Range forages consumed by free-range goats are commonly deficient in protein, energy and minerals resulting in low productivity of the goats. The main objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of whole pumpkin seed meal supplementing diet on growth performance and semen quality of free-range goats. Thirty Malawian local bucks with an initial weight of 12.4±0.3 kg and age of 6 months were studied in completely randomised design. The treatments were: free-grazing with either supplementing diet of pumpkin seed meal or soybean meal and grazing only. The supplementing diets were mixed with maize bran to make them comparable. The supplementing diets were offered to goats (500 g each goat) before grazing (7:00 am) in individual pens followed by free graze for 7h. The experiment ran for 150 days. The measurements included: feed and refusals of the supplementing diet, live body weight, scrotal circumference and semen quality characteristics. The intake of supplementing diets was high in bucks consuming soybean supplementing diet than pumpkin seed meal supplementing diet (P = 0.0489). Bucks supplemented with either soybean or pumpkin seed meal had higher final weight and average daily gain (P < 0.05) than the non-supplemented goats. However, the final live body weight and average daily gain did not differ (P = 0.639) between goats on soybean and pumpkin seed meal supplementing diets. The bucks supplemented with pumpkin seed meal had the widest scrotal circumference (P < 0.05) of all the treatments studied. The bucks fed a supplementing diet containing pumpkin seed meal had higher semen pH (P < 0.05) than bucks on sole grazing group and soybean supplementing diet. Bucks on pumpkin seed supplementing diet had the greatest scores (P < 0.05) on total sperm motility and progressive motility; and sperm concentration followed by the bucks on soybean and the bucks on grazing only had the lowest score. The whole pumpkin seed meal could be used to improve productive performance and semen quality characteristics of free-ranging bucks.

Une typologie descriptive des systèmes d'élevage camelins a été réalisée sur l'ensemble du territoire mauritanien dans le but d'en connaître la diversité. Au total, 187 élevages camelins des quatre régions du pays (Sud, Centre, Est, Nord) ont été enquêtés. Les 49 variables retenues portaient sur six thèmes : l'éleveur, le troupeau, la santé animale, l'alimentation, les pratiques de traite et les pratiques commerciales. La stratégie statistique s'est appuyée sur une analyse séparée des sous-tableaux regroupant les variables par thème afin de déterminer des types d'éleveurs, de troupeaux, de pratiques alimentaires, de statut sanitaire, de pratiques de traite et de flux commerciaux. Les descriptions de ces types ont été suivies d'une analyse globale permettant d'identifier sept types d'élevage fortement différenciés sur le plan géographique, un effet régional hautement significatif ayant été observé : moyens engraisseurs (n=36), petits mixtes marchands (n=32), moyens peu marchands (n=21), moyens mobiles marchands (n=23), petits peu marchands (n=22), grands marchands (n=15) et grands naisseurs (n=38). Les types sont interprétés au regard du contexte géographique et climatique de chacune des régions.

Feeding livestock a balanced diet with a differentiated crude protein (CP) content, depending on the lactation phase, can reduce nitrogen emissions from livestock excrement and urine. A higher content of non-starch polysaccharides in livestock diets improves feed absorption in the livestock body and, consequently, nitrogen is emitted more from protein present in livestock manure than from urea acid present in livestock urine. The aim of the study is to calculate the ammonia emission reduction potential in Latvia by optimizing the feeding of dairy cows and ensuring life longevity, as well as provide justification for ammonia emission reduction in dairy farms. Calculations made by using the NorFor Model for optimization of dairy cow (Bos primigenius f. taurus) diets revealed that compared with lowyielding cows, a higher CP content diet fed to high-yielding cows at the beginning of lactation increased the amount of nitrogen (N) in their excrement and urine by 90–180 g dE−1. Reducing the CP content in the cow diet by an average of 10 g kgE−1 dry matter (DM) during mid-lactation resulted in the same trend. Reducing the CP content in the cow diet during late lactation and the dry period by another 20–30 g kgE−1 of DM, N emissions from excrement and urine significantly decreased. Increasing the lifespan of dairy cows also means reducing ammonia emissions from the farm. By increasing the number of lactations per cow on dairy farm, it is possible to reduce the number of heifers per cow. The total reduction of ammonia emissions in Latvia was calculated based on a long-term projection of a decrease of 0.1 heifer per dairy cow. Ammonia emissions could be reduced by 0.051 kt by decreasing the number of heifers by 12.54 thou. at the planned increase in the lifespan of dairy cows by 2030.

Forest mineral soil is one of the terrestrial carbon pools, and changes in forest management practices can affect the carbon stock in forest soil. The purpose of the study is to estimate temporal fertilization impact on mineral soil organic carbon stock, depending on fertilizers applied, forest stand type, different dominant tree species of the stands. Coniferous and birch forest stands with mineral soil in the central and eastern part of Latvia were selected for the experiment. The fertilizers used were wood ash and nitrogen containing mineral fertilizer. No significant differences in organic carbon stock in O horizon were detected 2–5 years after fertilization. A tendency of smaller organic carbon stock in upper mineral soil layers (0–10 cm, 10–20 cm) was found in most part of objects. Significantly smaller organic carbon stock was found in upper mineral soil layers (0–10 cm and 10–20 cm) in birch stands with wet mineral soil treated with ammonium nitrate if compared to the control plots, possibly due to a different soil moisture regime of forest stands. The positive and significant correlations between soil organic carbon and nitrogen stocks were found in most part of the objects.

The Latvia University of Life Sciences and Technologies and Organizing Committee of Annual 27th International Scientific Conference ‘Research for Rural Development 2021’ tried to continues a tradition of bringing together researchers, academic and professionals in Jelgava, from 12 to 14 May, 2021 from all over the world. But, unfortunately, this year again the rules were set by the Covid-19 virus pandemic. We did start new tradition from 2020, account from 1st until the 27th conference and totally are 36 Volumes. The interdisciplinary papers contributed the most recent scientific knowledge in crop production, animal breeding, agricultural engineering, agrarian and regional economics, food sciences, veterinary medicine, forestry, wood processing, water management, environmental engineering, information and communication technologies. These Proceedings will furnish the scientists of the world with an excellent reference volume. We trust also that this will be an impetus to stimulate further study and research in all these areas.

Scientific evidence is robust about the environmentally destructive side-effects of the current industrial civilization and that requires radical actions to safeguard sustainable management of natural resources and liveable Planet Earth. Agroecology as a broader movement serves some of this role in demonstrating alternative practices in food production and ecosystem management. This paper demonstrates that the permaculture movement in Latvia is developing as a recognized alternative on the pathway to solutions, linking to the work elsewhere done on management of common natural resources – the things that no one owns and are shared by everyone. The author has explored the development of the permaculture movement in Latvia since its first roots in the late 2000s and the establishment of the Latvian Permaculture Association (LPA) in 2011. The contribution of the movement manifests itself in diverse aspects. It unifies various sustainability-oriented people, grounds itself in locality and traditions, organises practically oriented events to upskill people, and collaborates with Latvian environmental organisations and internationally. Within the research the author consciously opted for an in-depth involvement and co-creation of initiatives within the permaculture movement, leading the LPA since 2016 and organizing multiple events and workshops. That leads to further reflections on the role and necessity for participatory action research for sustainability transformations and common natural resources.

Triticale (×Triticosecale Wittmack) is a promising cereal crop that has a number of economically valuable properties that are absent in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). The research was conducted at Uman National University of Horticulture (Ukraine) in a long-term stationary experiment, founded in 1964. The aim of the work was to study the influence of long-term application of different fertilizer systems (mineral, organic and organo-mineral) on the yield and grain quality of spring triticale. It has been established that in the conditions of high air temperature and soil moisture deficit, mineral and organo-mineral fertilizer systems have an advantage. In sufficient wet conditions, all studied fertilizer systems are highly efficient. Spring triticale (Kharkiv Hlibodar variety) has a high reaction to fertilizers, as grain yield increases from 6.3–6.6 to 9.0–9.5 t haE−1 (р≤0.05). Mineral and organo-mineral fertilizer systems have the greatest effect on protein content. In conditions of sufficient moisture, all levels of mineral and organo-mineral fertilizer systems significantly increase the protein content in spring triticale grain. In arid conditions, saturation of crop rotation area with N90P90K90 (M2), N135P135K135 (M3) and Manure 9 t +N46P68K36 (OM2), Manure 13.5 t + N69P102K54 (OM3) is preferred. It should be noted that spring triticale is quite reactive with fertilizers, as the protein content increases from 13.2–14.0 to 15.2–16.0% (р≤0.05) depending on the fertilizer system. The high influence of fertilizer system and year factors on yield and protein content in triticale grain has been established. It should be noted that spring triticale grain yield varies most from the weather conditions of the growing season.

Fire has been a part of natural disturbance regime in boreal and to some extent also hemiboreal forests, affecting soil and light conditions, seedbanks, trees and ground vegetation. The most significant factors affecting occurrence, severity and size of forest fires are anthropogenic, weather and the environment, all of which are changing due to human-caused climate change. This paper discusses medium term (25 years) vegetation development in five different biotopes after fire disturbance. Sample plots were established in Slitere Reserve (now National park) in north-western Latvia on areas affected by large fire in 1992. Data were collected in 1993, 2002 and 2017. The aim of the study was to characterize the regeneration and succession of ground vegetation after the fire. In 1993, species such as bog-rosemary (C) were observed in the ground vegetation a year after the fire. In 2002 liverworts appeared, indicating that the bog has acquired more stable and wetter conditions, but in 2017, liverwort mosses were no longer present and the percentage cover of Rubus chamaemorus decreased significantly and Calluna vulgaris, sphagnum sp., and Betula pendula were present in large quantities in the bog. Comparing these studied years, it can be concluded that all these years the biotopes and species have continuously developed and are regenerating.