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Tetracycline Resistance Genes (TRGs) have received widespread attention in recent years, as they are a novel environmental pollutant that can rapidly accumulate and migrate in soil plant systems through horizontal gene transfer (HGT), posing a potential threat to food safety and public health. This article systematically reviews the pollution sources, enrichment, and migration characteristics of TRGs in soil. The main sources of TRGs include livestock manure and contaminated wastewater, especially in intensive farming environments where TRGs pollution is more severe. In soil, TRGs diffuse horizontally between bacteria and migrate to plant tissues through mechanisms such as plasmid conjugation, integron mediation, and phage transduction. The migration of TRGs is not limited to the soil interior, and increasing evidence suggests that they can also enter the plant system through plant root absorption and the HGT pathway of endophytic bacteria, ultimately accumulating in plant roots, stems, leaves, fruits, and other parts. This process has a direct impact on human health, especially when TRGs are found in crops such as vegetables, which may be transmitted to the human body through the food chain. In addition, this article also deeply analyzed various factors that affect the migration of TRGs, including the residual level of tetracycline in soil, the type and concentration of microorganisms, heavy metal pollution, and the presence of new pollutants such as microplastics. These factors significantly affect the enrichment rate and migration mode of TRGs in soil. In addition, two technologies that can effectively eliminate TRGs in livestock breeding environments were introduced, providing reference for healthy agricultural production. The article concludes by summarizing the shortcomings of current research on TRGs, particularly the limited understanding of TRG migration pathways and their impact mechanisms. Future research should focus on revealing the migration mechanisms of TRGs in soil plant systems and developing effective control and governance measures to reduce the environmental transmission risks of TRGs and ensure the safety of ecosystems and human health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Environmental pollution of livestock and poultry breeding (LPB) has always been a global hot topic. This study has introduced a bayesian network model to explore factors influencing the LPB farmers' willingness to environmental management based on 121 questionnaires obtained from coastal China. This study revealed that: (1) Educational level, breeding scale, annual income of breeding, farmers' environmental awareness, the availability of technical guidance, environmental perception, policy publicity and the completeness of relevant social policies all positively affected farmers' willingness to environmental management. However, farmer's age and subsidies for dead animal showed an opposite effect. (2) Among all factors, acting pathway of "technical guidance → enhancing environmental awareness/increasing breeding income → promoting willingness to prevent environmental pollution" may likely play a dominating role in the LPB environmental management, which deserved to be focused closely in the future. (3) For local government, enhancing perceptions on changes of surrounding soils and air, strengthening the LPB training, and accurately adopting subsidy policies can effectively rise farmers' willingness to the LPB environmental management. This study will be helpful to accurately promote the LPB management in coastal areas. Article Highlights: Bayesian network model adopted in this study identified the contributions of non-structural factors affecting farmer's willingness. Subsidies for dead animal and farmer's age all showed a negative impact on farmer's willingness to the LPB environmental management. A dominant acting pathway affecting farmer's willingness has been determined which benefited to sustainable development of the future LPB. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China's unsustainable agricultural production activities have caused severe agricultural non-point source pollution (ANPSP), particularly nitrogen source pollution (NSP), which impacts farmland ecological environments. Understanding NSP is important for managing ANPSP and improving environmental water quality. Thus, inventory analysis methods were used to assess county-level total nitrogen (TN) loads in large-scale agricultural areas, analyze spatial and temporal variations in TN loads, examine the major sources of TN loads and identify the driving factors of DITN using Pearson correlation and random forest (RF) methods. The results showed that (1) TN loads and discharge intensity decreased by 4.59% and 12.7%, respectively, increasing and then decreasing via market regulations, policy incentives, and policy constraints. The eastern and northern Henan Province plain areas were highly discharged. (2) The major pollution sources varied, with the total contributions of mineral fertilizers and livestock and poultry breeding to TN being 73.53% and 81.78%, respectively. Farmland solid waste contributed minimally but increased yearly from 10.84 to 19.74%. (3) The discharge intensity of TN was highly significantly negatively correlated with the urbanization rate, economic development and slope; neither was significantly correlated with arable land. The RF results showed that total mineral fertilizer consumption and total livestock and poultry production were the major factors controlling the NSP in Henan Province. China's agricultural policies have slightly reduced pollutant discharge intensities, but the situation remains grim. This study provides a scientific basis for the development of differentiated TN control measures in Henan Province, which is important for improving pollution prevention and control capabilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study seeks a comprehensive exploration of genome-wide selective processes impacting morphometric traits across diverse cattle breeds, utilizing an array of statistical methods. Morphometric traits, encompassing both qualitative and quantitative variables, play a pivotal role in characterizing and selecting livestock breeds based on their external appearance, size, and physical attributes. While qualitative traits, such as color, horn structure, and coat type, contribute to adaptive features and breed identification, quantitative traits like body weight and conformation measurements bear a closer correlation with production characteristics. This study employs advanced genotyping technologies, including the Illumina BovineSNP50 Bead Chip and next-generation sequencing methods like Reduced Representation sequencing, to identify genomic signatures associated with these traits. We applied four intra-population methods to find evidence of selection, such as Tajima's D, CLR, iHS, and ROH. We found a total of 40 genes under the selection signature, that were associated with morphometric traits in five cattle breeds (Kankrej, Tharparkar, Nelore, Sahiwal, and Gir). Crucial genes such as ADIPDQ, DPP6, INSIG1, SLC35D2 in Kankrej, LPL, ATP6V1B2, CDC14B in Tharparkar, HPSE2, PLAG1 in Nelore, PCSK1, PRKD1 in Sahiwal, and GNAQ, HPCAL1 in Gir were identified in our study. This approach provides valuable insights into the genetic basis of variations in body weight and conformation traits, facilitating informed selection processes and offering a deeper understanding of the evolutionary and domestication processes in diverse cattle breeds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High-quality development of water resources supports high-quality socio-economic development. High-quality development connects high-quality life, and clarifying the key management contents of small watersheds plays an important role in building ecologically clean small watersheds and promoting regional production and life. Previous research on pollution loads has focused on examining the impact of various external drivers on pollution loads but still lacks research on the impact of changes in pollution sources themselves on pollution loads. In this study, sensitivity analysis was used to determine the impact of changes from different sources on the total pollution loads, which can recognize the critical pollution sources. We first employed the pollutant discharge coefficient method to quantify non-point source pollution loads in the small watershed in the upstream Tuojiang River basin from 2010 to 2021. Then, combination sensitivity analysis with Getis-Ord Gi* was used to identify the critical sources and their crucial areas at the global, districts (counties), and towns (streets) scales, respectively. The results indicate: (1) The pollution loads of COD, NH3-N, TN, and TP all show a decreasing trend, reducing by 18.3%, 16.2%, 18.6%, and 28.1% from 2010 to 2021, respectively; (2) Livestock and poultry breeding pollution source is the most critical source for majority areas across watershed; (3) High-risk areas are mainly concentrated in Jingyang district and its subordinate towns (streets). There is a trend of low-pollution risk areas transitioning to high-pollution risk areas, with high-risk areas predominantly concentrated in the southeast and exhibiting a noticeable phenomenon of pollution load spilling around. This study can promote other similar small watersheds, holding significant importance for non-point source pollution control in small watersheds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The excessive use of antibiotics, disinfectants, and drugs in livestock and poultry breeding has resulted in a rise in the presence of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs). Antibiotic-resistant bacteria (ARB) and ARGs have been widely found in animal feces, farm wastewater, and farm air. ARGs can not only spread across media through adsorption and migration, but also transfer resistance across bacterial genera through horizontal gene transfer. Livestock breeding has become a fixed and unavoidable source of ARGs in the environment. Existing technologies for controlling ARGs, such as composting, disinfection, and sewage treatment, are not efficient in removing ARB and ARGs from waste. Furthermore, the remaining ARGs still possess a strong capacity for dissemination. At present, antibiotics used in animal husbandry are difficult to replace in a short period of time. The growth and potential risks of resistance genes in livestock and poultry breeding sources in the receiving environment are not yet clear. In this paper, we summarize the current situation of ARGs in the livestock and poultry breeding environment. We also explain the key environmental processes, main influencing factors, and corresponding ecological risks associated with ARGs in this environment. The advantages and disadvantages of current technologies for the removal of ARGs are primarily discussed. There is a particular emphasis on clarifying the spatiotemporal evolution patterns and environmental process mechanisms of ARGs, as well as highlighting the importance and urgency of developing efficient pollution control technologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change due to natural human activity is a significant global phenomenon affecting the sustainability of most countries' livestock industries. Climate change factors such as ambient temperature, relative humidity, direct and indirect sun radiation, and wind have significant consequences on feed, water, pasture availability, and the re-emergence of diseases in livestock. All these variables have a considerable impact on livestock production and welfare. However, animals' ability to respond and adapt to changes in climate differs within species and breeds. Comparatively, small ruminants are more adaptive to the adverse effects of climate change than large ruminants in terms of reproduction performance, survival, production yield, and resistance to re-emerging diseases. This is mainly due to their morphological features against harsh climate effects. Tropical breeds are more adaptive to the adverse effects of climate change than small temperate ruminants. However, the difference in morphological characteristics towards adaptation to the impact of climate change will guide the development of suitable policies on the selection of breeding stock suitable for different regions in the world. The choice of breeds based on morphological features and traits is an essential strategy in mitigating and minimizing the effects of climate change on small ruminants' production and welfare. This review highlights the adaptive morphological features within and among breeds of small ruminants toward adaptation to climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract—The current stage of genetic certification of horses of cultural and local breeds based on microsatellite analysis makes it possible to quite effectively carry out identification and genetic examination of the origin of breeding animals, as well as solve the problem of assessing and preserving genetic resources. With a reduction in the number of breeding stock to 200–300 mares observed in a number of breeds, the threat of a decrease in the genetic diversity of populations and the accumulation of genetic load increases, which necessitates the need to study and monitor the genetic structure of horse breeds. In this regard, our comparative genetic analysis of polymorphism of 17 microsatellite loci in 20 541 horses of 29 cultural and local breeds allows us to certify the basic part of the genetic resources of the horse breeding of the Russian Federation. including riding, trotter, draft, and local breeds. During the genetic population analysis of the studied breeds, basic parameters were assessed: the total number of allele variants (Na), the effective number of alleles (Ae), the average number of alleles per locus (MNA), the level of observed (Ho) and expected heterozygosity (He), as well as the coefficient of intrapopulation inbreeding Fis. Phylogenetic relationships of breeds were assessed using the R and R Studio software packages. Among horse breeds of different specializations, the highest values of all indicators of genetic diversity (Ae, Ho, He, and Na) were determined in aboriginal populations. In the allele pool of local horse breeds, there were rare alleles ASB2T, HMS7S, HMS6J, HMS6H, HMS2T, HMS1O, HTG7L, HTG6L, HTG6H, VHL20S, ASB17Z, ASB17X, ASB17U, LEX3S, LEX3R, and CA425E, which were absent in horses of stud breeds. Among the riding horse breeds created in Russia, the Budennovskaya, Donskaya, and Kabardian horse breeds stood out due to the presence of rare alleles. Alleles ASB2G, ASB2F, HMS2F, HTG7Q, and ASB23O were found in trotter horses, which were not identified in the genetic structure of other breeds. The phylogenetic analysis showed the division of horse breeds into two clear subclusters, the first of which included only stud breeds. The second cluster united all the native breeds, as well as the Orlov Trotter and a group of draft breeds, which were used for many years as improvers of the local horse population. The analysis of the genetic structure of domestic horse breeds revealed a fairly high reserve of diversity even in small populations, which is an indispensable condition for successful selection in horse breeding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Zinc and cadmium ions are usually found in livestock breeding wastewater, and the mixed ions will have an impact on the biological nitrogen removal. Nitrification performance plays an important role in biological nitrogen removal. In order to investigate the combined effect of zinc and cadmium ions on nitrification performance and to reveal the interactions between zinc and cadmium ions, three concentration ratios of zinc and cadmium ions, as well as 18 different concentration gradients were designed with the direct equipartition ray and the dilution factor method. The effect of pollutants on the nitrification performance of biological nitrogen removal was analyzed by the nonlinear regression equation, and the concentration-addition model was conducted to probe into the relationship between the mixed pollutants and the nitrification performance. The results showed that the effect on nitrification performance increased significantly with the increase of reaction duration and pollutant concentration, which indicated that the effects are concentration-dependent and time-dependent. The concentration-addition model suggested that the interactions between zinc and cadmium ions with different concentration ratios were mainly antagonistic, and as the percentage of cadmium ions in the mixtures increased, the antagonism between the mixtures became stronger. This study will provide a relevant theoretical basis for the regulation of the ratios and concentrations of heavy metal ions during the biological treatment of livestock breeding wastewater. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Holothuria scabra, a commercially valuable yet ecologically vulnerable tropical holothuroid, has experienced a severe decline in its wild populations, especially in China. Genomic resources are crucial for the development of effective genomic breeding projects and stock conservation strategies to restore these natural populations. Until now, a high-quality, chromosome-level reference genome for H. scabra has not been available. Here, we employed Oxford Nanopore and Hi-C sequencing technologies to assemble and annotate a high-quality, chromosome-level reference genome of H. scabra. The final genome comprised 31 scaffolds with a total length of 1.19 Gb and a scaffold N50 length of 53.52 Mb. Remarkably, 1,191.67 Mb (99.95%) of the sequences were anchored to 23 pseudo-chromosomes, with the longest one spanning 79.75 Mb. A total of 34,418 protein-coding genes were annotated in the final genome, with BUSCO analysis revealing 98.01% coverage of metazoa_odb10 genes, marking a significant improvement compared to the previous report. These chromosome-level sequences and annotations will provide an essential genomic basis for further investigation into molecular breeding and conservation management of H. scabra. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Composting is an effective and cost-efficient engineering technique used to treat agricultural waste. It involves the conversion of organic materials into stable compounds and the rapid degradation of organic matter through microorganisms found in feces. The resulting high-quality fertilizer can improve soil physical, chemical, and biological properties. However, the excessive use of heavy metals in livestock breeding can restrict the use of livestock manure for composting. Long-term application of compost products containing heavy metals can cause irreversible damage to farmland soil environments. This paper summarizes several important factors that affect the detoxification of heavy metals in composting and discusses the passivation effect of typical heavy metal passivators. The detoxification mechanism of heavy metals in compost is summarized from two perspectives: the humification effect of heavy metals and the environmental interface effects of microorganisms. This paper provides a foundation for improving the agronomic use value of avian manure aerobic composting products and for studying heavy metal passivation in compost. The application of aerobic composting in the remediation of petroleum-contaminated soil exhibits a dual impact, primarily focusing on the synergistic effects on petroleum hydrocarbon degradation and soil improvement. Such research endeavors are poised to offer innovative solutions towards achieving comprehensive restoration of petroleum-contaminated soils. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Estimating the pollution loads in the Tuhai River is essential for developing a water quality standard scheme. This study utilized the improved output coefficient method to estimate the total pollution loads in the river basin while analyzing the influencing factors based on the STIRPAT (Stochastic Impacts by Regression on Population, Affluence, and Technology) model. Findings indicated that the projected point source pollution loads for total phosphorus (TP), chemical oxygen demand (COD), and ammonia nitrogen (AN) would amount to 3937.22 ton, 335,523.25 ton, and 13,946.92 ton in 2021, respectively. Among these, COD pollution would pose the greatest concern. The primary contributors to the pollution loads were rural scattered life, large-scale livestock and poultry breeding, and surface runoff. Per capita GDP emerged as the most influential factor affecting the pollution loads, followed by cultivated land area, while the urbanization rate demonstrated the least impact. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Strain-specific probiotics can present antioxidant activity and reduce damage caused by oxidation. Streptococcus alactolyticus strain FGM (S. alactolyticus strain FGM) isolated from the chicken cecum shows potential probiotic properties which have been previously demonstrated. However, the antioxidant properties of S. alactolyticus strain FGM remain unknown. In this view, cell-free supernatant (CFS), intact cells (IC) and intracellular extracts (CFE) of strain FGM and 3 strains of Lactobacillus (LAB) were prepared, and their scavenging capacities against DPPH, hydroxyl radicals and linoleic acid peroxidation inhibitory were compared in this study. The effects of strain FGM cell-free supernatant (FCFS) on NO production, activity of SOD and GSH-Px in RAW264.7 cells and LPS-induced RAW264.7 cells were analyzed. The metabolites in the supernatant were quantitated by N300 Quantitative Metabolome. It was shown that the physicochemical characteristics of CFS to scavenge DPPH, hydroxyl radicals, and linoleic acid peroxidation inhibitory were significantly stronger than that of IC and CFE in the strain FGM (P < 0.05), respectively 87.12% ± 1.62, 45.03% ± 1.27, 15.63% ± 1.34. FCFS had a promotional effect on RAW264.7 cells, and significantly elevated SOD and GSH-Px activities in RAW264.7 cells. 25 μL FCFS significantly promoted the proliferation of RAW264.7 cells induced by LPS, increased the activities of SOD and GSH-PX, and decreased the release of NO. Furthermore, among the differential metabolites of FCFS quantified by N300, 12 metabolites were significantly up-regulated, including lactic acid, indole lactic acid, linoleic acid, pyruvic acid etc., many of which are known with antioxidant properties. In conclusion, FCFS had good antioxidant properties and activity, which can be attributed to metabolites produced from strain FGM fermentation. It was further confirmed that S. alactolyticus strain FGM and its postbiotic have potential probiotic properties and bright application prospects in livestock and poultry breeding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tuojiang River watershed is the water supply area of Chengdu plain which is located in southwestern Sichuan Province, China, its safety of water environment directly impacts on social–economic sustainable development. In this study, we firstly used pollution discharge coefficient method to estimate the pollution loads of chemical oxygen demand (COD), ammonia nitrogen (NH3-N), total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP) of main pollution sources in 28 districts (counties) of Tuojiang River watershed from 2007 to 2017. We then adopted principle component analysis and k-means cluster analysis to determine categories of pollution sources. We finally recognized pollution risk areas through global and local spatially autocorrelation analysis. The results suggested that the COD was the primary pollutant whose pollution load value can be up to 44.99 × 104 t. The livestock and poultry breeding, and urban life pollution sources were main pollution sources. The pollution loads were correlated to climate and intensive agricultural activities. The pollution sources types related to agricultural activities changed into pollution sources types related to urbanization levels because of changes in population and agricultural driving factors. The Yanjiang district located in the middle of study watershed was always in higher pollution risk, and the pollution of Fushun county located in the downstream of watershed had a spillover effect on its surrounding counties because of its high pollution risk. Therefore, it is vital to help environment decision makers make strategies of water environment management across watershed through quantification of temporal and spatial characteristics of main pollution loads and their driving factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using untreated livestock manure adversely affects the environment and human health. Although transforming untreated livestock manure into organic fertilizer can alleviate these adverse effects, the adoption rate of this technology is relatively low in rural areas. This study investigates whether information technology adoption, focusing on Internet use, increases farmers' willingness to transform untreated livestock manure into organic fertilizer using data collected from pig breeding farmers in the Hubei province of China. A recursive bivariate probit model addresses the sample selection bias issues. Findings show that Internet use increases the probability of pig breeding farmers' willingness to transform untreated manure by around 35–56 percentage points. Gender, farm size, credit availability, extension contact, environmental protection attitude and governmental regulation are also important factors driving pig breeding farmers' willingness to transform untreated manure. Moreover, the impact of Internet use on farmers' willingness to transform untreated pig manure tends to be higher for pig breeding farmers with a larger breeding size and longer breeding years. Our findings have significant policy implications that help to improve livestock manure management, environmental quality, and the well-being and health of livestock breeding farmers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The genetic base in Upland cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) is narrow. Repeated random mating through generations during germplasm development may be an appealing approach to introgress desirable genes from exotic germplasm into Upland cotton. A random mating population, MDRM, was developed to provide a source of germplasm with introgression of novel alleles from other tetraploid species. This population was derived from 48 crosses between four Upland cotton lines/cultivars (MD15, MD52ne, and TAM98D-99ne and FiberMax832) as female parents and twelve exotic germplasm lines as male parents. The male parents include six lines derived from multiple crosses between G. hirsutum and G. barbadense L. and another six lines derived from multiple crosses among five Gossypium tetraploid species. After five generations of random mating followed by six generations of self-pollination, the bulk of RM5F7 population was produced, which further led to the development of recombinant inbred lines (RILs) from seed increase of single plants in the bulk. The bulk of RM5F7 and its 276 RILs were evaluated along with 134 RM0F7 RILs (0 generation of random mating) and 142 RM1F7 RILs (1 generation of random mating) and the parents at College Station, TX, Las Cruces, NM, and Stoneville, MS from 2016 to 2022. The bulk of RM5F7 has superior fiber quality with acceptable yield as compared with parents. Transgressive segregation was observed in RM5F7 RILs for both lint yield and fiber quality. Unfavorable associations between yield and fiber properties of length, strength, and uniformity in RM5F7 were reduced compared with RM0F7 or RM1F7. Therefore, MDRM provides a new breeding stock for cotton breeders to develop germplasm lines with desirable combinations between lint yield and fiber quality and unique combinations of alleles from exotic parents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The classification of township development types is an urgent problem that requires solution to enable the township to choose an appropriate development path. Using a township development classification method, we determine the township development types and their spatial patterns in Liaoning Province, China. The results showed that the patterns of township development types based on their general advantages had significant spatial differentiations. The planting, and livestock and poultry breeding township development types based on general advantages were mainly distributed across the central plain of Liaoning Province, China, and also concentrated in Dandong City–Dalian City along Yellow Sea coast, and in the northwest of Chaoyang City. The business and tourism, industry and mining, and residence township development types based on general advantages were distributed mainly along the Shenyang–Dalian Economic Belt in the central and southern Liaoning Province. The ecology township development type based on general advantages was mainly distributed in the eastern and western Liaoning Province to maintain regional ecological security. Township development types based on non-advantages were sporadically distributed in the middle and western Liaoning Province. Based on the classification and spatial patterns, the differences between the distribution of twonship development types and the plan for the major functional areas of Liaoning Province were proposed which could provide the basis for the optimization of the major functional areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The non-point source (NPS) nitrogen pollution of Huangshui Basin has posed a threat to the water security of the Yellow River. However, little attention has been paid to the lower reaches of Huangshui Basin, the buffer zone to the Yellow River, thus making it difficult to understand and manage the NPS nitrogen pollution in the area. Based on optimized Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) model, the NPS nitrogen pollution in the area was explored. It was found that in the lower reaches of Huangshui Basin, the NPS TN load showed a net increase and higher association with water yield, with total increase of 1836.49 t/year. And, the NPS TN load intensity of different sub-basins were among 0.02–10.32 t/km2/year. Moreover, the peak loads were mostly concentrated in the wet season. The NPS NH4–N load showed a net decrease, with a total reduction of 576.72 t/year, and the maximum reduction rate (6.81%) was found in Huangshui River section. Furthermore, through scenario simulation, the agricultural and rural activities showed higher impact on the NPS nitrogen pollution. Specifically, the NPS TN load was dominantly produced by agricultural activities, accounting for 45–97%. And the NPS NH4–N load was mainly resulted from livestock and poultry breeding, accounting for > 35%. Therefore, to promote the utilization of fertilizers and animal manure is essential to alleviate the NPS nitrogen pollution in the lower reaches of Huangshui Basin. Overall, this study is expected to provide an important support on further understanding of NPS pollution at a basin scale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the significant impacts of natural factors such as rainfall, topography, soil type, and river network as well as agricultural activities on the environmental water quality, little is known about the influence of their temporal and spatial variations in a fluvial-lacustrine watershed. In this study, a whole process accounting method based the export coefficient model (WP-ECM) was first developed to quantify how natural factors and agricultural activities distribution influenced water quality. A case study was performed in a typical fluvial-lacustrine area — Dongting basin, China. The simulated results indicated that the natural factors can promote and inhibit the migration and transformation of agricultural pollutants generated from the watershed and the spatial distribution of the natural factors displayed high variability. It should be priority to monitor the areas with greater natural impact in the basin. Moreover, the cultivated land area and the number of pig-breeding were positively correlated with the pollutant discharge. From the perspective of the spatial distribution of comprehensive influence, the comprehensive high-impact areas are mainly distributed in the Dongting Lake district in 2005–2010 and in Xiang River watershed in 2010–2020. A key strategy for controlling or reducing the cultivated land area and the intensity of livestock breeding in these high-impacts areas is recommended to reduce the impact of the environmental water quality for the entire basin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hybridization between milky stork (Mycteria cinerea) and painted stork (M. leucocephala) occurs frequently in captivity. Dusit Zoo is a captive breeding facility where storks with phenotypically ambiguous patterns have recently been observed, and their status remaining inconclusive. Here, we used a combination of phenotypic characters and genetic markers (cytochrome b and 14 microsatellite markers) to distinguish and identify hybrids from the two parental species (n = 114). Haplotype analysis revealed asymmetric mtDNA introgression from M. cinerea to M. leucocephala, with twelve morphologically classified M. leucocephala individuals carrying heterospecific mtDNA. Comprehensive biparental genetic assessments identified 33% of all three genetic clusters as admixed individuals, of which most were either F2 hybrids, backcrosses with M. leucocephala, or hybrids of unknown generation, implying weak premating isolation with the absence of intrinsic postzygotic isolation between parentals. Morphological analysis demonstrated that the absence or indistinctness of a black bar across the breast is the most noticeable trait to identify these hybrids. The endangered M. cinerea was found to have genomic contamination from M. leucocephala and vice versa, with at least 41 hybrid individuals being identified. These findings provide critical information for detecting hybrids and identifying suitable breeding stocks with genetic purity for future reintroduction and conservation management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Antibiotics are among the most common medicine groups since they are used to treat infectious diseases, as nutritional supplements in livestock breeding, and for preservation in the food industry. Turkey is among the highest antibiotic consumers in the world. In the present study, the most popular 14 antibiotics available in Turkey were monitored in one hospital sewage and two urban wastewater treatment plant influents and effluents seasonally in Istanbul province, the largest metropolitan center in Turkey. The present research aimed to develop a robust analytical method to determine 14 antibiotics, including six chemical groups, in environmental matrices which are considered significant antibiotic pollution sources, namely hospital sewage and urban wastewater. Solid-phase extraction (SPE) and UPLC-MS/MS analysis parameters included optimized column temperature, eluent, mobile phase, and flow rate. Three SPE cartridges were employed in recovery studies. The antibiotic recovery rates varied between 40 and 100%, and all analytes were identified within 3 min with UPLC-MS/MS under optimal conditions. It was determined that method detection limits (MDLs) varied between 0.07 and 2.72 µg/L for the antibiotics. In all seasons, the highest beta-lactam group antibiotic concentrations were identified in hospital sewage. The season with the greatest variety of antibiotics in urban wastewater was spring. Clarithromycin and ciprofloxacin were the antibiotics determined at the highest concentration in the influent and effluent of the wastewater treatment plant in all seasons. This study showed that the most widely used beta-lactam group antibiotics were found in high amounts in hospital sewage wastewater but in low concentrations in the treatment plants, and hence, it is seen that the degradability of beta-lactam group antibiotics was high. The presence of clarithromycin, ciprofloxacin, lincomycin, levofloxacin, and trimethoprim antibiotics in hospital sewage in higher amounts and also in inlet and outlet of wastewater treatment plants proves that those are resistant antibiotics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agricultural non-point source pollution is threatening water environmental health of the Three Gorges reservoir. However, current studies for precision management of the agricultural non-point source pollution within this area are still limited. The objective of this study was identifying the critical areas and primary sources of agricultural non-point source pollution for precision management. Firstly, the inventory analysis approach was used to estimate the discharge amount of total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP), and chemical oxygen demand (COD) from farmland fertilizer, crop residues, livestock breeding, and daily activities. Afterwards, the deviation standardization method was applied to evaluate the emission intensity of TN, TP, and COD, as well as calculating the comprehensive pollution index (CPI) of each village, based on which the critical areas for agricultural non-point source pollution management could be distinguished. Moreover, the equivalence pollution load method was conducted to identify the primary pollution sources within each critical zone. The above methods were implemented to an emigrant town within the Three Gorges reservoir area named Gufu. Results showed that agricultural non-point source pollution in Gufu town has been alleviated to a certain extent since 2016. Nevertheless, in four areas of the town (i.e., Longzhu, Fuzi, Shendu, and Maicang), the agricultural non-point source pollution still deserved attention and improvement. For the mentioned critical areas, farmland fertilizer and livestock breeding were the primary sources causing agricultural non-point source pollution. The emission amount of TN and TP from farmland fertilizer accounted for 60% and 48% of the total, respectively. And those from livestock breeding were 29% and 46%. Our research could provide definite targets to relieve agricultural non-point source pollution, which had great significance to protect water environment while coordinating regional economic growth after emigrant resettlement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soil and water assessment tool (SWAT) model was used to calculate the runoff, nitrogen and phosphorus emissions in the Dagu River Basin from 2002 to 2012 and provided preliminary suggestions on environmental protection measures. Calibration on hydrological watershed parameters was obtained from data obtained from multiple representative stations. Cluster analysis was used to group all stations, and the parameters of different representative stations were applied to the entire geographical area to reflect the hydrological conditions of the basin. Additionally, the spatiotemporal changes and pollution source characteristics of nitrogen and phosphorus were analyzed. Anthropogenic sources—chemical fertilizer loss and livestock breeding—accounted for 49.9–29.6% of total nitrogen (TN) and 41.4% and 40.3% of total phosphorus (TP), respectively. Non-point sources accounted for 85.8% of the TN and 89.4% of the TP. Six landscape management practices were set up to evaluate the reduction effect on non-point source pollution loads, and comprehensive measures were proposed to reduce TN (TP) by ~ 70%. According to water quality model, the response relationship between river control and nutrient distribution in Jiaozhou Bay is calculated. Based on the findings, we propose an optimal control scheme for non-point source pollution in the Dagu River Basin and other similar basins. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The cosmopolitan distribution of humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) is largely driven by migrations between winter low-latitude breeding grounds and summer high-latitude feeding grounds. Southern Hemisphere humpback whales faced intensive exploitation during the whaling eras and recently show evidence of population recovery. Gene flow and shared song indicate overlap between the western (A) and eastern (B1, B2) Breeding Stocks in the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans (C1). Here, we investigated photo-identification evidence of population interchange using images of individuals photographed during boat-based tourism and research in Brazil and South Africa from 1989 to 2022. Fluke images were uploaded to Happywhale, a global digital database for marine mammal identification. Six whales were recaptured between countries from 2002 to 2021 with resighting intervals ranging from 0.76 to 12.92 years. Four whales originally photographed off Abrolhos Bank, Brazil were photographed off the Western Cape, South Africa (feeding grounds for B2). Two whales originally photographed off the Western Cape were photographed off Brazil, one traveling to the Eastern Cape in the Southwestern Indian Ocean (a migration corridor for C1) before migrating westward to Brazil. These findings photographically confirm interchange of humpback whales across the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans and the importance of international collaboration to understand population boundaries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the impact of livestock activities and geochemical processes on the water quality of a fractured volcanic rock aquifer in the Lake Çıldır watershed, located at the northeastern part of Turkey. The existence of a high livestock population and animal grazing activities in meadow and pasturelands of the watershed during the short summer period poses serious stress on both surface and groundwater resources being the only drinking water supply for the local communities. Therefore, understanding the effect of grazing and livestock breeding activities occurring in the recharge areas of the fractured volcanic rock aquifer is vital to take precautions in order to protect limited water supplies at the watershed and vulnerable lake ecosystem as well. The mean nitrate content of the groundwater was measured at 6.4 ± 6.6 (std. dev) mg/L in the wet (before grazing) period and 7.1 ± 5.9 mg/L in the dry (after grazing) period. Despite low nitrate concentration levels of groundwater, microbial contamination was observed in the spring waters at alarming levels especially after the animal grazing activities. 56%, 26%, and 11% of the groundwater samples showed bacterial contamination in terms of total coliform, fecal coliform, and fecal streptococci contents, respectively, prior to grazing activity, while in pursuit of intense livestock grazing at highland, these microbial indicators have been increased to 92%, 85%, and 77% in the dry period. A significant increase observed in fecal contamination indicates the negative impact of livestock activities on groundwater quality. Al (200–638 µg/L) and Fe (66–218 µg/L) enrichments locally observed in groundwater were related to advanced argillic alteration (kaolinization) and hematization zones in pyroclastic rocks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Livestock breeding activities and pharmaceutical wastes lead to considerable accumulation of steroid hormones and estrogens in wastewaters. Here estrogens act as pro-cancerogenic agents and endocrine disruptors interfering with the sexual development of aquatic animals and having toxic effects in humans. Environmental bacteria play a vital role in estrogens degradation. Their wide reservoir of enzymes, such as ring cleavage dioxygenases (RCDs), can degrade the steroid nucleus, catalyzing the meta-cleavage of A, B or D steroid rings. In this work, 4 extra-diol ring cleavage dioxygenases (ERCDs), PP28735, PP26077, PP00124 and PP00193, were isolated from the marine sphingomonad Novosphingobium sp. PP1Y and characterized. Enzymes kinetic parameters were determined on different synthetic catecholic substrates. Then, the bioconversion of catechol estrogens was evaluated. PP00124 showed to be an efficient catalyst for the degradation of 4-hydroxyestradiol (4-OHE2), a carcinogenic hydroxylated derivate of E2. 4-OHE2 complete cleavage was obtained using PP00124 both in soluble form and in whole recombinant E. coli cells. LC–MS/MS analyses confirmed the generation of a semialdehyde product, through A-ring meta cleavage. To the best of our knowledge, PP00124 is the first characterized enzyme able to directly degrade 4-OHE2 via meta cleavage. Moreover, the complete 4-OHE2 biodegradation using recombinant whole cells highlighted advantages for bioremediation purposes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The sources of P and N in water-carrying lakes include exogenous input and endogenous release. However, the influence of pollution from different sources on the dynamic distribution of N and P at the sediment-water interface in water-carrying lakes remains unclear. The objectives of this study were to investigate the differences in dynamic distribution characteristics of P compounds and N elements in Lake Jiaogang, a major water-carrying lake in eastern China. Four functional regions with different types of pollutant sources and different kinds of aquatic plants were selected to study the distribution of total P (TP), inorganic P, organic P, ammonium (NH4+–N), and nitrate (NO3−–N). The results revealed that regions with internal-source pollutants contained the highest concentration of TP, Ca–P, and Fe–P with high concentrations. L–P, Al–P, mostly organic P, and soluble reactive phosphorous (SRP), the region with internal-source pollutants were lower than that with the imported-source pollutant. The concentration of dissolved NH4+–N showed high in regions with imported-source pollutants, however, in regions with internal-source pollutants, the dissolved NO3−–N was with the highest concentration. Overall, P from upstream was still dominant in the sediments despite uptake by the aquatic plants. SRP showed high concentration in regions with imported-source pollutants due to the imported pollution and the improved bioavailability by plant root exudates. Feces and feed residues from aquatic livestock breeding resulted in the highest concentration of TN, NH4+–N, and dissolved NO3−–N in the sediments of the region with internal-source pollutants. High concentrations of dissolved NH4+–N were due to the input of N from imported source pollutants. This study provides insights into the contributions of P and N to the eutrophication of the water-carrying lake. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of green feed for livestock breeding is an important strategy to encounter both the increasing demand for animal derived products and the perceptions of the consumers regarding animal welfare and sustainability. The aim of this study was to compare different feeding strategies in lactating water buffaloes by using a metabolomic approach. The study was carried out on 32 milking buffaloes that were randomly divided into two groups for a total period of 90 days (3 sampling times). DD Group (dry diet) received a standard total mixed ratio (TMR) characterized by dry forages and concentrates; ZG Group (zero grazing) fed an isoenergetic and isoproteic diet obtained using 30% of sorghum as green forage. Samples of milk and rumen fluid were analyzed by liquid chromatography—mass spectrometry (LC–MS) techniques. Data analyses revealed the presence of several differentially accumulated metabolites and among these, ten compounds were putatively identified in milk samples (i.e. l-carnitine, acetylcarnitine, propionylcarnitine, butyrylcarnitine, 2-methylbutyroylcarnitine, 2-hexenoylcarnitine, hexanoylcarnitine, glycerophosphocholine, δ-valerobetaine and γ-butyrobetaine) and four in rumen fluid (3-(2-hydroxyphenyl) propanoate, Indole-3-acrylic acid, oleamide (cis-9,10-octadecenoamide) and 20-carboxy-leukotriene B4). The modulation of these molecules in buffalo milk is significantly related to the green/dry based feeding and some the natural compound detected could be considered as health-promoting nutrients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Traditional oases represent unique forms of adaptation to extreme environmental conditions, developed through the centuries by local farmers to support their livelihood, combining different crops (date palms, fruit trees, vegetables and fodder) with livestock breeding. Despite their social, economic and cultural importance, these agroforestry systems are currently facing multiple socio-environmental threats. The aim of the paper is to investigate the variety of Ecosystem Services (ES) and the main threats related to traditional oases in Northern Africa through a systematic literature review. The search returned 257 relevant papers published from 2005 to March 2022, mostly focusing on Tunisian oases (37%), followed by Algerian (23%), Moroccan (19%), Egyptian (17%), and Libyan (4%). Provisioning Services, in particular Genetic diversity, agrobiodiversity and biodiversity, are the most cited ES (36% of the papers) followed by Cultural Services, mainly represented by Traditional knowledge systems, cultural heritage and sense of place (17%), while Regulating Services are less considered. Results highlighted that water related issues (desertification, drought, salinization or overexploitation) represent the main threat, followed by decrease of agrobiodiversity, primarily due to the spread of monocultures of commercial date varieties, and by social transformations (depopulation, traditional knowledge and cultural heritage loss). The literature review proved that traditional oases are still crucial for the livelihood of local communities since they still provide many ES. Local experiences related to sustainable development and tourism, or innovative solutions to valorize local products and byproducts, could be important for replication in other traditional oases to contribute to the wellbeing of local communities and to the preservation of these agroecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tetracycline antibiotics (TCs) are a broad-spectrum antibiotic, widely used in livestock and poultry breeding. Residue of tetracycline antibiotics in animal manure may cause changes in vegetable TCs content and soil microbial community. On the basis of the investigation and analysis of TCs pollution in the soil of main vegetable bases and the livestock manure of major large-scale farms in Chongqing, China, field experiment was conducted to study the residues of tetracycline antibiotics in Brassica juncea var. gemmifera and soil under different kinds and different dosages of livestock manures. Effects of tetracycline antibiotics on the structure and diversity of soil microbial community were also investigated by high-throughput sequencing. TCs content in soil was increased by applying livestock manure. The contents of tetracycline, oxytetracycline (OTC) and chlortetracycline (CTC) in the soil under pig manure treatment were 171.07–660.20 μg kg−1, 25.38–345.78 μg kg−1 and 170.77–707.47 μg kg−1, respectively. The contents of TC, OTC and CTC in the soil under the treatment of chicken manure were 166.62–353.61 μg kg−1, 122.25–251.23 μg kg−1 and 15.12–80.91 μg kg−1, respectively. TCs in edible parts of Brassica juncea var. gemmifera was increased after livestock manure treatment Proteobacteria, Acidobacteria, Actinobacteria, Chioroflexi and Bacteroidetes under livestock manure treatment were the dominant phyla, accounting for 85.2–92.4% of the total abundance of soil bacteria. The soil OTUs under the treatment of pig manure was higher than that under the treatment of chicken manure. Biogas residue (Livestock manure after fermentation treatment) can effectively reduce the environmental and ecological risks caused by antibiotic residues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A methodological approach to substantiating the control levels of 137Cs in cattle feeds is presented based on the probabilistic nature of the parameters of transfer of 137Cs to cattle feeds and cattle milk and meat. A comparative analysis of global and Russian data on the parameters of 137Cs transfer from feed to livestock products has been made. It is shown that milk with 137Cs remains safe when the concentration of this radionuclide in the feed is at the existing control levels; however, this does not guarantee compliance with the hygienic standards for the content of 137Cs in meat. Based on the methodological approach, control levels are proposed for monitoring 137Cs in the feeds of dairy and beef cattle in areas contaminated after the Chernobyl accident. The use of the proposed control levels makes it possible to optimize livestock breeding technologies in the Russian areas contaminated after the Chernobyl accident. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Decoupling livestock and cropland production at regional scale have poor resource-use efficiency and detrimental effects on environment in China. It is therefore necessary to identify the decoupled livestock and cropland production system and make recommendations to recouple livestock and cropland. This study used the indexes of land carrying capacity (LCC), animal manure absorption capacity (AMAC), and risk warning value (R) to evaluate the coupling between cropland and livestock at the local scale in the Huang-Huai-Hai region. The decoupling of cropland and livestock in the case of Beijing (SY_BJ) was found assessed with lower theoretical value of LCC and higher theoretical value of AMAC compared with local actual situation, categorized as grade IV with a high R value (above 1). Contrary results were found that the livestock and cropland production systems were coupled at the local scale in the cases located in Hebei and Shandong Provinces, categorized as grade I or II. Two measures were used to optimize the decoupled case by adjusting the ratio of manure to fertilization or reducing breeding quantity. The decoupled case of SY_BJ could be optimized by adjusting the ratio of manure to fertilization (95.34% based on nitrogen and 81.97% based on phosphorus, respectively). The breeding quantity in this case should be reduced by at least 46% to recouple the livestock and cropland at the local level to manage nutrient surpluses from livestock and poultry breeding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Animals Raised in the Ukraine Colonization Community of Palmital, Paraná State, Brazil. Although Brazil is one of the world's major cattle producers and has rich social, ethnic, and biological diversity, ethnoveterinary studies are rare in Southern Brazil. Knowledge of plant use by farmers in the rural areas of the Ukrainian colony of Palmital, southern Brazil, can contribute to understanding the relationships among plants, smallholder farmers, and their livestock. Semi–structured interviews were conducted with non–random sampling following the "snowball" method. The information collected included local plant names, plant parts used, mode of preparation, route of administration, domestic animal species, and diseases requiring treatment. The informants were encouraged to show the plants, which were collected, identified, and stored. The informant consensus factor (ICF) and the use value (UV) were calculated. Thirty women and 20 men reported a total of 45 native and introduced plant species belonging to 29 families that are used for ethnoveterinary practices, mostly for cattle and goats, with the highest ICF for mastitis and antiparasitic treatments. Cattle are the most important livestock species bred in the community; therefore, most plant treatments were for cattle health problems. Similar studies on European immigrant communities in Brazil are lacking and could be a valuable source of information about how immigrant culture translate into local knowledge of veterinary medicinal plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) seasonally migrate between their corresponding breeding and feeding grounds; however, some individual whales deviate from this pattern migrating to different breeding or feeding grounds. Here, we report the first recorded movement of a humpback whale between the Antarctic Peninsula and the east coast of Australia. The individual whale, a known female, was identified by natural markings in the Antarctic Peninsula feeding area, and then photographed 15 years later in Byron Bay, on the eastern coast of Australia. This constitutes the longest migration for any humpback whale documented to date in the South Pacific Ocean and in the Southern Hemisphere (143° of longitude). Although the route is uncertain and the cues may be environmental, social or demographic, or some combinations thereof, this exceptional movement between two distant Breeding Stocks in the South Pacific Ocean demonstrates that longitudinal long-distance migrations among humpback whale populations do take place, at least occasionally, and perhaps may not be as atypical as it has been thought. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Marine animals such as the southern elephant seal (Mirounga leonina) rely on a productive marine environment and are vulnerable to oceanic changes that can affect their reproduction and survival rates. Davis Base, Antarctica, acts as a moulting site for southern elephant seals that forage in Prydz Bay, but the mitochondrial haplotype diversity and natal source populations of these seals have not been characterized. In this study, we combined genetic and animal tracking data on these moulting seals to identify levels of mitochondrial haplotype diversity, natal source population, and movement behaviours during foraging and haul-out periods. Using partial sequences of the mitochondrial control region, we identified two major breeding mitochondrial lineages of seals at Davis Base. We found that the majority of the seals originated from breeding stocks within the South Atlantic Ocean and South Indian Ocean. One seal was grouped with the Macquarie Island breeding stock (South Pacific Ocean). The Macquarie Island population, unlike the other two stocks, is decreasing in size. Tracking data revealed long-distance foraging activity of the Macquarie Island seal around Crozet Islands. We speculate that changes to the Antarctic marine environment can result in a shift in foraging and movement strategies, which subsequently affects seal population growth rates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agricultural materials input (fertilizer and pesticide, etc.), together with straw burning, rice planting, and livestock breeding, constitute the sources of agricultural greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. However, most related studies have discussed the total amount of agricultural GHG emissions or the role of straw burning and rice planting in agricultural GHG emissions and few studies on agricultural GHG emissions from Agricultural materials. Based on the data of 31 provinces in China from 2003 to 2018, this paper explored the evolution process of agricultural GHG emissions from Agricultural materials. Our research turned up some interesting findings. For example, firstly, Agricultural materials play an increasingly important role in agricultural GHG emissions. Agricultural GHG emissions due to Agricultural materials account for an increasing proportion of the total agricultural GHG emissions. Secondly, there are regional differences in the evolution trend of agricultural GHG emissions caused by agricultural materials. Especially after the urbanization rate broke through the critical line of 50% around 2010 in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A large number of livestock and poultry breeding were distributed in the suburbs, brought a strong environmental pressure to the cities. The issue of whether livestock and poultry breeding could be carried out in the suburbs was a key controversy in the present. To address this question, this study constructed an index system of suitability evaluation of spatial layout of intensive pig farms, calculated the average surface temperature from June to September, and obtained potential intensive pig farms in Nanyu Town. Combing above results and area index results of cultivated land spatial matched with intensive pig farm, spatial relation between cultivated land and potential intensive pig farm was built, the optimum potential intensive pig farm in Nanyu Town was determined, and its carrying capacity was calculated. Results showed that livestock and poultry breeding could be carried out in the suburbs. A total of 3403 and 3253 pieces of cultivated lands occupying 52.01% and 49.67% of the total cultivated lands had a spatial relation between potential intensive pig farms taking N and P as indices, respectively. Moreover, 14 and 15 potential intensive pig farms taking N and P as indices, respectively, in Nanyu Town were determined as optimum potential intensive pig farms. Results also indicated that most of the optimum potential intensive pig farms were suitable for constructing small- and medium-sized pig farms. Results would provide scientific basis for the planning of spatial arrangement of livestock and poultry breeding and the suburb environmental pollution control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of genomic selection in agricultural animal breeding is in academic literature generally considered an ethically unproblematic development, but some critical views have been offered. Our paper shows that an important preliminary question for any ethical evaluation of (innovations in) genomic selection is how the scope of discussion should be set, that is, which ethical issues and perspectives ought to be considered. This scope is determined by three partly overlapping choices. The first choice is which ethical concepts to include: an ethical discussion of genomic selection approaches may draw on concepts central to (Anglo-Saxon) applied ethics, but some critical views have been based on concepts from critical animal studies and continental philosophy. A related choice is to what extent discussion should focus on new ethical issues raised or on existing ethical issues that will be ameliorated, perpetuated or aggravated by an innovation in genomic selection. The third choice is to treat an innovation in genomic selection either as a technique on itself or as a part of specific practices. We argue that ethical discussion should not limit attention to new issues or ignore the implications of particular ways of applying genomic selection in practice, and this has some consequences for which ethical concepts ought to be included. Limiting the scope of discussion may be defensible in some contexts, but broader ethical discussion remains necessary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sewage from large-scale livestock and poultry breeding can be used to irrigate farmland, which is an effective measure to treat sewage in a cost- and energy-efficient manner and to ensure the sustainable use of water resources. However, sewage irrigation can negatively impact soil, groundwater, and human health due to low water quality, and studies addressing the advances in technology and risk evaluation of sewage irrigation have practical significance. This paper summarizes the three main aspects of this issue: sewage treatment technology, safe sewage irrigation technology, and risk and safety evaluation of the irrigation process. The main progress and problems associated with sewage irrigation technology are summarized, and future directions in sewage irrigation technology development are discussed. Finally, methods are proposed to address the specific problems that should be considered in the design of irrigation systems, such as the selection of the irrigation equipment, sewage irrigation scheduling, and the most appropriate evaluation method and index system to assess the ecological risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The spatio-temporal response of water quality in the receiving basins to water transfer remains unclear when considering more practical factors. Moreover, a much fast surrogate model is highly required to realize the purpose of rapid prediction of water quality. In this study, a two-dimensional hydrodynamic and water quality model was primarily established by considering the most comprehensive important pollution sources so far to investigate the water quality variation in Baiyangdian Lake, China. The pollution sources include atmospheric deposition, sediment release, village and tourism domestic sewage, livestock breeding, rainfall runoff, aquatic plants, and animals. The water quality at different sample sites was assessed using the water quality index (WQI). Subsequently, a surrogate model was proposed using the nonlinear autoregressive network with exogenous inputs (NARX), and the NARX model can realize fast prediction of the annual time series of water quality in a few seconds. The results showed that there are significant differences in water quality at different sample sites in each season. The highest WQI value occurred in autumn (65.46), and the average values at different sample sites were between 47.54 and 58.22 in this season. The water quality at Nanliuzhuang site and Caiputai site was significantly affected by water transfer patterns. In addition, the correlation coefficient R2 between the predicted results and the simulated ones except that of parameter TP was larger than 0.90. The prediction performance of surrogate model was shown to be very high efficiency and accurate. The proposed models and the results of this approach are guiding significance for lake management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: Domesticated animals play a central role in agricultural landscapes. However, livestock has been scarcely studied from a spatial perspective. Mapping of livestock diversity has been limited by the lack of distribution and demography data. This shortfall limits both the reach of actions aimed to conserve threatened breeds and their consideration as a tool for improving sustainability in livestock landscapes. Objectives: To analyse environmental drivers of local grazing livestock breed—those autochthonous to a specific region—distributions and delineate livestock ecoregions, i.e. areas where certain groups of breeds exhibit similarly response to environmental factors in their distribution. Methods: We used non-metric multidimensional scaling and hierarchical clustering to explore the distribution of the areas of origin of 119 local livestock breeds of the bovine, ovine, caprine, equine and asinine species. In addition, we performed randomisations and preference index to establish livestock ecoregions. Results: Our results show contrasting spatial distributions of grazing local breeds across the studied species, explained by environmental factors. The distribution of cattle breeds is determined by the temperate influence of Atlantic Ocean, while sheep breeds are related to more continental climates, especially to those of the central Iberian plateau. Goat breeds are associated with limiting factors in the context of the Mediterranean climate, such as the seasonality of precipitation, and equine breeds are adapted to particular regions, reaching areas at the environmental extremes. The partitioning of the geographic and environmental space is reflected in the livestock ecoregions. Conclusions: Livestock intraspecific diversity has acted as an adaptive response of domesticated grazing animals to specific environmental conditions. Our delineation of livestock ecoregions could aid to move towards more sustainable agricultural and livestock landscapes and help in the conservation of agrobiodiversity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the seasonal forecast of the North American Multi-Model Ensemble (NMME) over Central Africa (CA), which encompasses a region of the world where the economies of the countries are highly dependent on agriculture and livestock breeding. Following many regional climate perspectives, we evaluated the seasonal forecast over the 4 seasons: December to February (DJF), March to May (MAM), June to August (JJA), September to November (SON) between 0 and 5 months lead time before the beginning of each season. Deterministic and categorical approaches which focus on the rainfall variable were used to assess NMME ensemble mean (MME). The observed and predicted rainfalls have been divided into three categories: below normal, normal, and above normal. The results show that for 0 to 2 months lead time, the MME reproduces well the peak rainfall of the Atlantic coast and in the East of Democratic Republic of Congo in MAM and SON between 9 and 10 mm/day. Again in the same lead time interval, values of correlation coefficients (R) between the MME and the Global Precipitation Climatology Center (GPCC) reference observation of all seasons are greater than 0.72. For 3 to 5 months lead time, lower values of R are observed. It follows that probabilities of detection (POD) are greater than 50% for all different normal seasons and less than 45% for below and above normal seasons. On the other hand, high false alarm (FAR) values and low Critical Success Index (CSI) values are observed for both below and above normal seasons. From our results, one can argue that the NMME seems to be an interesting tool during the first three forecasting lead times in CA capable of providing important seasonal characteristics before the start of each season, which will allow proper consideration of meteorological phenomena. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The complex mixtures of antibiotics and heavy metals are commonly existed in livestock and poultry breeding wastewater. Effective and simultaneous removal of these toxic compounds by microorganisms, especially single strains, remains a considerable challenge. In this study, a novel functional strain SDB4, isolated from duck manure and identified as Bacillus sp., has been shown to possess high removal capabilities for both sulfamethoxazole (SMX) and Zn2+. The maximum removal efficiency achieved 73.97% for SMX and 84.06% for Zn2+ within 48 h in the single pollution system. It has great potential for eliminating SMX along with Zn2+, 78.45% of SMX and 52.91% of Zn2+ were removed in the 20 mg·L-1 SMX and 100 mg·L-1 Zn2+ binary system. Furthermore, the SMX-biotransformation capability of SDB4 was enhanced at low concentrations of Zn2+ (below 100 mg·L-1). The SMX biotransformation and Zn2+ adsorption data fitted well with the pseudo-first-order kinetic model, indicating that the two pollutants were in accordance with the same removal rule. N4-acetyl-SMX was identified as the main stable transformation product during SMX removal. FTIR analyses revealed that OH, NH2, C=O, C-N/N-H, and C-O-C played major roles in the adsorption of Zn2+. Our study of the dually functioning strain SDB4 provides a potential application for the simultaneous biological removal of antibiotics and heavy metals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

At present, the contradiction between survival and ecology necessitates the integration of crop planting, chemical fertilizer application, and livestock and poultry breeding. Reasonably integrated crop-livestock systems (ICLSs) have become an important part of regional ecological and agricultural development. In this study, the relationship between manure nutrient demands for crops and manure nutrient supply from livestock is considered based on the balance of ICLSs in Jiangxi Province, China. The land carrying capacity index and potential of livestock breeding under uncoordinated systems are further discussed. The study also addresses water environmental risk due to surplus nutrients by integrating a traditional land carrying capacity framework and hydrological model. The results show that phosphorus absorption in land areas is the main limiting factor for the development of the livestock and poultry industries. In addition, manure nutrient demand exceeded supply in most districts, while the unbalanced regions with nutrient pollution are located in the upper and middle reaches of the Ganjiang basin. In addition, expanding the crop demand for manure or increasing the manure collection rate will help reduce environmental harm; however, attention should be paid to the risk of excessive manure returns. Additional livestock manure can be transferred to regions with developed crop planting systems. This study supports more harmonious and common ICLSs construction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A pandemic of Salmonella enterica serotype Enteritidis emerged in the 1980s due to contaminated poultry products. How Salmonella Enteritidis rapidly swept through continents remains a historical puzzle as the pathogen continues to cause outbreaks and poultry supply becomes globalized. We hypothesize that international trade of infected breeding stocks causes global spread of the pathogen. By integrating over 30,000 Salmonella Enteritidis genomes from 98 countries during 1949–2020 and international trade of live poultry from the 1980s to the late 2010s, we present multifaceted evidence that converges on a high likelihood, global scale, and extended protraction of Salmonella Enteritidis dissemination via centralized sourcing and international trade of breeding stocks. We discovered recent, genetically near-identical isolates from domestically raised poultry in North and South America. We obtained phylodynamic characteristics of global Salmonella Enteritidis populations that lend spatiotemporal support for its dispersal from centralized origins during the pandemic. We identified concordant patterns of international trade of breeding stocks and quantitatively established a driving role of the trade in the geographic dispersal of Salmonella Enteritidis, suggesting that the centralized origins were infected breeding stocks. Here we demonstrate the value of integrative and hypothesis-driven data mining in unravelling otherwise difficult-to-probe pathogen dissemination from hidden origins. Salmonella enterica serotype Enteritidis is a pathogen of poultry that can cause outbreaks in humans. Here the authors use genomic and trade data to investigate a pandemic in the 1980s, finding evidence that international trade of breeding stocks led to global spread of the pathogen. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Currently the deteriorated water quality for Huaihe River Basin (HRB) in China was still serious because of the negative influence multiple pollution sources including animal manure. However, little attention was paid to the potential risk of animal manure for farmland and water quality of HRB. This study was quantified and forecasted animal manure risk and its spatiotemporal variations in HRB from 2008 to 2018, through pollution discharge coefficient method and pollution load calculation, combined with kriging interpolation method of ArcGIS technology, based on statistics principle. All the data were originated from livestock and poultry breeding in HRB from 2008 to 2018. The future risk of farmland and water environment in HRB was further forecasted. The results indicated that the livestock and poultry manure has become a key pollution source causing a negative influence on farmland and water quality owing to a large amount of animal manure production without efficient recycle utilization. The chemical oxygen demand (COD) and total nitrogen (TN) discharge of animal manure in HRB almost accounted for 17.00% and 39.00% of the whole COD and TN discharge in China. The diffusion concentration of TN and TP in those regions of Shangqiu, Zhoukou, Heze, Zhumadian, Luohe, Jining, Xuchang, Kaifeng, Taian and Zhengzhou of HRB has exceeded the threshold value 10.00 mg/L of TN and 0.08 mg/L of TP, causing water eutrophication and cancer villages. The assessment of farmland and water quality risk revealed that Zhumadian, Zhoukou, Shangqiu, Taian, Jining, Heze, Linyi and Rizhao belonged to high risk areas in HRB, which were still obtained high farmland and water quality risk index in 2030. The results provided insight into an important significance of sustainable balance of livestock and poultry development and ecosystem in HRB. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change has adversely affected pastoral community in Pakistan through increased severity of livestock diseases, floods, and drought. These climatic hazards caused extensive livestock loss and worsen livelihood of pastoralists' households. Pastoralists are higher vulnerable to these climate shocks and livestock major source of their nutrition and income. This research work focused to analyze the factors affecting resilience of pastoral community in Punjab province of Pakistan. Understanding shocks of climate change in historical perspective of pastoral community, consultation for key information, and focus group discussions were managed. The study collected data of 768 pastoral households' regarding pastoral shocks experience, long-term adaptation measures, and coping strategies through external support for resilience upright. Principal component analysis was used for construction of resilience index of pastoral households. In estimating institutional factors, adaptive practice and socio-demographic effects on pastoral households' resilience structured probit regression were employed in the study. Extension services access, availability of adequate formal credit, pastoral household income, schooling years and adaptive practice like afforestation, the practice of ethno-veterinary, improved stock breeding, beekeeping, enclosures, and grazing of crop fields post-harvest affect significantly and positively in developing pastoral household resilience to shocks. In the past scenario long-term adaptation strategies, policy measures ignored, while investment priority was focused on risk-reducing measures. To enhance long-run pastoral household resilience status regarding climate change shocks, there is need for direct investment to increase adaptive capacity pastoral community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Socially affected traits in pigs are controlled by direct genetic effects and social genetic effects, which can make elucidation of their genetic architecture challenging. We evaluated the genetic basis of direct genetic effects and social genetic effects by combining single-locus and haplotype-based GWAS on imputed whole-genome sequences. Nineteen SNPs and 25 haplotype loci are identified for direct genetic effects on four traits: average daily feed intake, average daily gain, days to 100 kg and time in feeder per day. Nineteen SNPs and 11 haplotype loci are identified for social genetic effects on average daily feed intake, average daily gain, days to 100 kg and feeding speed. Two significant SNPs from single-locus GWAS (SSC6:18,635,874 and SSC6:18,635,895) are shared by a significant haplotype locus with haplotype alleles 'GGG' for both direct genetic effects and social genetic effects in average daily feed intake. A candidate gene, MT3, which is involved in growth, nervous, and immune processes, is identified. We demonstrate the genetic differences between direct genetic effects and social genetic effects and provide an anchor for investigating the genetic architecture underlying direct genetic effects and social genetic effects on socially affected traits in pigs. Pingxian Wu and Kai Wang et al. perform single-locus and haplotype-based GWAS in Yorkshire pigs to evaluate genetic factors involved in socially affected traits, like feed intake and weight gain. These results indicate several genetic factors that may ultimately be targeted to improve livestock breeding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the development of a land-sea coordination management strategy, it is necessary to analyze pollution sources and loads of pollutants entering the sea. This study estimated the sources and transport of total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP) entering Bohai Bay in Tianjin, a lower plain urban watershed, using a SPAtially Referenced Regression On Watershed attributes (SPARROW) model. We calibrated the model using TN and TP data from 26 and 27 sites, respectively. The results demonstrated that the R2 values of TN and TP were both above 0.99. In 2013, the TN load delivered to Bohai Bay was 21,320 ton, which could be traced to various sources: upstream (39%), industrial discharge (10%), sewage discharge (34%), fertilizer application (3%), livestock breeding (7%), aquaculture (5%), and rural communities (2%). The TP load delivered to Bohai Bay was 1504 ton, which originated from upstream (33%), industrial discharge (5%), sewage discharge (21%), fertilizer application (5%), livestock breeding (12%), aquaculture (10%), and rural communities (14%). Rational management of the water resources in streams, enhancement of water circulation between rivers and wetlands, and making full use of the effect of both land and water on pollutant retention are the suitable strategies in watershed management, reducing marine pollution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]