Co-Founders Rob Burleigh and Francis Dodds share their knowledge and insights into agricultural science, publishing and the latest news at Burleigh Dodds
Burleigh Dodds Livestock Round Up
1 December 2022
UK Poultry Producers Urged to Stay Vigilant To Red Mite During Housing Order
Towards the end of October, the UK's Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA) announced a mandatory housing order for all poultry as a result of recent outbreaks of Avian Influenza (AI).
The housing order has been put in place to reduce the risk of future outbreaks of AI through limiting the possible interactions between captive and wild birds.
However, MSD Animal Health has urged poultry producers across the nation to remain vigilant to other threats that can arise as a result of continuous housing, such as red mite infestations.
Throughout the winter months, red mite populations are typically extremely low due to the cold weather. However, as a result of housing birds indefinitely throughout the day, the core temperature in these housing environments will naturally increase, creating ideal conditions for red mite populations to thrive.
There has since been no movement by DEFRA to relax this housing order, with outbreaks of AI still being reported across the UK.
New Title Considers Most Effective Measures to Prevent Disease in Poultry
Edited by
Professor Sjaak de Wit, Royal GD and University of Utrecht, The Netherlands
About the Book
Diseases remain a significant burden to poultry production and its future. Whilst it is widely recognised that vaccines have a major role in inducing protection, they can only be considered as part of the solution to this rapidly growing problem.
This new book instead reviews ways of optimising preventative measures to reduce the risk of disease in flocks.
Open Access
Are you currently writing a chapter for any of our forthcoming publications, or would like to submit a chapter for consideration? If yes, are you interested in the possibility of publishing it as Open Access (OA)?
Contact Us to discuss the options available.
News
UK researchers publish ground-breaking research
A team of researchers from the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology has published research this week which proves that less intensively managed British grazed grasslands has on average 50% more plant species when compared to intensively managed grasslands. Furthermore, the researchers also found that soil samples taken from less intensively managed grasslands had higher levels of carbon and nitrogen, as well as an increased number of soil invertebrates, such as mites. Publication of the study's results have already been tipped to help farmers increase biodiversity and soil health. [Read more here].
Researcher launches podcast on bovine health and nutrition
Dr John Campbell is a beef cattle specialist at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine, located in the University of Saskatchewan, Canada. Towards the end of October, Dr Campbell announced the launch of his new podcast Beef Cattle Health and Nutrition which will see episodes published weekly and will feature guests discussing topics related to beef cattle health and nutrition, such as feed testing, preconditioning, vaccinations and the impacts of extended grazing. For Dr Campbell, the main aim of the podcast is to contribute to the dissemination of knowledge from a collective of researchers to the podcast's audience. [Read more here].
FDA approves lab-grown meat for human consumption
The United States Food and Drug Administration (US FDA) has approved cell-cultured chicken produced in a laboratory for human consumption. The 'lab-grown' chicken has been created by US-based outfit, Upside Foods using cells harvested from live chickens. It has been suggested that Upside Foods are the first company to receive a 'No Questions' letter from the US FDA in relation to the production of cultured/cultivated meat, poultry or seafood. [Read more here].
Are there benefits to using mango seed extract in pig feed?
Parasitic infections are a large problem for pig producers in the Philippines and something that is typically treated with anthelmintic products. However, as a result of misuse there has been a rise in anthelmintic resistance in pigs. A team of researchers from the University of Southern Mindanao, the Philippines has suggested that mango seed extract can control and reduce the risk of nematode infection in pigs, acting as a natural anthelmintic. [Read more here].
Title Insights
Edited by
Professor Massimiliano Petracci, Alma Mater Studiorum – Università di Bologna, Italy and Dr Mario Estévez, Universidad de Extremadura, Spain
Key Features
• Considers the impact of dietary background and availability of key nutrients and micronutrients on poultry meat quality
• Reviews the key quality defects associated with poultry muscle development, including dorsal cranial myopathy, pale soft exudative and intramuscular connective tissue
• Provides a detailed assessment of the individual quality traits consumer expectations are driven by (colour, texture and flavour)
Title Insights
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Burleigh Dodds Crops Round Up
1 December 2022
New Project Aims to Reduce GHG Emissions Produced During Barley Cultivation
Barley is recognised as one of the world's important feed grain crops, alongside maize and sorghum.
It's been estimated that in the United States alone, three quarters of the barley grown across the nation is used for malt production. The remaining quarter is used as ingredients in livestock feed and human food.
However, malted barley is a significant contributor to the carbon footprint of beer and whisky production, with suggestions that it accounts for 39% and 41% of each industry's carbon footprint respectively.
Four international corporations, including the Suntory Group, Japan and Dewing Grain, UK are collaborating on a new on-farm project which will trial whether barley can be grown more sustainably without yields being compromised.
The project's main aim is to produce barley with 50% lower greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions within five years of the project's launch.
Key Title Considers Best Practices for Achieving Sustainable Barley Cultivation
Edited by
Professor Glen Fox, University of California-Davis, USA and University of Queensland, Australia and Professor Chengdao Li, Murdoch University, Australia
Key Features
• Strong focus on advances in understanding barley physiology which inform decisions about breeding and cultivation
• Detailed coverage of molecular breeding techniques such as genome wide association studies (GWAS) and targeted induced lesions in genomes (TILLING)
• Covers latest research on optimising barley for particular end uses such as malting, brewing and animal feed
New Open Access Chapter!
Chapter Title
Considerations with soil testing in turfgrass
Chapter Description
Soil testing can be a valuable method to help turfgrass managers make fertilizer decisions and choosing the most appropriate soil test extractant is key.
This chapter describes common extracts and demonstrates their efficacy for phosphorous and potassium extraction.
Open Access
Are you currently writing a chapter for any of our forthcoming publications, or would like to submit a chapter for consideration? If yes, are you interested in the possibility of publishing it as Open Access (OA)?
Contact Us to discuss the options available.
News
New project launched to prevent spread of Fusarium wilt
Earlier this week, the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) announced a new project which will focus on protecting the livelihoods of smallholder farmers growing bananas in Mozambique and Tanzania. The Food and Agricultural Organization has previously estimated that 70-100 million people in East and Central Africa rely on bananas for their livelihoods. However, recent outbreaks of Fusarium wilt tropical race 4 has put all banana-producing countries under severe pressure. The new ACIAR project will focus on developing biosecurity measures to reduce the risk of spread.
Funding awarded to aid farmers in measuring soil carbon
The Australian government has recently announced that around $28.9 million in grants will be awarded to farmers and land managers across Australia to make the process of measuring the amount of carbon in their soils easier. Eight projects have been awarded a share of the funding, with over $4 million awarded to researchers at The University of Queensland to develop high resolution maps of soil organic carbon using proximal and remote sensing combined with machine learning technologies. Other successful applicants include Cloud Agronomics, Carbon Link Operations and SensorC. [Read more here].
UK researchers publish ground-breaking research
A team of researchers from the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology has published research this week which proves that less intensively managed British grazed grasslands has on average 50% more plant species when compared to intensively managed grasslands. Furthermore, the researchers also found that soil samples taken from less intensively managed grasslands had higher levels of carbon and nitrogen, as well as an increased number of soil invertebrates, such as mites. Publication of the study's results have already been tipped to help farmers increase biodiversity and soil health. [Read more here].
How can we protect the species pollinating our plants?
In recent years, it has become increasingly apparent that insect pollinator populations are declining rapidly. These declines have mainly been attributed to habitat loss and land use change. Much research has been completed on the need for large-scale habitat creations. However, an international team of researchers, led by Dr Philip Donkersley, Lancaster University, UK, has explored how impactful small plots of planted wildflowers can be on pollinator populations. From 2014-2018, the researchers planted floral strips on 11 small plots of land and saw the number of bees recorded rise from 1360 to 3550. [Read more here].
The World BioProtection Summit - India 2022
The World BioProtection Summit - India 2022 starts today!
We're delighted to be a Media Partner for the event and are excited to sit on talks discussing:
• The future of biocontrol
• Food security and climate change
• Use of biologicals in integrated pest management programmes
'A must have for everyone involved in plant science'
Title
Microbial bioprotectants for plant disease management
Edited by
Dr Jürgen Köhl, Wageningen University & Research, The Netherlands and Dr Willem J. Ravensberg, Koppert, The Netherlands
"This book provides a plethora of knowledge on the biological fight against plant diseases. It’s a must have for everyone involved in plant science."
(Arie Dwarswaard, Greenity)
In Case You Missed It...
Edited by
Dr Cornelia Rumpel, CNRS, Sorbonne University, Institute of Ecology and Environmental Sciences Paris, France.
About the Book
The book reviews the wealth of research on important aspects of soil carbon sequestration, including its potential in mitigating and adapting to climate change and improving global food security.
The collection explores our understanding of carbon sequestration in soils, detailing the mechanisms and abiotic factors that can affect the process, as well as the socioeconomic, legal and policy issues that can arise as a result of this use.
Title Insights
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