Diogo Fleury Azevedo Costa.

O Grupo de Estudos em Sistemas de Produção (GESP) é um grupo de estágio do curso de Engenharia Agronômica da Unifeob criado no início do ano de 2015 pelos professores Diogo Fleury Azevedo Costa, Paulo Ricardo Lazzarini e Tiago Tezotto. Desde sua criação, a marca do GESP tem sido o trabalho. Os alunos interessados em colocar na prática os conhecimentos adquiridos em sala de aula, são selecionados através de dinâmicas de grupo organizadas pelo curso de Recursos Humanos da Instituição e posteriormente passam a aplicar seus conhecimentos no dia a dia da fazenda Escola. Atividades diversas, dos mais variados sistemas de produção animal e vegetal são desempenhadas pelos alunos. O trabalho vai além e os alunos buscam realizar ações sociais na comunidade onde estão inseridos. Doações de alimentos produzidos acontecem de tempos em tempos para asilos e creches de São João da Boa Vista, no intuito de criar e desenvolver o respeito com o próximo.

Traditional use of direct fed microbials (DFM) for livestock has focused on young ruminants during the development of their digestive system to accelerate the establishment of the microflora involved in feed digestion and to promote gut health. However, research has demonstrated the potential for expansion of DFM use to ameliorate ruminal acidosis and improve liveweight gain of finishing feedlot cattle or to improve animal performance in extreme conditions where cattle consume low-quality forages. In these contrasting environments, many bacteria and fungi have been investigated for ruminants with commercial DFM products containing single- or multi-species of microbes. More specifically for animal health and nutrition, microbial solutions are based on lactic acid and Bacillus-based bacteria, aiming to support health and performance of the beef and dairy cattle herds. Among the benefits of using Bacillus-based DFM, its ability to produce and release a diverse range of fibrolytic, amylolytic, and lipolytic nutritional enzymes is highlighted. The current project is targeting Australian grazing conditions to evaluate DFM applied to a range of forage substrates and conditions found in the rangelands.

The background of the study is to evaluate and further develop a synthetic tribromomethane feed additive to reduce enteric methane production in cattle while maintaining or attempting to improve cattle productivity in the process. Rumin8 has developed a proprietary approach to formulating synthetic bromoform and delivering via feed or water to fit modern cattle production systems. To date, Rumin8 has performed multiple proof of principle studies to define dosage and measure methane production, yield, and intensity in controlled cattle and sheep experiments. This study will evaluate new formulations of the proprietary products for inclusion in total mixed rations as well as products designed for delivery in medicating water delivery systems.

dairy, feedlot) where controlled delivery is possible. The delivery of these compounds on the large extensive breeder and pasture-based backgrounding production systems in northern Australia is a challenge due to remoteness, environment, infrastructure, and animal behaviour. However, ruminants in all production systems have access to drinking water, often via troughs. Therefore, delivery of compounds to grazing ruminants via the drinking water presents an innovative mechanism to reduce methane emissions from the Australian red meat sector at a scale not possible with existing technologies. DIT AgTech has commercialised a remotely managed direct water injection technology (DWIT) enabling automated supplementation of cattle in extensive grazing systems and has partnered with CQUniversity, the Queensland State Government and Meat Livestock Australia (MLA) to investigate DWIT delivery of methane suppression compounds to grazing ruminants. This project will investigate the solubility, stability and palatability of a commercially available methane suppression compound (Agolin) in water in two experiments to assess effects on methane emissions, rumen function, health, welfare and production of cattle.

The Australian red meat sector has set a target of being carbon neutral by 2030. A range ofcompounds have been proven to suppress methane emissions from ruminants, but the majorityare suitable only for intensive production systems (dairy, feedlot) where controlled delivery ispossible. The red meat sector relies on large extensive breeder and pasture-based backgroundingproduction systems in which the controlled delivery of compounds is a challenge due toremoteness, environment, infrastructure, and animal behaviour. However, ruminants in allproduction systems have access to drinking water, often via troughs. Therefore, delivery ofcompounds to grazing ruminants via the drinking water presents an innovative mechanism toreduce methane emissions from the Australian red meat sector at a scale not possible with existingtechnologies. DIT AgTech has commercialised a remotely managed direct water injectiontechnology (DWIT) enabling automated supplementation of cattle in extensive grazing systems.CQUniversity, DIT AgTech, the State Government of Queensland and other commercialcollaborators will partner to investigate DWIT delivery of methane suppression compounds tograzing ruminants. The project will investigate the solubility, stability and palatability of proven andemerging methane suppression compounds in water and will then assess effects on methaneemissions, rumen function, and health, welfare and production of cattle under different conditions.

This ethics protocol will incorporate several research projects being run concurrently at Belmont. Each individual project will focus on a key reproductive event: calving and calving difficulty; maternal investment; oestrus; and puberty detection. We will also explore how climate may impact these behaviours, focusing on heat stress. Each project requires similar sensor systems and visual observation data to achieve its objectives, therefore, through developing a collaborative trial the research team anticipate more valuable outcomes, compared to any individual project. Further details on the individual project aims and procedures can be found in the attached pre-schedule. Cattle will be monitored using visual observations and precision livestock technologies including on- and off- animal sensors. The resulting data will be analysed using methods including machine learning to develop algorithms for integration into commercial sensors systems in the future.

Australia has a target of achieving a carbon neutral red meat sector by 2030. This target will be achieved through a range of animal focused productivity and mitigation strategies, including direct dietary interventions to reduce methane emissions from ruminants. Dietary interventions either change the rumen environment to inhibit the potential for methane production, or directly interfere with the methanogenic process itself. Therefore, it is crucial that a wide range of feed additives are evaluated for their inhibitory effects on methane emissions in vitro and in vivo. The proposed research will characterize the nutritional composition of lemon grass (Cymbopogon citratus) and investigate its effect on the quantity of methane gas released during fermentation.

Calf loss remains a key issue in Northern beef breeding systems. This project will develop and evaluate a range of sensors systems that will enable the collection of data on the time and location of calving and the cow behaviour in the 48 hour period around this event. This information will be related to the outcome of the calving event and subsequent calf survival and productivity. This project will run alongside another research project exploring the use and impact of shade structures which will be led by the Department of Industry, Tourism and Trade of Norther Territory (NT DITT). Integration of the two projects will allow the direct comparison of several research grade and commercial sensors systems currently in development.

Performance of cattle in northern Australia depends on the capacity of the animals to efficiently extract nutrients during periods of restricted availability. Therefore, the ability of the animal to recycle nitrogen back to the rumen, instead of eliminating in the urine, is crucial. As such this project will test four relevant hypotheses: 1) feed efficiency in low-protein diets is associated with nitrogen recycling and not correlated with feed efficiency in nutrient abundant diets; 2) rumen efficiency can be practically measured and incorporated into genetic selection for net feed efficiency; 3) efficiency of nitrogen usage can be measured by isotopic analysis in animal tissues; and 4) differences in rumen efficiency reflect differences in rumen microbial populations. To conduct the research, ninety Bos indicus steers will be evaluated. During an initial 70 days, steers will receive a diet supplying only 70% of the rumen degradable protein required, while for the last 70 days steers will receive a diet providing 100% of protein requirements. In both periods, efficiency of microbial protein production will be measured, using intra-jugular infusion of chromium-EDTA, and nitrogen recycling will be quantified with infusion of 15N-enriched urea. Rumen contents will be collected for rumen microbiome and transcriptome analysis. To evaluate a less-invasive estimation of nitrogen usage efficiency, plasma protein and tail hair will be analysed for stable isotopes. This proposal relies on the analysis of stable isotopes on the tail hair as a diagnostic tool to detect more nitrogen efficient animals, which could not be detected with DNA sequencing technologies.

The economic impacts of plant toxins on the Australian cattle industry are significant in terms of animal deaths, production losses and control measures ranging from several million dollars annually, to $50 million in bad years for Pimelea poisoning. Toxic Pimelea plants contain the toxin simplexin and are native species endemic to almost one half of Australias pastoral lands. This project sought to capitalise on natural rumen response of animals with prior toxin exposure by isolating microbes capable of degrading toxins (for use as preventative probiotics), to investigate biopolymers to foster toxin-degrading microbe populations, and to provide an effective toxin adsorbent to enable cattle to better deal with this toxin.