Cristiana Andrighetto

This study assessed the impact of total mixed ration silage of Megathyrsus maximus harvested with 70 cm composed of Megathyrsus maximus harvested at 70 cm in height and concentrate at the time of silage or total mixed ration of grass cut at 70 cm composed of Megathyrsus maximus harvested with 70 cm in height (in Exp. I and III) and total mixed ration silage cut at 130 cm composed of Megathyrsus maximus harvested 130 cm height and concentrate at the time of silage or total mixed ration of Megathyrsus maximus harvested with 130 cm composed of Megathyrsus maximus harvested at 130 cm height (in Exp. II and IV), on rumen metabolism, nutrient digestibility, and the performance and carcass characteristics of feedlot lambs. The results showed that TMRS70 increased ruminal pH in Exp. I and TMRS130 exhibited higher ether extract digestibility, propionic concentration, and lower acetic to propionic ratio and ruminal pH compared to TMR130 in Exp. II. In Exp. III and IV, there was no significant effect on the performance and quality of the carcass. However, in Exp. IV, TMRS130 led to decreased dry matter intake and average daily gain, while lambs fed with TMR130 showed a higher rib-eye area. Total ration ensilage could be used as a conservation method for young grasses (70 cm) without impairing performance, metabolism, carcasses, and meat quality. However, further research is recommended to evaluate the economic analysis of feeding total ration ensilage (70 cm) instead of total mixed ration as a forage conservation method.

Integrated crop–livestock systems (ICLS) have sustainably intensified modern agricultural practices worldwide. This research assessed how production systems and crop types impact the chemical properties of an Oxisol in the Brazilian Cerrado, the grain yield of corn intercropped with palisade grass (Urochloa) in the off-season in an ICLS, and the grain yield (GY) of soybean in succession. Intercropped and monocropped systems were assessed in a three-year field experiment: corn + Urochloa ruziziensis–soybean; corn + U. brizantha cv. Piatã–soybean; corn + U. brizantha cv. Paiaguás–soybean (ICL–Paiaguás); corn–soybean under a no-tillage system (NTS); corn–soybean under a conventional tillage system (CTS); Piatã grass–continuous grazing (Perennial Piatã); and Paiaguás grass–continuous grazing (Perennial Paiaguás). The residual impact of phosphate fertilization was more pronounced in the ICLS treatments. In the soil layer from 0.0 to 0.2 m depth, ICLS–Paiaguás and Perennial Piatã had the most positive effects on soil chemical quality. In the last year, grain yield was highest in corn monoculture under the NTS and soybean in succession under the ICLS. ICL–Paiaguás improved soil chemical properties for soybean in succession. These results confirm that an intermittent pasture system for legume crops in sequence is an alternative that can maintain or improve soil chemical composition, and that CTS should be avoided in tropical sandy soils.

This study aimed to evaluate the physical and microbiological quality as well as the oxidative stability of meat stored frozen (30, 60, 90, 180, and 360 days) and obtained from Angus-Nelore heifers kept in a conventional system (CS; no shade available) and Integrated Livestock-Forest (ILF-1L and ILF-3L). Forty-eight ½ Nellore ½ Angus heifers with an average initial weight of approximately 276.70 ± 20.1 kg and an average age of nine months were distributed across a randomized block design with three treatments and four replicates. After slaughter, the Longissimus thoracis muscle was collected from each carcass for pH, lipid oxidation, meat color, and microbiological analyses. The physical and microbiological quality and oxidative stability of the meat were not affected by the tree component present in the pasture. Regarding the duration of frozen storage, it was found that the pH, meat color (a*, b*, C*, H*, O/M), and lipid oxidation increased as the period of storage increased (P<0.05). The physical and microbiological quality, as well as the oxidative stability of the meat, was not affected by the tree component present in the pasture. However, the meat changed as the frozen storage time increased.

This study aimed to evaluate the physical and microbiological quality as well as the oxidative stability of meat stored frozen (30, 60, 90, 180, and 360 days) and obtained from Angus-Nelore heifers kept in a conventional system (CS; no shade available) and Integrated Livestock-Forest (ILF-1L and ILF-3L). Forty-eight ½ Nellore ½ Angus heifers with an average initial weight of approximately 276.70 ± 20.1 kg and an average age of nine months were distributed across a randomized block design with three treatments and four replicates. After slaughter, the Longissimus thoracis muscle was collected from each carcass for pH, lipid oxidation, meat color, and microbiological analyses. The physical and microbiological quality and oxidative stability of the meat were not affected by the tree component present in the pasture. Regarding the duration of frozen storage, it was found that the pH, meat color (a*, b*, C*, H*, O/M), and lipid oxidation increased as the period of storage increased (P<0.05). The physical and microbiological quality, as well as the oxidative stability of the meat, was not affected by the tree component present in the pasture. However, the meat changed as the frozen storage time increased. O objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar a qualidade física e microbiológica e a estabilidade oxidativa da carne congelada (30, 60, 90, 180 e 360 dias) de novilhas Angus-Nelore em sistema convencional (CS; sem sombra disponível) e Integração Pecuária-Floresta (ILF-1L e ILF-3L). Quarenta e oito novilhas ½ Nelore ½ Angus com peso médio inicial de aproximadamente 276,70 ± 20,1 kg e idade média de nove meses foram distribuídas em delineamento em blocos casualizados com três tratamentos e quatro repetições. Após o abate, o músculo Longissimus thoracis foi coletado de cada carcaça para análise de pH, oxidação lipídica, cor da carne e análise microbiológica. A qualidade física, microbiológica e a estabilidade oxidativa da carne não foram afetadas pelo componente arbóreo presente na pastagem. Em relação aos dias de armazenamento sob congelamento, verificou-se que o pH da carne a*, b*, C*, H*, O/M e a oxidação lipídica aumentaram com o tempo de armazenamento da carne. A qualidade física e microbiológica e a estabilidade oxidativa da carne não são afetadas pelo componente arbóreo da pastagem. No entanto, a carne muda à medida que o tempo de armazenamento sob congelamento aumenta.

Food production in sandy soils has evolved significantly, most notably through the advent of integrated crop–livestock systems (ICLSs). ICLSs increase soil cover, which maintains soil moisture and sequesters carbon (C). Here we investigate the influence of ICLSs on soil physical, chemical, and biochemical properties, and grain yield (GY) in tropical sandy soils in short-time. We compared seven ICLSs in two consecutive crops seasons (with soybean or maize as cash crops) in southeastern Brazil. These were (1) corn + Urochloa brizantha cv. BRS Paiaguás—soybean (ICL-Paiaguás); (2) corn + U. brizantha cv. BRS Piatã—soybean; (3) corn + U. ruziziensis—soybean; (4) corn–soybean under conventional tillage (CT) as a negative control; (5) corn–soybean under no-tillage (NT) as a positive control; (6) Paiaguás grass—continuous grazing (Perennial Paiaguás); (7) and Piatã grass—continuous grazing (Perennial Piatã). Soybean and corn GY data, soil physical and chemical attributes, and soil enzymatic activity were subjected to descriptive statistics and multivariate analysis. CT and NT shared high loadings of H + Al, Al, and soil temperature and low loadings of soil pH, SOM physical and chemical fractions, cationic exchange capacity, and arylsulfatase activity. ICL-Paiaguás and Perennial Piatã had a similarly high loading of total N, humin, total organic carbon, and mineral-associated carbon stocks. The fulvic acid fraction was the most sensitive to C accumulation in the sandy soil under ICLSs. Soil water and thermal regimes were limiting in both CT and NT. The study not only confirms the capacity of conservation mechanisms to enhance soil-based ecosystem functions, but it also highlights the potential of ICLSs to aid sustainable food production even in the context of tropical sandy soils, which frequently receive limited attention in intensive agricultural practices.

O objetivo do estudo foi avaliar as possíveis variações das características físico-químicas e microbiológicas da carne ovina congelada, embalada a vácuo sob exposição de luz fluorescente em diferentes tempos de armazenamento. Dezesseis músculos Longissimus lumborum de cordeiros machos da raça Ile de France foram coletados para as análises de qualidade da carne de pH, cor, força de cisalhamento, perdas de peso por cocção, capacidade de retenção de água, oxidação lipídica, microrganismos mesófilos, psicrotróficos e enterobactérias. As amostras foram identificadas e armazenadas aleatoriamente em freezer horizontal sob a Incidência de luz fluorescente (CL) e sem Incidência de luz (SL) por 30 e 60 dias mais o tratamento controle (dia 0). Houve interação entre os tratamentos para pH e capacidade de retenção de água (p<0,05), observando resultados superiores para CL-30 e SL-60 respectivamente. Entretanto, para as demais variáveis foram encontradas diferenças apenas nos efeitos principais, principalmente de tempo (p<0,05). O teor de L*, a* e b*, C*, O/M, perdas de peso por cocção e a oxidação lipídica aumentaram à medida que a carne ficou mais tempo armazenada (p0,05). A qualidade microbiológica da carne não foi afetada pelo fator luminosidade, exceto para enterobactérias (p<0,05) em que o tratamento CL apresentou menor contagem desses microrganismos. Dessa forma conclui-se que as características físico-químicas e microbiológicas não foram afetadas pela Incidência de luz. No entanto, a carne sofre alterações à medida que aumenta o tempo de estocagem sob congelamento.

Integrated Crop–Livestock–Forestry Systems (ICLFS) offer stakeholders sustainable options to produce goods and services. Those additionally manifest as enablers of environmental conservation of soil functioning. We, therefore, analyzed the quality of Ultisol for physical and chemical properties under restorative or regenerative models of long-term (nine years) ICLFS. The arrangements comprised integrated Crop–Livestock; integrated Crop-Livestock-Forestry, integrated Crop–Livestock–Forestry with a single or triplicate rows of Eucalyptus; and Eucalyptus plantation, natural vegetation, and bare soil with resurgence of grasses (reference). We collected samples of soil at 0.05, 0.05–0.1, and 0.1–0.2 m depths throughout the areas to quantify standard properties, including water infiltration, hydraulic conductivity, degree of flocculation, mechanical resistance to penetration, stability of aggregates, physical fractioning of organic matter, and fertility. We applied principal component analysis to analytical data to calculate accurate discriminant variables to distinguish systems by structural quality. We obtained evidence for the crop–livestock framework improving physical and chemical properties; hence, this intervention outperformed others in developing environmental restoration. Additionally, as the reference consisted of comparable properties to those in integrative systems and native vegetation, it supported the ability of the soil to gradually recover itself over time. Therefore, our study provides knowledge to advance the field’s prominence in implementing ICLFS for the environmental reclamation of the condition or process degrading the soil and its functions for sustainable agricultural production.

A utilização de práticas e recursos para diminuir as emissões de gases de efeito estufa na agropecuária é assunto de grande importância nos dias de hoje, pois, em nível de opinião pública e internacional são mais vistas de forma nega- tiva, sendo representada como uma ameaça ao meio ambiente e uma das responsáveis pela emissão de gases de efeito estufa no Brasil. O objetivo deste trabalho é fazer uma revisão de literatura abordando o conhecimento desses fatores é a importância para que se realize o manejo mais adequado e utilize tecnológicas no campo que possam contribuir para mitigação de gases. Nesta revisão aborda-se práticas de manejo, como utilização de suplementos múltiplos com intuito de aumentar a produtividade e redução das emissões de gases pelo aumento da produção de propionato e aditivos moduladores de fermentação ruminal que além de aumentar a produtividade diminuem a perda de carbono pela rota de fermentação dos glicídios, contribuindo também para uma atividade sustentável, produtiva e rentável que são os pilares da sustentabilidade.

The present study aimed to assess the productive performance, ingestive behavior, and thermal condition of crossbred beef heifers in an integrated livestock-forest (ILF) system with different tree-planting designs. Seventy-two ½ Angus ½ Nellore heifers were divided in three treatments—conventional system (CS) without eucalyptus, integrated livestock system with 187 eucalyptus ha−1 (ILF-1L), and integrated livestock system with 446 eucalyptus ha−1 (ILF-3L)—, in the winter and summer. Total dry mass of forage (TDM), chemical analysis of Marandu palisadegrass, average daily gain [...] ABSTRACT The present study aimed to assess the productive performance, ingestive behavior, and thermal condition of crossbred beef heifers in an integrated livestock-forest (ILF) system with different tree-planting designs. Seventy-two ½ Angus ½ Nellore heifers were divided in three treatments—conventional system (CS) without eucalyptus, integrated livestock system with 187 eucalyptus ha−1 (ILF-1L), and integrated livestock system with 446 eucalyptus ha−1 (ILF-3L)—, in the winter and summer. Total dry mass of forage (TDM), chemical analysis of Marandu palisadegrass, average daily gain