The purpose of the study was to investigate how different milk recording seasons affected the prevalence of mastitis and the potential for cows to recover from it. After conducting logical data ...validation, a total of 3,953,637 test-day records of Holstein cows obtained during the milk recording period from January 1, 2005, to December 31, 2022, were used. The findings revealed that mastitis was most prevalent in the autumn season, and during this period, there was a lower total increase in milk production. On the other hand, the prevalence of healthy cows was maximum in summer and winter, while the winter season showed the highest overall increase in milk production. These results suggest that the prevalence of mastitis and the potential for recovery in cows are significantly influenced by the season, and the values may vary considerably. During the winter season, which is characterized by lower temperatures and humidity levels, the animals have the maximum likelihood of recuperation and regaining their production capacity in a manner that is consistent with their genetic potential.
U ovom istraživanju analizirana je intenzivna proizvodnja krumpira koji se prerađuje u čips. U analiziranom razdoblju (2019. – 2022.) prikazane su sve agrotehničke mjere pri proizvodnji krumpira na ...primjeru PO „Beta“. Vidljivo je da je gnojidba svake godine provedena pri jesenskoj obradi, zatim pred samu sadnju, pri nagrtanju i prije zatvaranja redova. Zaštita krumpira je provedena pravovremeno, a kod primjene zaštitnih sredstava najviše se koriste fungicidi u zaštiti od plamenjače i koncentrične pjegavosti krumpira. Kod zaštite od krumpirove zlatice vodi se računa o korištenju pripravaka iz različitih kemijskih skupina i različitih mehanizma djelovanja. Obavezna mjera u proizvodnji je navodnjavanje koje se provodi tijekom ljetnih mjeseci (lipanj i srpanj). Vađenje krumpira obavilo se strojno, a ostvareni prinosi iznosili su prosječno 36 t/ha, što je daleko od hrvatskog prosjeka (19,1 t/ha).
The objectives of this study were to determine the microclimatic conditions in stables in three climactic regions (East, Mediterranean, and Central) of Croatia as well as to evaluate the effect of ...temperature-humidity index (THI) values on the daily production of dairy cattle. With that purpose, 1675686 test-day records collected from January 2005 until April 2010 were extracted from HPA (Croatian Agricultural Agency) database. For estimation of the effect of THI on daily production of dairy cows fixed-effect model that took into account the effects of lactation stage, breed, calving season, measuring season, and THI group (T1 - THI≤72; T2 - THI>72) was used. Model was applied to each class of parity (P1, P2, P3, P4 and P5) and region. During the analysed period, the highest monthly averages of ambient temperature were determined in Mediterranean region, the highest monthly averages of relative humidity were observed in Central region, while the highest monthly mean values of temperature-humidity index (THI) were determined in Mediterranean region. Heat stress conditions indicated with mean daily values of THI>72 were determined during spring and summer season in all analysed regions. Absence of heat stress conditions during autumn and winter season also characterised all three regions. Highly significant (P<0.01) decrease of daily milk yield as well as of daily fat and protein content due to enhanced THI was observed in all cows regardless the parity class and in all three climatic regions. Furthermore, the most deteriorate effect of heat stress was observed in East region. During heat stress period, with the aim of minimization of the effects of heat stress, it is necessary to regulate management strategies in the dairy herd.
Crimson clover (Trifolium incarnatum L. convar. Inkara) seeds were imbibed with water solution of various pH values (4, 5, 6 and 7) at various ambiental temperatures (10, 15 and 22 °C) with the aim ...to reveal treatments effects on seed (imbibition, germination energy, germination and electric conductivity) and seedling traits (stem, root and total length). Seeds were imbibed in a laboratory by the standard method for seed germination. When averaged over the inquired pH values, ambient temperature affected all the investigated traits except stem length. The highest seed imbibition (58.8%) and electric conductivity (82 μS/cm per gram) were achieved at 22 °C. The highest values for germination energy (70%), germination (68%), root length (31 mm) and total seedling length (77 mm) were achieved at 10 °C. When averaged over the inquired ambiental temperatures, the highest germination energy (71%), germination (73%), root length (34 mm) and total seedling length (78 mm) were achieved at pH 4.
Role of mineral fertilizers is to complement the soils’ indigenous supply of minerals for crop plants nutrition. Among the mineral nutrients, nitrogen is generally considered as the most ...yield-contributing. Obtaining nitrogen from legumes is potentially more sustainable than from industrial sources. Crimson clover (Trifolium incarnatum L.) has long been appreciated as cover crop grown for green manuring due to its capability for binding the atmospheric nitrogen into plant-available form. Green manuring effects of crimson clover for succeeding maize crop were tested in 2019 year on two locations of Northeastern Croatia differing in soil texture: 1) on the site A where the soil was compact and dominated by clay and 2) on the site B where the soil was loose and dominated by loam. The research was conducted in a year with favourable rainfall during maize vegetation. Results have shown that green manuring with crimson clover for maize as the main crop delivered somewhat lower maize grain and aboveground mass yields than the conventional full-dose mineral fertilization on deep fertile soils around Osijek (Northeastern Croatia). When compared to conventional agronomy, green manuring was associated with additional agrotechnical operations required for crimson clover cover crop establishment and its herbage incorporation into soil prior to seeding main maize crop. Research should be continued in more different environments (year × location combinations) in order to produce reliable evaluation of crimson clover’s green manuring services.
An in vivo study was conducted into the effects of partial replacement of dried ground corn grain with dried whey – as a supplement to alfalfa haylage (AH) or Italian ryegrass haylage (IRH) - on ad ...libitum intake, in vivo digestibility and N retention in wether sheep. The chemical composition of AH and IRH was roughly the same, except for the crude protein (CP) content which was much higher in AH compared with IRH. Sheep fed the AH-based diet had higher feed intake. Higher CP digestibility and higher N retention, as well as higher levels of excreted N, were shown compared IRH-based diet. The IRH-based diet increased the digestibility of chemical parameters studied, except CP and starch. The partial replacement of corn grain with dried whey reduced the intake of acid detergent fibre (ADF), improved the starch digestibility in AH and IRH-based diets, and increased the overall N intake in wethers fed the AH-based diet. In practical conditions, replacing 10% of corn grain with dried whey in a ration based on higher quality forage is a way to increase N intake in sheep. In conclusion, the partial replacement of corn grain with dried whey in a forage-based diet with higher CP content improves the nitrogen efficiency in the diet of wether sheep.
Field rodents can cause considerable economic losses
in perennial crops, especially lucerne. Predatory birds can provide biological
control of field rodent populations. However, modern arable ...landscape usually
provides few or no natural standpoints for predatory birds to wait for their
prey. According to the old farmers in eastern Croatia, T-standpoints installed
into lucerne were traditional implements assisting the bird predation over
field rodents. Aim of this study was to check whether the T-standpoints really
are appropriate installations for the predatory birds to wait for their prey on
the ground or not. The research has confirmed that predatory birds (
Buteo buteo
and
Falco tinnunculus
) descended on the installed T-standpoints (in
average 1.35 arrivals per day of observation), waited (average period of stay
was 17 minutes in the morning and 34 minutes in the afternoon) and landed on
the ground, most probably to catch the prey (in average 13 % of arrivals to
T-standpoints ended with landing to the ground, likely for the prey attack).
Small forest restoration in arable landscapes and less chemical rodent control
would probably improve the predatory bird populations, thus enhancing the
biological control of field rodents. There remains the need for further
investigation of efficiency of field rodent control by predatory birds
Considering the rapid climate changes worldwide, with the purpose to reduce financial losses for dairy farmers and enable a more sustainable farming as well, there is an increasing necessity to ...implement breeding values for heat resistance in breeding strategies. The estimation of breeding values requires a determination of temperature-humidity index (THI) threshold value. Therefore, the objective of this study was to determine the temperature-humidity index (THI) threshold values for daily milk yield, daily fat and protein content of milk produced by Holsteins and dairy Simmentals in Croatian farms. With that purpose, 1.070,554 test-day records from 70.135 Holsteins reared on 5.679 farms and 1.300,683 test-day records from 86.013 Simmentals reared on 8.827 farms in Croatia were compared to records of ambient temperature and relative humidity collected in the barn, during regular milking recordings from January 2005 to December 2012. Accordingly the following conclusions could be drawn: threshold values for daily milk yield were highly dependant on the parity and breed (Holsteins: 68, 69 and 72 for 1st, 2nd, 3+ parity; Simmentals: 77 for 1st); daily fat and protein contents showed a highly significant decrease due to heat stress condition (THI in 66-80) in both, Holstein and Simmental cows, and in all parity classes; multiparous cows were more resistant to heat stress than primiparous; Simmental cows were more resistant to heat stress than Holsteins.
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