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Context: A great body of evidence is available on the in vitro efficacy of white-rot fungi (WRF) to degrade lignin in fibre-rich biomass (e.g. wheat straw, wood chips and rice straw (RS)) and improve the biomass' nutritive value for ruminants. Aims: Determining the impact of incubation temperature of three WRF to improve the nutritional value of rice straw. Methods: Growth of Ceriporiopsis subvermispora , Lentinula edodes and Pleurotus eryngii on RS for 26 days at the following six temperature regimes: continuous at 24°C, 30°C, 35°C and 40°C, and 3 days at 35°C and 40°C, with subsequent days at 24°C. In a follow-up experiment, improvement in fermentability in buffered rumen fluid of RS treated by the three WRF at 24°C and 30°C for up to 8 weeks was investigated. Key results: All three fungi grew at temperatures up to 35°C, with no growth observed at 40°C, with C. subvermispora being more temperature sensitive. There were significant differences in cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin degradation of RS at 24°C and 30°C, with C. subvermispora degrading 69% and 90% of the hemicellulose and lignin respectively at 30°C, greater than at 24°C (55% and 80% respectively). For L. edodes , there were significant differences in cellulose degradation between 24°C and 30°C, with 12% more degradation at 30°C, but not for hemicellulose and lignin. In vitro gas production showed no significant differences between the two incubation temperatures for either of the two fungi. Pleurotus eryngii treatment did not show any improvement in terms of in vitro gas production. Conclusions: Treatment of RS with L. edodes and C. subvermispora , but not P. eryngii , is robust and temperature changes will not have a major impact on their efficacy as long as the temperature remains below 30°C. Implications: Temperature during the incubation of WRF with rice straw needs to be below 30°C for this biotechnology to be applied in practice. White-rot fungus technology can revolutionise the utilisation of rice straw, because it enhances its quality by breaking down rigid components and boosting nutritional value. Investigating the temperature tolerance of these fungi is crucial for the practical application process, ensuring their effectiveness in diverse enviromental conditions and promoting their use in livestock feed. Unlocking their potential can increase the utility of this abundant by-product, contributing to environmental sustainability and agricultural productivity. This article belongs to the Collection Sustainable Animal Agriculture for Developing Countries 2023. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study is to evaluate the characteristics of smallholder beef cattle production in Central Vietnam. A total of 360 households were interviewed by using semi-structured questionnaire; a total of 606 beef cows were investigated for evaluating calving interval (CI). Thirty-two fattening cattle were monitored for the estimation of diet structure. Results showed that the cattle herd size was 4.32-4.45 cattle/household. In North Central (NC), 55% of surveyed farmers kept local cattle, 45% kept crossbreeds, and none of surveyed farmers keeping exotic breeds. In South Central (SC), 63% of surveyed farmers kept cross cattle, 32% kept local cattle, and 5% kept exotic breeds. In the breeding method, 70% of surveyed farmers used artificial insemination (AI), 20% used natural mating (NM), and only 10% used both AI and NM in SC, whereas in NC 40% of farmers used AI, 40% used NM, and 20% used both AI and NM. The variety of feedstuffs fed to cattle including roughages and concentrate. The concentrate in the diet for fattening cattle was 25%-35% and protein level was 11%-13%, and the average daily gain of cattle was 0.51-0.63 kg/day. The CI of cows was 12-13 months in SC, whereas in NC it was 13-14 months. There were numerous constraints to cattle production in surveyed households including diseases, lack of good quality feed sources, breeds, knowledge, and lack of capital. In conclusion, cattle production in Central Vietnam is small scale and still largely extensive. There are constraints that must be solved to improve livestock systems in the near future, especially when shifting towards semi-intensive and/or intensive cattle production systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]