Simulation of production systems in East Africa by use of interfaced forage and cattle models

A forage model and a cattle production model were interfaced and adapted for tropical production conditions in East Africa. The objectives of the modelling were to structure and conceptualise a complex system for better comprehension, thereby determining constraints on a traditional African grazing system. The model was designed to simulate the physical linkages between the scarce resource of forage and the outputs of cattle, meat and milk. The effects of improved management practices were examined for a traditional village livestock grazing system. Verification and validation for the baseline village herd were carried out using several different sources of data. A combination of a restricted breeding season, supplemental feeding during the dry season and a seasonal sales policy resulted in a 40% increase in net revenue to village producers above the baseline for a ten-year period.     

基于三轴加速度传感器的放牧羊只牧食行为研究

内蒙古自治区草地资源丰富,养羊业为自治区的主要畜牧业,通过对放牧羊只牧食行为的识别并结合GPS监测其牧食路径,可为估测放牧区域采食量分布、放牧规划和草畜平衡的研究提供理论依据。本文采用三轴加速度传感器,设计了放牧羊只牧食行为数据无线采集系统,自动采集羊只牧食的三轴加速度数据,并建立羊只牧食行为识别的BP神经网络模型、全连接深度神经网络模型和卷积神经网络模型,实现对羊只采食、咀嚼、反刍3种牧食行为的分类识别。在内蒙古自治区四子王旗白音朝克图镇半荒漠化草场的试验结果表明,BP神经网络模型、全连接深度神经网络模型和卷积神经网络模型对羊只牧食行为的平均识别率分别为83.1%、89.4%和93.8%,其中卷积神经网络模型的识别精度最高,能够满足羊只牧食行为分类识别的要求。     

Potential productivity and water requirements of maize-peanut rotations in Australian semi-arid tropical environments—A crop simulation study

The growing demand for maize (Zea mays L.) in intensive livestock and other industries has opened up fresh opportunities for further expansion of the maize industry in Australia, which could be targeted in relatively water rich semi-arid tropical (SAT) regions of the country. This crop simulation study assessed the potential productivity and water requirements of maize peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) rotations for the SAT climatic zone of Australia using the Agricultural Production Systems Simulator (APSIM) model. APSIM was configured to simulate maize (Pioneer hybrid 3153) either in the dry (May-October) or wet season (November-April) and peanut (cv. Conder) in the following season for three soils found at Katherine (14.48°S, 132.25°E) from 1957 to 2008. The simulated mean total yield potential of the dry season maize and wet season peanut (DMWP) rotation (15-19.2 t/ha) was about 28% greater than the wet season maize-dry season peanut (WMDP) rotation because of the higher yield potential of maize in the dry season compared to in the wet season. These high yields in the DMWP rotation have been achieved commercially. The overall simulated irrigation water requirement for both rotations, which varied from 11.5 to 13.8 ML/ha on different soils, was similar. The DMWP rotation had 21% higher water use efficiency. Similar yield and water use efficiency advantages of the DMWP rotation were apparent for eight other agriculturally important locations in the Northern Territory, Western Australia and Queensland. The simulations for Katherine also suggested that the irrigation requirement of the two rotations could increase by 17.5% in El-Nino years compared to La-Nina years for only a small gain in yield, which has implications for climate change scenarios.     

A quantitative framework for livestock development planning: Part 3—Feed demand and supply

The quantity and quality of feed available throughout the cycle of the seasons is a powerful constraint upon the rate at which livestock populations may expand and the rate at which they produce. To investigate this constraint in a national livestock development planning context it was necessary to develop an accounting system to interface feed demand with feed supply in what has been termed a Feed Balance Sheet. This presents feed deficits and/or surpluses within identified livestock production systems. The paper deals mainly with ruminant livestock populations grazing natural and improved grasslands and utilizing crop residues and agro-industrial by-products. The data illustrating the way in which the accounting system was developed are drawn from information on Sudanese livestock populations.     

家畜智能养殖设备和饲喂技术应用研究现状与发展趋势

家畜智能养殖设备是智能农机装备的组成部分之一,是国际农业装备产业技术竞争的焦点。本文重点围绕家畜智能养殖设备与饲喂技术在实践中的应用,进行了系统的性能特点分析。目前家畜智能养殖设备的开发对象主要针对猪和奶牛,主要研发的系统包括妊娠母猪电子饲喂站、哺乳母猪精准饲喂系统、奶牛精准饲喂系统和挤奶机器人等。家畜智能养殖设备的工业化应用必须与养殖模式、畜舍结构布局结合起来,才能发挥设备的使用效率,同时从满足动物的福利出发,与动物生理、生长及行为结合起来,形成设备与动物的互作和相互适应。最后指出了智能设备的研究必须与畜牧业生产的理论、目标产品的功能驱动及养殖方式的创新协调一致,要不断地更新换代,才能助推畜牧业的转型升级。     

Competing use of organic resources, village-level interactions between farm types and climate variability in a communal area of NE Zimbabwe

In communal areas of NE Zimbabwe, feed resources are collectively managed, with herds grazing on grasslands during the rainy season and mainly on crop residues during the dry season, which creates interactions between farmers and competition for organic resources. Addition of crop residues or animal manure is needed to sustain agricultural production on inherently poor soils. Objectives of this study were to assess the effect of village-level interactions on carbon and nutrient flows, and to explore their impact on the long-term productivity of different farm types under climate variability. Crop and cattle management data collected in Murewa Communal area, NE Zimbabwe was used together with a dynamic farm-scale simulation model (NUANCES-FARMSIM) to simulate village-level interactions. Simulations showed that grasslands support most cattle feed intake (c. 75%), and that crop residues produced by non-cattle farmers sustain about 30% of the dry season feed intake. Removal of crop residues (0.3-0.4 t C ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹) from fields of non-cattle farmers resulted in a long-term decrease in crop yields. No-access to crop residues of non-cattle farmers increased soil C modestly and improved yields in the long-term, but not enough to meet household energy requirements. Harvest of grain and removal of most crop residues by grazing cattle caused a long-term decline in soil C stocks for all farm types. The smallest decrease (−0.5 t C ha⁻¹) was observed for most fertile fields of cattle farmers, who manure their fields. Cattle farmers needed to access 4-10 ha of grassland to apply 3 t of manure ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹. Rainfall variability intensifies crop-livestock interactions increasing competition for biomass to feed livestock (short-term effect) or to rehabilitate soils (long-term effect). Prolonged dry seasons and low availability of crop residues may lead to cattle losses, with negative impact in turn on availability of draught power, affecting area under cultivation in consecutive seasons until farmers re-stock. Increasing mineral fertiliser use concurrently with keeping crop residues in fertile fields and allocating manure to poor fields appears to be a promising strategy to boost crop and cattle productivity at village level. The likelihood of this scenario being implemented depends on availability of fertilisers and decision of farmers to invest in rehabilitating soils to obtain benefits in the long-term. Adaptation options cannot be blind to what occurs beyond field and farm level, because otherwise recommendations from research and development do not fit the local conditions and farmers tend to ignore them.     

Relevance of rest periods in non-equilibrium rangeland systems – A modelling analysis

The worldwide loss of utilisable rangeland in (semi-) arid areas results in huge economic and social costs. Only adaptive management strategies are able to cope with these systems, which are mainly driven by unpredictable and stochastic rainfall. The aim of the study was to investigate the relevance of rest periods as part of the management scheme in these non-equilibrium rangeland systems. The starting point of the analysis is an approved management system – the Karakul sheep-breeding Gamis-Farm (Namibia). The farmer applies a flexible strategy, which combines short-term adaptation of the stocking rate to the available forage and long-term adaptation by resting a third of the paddocks in years with sufficient rainfall.We developed a simulation model that focuses on the key dynamics of this non-equilibrium system. Beginning with the strategy used by the Gamis-Farm, a set of alternative grazing strategies was defined, all adapted to the available forage but differing in whether and when resting is granted for a part of the pasture. The effectiveness of these strategies was compared according to the long-term productivity of the pasture and the farmer’s livelihood.Our results reveal ecological settings during which resting is essential for the recovery of the vegetation in a fluctuating environment, as well as those during which it is not. The growth rates of both the vegetation and of the livestock are demonstrated to be highly influential. Rests during wet years are crucial for the regeneration of the pasture. We conclude that even though a non-equilibrium rangeland system is assumed, the application of pure opportunistic strategies – destocking in times of drought and fast post-drought restocking – are not always adequate to maintain the long-term productivity of the pasture. Rest periods are indispensable when vegetation has a low regeneration potential. On an applied level, the study emphasises that improved farming conditions (supplementary feeding, unrestricted options to purchase livestock) may run the risk of ecological as well as economic damages.     

基于植被蒸散发法的孔雀河流域天然植被生态需水估算

【目的】定量天然植被生态需水,为流域有限水资源的合理分配和使用供科学依据和决策参考。【方法】采用FAO56Penman-Monteith公式,结合干旱强度指数DSI,分析新疆孔雀河流域2000-2016年天然植被生态需水时空变化特征,幵计算了丌同干、湿状况下天然植被的生态需水。【结果】①研究区内天然植被生长季多年平均生态需水量为7.575 7×10^8 m^3,天然草地需水量大于天然林地需水量。②从时间上看,2000-2016年天然植被生长季生态需水总量以2006年为分界点整体上呈现出上升-下降波动趋势;在生长季内变化特征上,天然植被的生态需水主要集中在6-8月,占植被主要生长季全部需水量的69.64%;从空间上看,天然植被生态需水主要集中在绿洲区的农区外围及河流中、上游两侧。③丌同干、湿状况下,天然林、草地单位面积生态需水量均表现为:正常年>湿润年>轻度干旱年>极度干旱年,天然植被生态需水总量呈现:极度干旱年>正常年>轻度干旱年>湿润年。【结论】丌同干湿条件下天然植被生态需水存在差异,气候因子和天然植被面积的变化是导致生态需水差异的主要因素。     

Evaluating deficit irrigation management strategies for grain sorghum using AquaCrop

Many wells in the US Central Plains can no longer meet full crop water requirements due to declines in Ogallala aquifer water levels. A study was conducted in Southwest Kansas to determine optimum limited irrigation strategies for grain sorghum. Objectives were to (1) calibrate and validate the AquaCrop model, (2) apply AquaCrop to assess the effect of varying climate, planting dates, and soil types on yield, and (3) evaluate water productivities and optimal irrigation needs. Experimental data of grain sorghum were used to calibrate and validate AquaCrop. Planting date was found to substantially affect biomass and grain yield, and hence, considerably affect water productivities. The highest grain water productivities were obtained with late planting in a wet season. Late planting was associated with lower irrigation requirements. Depending on local conditions, we recommend planting to occur between June 1st and June 10th. Grain sorghum yield was optimized on sandy soils of southwestern Kansas with irrigation of 100–275 mm for early, 150–275 mm for normal and 100–275 mm for late planting. The optimal irrigation on silt loam soils for the corresponding planting dates were 175–350, 175–250 and 125–250 mm, respectively, with the lowest and highest in the range being for the wet and dry climate season conditions. Fluctuations in grain sorghum prices had a substantial impact on economic water productivity. Overall planting grain sorghum under optimum conditions combined with deficit irrigation improved water productivity.     

A simulation model for managing perennial grass pastures. Part II—a simulated systems analysis of grazing management

A model for managing perennial grass pastures was used to simulate a grazing experiment on common bermudagrass pastures at Booneville, Arkansas. The experiment used sixteen years' weather data from this location.The management variables included number of fields, rotation period, and simulated grazing rate. The grazing season was from 1 June to 22 September each year, and simulated performance data were obtained for successive six-day periods throughout the grazing season. The attributes of performance data included: daily harvest rate, digestible dry matter and cell content nitrogen harvested, potential tissue production, reserve carbohydrates at the end of the year and the ratio of forage on offer to the simulated grazing rate.Analyses of these simulated performance data provided an inference base to support a recommendation concerning the management variables. The recommendation is as follows: a four-field system, a nine-day rotation period and 84 kg/ha/day simulated grazing rate. The results along with other simulated grazing scenarios will be used to plan field experiments at Booneville, Arkansas.     

家畜饲喂机器人研究进展与发展展望

家畜养殖的生产模式已由粗放型向集约型转变,生产水平不断提高,但较低的劳动生产率和劳动力短缺等问题严重制约中国家畜养殖业的快速发展。利用现代信息和人工智能技术,研发家畜饲喂机器人,包括喂料、推料等机器人,实现数字化、智能化的家畜养殖,提高畜牧养殖生产力是解决上述问题的主要途径。为深入分析机器人技术在家畜养殖中的研究现状,本文收集了国内外家畜机器人研究实例和文献资料,从轨道式喂料机器人、自走式喂料机器人和推料机器人3个方面重点介绍家畜饲喂机器人的研究进展,分析了饲喂机器人的技术特点和实际应用情况,从技术和应用两个方面对国内外饲喂机器人进行了比较,并从战略规划制定、核心技术发展和产业发展趋势三个方面进行展望并提出发展建议,为家畜饲喂机器人在中国的进一步发展和应用提供参考。     

仔猪自动精细饲喂系统设计与试验

针对目前仔猪养殖成本高、自动化程度低的问题,设计了仔猪自动精细饲喂系统。系统包括机械本体和控制系统两部分,机械本体主要由下料电动机及下料螺旋装置、搅拌电动机及搅拌刀片和供水系统组成;控制系统主要由移动控制终端、控制器控制面板及控制器组成。系统控制部分可根据液位传感器、光电传感器和电动机编码器信号对自动精细饲喂装置的下料电动机、搅拌电动机和上水水泵进行实时控制,实现仔猪饲喂过程中的配料、搅拌、喂料、冲洗料桶和食槽的自动化。系统测试结果表明:系统运行稳定可靠,能够实现干湿料的精细混合和均匀搅拌;以电动机转速为150 r/min为例进行试验,自动精细饲喂系统的落料量与电动机的运行时间成正比关系(r~2=0.999 4),实际落料量与理论计算的落料量一致,其误差小于5%;测量饲喂系统螺旋装置转速分别为50、100、150、200、250 r/min时的下料量,结果表明下料量不随旋转输送装置转速的增加而无限增加,在转速为200 r/min时达到最大值,为0.133 t/h;该自动精细饲喂系统现场试验表明第2周与第3周喂养仔猪平均日增长量约为人工喂养的2倍。     

Irrigation scheduling and irrigation systems: optimising irrigation efficiency for container ornamental shrubs

Water use and plant growth and quality were compared across different nursery stock beds, different methods of applying irrigation, and different methods of scheduling irrigation. With overhead irrigation, scheduling of irrigation according to plant demand, along with an irrigation system designed to maximise irrigation uniformity, resulted in substantial water savings, without reducing plant quality. This was the case in both wet and dry years. In the dry year, plant quality was particularly good when grown on a sub-irrigated sand bed; this system also used less water than any of the overhead irrigation systems. Two different systems were effective in scheduling overhead irrigation, one based on the volumetric moisture in the growing substrate, and the other based on plant evapotranspiration. The latter was determined with a small sensor with wet and dry artificial “leaves”, the output of which correlated with that obtained following the Penman–Monteith method based on a full set of meteorological data.     

A dynamic model for the simulation of cattle herd production systems: 2-An investigation of various factors influencing the voluntary intake of dry matter and the use of the model in their validation

Various published systems for the prediction of dry matter (DM) intake are discussed, with special emphasis on their relationship to DM digestibility. Suggestions are made for the modification of the Conrad (1966) equations and their adaptation to different types of cattle and environment.The equations were included in a dynamic simulation model to test their accuracy in predicting weight changes in growing steers under grazing conditions in Botswana and the UK. It was found that predicted weights were generally within 0.4–1.5% of measured weights and that fluctuations in the predicted liveweight curves closely followed the pattern of the observed ones, showing that the equations can provide a sound basis for the prediction of DM intake in agricultural practice in general and in livestock simulation models in particular.     

干热河谷区橙子树蒸腾耗水环境响应与生理调节研究

为探究西南干热河谷地区典型经济林木橙子树的蒸腾耗水机制,利用热扩散式探针TDP、冠层分析仪、土壤水分传感器TDR、全自动气象站等设备获取橙子树蒸腾量、叶面积指数、土壤含水率和气象因子（气温、辐射、饱和水汽压差、降雨量等）的长期数据。对橙子树蒸腾规律的环境控制和生理调节特征进行系统研究,结果表明：相比于干季和雨季,干热季橙子树表现出较为保守的水分利用机制,日蒸腾量、冠层导度和退耦系数都显著低于其他两个季节。干季和雨季,橙子树蒸腾活动受太阳辐射和饱和水汽压差的交替控制,而干热季蒸腾活动主要受饱和水汽压差的驱动。冠层导度与气象因子日内动态变化特征之间存在时滞效应,且这种效应在不同天气不同季节具有差异。受叶面积指数影响,饱和水汽压差与冠层导度在整个年份呈负对数相关关系,其他环境因子与冠层导度在叶面积指数小于4m2/m2时呈负对数相关关系,大于等于4m2/m2时呈二次函数相关关系。不同环境条件下虽然冠层导度对饱和水汽压差的敏感性不同,但蒸腾耗水在大多数环境条件下基本遵循等水势调节策略,但个别环境条件下存在环境胁迫应对失衡风险。研究结果可为干热河谷区橙子园环境胁迫诊断提供直接依据,有利于灌溉制度的科学优化和节水调控技术体系的高效制定。     

黄土高原不同水平年旱涝时空分布特征分析

全球气候变暖大背景下,黄土高原总体呈现暖干化趋势,未来干旱还可能会加剧。为了全面了解黄土高原旱涝时空变化特征,为黄土高原应对旱涝灾害提供决策依据,根据黄土高原及周边263个气象站的降水数据划分降水水平年,以标准化降水指数（SPI）为指标,分析了黄土高原地区不同水平年年际及年内旱涝特征。结果显示,黄土高原在丰、平、枯水年均有不同程度的干旱发生。丰水年黄土高原干旱面积占5.7%,雨涝面积占40.9%;平水年干旱面积占12.7%,雨涝面积占19.3%;枯水年干旱面积占44.4%,雨涝面积占17.9%。不同水平年的干旱区域存在差异。不同水平年内春旱较重,丰水年和平水年雨季开始后干旱逐渐缓解,枯水年雨季不能有效缓解春季以来的干旱,且秋涝明显,各水平年年内干旱的时空分布存在显著差异。不同水平年年际和年内旱涝差异大且变化频繁,为了确保黄土高原农业生产旱涝保收,应合理布设小型水利工程与田间灌溉设施。      

A model to evaluate the economic merits of dry season feeding of growing/fattening cattle in the sub-humid tropics

The economic effect of increased stocking rate permitted by the introduction of dry season feedin is evaluated with reference to the growing/fatening system of beef production in the sub-humid tropics. A widely applicable model is derived which requires few input variables, all of which will be easily obtainable in a specific location. The economic break-even point in terms of feeding cost and dry season length can be determined in order to assess the value of local diets or attempt the formulation of new ones. Increae in profitability due to dry season feeding is assessed taking into account increase in stocking rate, seasonal de-stocking practices, length of dry season, growth rates, feed costs and beef price. The model is appropriate for use in developing countries and can be employed manually to determine rapidly those management options worthy of more detailed consideration.     

The promising impact of ley introduction and herd expansion on soil organic matter content in southern Mali

In southern Mali, cultivated area and herd size increase together with population growth. Consequently, periods of natural fallow shorten and traditional farming and animal husbandry techniques lead to a decrease of soil organic matter (SOM) content. Between 20 and 45% of the land is cultivated while less than 60% is arable area. To increase efficiency of natural fallow, a reduction in livestock herds is often proposed. By means of a linear programming model, the feasibility of maintaining actual SOM content in two villages in different agro-ecological zones was investigated. By adjusting animal numbers and cropping pattern, the model maximized: (1) SOM content under the condition of positive farm labour income; or (2) farm labour income under the condition of a positive SOM content. The model results suggested that maintaining SOM content requires the use of cereal crop residues for animal feed and for manure through bedding in kraals, but also higher animal densities. The last was feasible only through: (1) herding cattle of several farms together to overcome labour constraints; and (2) introducing P-fertilized leys, for grazing in the dry season. Grazing of the leys together with crop residues allowed animal densities up to 44 tropical livestock units (TLUs) km⁻², while less than 16% of the produced rangeland fodder was grazed. In such conditions, a positive SOM balance and higher income was obtained with a minimum of 16.7% of ley in the crop rotation. Limiting the area cropped with cotton stabilized income and contributed to a positive SOM balance. Zero-grazing during the warm season allowed SOM surpluses to be achieved with 12.5% of ley. However, as income decreased, seasonal zero-grazing could only be adopted for high-producing animals and small herds.     

Agro-hydrological evaluation of on-farm rainwater storage systems for supplemental irrigation in Laikipia district,Kenya

Semi-arid agro-ecosystems are characterized by erratic rainfall and high evaporation rates leading to unreliable agricultural production. Total seasonal rainfall may be enough to sustain crop production, but its distribution and occurrence of intra-season dry spells (ISDS) and off-season dry spells (ODS) affect crop production. Rainwater harvesting (RWH) and management, especially on-farm storage ponds for supplemental irrigation offers an opportunity to mitigate the recurrent dry spells. Farm ponds are small runoff storage structures of capacities ranging from 30 to 100 m³ used mainly for supplemental irrigation of kitchen gardens, and sometimes for domestic and livestock water supply. The main objective of the study was to evaluate the hydrological and economic performance of farm ponds with the view of assessing their contributions to water and food security in semi-arid agro-systems of Kenya. Agro-hydrological evaluation of on-farm runoff storage systems entailed field survey, monitoring of water losses, analysis of rainy seasons and dry spell occurrence, soil moisture and water balance, estimation of supplemental irrigation requirement (SIR) and farm-level cost-benefit analysis of cabbage production using low-head drip irrigation system. Significant water losses through seepage and evaporation, which accounted on average for 30–50% of the stored runoff, is one of the factors that affect the adoption and up-scaling of on-farm water storage systems. Frequency analysis of rainfall revealed that there is 80% probability of occurrence of dry spells exceeding 10 and 12 days during the long rains and short rains, respectively. The occurrence of off-season (after rainfall cessation) dry spells was more pronounced than intra-seasonal (within the rainy season) dry spells. The length of intra-seasonal (10–15 days) was less than off-season dry spells (20–30 days). The occurrence of off-season dry spells coincides with the critical crop growth stage, in particular flowering and yield formation stages. A 50 m³ farm pond with a drip system irrigation system was found adequate to meet supplemental irrigation requirement for a kitchen garden of 300–600 m² planted with a 90 days growing period cabbages. The cost-benefit analysis showed that farm ponds are feasible solutions to persistent crop failures in semi-arid areas which dominant most countries in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA).     

Water demand and flows in the São Francisco River Basin (Brazil) with increased irrigation

Most activities that support economic growth in the São Francisco River Basin (Brazil) need water. Allocation of the water resources to each competing use needs quantification in order to develop an integrated water management plan. Irrigation agriculture is the largest water consuming activity in the basin. It has produced large economic and social advancements in the region and has potential for further development. The local development agency in the São Francisco River has projected an increase of more than 500,000 ha in irrigation developments distributed within the basin.Water requirements of the projected irrigation expansions and their effects on river flow were quantified. A semi-distributed model was constructed to simulate the water balance in 16 watersheds within the basin. The watersheds were hydrologically characterized by the average precipitation, atmospheric demand and runoff as well as their variability. Water requirements for increased irrigated agriculture were calculated using an agronomic mass balance. A Monte Carlo procedure generated the variability of irrigation requirements and resulting decreased river flows from the multidimensional probability distribution of the hydrologic variables of each watershed.Irrigation requirements were found to be more variable during the wet season because of weather variability. In contrast to what might be expected, in drier years, irrigation requirements were often larger during the wet season than in the dry season because the cropped area is largest in the wet months and variability of precipitation is greater. Increased irrigation shifted downward the distribution of river flows but not enough to affect other strategic water uses such as hydropower. Further irrigation expansion may be limited by wet season flows.