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Over the two last decades, venom toxins have been explored as alternatives to opioids to treat chronic debilitating pain. At present, approximately 20 potential analgesic toxins, mainly from spider venoms, are known to inhibit with high affinity the NaV1.7 subtype of voltage-gated sodium (NaV) channels, the most promising genetically validated antinociceptive target identified so far. The present study aimed to consolidate the development of phlotoxin 1 (PhlTx1), a 34-amino acid and 3-disulfide bridge peptide of a Phlogiellus genus spider, as an antinociceptive agent by improving its affinity and selectivity for the human (h) NaV1.7 subtype. The synthetic homologue of PhlTx1 was generated and equilibrated between two conformers on reverse-phase liquid chromatography and exhibited potent analgesic effects in a mouse model of NaV1.7-mediated pain. The effects of PhlTx1 and 8 successfully synthetized alanine-substituted variants were studied (by automated whole-cell patch-clamp electrophysiology) on cell lines stably overexpressing hNaV subtypes, as well as two cardiac targets, the hCaV1.2 and hKV11.1 subtypes of voltage-gated calcium (CaV) and potassium (KV) channels, respectively. PhlTx1 and D7A-PhlTx1 were shown to inhibit hNaV1.1−1.3 and 1.5−1.7 subtypes at hundred nanomolar concentrations, while their affinities for hNaV1.4 and 1.8, hCaV1.2 and hKV11.1 subtypes were over micromolar concentrations. Despite similar analgesic effects in the mouse model of NaV1.7-mediated pain and selectivity profiles, the affinity of D7A-PhlTx1 for the NaV1.7 subtype was at least five times higher than that of the wild-type peptide. Computational modelling was performed to deduce the 3D-structure of PhlTx1 and to suggest the amino acids involved in the efficiency of the molecule. In conclusion, the present structure−activity relationship study of PhlTx1 results in a low improved affinity of the molecule for the NaV1.7 subtype, but without any marked change in the molecule selectivity against the other studied ion channel subtypes. Further experiments are therefore necessary before considering the development of PhlTx1 or synthetic variants as antinociceptive drug candidates.

ABSTRACT: Increasing consumer concerns underscore the importance of verifying the practices and origins of food, especially certified premium products. The aim of this study was to evaluate the ability of Fourier-transform mid-infrared (FT-MIR) spectroscopy to authenticate animal welfare parameters, farming practices, and dairy systems. Data on farm characteristics were obtained from the Parmigiano Reggiano Consortium in northern Italy. Animal welfare data were collected by trained veterinarians using the assessment protocol developed by the Italian National Reference Center for Animal Welfare (CReNBA), and bulk milk test-day data were obtained from the laboratory of the Breeders Association of the Emilia Romagna Region. A merged final dataset of 12,083 bulk FT-MIR spectra records from 949 farms was created. Using a nonhierarchical clustering approach, the farms were classified into 5 dairy systems: 2 traditional systems comprising farms located in either the Apennines or the Po Plain; 2 modern systems, one that used TMR and one did not; and one traditional dairy system comprising farms rearing local breeds. To evaluate the ability of bulk milk to capture differences in farming systems, we conducted an ANOVA on milk composition. The linear models included the following effects: season, dairy system, farm, and the interaction between dairy system and season. The effect of the dairy system was significant for all milk composition traits. A 10-iteration linear discriminant analysis was used to evaluate the discriminative ability of the spectra in classifying farming practices and dairy systems. The average results of the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve revealed good authentication performance for genetic type (0.98), housing system (0.91), and feeding system (0.89), and medium-low authentication performance for geographical area (0.70); poor results were obtained for the percentage of concentrate in the diet and animal welfare parameters (0.57–0.64). With regard to dairy systems, the best result was obtained when dairy systems were grouped into 2 simplified categories, traditional versus modern (0.89), instead of the 5 categories (0.87). The results of this study show that FT-MIR is a useful tool for authenticating farming practices and dairy systems, but not animal welfare as defined by CReNBA evaluation criteria. Our results show that infrared spectroscopy has the potential to authenticate dairy products and quality label certifications.

This study aimed at evaluating the environmental impact (EI) of herds representative of the Italian heavy pig production system to investigate the EI variation associated with farm management (FM), diet formulation (DF) and animal response (AR) variables. Data originated from 8 breeding farms, which included the sows and preweaning piglets (Site1) and the post-weaned piglets (7.5–30 kg body weight – BW, Site2) and 10 growing–fattening farms, dealing with 30–170 kg BW pigs (Site3). A cradle-to-farm gate Life Cycle Assessment was used, with 1 kg BW gain (BWG) as functional unit. Impact categories were global warming (GWP), acidification (AP) and eutrophication (EP) potentials and land occupation (LO). Whole-production cycle EI (Site123, 0–170 kg BW) was obtained summing up EIs of 0–30 and 30–170 kg BW animals. Impacts were analysed with one- or two-way PERMANOVA to test the effect of FM, DF and AR variables. The Site123-related EI averaged nearly 3.1 kg CO2-eq (GWP), 50 g SO2-eq (AP), 22 g PO4-eq (EP) and 4.9 m2/y (LO) per kg BWG. Site3 contributed nearly 80% of the whole impact. Regarding Site1, GWP resulted mitigated by increasing sow productivity. Site2 EI resulted mitigated by decreasing feed conversion ratio and increasing average daily gain, whereas Site3 EI by increasing feed self-sufficiency and decreasing dietary crude protein and mortality. In perspective, given the relevance of Site3 on the whole-pig system EI, a deeper integration between the farm agronomical management and the growing–finishing pigs’ diets formulation would support the environmental sustainability of heavy pig operations.

This study aimed to provide a comprehensive evaluation of the greenhouse gases (GHG) emission between 1991 and 2021 of both the entire Italian dairy cattle sector (ITA_POP) and the registered Holstein Friesian population only (HF). An attributional cradle-to-farm gate Life Cycle Assessment was performed, including emissions (methane–CH4, nitrous oxide–N2O, carbon dioxide–CO2) due to animal and manure management, feed production, and farm materials. The functional units were 1 year and 1 kg of fat- and protein-corrected milk. We applied 100-year global warming potential (GWP) metric. For 2011–2021 period, we also applied GWP star (GWP*). Data originated from Italian GHG accounting and official milk recording systems. From 1991 to 2021, annual GHG emission of ITA_POP decreased from 20.4 ± 2.7 to 15.5 ± 2.1 Mt CO2e and emission intensity (EI) from 1.90 ± 0.25 to 1.17 ± 0.16 kg CO2e/kg corrected milk. The share of officially registered HF cows in ITA_POP increased from 36 to 70%. The annual emission of HF increased by 32% to 12.2 ± 1.8 Mt CO2e, but its EI decreased by 34% to 1.09 ± 0.16 kg CO2e/kg corrected milk. The accumulation in GHGs in 2011–2021 period due to ITA_POP (100-year GWP) continuously increased. When considering the short lifetime of CH4 (GWP*), the rate of increase in the same years was quite lower, with a flat pattern in the last 5 years. The decrease in CH4 emission is compensating the accumulation of N2O and CO2 from fossil fuels, highlighting the need of considering GHGs lifetime in the estimation of dairy cow sector emissions.

Abstract This research investigates the benefits of the dairy value chain beyond food provision, and its contribution to inclusive sustainable development (ISDH) in European highlands. Transdisciplinary teams interviewed and analysed 11 cases related to the dairy value chain sourced from three highland regions in Europe: Alps (Austria, France, Italy), Massif Central (France), Pyrenees (Spain). Actors interviewed were farmers, cooperatives, retailers and associations. A systems thinking approach was applied to develop a conceptual map (Causal Loop Diagram, CLD) describing the contribution of the dairy value chain to ISDH, through the interpretation of the viewpoints of interviewed actors. For each case, the factors contributing to ISDH were identified, then clustered within related topics. Topics from all the cases were used to develop a CLD, and subsystems and leverage points identified. Six interconnected subsystems were identified: local resources, environment, dairy production, collaboration, supply chain and socio-economic. Four leverage points were also identified: public subsidies, feed autonomy, certification of product, and added value. In conclusion, the dairy value chain provides the following benefits aligned with the dimensions of ISDH: landscape maintenance and ecosystem services, quality of dairy products and added value, inclusive governance for actors, reduction of environmental impact, and local development. This model delivers a decision-making tool for the actors involved in the dairy value chain, to prioritise strategic interventions.

Abstract Background Metabolic disturbances adversely impact productive and reproductive performance of dairy cattle due to changes in endocrine status and immune function, which increase the risk of disease. This may occur in the post-partum phase, but also throughout lactation, with sub-clinical symptoms. Recently, increased attention has been directed towards improved health and resilience in dairy cattle, and genomic selection (GS) could be a helpful tool for selecting animals that are more resilient to metabolic disturbances throughout lactation. Hence, we evaluated the genomic prediction of serum biomarkers levels for metabolic distress in 1353 Holsteins genotyped with the 100K single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) chip assay. The GS was evaluated using parametric models best linear unbiased prediction (GBLUP), Bayesian B (BayesB), elastic net (ENET), and nonparametric models, gradient boosting machine (GBM) and stacking ensemble (Stack), which combines ENET and GBM approaches. Results The results show that the Stack approach outperformed other methods with a relative difference (RD), calculated as an increment in prediction accuracy, of approximately 18.0% compared to GBLUP, 12.6% compared to BayesB, 8.7% compared to ENET, and 4.4% compared to GBM. The highest RD in prediction accuracy between other models with respect to GBLUP was observed for haptoglobin (hapto) from 17.7% for BayesB to 41.2% for Stack; for Zn from 9.8% (BayesB) to 29.3% (Stack); for ceruloplasmin (CuCp) from 9.3% (BayesB) to 27.9% (Stack); for ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) from 8.0% (BayesB) to 40.0% (Stack); and for total protein (PROTt) from 5.7% (BayesB) to 22.9% (Stack). Using a subset of top SNPs (1.5k) selected from the GBM approach improved the accuracy for GBLUP from 1.8 to 76.5%. However, for the other models reductions in prediction accuracy of 4.8% for ENET (average of 10 traits), 5.9% for GBM (average of 21 traits), and 6.6% for Stack (average of 16 traits) were observed. Conclusions Our results indicate that the Stack approach was more accurate in predicting metabolic disturbances than GBLUP, BayesB, ENET, and GBM and seemed to be competitive for predicting complex phenotypes with various degrees of mode of inheritance, i.e. additive and non-additive effects. Selecting markers based on GBM improved accuracy of GBLUP.

Local sheep breeds in the Italian eastern Alps passed from ex situ to in situ conservation. These breeds are mainly reared by smallholders in low-input farming systems. To allow the sustainable use of genetic resources, the economic sustainability of farmers must be supported through production guidelines. Analyzing meat and milk composition and fatty acid profile, we aimed to characterize their products based on breed and diet to identify tailormade sales strategies. Results showed that both meat and milk have good nutritional values and can benefit from a pasture-based diet, irrespective of the breed. These results support the redaction of production guidelines based on the peculiar characteristics of these breeds: being multi-purpose breeds adapted to mountain areas and to grazing, thus contributing to the conservation of cultural and landscape heritage.

This study aimed to assess the consequences of reducing the concentrates supply level (CSL) in the lactating cows’ diet on Alpine dairy system’s GHG emissions. Consequential-based Life Cycle Assessment (cLCA) was adopted to assess the consequences within the ‘dairy_system’ (farm plus milk processing) and outside (‘expanded_system’). The functional unit was 1 kg of protein and fat (ProtFat). Data (1-year average) originated from 40 dairy farms in the Alps, collected through farm questionnaires during farm visits. Emissions were evaluated without (GWP) and with land-based emissions (crop- (GWP_LULUC_cb) or global-based (GWP_LULUC_gb) method). The feed conversion ratio was computed in terms of potentially human-edible gross energy (HeECR, MJ feed/MJ milk). Three scenarios were explored: 100% (t0), 75% (t175), and 50% (t150) of the initial CSL. Impact values for both systems were analysed with a mixed model to test the effect of the scenarios. At ‘dairy_system’, 1 kg ProtFat caused 19.0 (GWP), 22.9 (GWP_LULUC_cb) and 23.4 kg CO2-eq (GWP_LULUC_gb) at t0 and HeECR resulted in 0.71 MJ feed/MJ milk. The CSL reduction from t0 to t175 and t150 significantly increased impact values (2–11%) and decreased HeECR (from −10 to −23%). Considering ‘expanded_system’, CSL reduction significantly increased GWP (4%) and GWP_LULUC_gb (3%) but decreased GWP_LULUC_cb (up to −4%). In conclusion, cLCA-based approach evidenced that CSL reductions implied diversified effects on GHG emissions, at Alpine dairy system and at food supply level, giving new insights into the challenge of reducing GHG emissions while favouring the decoupling of milk production from the use of human-edible resources.Highlights Consequential Life Cycle Assessment of reducing concentrates supply (CSL) to lactating cows on the GHG emission of Alpine dairy products was analysed GHGs per protein plus fat in the product increased with decreasing CSL (75% and 50% of initial CSL) but can decrease considering land-use change GHG Decoupling Alpine dairy production from concentrates could be environmentally challenging but feasible

This study aimed to assess the environmental impact (cradle-to-farm gate LCA) of milk production of cereal-based dairy farms in northern Italy and to analyse which traits related to farm management (MAN_F), lactating cows’ ration composition (DIET_F), and animal responses (ANI_F) could be identified as main determinants to address specific mitigation strategies. Data originated from 28 dairy farms. The functional unit was 1 kg of fat- and protein-corrected milk (FPCM). Impact categories were global warming (GWP), acidification (AP) and eutrophication (EP) potentials and land occupation (LO). Impact values were analysed with a linear model to test separately the effects of MAN_F, DIET_F and ANI_F variables. One kg FPCM was associated with an average impact of 1.10 kg CO2-eq (GWP), 17.1 g SO2-eq (AP), 6.0 g PO4-eq (EP), and 1.3 m2/y (LO). Regarding MAN_F, GWP and LO linearly decreased with increasing values of stocking rate and feed self-sufficiency (FSS), whereas minimum EP was found for intermediate FSS values (50% DM). Regarding DIET_F, GWP linearly decreased at increasing levels of dietary inclusion of cereal silages, whereas AP and EP linearly decreased at decreasing dietary crude protein (CP) content values. Among ANI_F, GWP and EP were quadratically associated with milk yield (MY), evidencing the lowest values at intermediate MY (9100 ± 477 kg FPCM/cow per 305d-lactation). The GWP, AP and EP decreased with decreasing age at first calving. These results can contribute at drawing good practices for farmers and consultants to promote more environmentally sustainable dairy production while supporting farm functioning and farmers’ income.HIGHLIGHTS Farm and animal determinants of Life Cycle Assessment of cereal-based dairy farms were studied. Mitigation effects can be achieved by operating on farm organisation, cow’s diet, and animal responses. Good practices for farmers and consultants can be proposed for a better dairy production sustainability.

Even though genetic resources represent a fundamental reservoir of options to achieve sustainable development goals in a changing world, they are overlooked in the policy agenda and severely threatened. The conservation of genetic resources relies on complementary in situ and ex situ approaches appropriately designed for each type of organism. Environmental and socioeconomic changes raise new challenges and opportunities for sustainable use and conservation of genetic resources. Aiming at a more integrated and adaptive approach, European scientists and genetic resources managers with long experience in the agricultural crop, animal and forestry domains joined their expertise to address three critical challenges: (1) how to adapt genetic resources conservation strategies to climate change, (2) how to promote in situ conservation strategies and (3) how can genetic resources conservation contribute to and benefit from agroecological systems. We present here 31 evidence-based statements and 88 key recommendations elaborated around these questions for policymakers, conservation actors and the scientific community. We anticipate that stakeholders in other genetic resources domains and biodiversity conservation actors across the globe will have interest in these crosscutting and multi-actor recommendations, which support several biodiversity conservation policies and practices.

ABSTRACT: The study of the complex relationships between milk metagenomics and milk composition and cheese-making efficiency as affected by indoor farming and summer highland grazing was the aim of the present work. The experimental design considered monthly sampling (over 5 mo) of the milk produced by 12 Brown Swiss cows divided into 2 groups: the first remained on a lowland indoor farm from June to October, and the second was moved to highland pastures in July and then returned to the lowland farm in September. The resulting 60 milk samples (2 kg each) were used to analyze milk composition, milk coagulation, curd firming, and syneresis processes, and to make individual model cheeses to measure cheese yields and nutrient recoveries in the cheese. After DNA extraction and Illumina Miseq sequencing, milk microbiota amplicons were also processed by means of an open-source pipeline called Quantitative Insights Into Microbial Ecology (Qiime2, version 2018.2; https://qiime2.org). Out of a total of 44 taxa analyzed, 13 bacterial taxa were considered important for the dairy industry (lactic acid bacteria, LAB, 5 taxa; and spoilage bacteria, 4) and for human (other probiotics, 2) and animal health (pathogenic bacteria, 2). The results revealed the transhumant group of cows transferred to summer highland pastures showed an increase in almost all the LAB taxa, bifidobacteria, and propionibacteria, and a reduction in spoilage taxa. All the metagenomic changes disappeared when the transhumant cows were moved back to the permanent indoor farm. The relationships between 17 microbial traits and 30 compositional and technological milk traits were investigated through analysis of correlation and latent explanatory factor analysis. Eight latent factors were identified, explaining 75.3% of the total variance, 2 of which were mainly based on microbial traits: pro-dairy bacteria (14% of total variance, improving during summer pasturing) and pathogenic bacteria (6.0% of total variance). Some bacterial traits contributed to other compositional-technological latent factors (gelation, udder health, and caseins).

Grazing behaviour influences animal productivity and the conservation of grassland ecosystem services. We used GPS tracking and remote sensing (NDVI index) to monitor the grazing patterns of lactating cows on the ‘Malga Ombretta’ summer farm (1,957 m asl) in the Dolomites, eastern Italian Alps, from 5th July to 5th August 2018. The pasture area (35 ha) was grazed by a mixed herd of Simmental and Alpine grey cows (stocking density = 0.6 LU/ha) under traditional management: each morning the farmer led the cows to graze in a selected sub-area of pasture, and during the afternoon he left them free to graze unrestricted until they returned to the barn for the night. GPS positions were collected every minute from 9 Simmental and 4 Alpine Grey cows with low milk production during the time they were outdoors. The farmer’s choice of where to drive the herd to graze in the morning determined the distances the cows walked/day, which varied from 2.0 to 8.9 km, and favoured the use of higher and steeper areas that the cows tended otherwise to avoid. When free in the afternoon, the cows selected areas with higher NDVI values than those selected by the farmer in the morning, and Alpine Grey cows used slightly higher slopes and altitudes than Simmental cows, suggesting better adaptation to mountain pastures. The study revealed highly heterogenous grazing patterns dependent on multiple factors that can be assessed at fine temporal and spatial scales using GPS and remote sensing technologies to improve grazing management.HIGHLIGHTS Daily distances walked and grazing patterns were influenced differently by the farmer’s decisions and the animals’ choices in response to environmental features. The NDVI index of vegetation productivity suggested that cows grazed more productive areas when free than when driven by the farmer. GPS tracking and remote sensing shed light on how human and animal choices regarding grazing are influenced by environmental features.

Abstract Diet selection by grazing livestock may affect animal performance as well as the biodiversity of grazed areas. Recent DNA barcoding techniques allow to assess dietary plant composition in faecal samples, which may be additionally integrated by the description of gut microbiota. In this high throughput metabarcoding study, we investigated the diversity of plant, fungal and bacterial taxa in faecal samples of lactating cows of two breeds grazing an Alpine semi-natural grassland during summer. The estimated plant composition of the diet comprised 67 genera and 39 species, which varied remarkably during summer, suggesting a decline of the diet forage value with the advancing of the vegetative season. The fungal community included Neocallimastigomycota gut symbionts, but also Ascomycota and Basidiomycota plant parasite and coprophilous taxa, likely ingested during grazing. The proportion of ingested fungi was remarkably higher than in other studies, and varied during summer, although less than that observed for plants. Some variation related to breed was also detected. The gut bacterial taxa remained stable through the summer but displayed a breed-specific composition. The study provided insights in the reciprocal organisms’ interactions affecting, and being affected by, the foraging behaviour: plants showed a high temporal variation, fungi a smaller one, while bacteria had practically none; conversely, the same kingdoms showed the opposite gradient of variation as respect to the animal host breed, as bacteria revealed to be the group mostly characterized by host-specificity.

Several local sheep breeds of the Alpine regions are in danger of extinction as a result of mountain farms being abandoned. Three fattening trials were carried out on 4 breeds of the Veneto region (Foza, Lamon, Alpagota, and Brogna) on a total of 115 ewes and suckling lambs, weaned lambs and heavy lambs slaughtered at 1356 ± 267, 104 ± 24, 219 ± 26, and 342 ± 14 d of age, respectively. The results confirmed that the adoption of total mixed diets resulted in good in vivo and post mortem performances of culled ewes (64 kg slaughter weight, 48% dressing percentage), suckling lambs (21 kg, 50%), weaned lambs (30 kg, 42%) and heavy lambs (61 kg, 48%). Carcass compactness and fatness increased with the age of the lambs, whereas the proportions of lean meat and bone decreased. Meat lightness and cooking losses decreased with age, whereas redness and chroma increased. The meat quality of culled ewes was like that of heavy lambs. Carcass conformation and composition (aside from size traits), and the quality of the meat differed little among the four Alpine breeds. These results show that local breeds are potentially valuable sources of lamb and mutton meat across different seasons, paving the way for strategies to develop and promote the meat with the involvement of high-quality restaurants and meat retailers.Highlights Compared to outdoor grazing, the adoption of indoor diets resulted in good in vivo and post-mortem performances of ewes, suckling lambs and heavy lambs. Autochthonous Alpine breeds are potentially valuable sources of high-quality lamb and mutton across different seasons of the year. This potential could be exploited in developing a prestigious product aimed at high quality restaurants and butchers. The subsequent demand for the product would, in turn, contribute to the survival of the local sheep breeds of Alpine regions.

Studies covering the social valuation of ecosystem services (ES) are increasingly incorporating people's attitudes, which allows social heterogeneity to be identified. This is especially relevant in mountain areas, where diverse complex interactions occur among the environment, the socioeconomic system, and a wide variety of farming practices. In this context, we aimed to: (i) identify the attitudinal dimensions that build people views about the agrifood system; and (ii) analyse how these attitudinal dimensions influence the value given to ES delivered by mountain agroecosystems of two European countries. We conducted a survey with a sample of 1008 individuals evenly distributed in the Italian Alps and Spanish Mediterranean mountain areas to collect information on people's attitudes toward: (i) the economy and the environment; (ii) rural development and agricultural intensification; (iii) food quality, production, and consumption; and (iv) agricultural and environmental policies. The survey included a choice experiment to assess the value that individuals attach to the most relevant ES provided by mountain agroecosystems in these areas (i.e., landscape, biodiversity, quality local products, wildfires prevention and water quality). The results showed four common attitudinal dimensions, namely Economy over environment, Mass-Market distribution reliability, Agricultural productivism, and Environmentalism and rural lifestyle. These attitudinal dimensions resulted in six groups of respondents. Most groups positively valued an increase in the delivery of all the analysed ES, which suggests that agricultural policies which aim to promote ES are likely to receive social support in the study areas. However, the differing attitudinal dimensions underlying people's preferences may result in disagreements about the steps to be taken to achieve the desired increase in ES delivery.

The multidimensional concept of animal welfare includes physical health, good emotional state, and appropriate behavior of the animals. The most recent methods for its assessment are inspired by the Welfare Quality, a project compiling animal-, resource-, and management-based measures. Recently, animal welfare assessment has also considered the human factor in a so-called “One Welfare” approach. The One Welfare framework highlights the interconnections between animal welfare, human well-being, and the environment. The concept seems to fit particularly well to mountain areas where the relationship between human, animals, and the environment is stronger. In such disadvantaged areas, farmers' well-being plays a key role in maintaining livestock farming profitably and sustainably. This study aims to investigate the relationship between farmers' satisfaction, animal welfare outcomes, and overall farm performance in 69 small-scale dairy farms in the Eastern Alps. Animal welfare assessment consisted of animal-based measures and was performed using the methodology proposed by the European Food Safety Authority for this type of farm. Moreover, the farmers were interviewed to retrieve data on farm characteristics and on their level of satisfaction toward workload, land organization, relationship with the agricultural/non-agricultural community, and the future of local agriculture. The results show that good animal welfare can be obtained in a mountain farming system. Clinical indicators show a low prevalence of diseases and of very lean cows as opposed to integument alterations. The workload is not perceived as a problem in traditional farms (i.e., tie-stall and with no participation in quality-certification schemes). Animal welfare is higher in those farms where farmers have a positive engagement with both the agricultural and non-agricultural community and where farmers are satisfied with their land organization. A One Welfare approach could be applied on a larger scale to fully understand the links between animal and human well-being in mountain areas.

Rearing dairy calves with their mothers could teach them how to graze, optimizing grass use, and improving their welfare and performance. We tested the short-term effects of dam-calf contact experience on grazing and social behavior of weaned calves, monitored over seven days for their first post-weaning grazing experience. “Dam” (D) calves were reared and grazed with their mothers until weaning. “Mixed” calves (M) were separated from their mothers after 4 ± 0.5 weeks, they experienced dam-calf contact, but not grazing. “Standard” (S) calves had never experienced either dam-calf contact (separated at birth) or grazing. Each group grazed an equivalent pasture plot offering heterogeneous herbage. Scan sampling of calves' activities was performed every 5 min, 6 h per day, on Days 0, 1, 2, 3, and 7. Daily, the time when calves started grazing after introduction to pasture, and the number and duration of their grazing cycles were measured. Daily activities were differentiated into ingestion, rumination, and idling. The proportion of time that calves spent grouped with other individuals or isolated, and standing or lying were recorded. When grazing, their bites were characterized by botanical family group, height of the selected bite and vegetation status. Individual average daily gains from the 2-week periods before and after grazing were calculated, and were equivalent between groups (313 ± 71 g/d). On Day 0, D-calves started grazing immediately (1 ± 4.1 min), unlike M- and S-calves (39 ± 4.1 and 23 ± 4.1 min), and D-calves grazed patches of dry grass 21.7 times less than M-calves and 16.9 times less than S-calves. Dry herbage patch preference and grazing start time differences disappeared on Day 1. Calves spent the same time ingesting and idling, but M-calves spent on average 1.6 times less ruminating than D- or S-calves. The D-calves showed grazing behavior similar to that of adult cows, selecting grasses throughout pasture utilization, although legumes and forbs were present in the grazed layer. On the contrary, M- and S-calves did not express any specific preference. The S-calves spent more time isolated but had more positive reciprocal interactions than the calves in the other groups.

In its 800-year history, the University of Padova (Padua, Italy) has come to play an important role in the development of animal science in Italy and Europe. Having founded the oldest university botanical garden (1545; UNESCO World Heritage Site) and anatomical theatre (1595), and awarded the first university degree to a woman (Elena-Lucrezia Cornaro-Piscopia, 1678), the University instituted the Public School of Agriculture (Orto Agrario) in 1765 and the Collegium Zooiatricum in 1773. Between 1986 and 1995, under the leadership of Professor Mario Bonsembiante, animal scientist and rector, the scientific-technological center of Agripolis was established, including the Faculties of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine (with the experimental farm and veterinary hospital), the Istituto Zooprofilattico delle Venezie, and Veneto Agricoltura. Agripolis rapidly became the most innovative center in Italy for teaching, research, and extension services in the fields of agricultural, animal, veterinary, food and environmental sciences. In the last 35 years, the number of Italian animal scientists has remained almost constant, but they have moved on to more innovative research topics closer to society’s demand and concerns, and significantly enhanced their international standing, reaching the first position in Europe and the fourth in the world in terms of citations.

This study aims to evaluate the effect of two different genetic groups and of the dietary protein content (16.1 vs 14%, conventional - CONV vs low crude protein - LCP) on the environmental footprint of the intensive medium-heavy pigs (final BW of 145 kg) system in northern Italy through Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). The experiment involved 92 barrows with the same age, originated by the same maternal line and by two different commercial paternal lines intended for medium-heavy pig production. Pigs were allotted 12 individuals per pen and fed according to the same feeding curve, based on a moderate restricted feed allowance increased on a week-by-week basis. The LCA model included emissions related to animal handling, manure storage and feedstuffs production. The functional unit was 1 kg of body weight gained (BWG). Impact categories assessed were (mean values into brackets): global warming (GWP, 2.3 kg CO2-eq), acidification (AP, 48 g SO2-eq) and eutrophication (EP, 24 g PO4-eq). Impact values were analyzed with a mixed model testing the effect of diet and genetic group. All the impact categories were affected by diet (P

This study aimed to investigate the effect of beef category, feedstuffs self-sufficiency (SELF), crude protein (CPI) and phosphorus (PI) daily intake on the environmental impact of the beef fattening system typical of north-eastern Italy according to a partial Life Cycle Assessment. The reference unit was the batch (group of animals homogeneous for genotype, sex, fattening farm, finishing period). The study involved 245 batches (64 ± 34 heads) herded in 17 fattening farms. The system boundaries were set from animals arrival at the fattening farm to the sale to the slaughterhouse. The functional unit was 1 kg BW gain (BWG). Data on animal performance and farm input were collected for each batch and farm, respectively. Data on feed intake, ingredient formulation and chemical composition of diets were monthly collected for each batch. Impact categories assessed were (mean ± SD per kg BWG in brackets): global warming (8.8 ± 1.6 kg CO2-eq), acidification (142 ± 22 g SO2-eq) and eutrophication (55 ± 8 g PO4-eq) potentials, cumulative energy demand (53 ± 18 MJ), land occupation (7.9 ± 1.2 m2/year). Beef category and SELF, CPI and PI classes significantly affected all the impact categories, with lower values observed with decreasing values of CPI and PI and increasing values of SELF as well as more productive beef categories. This study evidences that beef category and diet-related factors affect the environmental impact of cereal-based intensive beef finishing herds. In conclusion, there is space to develop mitigation strategies based on enhancing the self-sufficiency rate of the diet and lowering the daily intake of crude protein and phosphorus.

This paper aimed at testing the differences of adaptability of bovine dairy, dual purpose and local breeds during the summer transhumance to highland pastures (summer farms), evaluating temporal variations of body condition and of milk yield and quality. Data were from 799 dairy cows of specialised (Holstein Friesian and Brown Swiss), dual purpose (Simmental) and local (mostly Rendena and Alpine Grey) breeds, and were collected before and after the transhumance in 109 permanent dairy farms, and during transhumance in 15 summer farms of the Autonomous Province of Trento, north-eastern Italy. Body Condition Score (BCS), milk production and quality (fat, protein, casein, lactose, urea, SCS) were analysed for the fixed effects of breed, parity, days in milk, month, supplementary concentrate level, and for the random effects of summer farm and individual cow. Body condition score was influenced by transhumance to summer farms, with low values in July and a recovery at the end of the period. This pattern was particularly marked in the specialised breeds. Similarly, also milk production declined, especially for Holstein Friesian and Brown Swiss, so that towards the end of transhumance all breeds had similar milk productions. Returning to permanent farms did not compensate the specialised breeds for the production loss experienced at the beginning of the grazing season. In conclusion, local and dual purpose breeds adapt better than specialised breeds to the summer pastures, and this results into an important reduction of their productive gaps (with lower variations of milk quality) and in maintaining body fat reserves.

According to the alpine transhumance system, dairy cows are moved from indoor feeding with conserved forage to fresh herbage feeding on pasture. The aim of this study was to assess, as a feeding adaptation technique, the effect of a gradual inclusion of fresh herbage in the diet of Italian Simmental dairy cows before their transfer to alpine pasture on performance, behavior, and milk characteristics. Eighteen cows were assigned to three groups: animals transferred to alpine pasture with a 10-d feeding adaptation period consisting in gradual access to a pasture close to the valley farm (GT), animals transferred to alpine pasture without a feeding adaptation period (AT), and animals kept in the valley farm (IND). During the first two weeks of summer grazing, GT and AT showed higher rumination time and different concentrations of ketones, hydrocarbons, organic acids, toluene, alcohols, phenols, and dimethyl sulfone in milk as compared to IND, whereas no differences were found in milk yield, composition, or coagulation properties. No differences between GT and AT were evident for the studied variables. The feeding adaptation technique used in this study did not influence the performance and milk characteristics of Italian Simmental dairy cows grazing on alpine pasture.

Natural wolf recolonization of the Alps brings the challenge to reduce livestock losses and social conflicts. The uncommon impact of a wolf pack on the cattle farming systems of the “Lessinia”, in the eastern Italian Alps was examined in this study. Dairy cattle farming predominates there using summer pastures (June-September) and grazing on lowland meadows out of summer. Grazing is organized with aim to minimize labour and costs. Animals are usually left unattended during the day and night in unprotected pastures. Since the return of the wolf in 2012, which formed a pack in 2013, attacks to livestock increased rapidly. Predations peaked during the summer, and they also were extended into the preceding and following months, especially during 2014. Cattle were the predominant species predated (79% of events and 71% of individual losses), with a strong selection towards young age classes. To prevent attacks, livestock should be grouped and kept protected by electric fences or in stables during the night, but this is in contrast with the freegrazing management that farmers have adopted for reducing costs. We suggest that management costs and introduction of protection measures changes should be taken into account for a future economic valorisation of the cattle farming sector.

We studied the response of pigs from two crossbred genetic lines (GL) in the 60 to 145 kg body weight interval to a variation in the indispensable amino acid (AA) content of their feed. Ninety-six barrows of two paternal GLs (Hypor Maxter and PIC 337) were housed in eight pens and fed quasi ad libitum on feeds differing in their standardized ileal digestible (SID) indispensable AA contents. Pigs in four pens received feeds containing 9.4 to 8.0 g/kg of SID Lys (HAA), considered non-limiting, while the others received feeds containing 8.5 to 6.5 g/kg of SID Lys (LAA). The two feeds had identical indispensable lysine, methionine, tryptophan and threonine contents per unit of crude protein (CP). Feed intake, growth, carcass weight, and the weights of the lean and fat cuts were recorded, and samples of longissimus lumborum were analyzed. Data were analyzed using a two-way factorial mixed model. The LAA feed lowered the estimated N excretion (p < 0.001) compared with HAA, without affecting growth, carcass or meat quality traits. Genetic line had trivial effects and the AA level × genotype interaction was never significant. The two pig genotypes did not differ sufficiently in growth potential and leanness to respond differently.

Summer transhumance to alpine pastures (ALP) is widespread in dairy systems of alpine regions. This study aimed to investigate the effects of transhumance of Brown Swiss cows to ALP on the yield, composition, and coagulation properties of milk (MCP), and on cheese yield (CY). The study involved 12 multiparous cows kept at a mountain lowland permanent farm (PF), which were divided into two equal groups: One remained at the PF, the other was moved to the ALP (1860 m above sea level) from July to September. Every month (June to October), daily milk yield (MY) and body condition score (BCS) were recorded, and individual milk samples (n = 60, 2000 mL each) were collected to assess milk composition, MCP, and CY. Compared with PF, ALP cows had a reduced MY and BCS, which was maintained on return to the PF, greater fat and lower protein contents of milk. Neither MCP nor CY were affected by summer transhumance. In conclusion, summer transhumance did not affect the cheese making efficiency of milk but depressed MY and consequently daily cheese yield, which was nearly 2 kg/d lower for the ALP than the PF cows and was only partially recovered after returning to the PF in autumn.

This study aimed to investigate sources of variation of average daily gain in beef cattle, with an on farm approach, in the Veneto region. Data of 38707 animals fattened in 29 farms and belonging to 5 genotypes (Charolais, Charolais Female, French Crossbred, Limousin and Polish Friesian) were analysed considering type of farm, farm nested within type, genotype, housing system, arrival live weight, percentage of dead and injured animals, season of sale and diet. Genotype, farm, percentage of unhealthy animals and season of sale significantly affected average daily gain. Charolais and French Crossbred showed the highest values of average daily gain, Charolais Female the lowest. The effect of farm suggests that management is very important for growth performance in beef cattle. Moreover, batches of animals with high percentage of dead and injured presented lower values of average daily gain. In spring-summer 2003 an extremely hot climate was unfavourable for growth performance.

This paper aimed to assess the prevalence of hip dysplasia (HD) in some breeds of dogs widely diffused in Italy and to estimate heritability of HD in German Shepherd and Boxer Italian populations. Data consisted of radiographic findings taken on 32,900 dogs (18,665 females and 14,225 males) of 7 breeds (German Shepherd; Boxer; Labrador Retriever; Golden Retriever; Rottweiler; Dobermann; Cane Corso) screened at an age of 17.9 ± 7.0 months. Radiographs of the coxofemoral joints, taken by 478 veterinarians, were scored for HD grade by a single veterinarian panelist according to a grading procedure based on a 5-class linear system (from A, no signs of dysplasia, to E, severe dysplastic hip changes). Logistic regression analysis was used for studying the relationships between selected explanatory variables with the out- come of the diagnosis for HD. Variance components, direct and maternal heritability have been estimated for German Shepherd and Boxer dogs using a REML animal model procedure. Prevalence of HD (hip joint graded C or worse) for the pool of breeds involved approached 22%, with large differences among breeds. In dogs diagnosed as dysplastic, the mild form (grade C) was largely prevalent for all breeds. When compared to the German Shepherd, the Cane Corso exhibit- ed a significantly higher risk, whereas the Dobermann, Labrador and Rottweiler showed a significantly lower risk of being affected by HD. The probability of being diagnosed as dysplastic increased with the increasing of the age of dogs at screening and with the decreasing of experience of x-raying veterinarians. The effect of birth year of dogs on the out- come of the HD diagnosis was significant, but evidenced an inconsistent trend through years. Heritability estimates approached 0.24 and 0.15 for Boxers and German Shepherds, respectively, whereas maternal heritability was close to 0.03 for both breeds. Results from this study demonstrated that HD is fairly prevalent in some breeds of dogs common- ly found in Italy, and its reduction should be a goal in breeding schemes of purebred dogs. Age at screening and expe- rience of the x-raying veterinarians are disturbance factors to be considered in screening programs for HD. Heritability estimates for HD was low, but additive genetic variance seems enough for conjecturing selection programs aimed to decrease hip joints disease. Given the low heritability values, current selection schemes based on phenotypic records seem ineffective, whereas the use of breeding values estimated under BLUP animal model procedures should be recom- mended for gaining genetic progress of Italian dog populations.

This research aimed to study the relationships between livestock systems, landscape maintenance and farming styles in the Belluno Province, a mountainous area of the Eastern Italian Alps. A total of 65 farms were sampled on the basis of livestock category farmed and herd size. Farms were visited to collect information on technical and productive aspects, on landscape features of land managed, which was identified by aerial photographs and digitised in a GIS environment, and on the farmers’ background, attitudes and approach to farming. Six different livestock systems were identified: intensive beef cattle (2 farms); extensive beef cattle (12 farms); large sheep/goat farms (9 farms); small sheep/goat farms (6 farms); intensive dairy cattle (14 farms) and extensive dairy cattle (22 farms). The intensive systems had larger herds, modern structures and equipment, and were strongly production oriented, whereas the extensive systems had smaller herds and productivity, with often traditional or obsolete structures and equipment, but showed a tendency to diversify production by means of on-farm cheese making and/or mixed farming of different livestock categories. The ability to maintain meadows and pastures was greater for the extensive systems, especially in steep areas, while the annual nitrogen output, estimated as kg N/ha, was lower. Data on the farmers’ background and attitudes were analysed with a non-hierarchical cluster procedure that clustered the farmers into 4 farming styles widely different in motivations to farming, innovative capability, and ability to diversify income sources and ensure farm economic viability. The farming styles were distributed across all livestock systems, indicating the lack of a linkage between the assignment of a farm to a livestock system and the way the farm is managed. This study demonstrates that in mountain areas variability of livestock systems may be high, and that they differ not only in production practices but also in the ability to maintain landscape, which is generally higher in the extensive or even marginal systems. Within a given livestock system, farms may be managed with different styles, which implies that informative knowledge to address policy decisions needs to integrate the definition of livestock systems with the assessment of farming styles.

This paper aimed to present the first results of an explorative screening program currently running in Italy and focussing on the prevalence of a specific orthopaedic disorder, elbow dysplasia (ED), in some breeds of dogs commonly reared in Italy. Data consisted of radiographic findings taken on 1370 dogs (758 females and 612 males) of 6 breeds (Bernese Mountain dog, Cane Corso, German Shepherd , Golden Retriever, Labrador Retriever and Rottweiler) screened at an age of 20.6 ± 11.6 months. Radiographs were graded for both ED and hip dysplasia (HD) according to a four- (0 to 3) or a five-grade (A to E) linear system, respectively. Logistic regression analysis was used for studying the relationships between breed, sex, age of dogs at screening and HD diagnosis with the outcome of the diagnosis for ED. Prevalence of ED (ED score ≥ 1) for the pool of breeds involved was 25%, and Labrador Retriever (17%) and Rottweiler (40%) showed, respectively, the lowest and the highest prevalence of ED among breeds in the study. Prevalence of HD (grades C or high- er) approached 15%. When compared to other breeds, Rottweiler and Bernese Mountain dogs showed significantly high- er risk to be affected by ED (odds ratio 3.2 and 3.0, respectively). Conversely, sex did not significantly affect the onset of ED. When compared to the youngest group of dogs at screening (average: 14 months), the oldest group of screened dogs (average: 40 months) exhibited a significantly higher risk of being diagnosed as affected by ED (odds ratio: 1.9). A negative status of hip joints appeared positively associated with a negative status of elbow joints, and dogs diagnosed as affected by HD had a 40% increased risk of being diagnosed as affected by ED. In conclusion, results from this study demonstrated that ED has a noticeable prevalence in some Italian dog populations, particularly in heavy breeds. Screening of dogs for ED appeared feasible and should be performed at a standard age. Phenotypic association between hip and elbow dysplasia observed in this study suggests that the genetic relationships between these skeletal disorders should be investigated.