The research was performed on Holstein-Friesian and Black and White bull dams reared on five farms of Agricultural Corporation of Belgrade - PKB. The study included 575 lactations of cows selected as bull dams and their progeny calved in the period from 2007 - 2014 and represent progeny of 24 bulls. The following dairy traits were analysed in a standard lactation (305 days): milk yield (kg) - MY, milk fat content (%) - % MF, milk fat yield (kg) - MFY, protein content (%) - % PC and protein yield (kg) - PY. Holstein-Friesian bull dams and their progeny, in standard lactation, produced on average 9239.84 ? 1607.64 kg of milk, with a milk fat content of 3.44 ? 0.20 and protein content of 3.21 ? 0.12. The impact of bull - sire, year of birth, lactation order, farm, year and calving season was present at different levels of statistical significance on yield traits, while the genetic group had no influence on any of the milk traits. Bull - sire, year of birth, lactation order and calving season did not influence the variability of milk fat and protein content. Heritability of observed milk traits was medium to low. The content of milk fat and protein had the lowest values of heritability, 0.014, and 0.024, respectively. The heritability of milk yield, milk fat yield and protein yield was 0.293, 0.319 and 0.273, respectively.

Milk fat content stands out as a crucial production trait in cows, and this study delves into its variability based on various factors. The research investigated how the housing method (large farm or individual producers), origin (domestic-rearing or imported cows), and calving season collectively impact this trait. Cows reared on the farm exhibited a higher milk fat content compared to those raised by individual producers. Additionally, primiparous cows from domestic rearing displayed lower milk fat content than their counterparts of imported origin. Among primiparous cows on the farm, those calving in the summer and autumn produced the highest milk fat content. Conversely, primiparous cows calving in the spring season and raised by individual producers recorded the lowest milk fat content. The statistical analysis revealed a highly significant influence of calving season, with a noteworthy interaction among housing method and origin on the observed trait. The significance ranged from statistically highly significant (P ≤ 0.01) to statistically very highly significant (P ≤ 0.001).

Microclimatic conditions in facilities for housing and rearing young category of breeding dairy cattle at the first 30 days after birth, have a significant impact on the quality of welfare, especially in intensive production. The parameters most often taken into account when evaluating microclimate conditions are: temperature and air humidity, the mutual relationship of which represents the THI (temperature-humid index) index; speed of air flow; air quality (presence of dust and ammonia) and level of light in the facility. The quality of the microclimate in the facilities is directly influenced by the climatic conditions in the external environment, therefore study period on 2 farms (A and B) with an intensive production system was divided into 4 seasons (autumn, winter, spring and summer). Holstein Friesian calves were observed in the period from birth to 30 days of age. The worst microclimatic conditions were recorded during the summer season on both farms (1129 on farm A and 1114 calves on farm B suffered), while the situation was more favorable during the colder period. Also, the best conditions, on both farms, were provided for calves in the first 7 days of life. The most unfavorable impact was the high air temperature, while the air flow, paradoxically, improved the air quality, especially during that period. The overall welfare quality score was similar on the observed farms, 2.25 on farm A and 2.12 on farm B, which can be considered acceptable. At the same time, it indicates the presence of serious problems, the solution of which must be approached most seriously.