Overview

"Our goal is to provide a wide treatment of animal husbandry topics with a readable resource addressing from genetics, through reproductive behavior, animal health, and wellbeing, up to ecosystem dynamics as affected by human activity. The broad theme of the book is aimed at veterinary and agronomy professionals most likely involved in field settings. Evolving technological advances in animal science, related disciplines, as well as changing climate and market conditions (among other factors), increases the need for permanent education for professionals working in the field and advanced university and technical students. The following audiences may benefit from this resource: Students in professional veterinary medical education programs; Students in agronomy education programs; Clinical veterinary pathologists in tropical settings; Product development and commercialization teams working towards tropical rural areas. Animal Husbandry in the Tropics is organized into five sections:A. “Genetics”. Presents a relevant genetics framework. The genetic architecture of climatic adaptation of tropical cattle: The authors explored the genetic architecture of ten traits of tropical cattle production using genome-wide association studies of different crosses of taurine x indicine cattle. The study is conducted on the background of current and future expansion of some tropical conditions from the tropics to temperate environments, which potentially could affect negatively our planet’s livestock health and production. Worldwide patterns of ancestry, divergence, and admixture in domesticated cattle: The authors studied groups of Asian indicine, Eurasian taurine, and African taurine cattle breeds, in an attempt to characterize and explore the modern makeup of bovine genomic variation and phylogenetic networks. Selection signatures in worldwide sheep populations: The authors explore the worldwide diversity of sheep populations by studying the response of genomes to selection. Anchoring on the recent Sheep -HapMap dataset they discover the wide genome response to selection on morphology, color, and adaptation to new environments. B. “Breeding and Reproduction"""". Presents a compilation of issues related to common and other innovative approaches to domestic animal's reproductive behavior and management. Gamete therapeutics: recombinant protein adsorption by sperm for increasing fertility via artificial insemination: In order to tackle the essential preservation of fertility in cattle, this research group studies the effect of addition of specialized recombinant proteins previous to cryopreservation of sperm for artificial insemination of crossbred (Bos taurus x Bos indicus) heifers in a tropical environment. Periconceptional Heat Stress of Holstein Dams Is Associated with Differences in Daughter Milk Production during Their First Lactation: Studied whether Holstein dairy replacement heifers conceived under heat stress induce long-lasting effects on their milking capacity. The authors researched herds in hot, humid summers at Georgia, Florida or Texas states in the US. How Rainfall Variation Influences Reproductive Patterns of African Savanna Ungulates in an Equatorial Region Where Photoperiod Variation Is Absent : This study focus on the breeding cycles of ungulate populations (topi, warthog, hartebeest and impala) in a Kenya region characterized with ample year-long rainfall variations. They discuss the survival strategies of these species in such challenging conditions. Achieving Body Weight Adjustments for Feeding Status and Pregnant or Non-Pregnant Condition in Beef Cows: Studied the energy costs of the reproductive (gestational and lactation stages) status in beef cow herds with emphasis on developing and tropical regions. The influence of separation distance during the preconditioning period of the male effect approach on reproductive performance in sheep: Studied how female-male separation distance during preconditioning of ewes affect herd estrous synchronization, pregnancy rates, and prolificacy. C. “Nutrition and Physiology”. Presents an overview of some aspects of energy, nutrient and water economy of domestic and large wild ruminant mammals. The Role of Individual Traits and Environmental Factors for Diet Composition of Sheep: Studied which factors determine the composition of the diet in grazing sheep. They based their research on individual traits, foraging preferences and pasture availability linked to environmental variables. Application of Overall Dynamic Body Acceleration as a Proxy for Estimating the Energy Expenditure of Grazing Farm Animals: Relationship with Heart Rate: Bring a novel system of body acceleration monitoring to study energy expenditure in grazing cattle, goats and sheep. They explore the potential of “Overall Dynamic Body Acceleration"""" as an indirect measure of heart rate and as a proxy of activity-specific energy expenditure. Potential Foraging Decisions by a Desert Ungulate to Balance Water and Nutrient Intake in a Water-Stressed Environment: The authors studied desert bighorn sheep populations and how they manage their physiological utilization of water and how it related to diet habits and supplemental water consumption. D. “Animal Health and Welfare”. Is a compilation of articles stressing the importance of some critical concerns in pathogens and pests common to several tropical settings (some of them of zoonotic nature), posing a potential risk not only to domestic herds and wildlife but also to human populations. The research studies are: Prevalence of bovine tuberculosis and risk factor assessment in cattle in rural livestock areas of Govuro District in the Southeast of Mozambique; How Farm Animals React and Perceive Stressful Situations Such As Handling, Restraint, and Transport; Candidate Gene Approach for Parasite Resistance in Sheep – Variation in Immune Pathway Genes and Association with Fecal Egg Count; Identification of Novel Loci Associated with Gastrointestinal Parasite Resistance in a Red Maasai x Dorper Backcross Population; Knowledge of Bovine Tuberculosis, Cattle Husbandry and Dairy Practices amongst Pastoralists and Small-Scale Dairy Farmers in Cameroon; and Ectoparasites of sheep in three agro-ecological zones in central Oromia, Ethiopia E. “Miscellaneous Animal Husbandry”. Dynamics of Cattle Production in Brazil: Brings an example of territorial trends of livestock in a huge territory which includes tropical, arid steppe and subtropical lands. It is our wish that readers not only learn or deepen on principles of animal husbandry but moreover renew and actualize their awareness in broad concepts and new findings on animal science and animal ecosystems."

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9781680958607

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Dan Piestun (PhD) is currently a startup entrepreneur in Israel working on the interface of Agriculture and Biomedical Sciences and was formerly president-CEO of the National Institute of Agricultural Research (INIA) in Uruguay. Dan is a widely published scientist who has received many honours during his career including being a two-time recipient of the Amit Golda Meir Prize from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, his areas of expertise includes stem cell molecular biology, plant and animal genetics and bioinformatics. Dan’s passion for applied science and technological solutions did not stop him from pursuing a deep connection to the farmer, his family and nature. Among some of his interest and practices counts enjoying working as a beekeeper and onboard fishing.

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