The use of infrared thermography as an indicator of methane production in hair sheep.

Infrared thermography may be an alternative technology for measuring the amount of CH4 produced and has the advantages of low cost, speed and efficiency in obtaining results. The study's objective was to determine if the infrared thermography is adequate for predicting the emission of CH4 in hair sheep and the best time after feeding to carry out the measurement. Twelve Santa Inês lambs (females, non-pregnant, with twelve months old and mean body weight of 39.3 ± 2.1 kg) remained for two days in respirometric chambers, in a semi-closed system, to determine the CH4 production. The animals were divided into two treatments, according to the diet provided. During this period, seven thermographic photographs were taken, at times - 1 h, -0.5 h, 0 h, 0.5 h, 1 h, 2 h, 3 h, 5 h, and 7 h, according to the feeding time, defined as 0 h. CH4 production was measured over 24 h. Thermographic images measured the maximum, minimum, average and point temperatures at the left and right flanks. The temperature difference between the left and right flanks (left minus right) was calculated each time. Pearson correlation coefficients, multiple regression and principal component analysis were carried out in SAS®. The best prediction of emission intensity of CH4 (kg of CH4 per dry matter intake) was obtained at 3 h after feeding: CH4/DMI = 13.9016-0,38673 * DifP2 + 3.39089 * DifMed2 (R² = 0.48), using the difference between left and right flanks for point and average temperature measures. Therefore, infrared thermography can be used as an indicator of CH4 production in hair sheep three hours after feeding.

Genetic spatialization in Montana cattle breed.

Brazil is among the world's top beef producers and exporters, and the Montana breed of livestock has gained popularity due to its exceptional meat quality and ability to adapt to the tropical climate. This differentiates it from other breeds, such as the Zebu and Taurine. A methodology that mapped sixteen farms across five Brazilian states was adopted to investigate the link between SNP genetic data and animal collection location. The data was georeferenced using the Geographic Information System and the ArcGIS 10.3 software, considering a geographic coordinate system and the WGS 84 datum. The Alleles in Space (AIS) software was used to study the relationship between the SNP genetic data and the animal collection location. Various analyses were conducted, including the Mantel correlation, genetic barrier identification, and spatial autocorrelation. The results suggest that there is a correlation between genetic and geographical distances, supporting the idea that geographical distance can affect genetic diversity. This information is vital to understand the genetic structure of populations concerning geographical space and is crucial for optimizing Brazilian agricultural production.

Selection signatures for heat tolerance in Brazilian horse breeds.

Since domestication, horse breeds have adapted to their environments and differentiated from one another. This paper uses two methods to detect selection signatures in 23 horse breeds, eight of which are Brazilian (610 animals), both cold-blooded and warm-blooded, from temperate and tropical regions. These animals were genotyped using the GGP Equine BeadChip and we analysed the data by Principal Component Analysis (PCA). The samples were separated into groups based on their geographical area of origin and PCA results studied. The genomic regions under selection were detected by hapFLK and PCAdapt methodologies, identifying six regions under selection with at least one Brazilian horse breed. These regions contain genes associated with heat tolerance, skin colour, body size, energy production/metabolism, genes involved in protein degradation/turnover/DNA repair, genes reducing the impact of oxidative stress/cellular repair, and transcriptional regulation. This work confirmed LCORL and NCAPG gene regions in previous studies associated with body size on Equine Chromosome Autosome 3 (ECA3). On the same ECA3, a region implicating genes linked to coat colour was identified, also previously related to heat stress. Regions with genes coding heat shock proteins were found on ECA1 and 2, and many candidate genes for oxidation-reduction which are a natural response to heat stress. However, a larger sample size and whole-genome SNPs are needed to understand better and identify new candidate regions as well as their functional relation with heat tolerance.

Encapsulated nitrate replacing soybean meal in diets with and without monensin on in vitro ruminal fermentation.

This study assessed the association between encapsulated nitrate product (ENP) and monensin (MON) to mitigate enteric methane (CH4) in vitro and possible effects on ruminal degradability, enteric fermentation characteristics, and microbial populations. Six treatments were used in randomized complete design in a 2×3 factorial arrangement with two levels of MON (0 and 2.08 mg/mL of buffered rumen fluid) and three levels of ENP (0, 1.5 and 3.0%). The substrate consisted of 50% Tifton-85 hay and 50% concentrate mixture (ground corn and soybean meal). ENP replaced soybean meal to achieve isonitrogenous diets (15% CP). No ENP×MON interaction was observed for any measured variable (P > 0.05) except for the relative abundance of F. succinogenes (P = 0.02) that linearly increased in diets with MON when ENP was added. The ENP addition decreased CH4 production (P < 0.01) without affecting (P > 0.05) truly degraded organic matter nor the relative abundance of methanogens. Hydrogen production was reduced with MON (P = 0.04) and linearly decreased with ENP inclusion (P = 0.02). We concluded that use of nitrate is a viable strategy for CH4 reduction, however, no additive effect of ENP and MON was observed for mitigating CH4 production.

Fatty acid profile and carcass characteristics in castrated and uncastrated hair lambs.

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of castration on carcass characteristics and fatty acid profile of visceral fat and meat from lambs. Eighteen six-month-old Santa Inês male lambs (18.9 ± 2.4 kg of body weight (BW)) were used. Animals were assigned to two treatments according to their sexual condition: uncastrated (U) or castrated (C). During a 98-day experimental period, animals were kept on an Andropogon gayanus grass pasture area of 1 ha and supplemented with 200 g/animal/day of concentrate mixture. Water and mineral salt were available ad libitum. The lambs were weighed fortnightly, and at the last day of the trial, they were slaughtered for evaluation of carcass characteristics and fatty acids profile of perirenal fat and longissimus lumborum muscle samples. Castrated lambs showed higher BW than U during most part of the experiment (p < 0.05). Fat deposition was higher in C lambs as evidenced by their increased carcass fat cover. Meat from U lambs showed lower content of C16:0 and higher polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) (p < 0.05) than that from C (U, 14.3 and C, 10.5%). Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) content was not affected by castration (p > 0.05) (U, 0.74 and C, 0.76%). The cis-9, cis-12 C18:2n-6 (U, 10.6 and C, 6.86%) fatty acid and the PUFA:SFA (saturated fatty acids) ratio (U, 0.36 and C, 0.25) were higher in the muscle of U lambs (p < 0.05), indicating that the meat from U animals may provide more benefits to human health than that of C.

Infrared Thermography to Evaluate Heat Tolerance in Different Genetic Groups of Lambs.

Heat stress is considered a limiting factor for sheep production. We used information from physiological characteristics linked to heat tolerance to determine whether infrared thermography temperatures were able to separate groups of animals and determine the most important variables in this differentiation. Forty-eight four-month-old male lambs from eight genetic groups were used. Physiological (rectal temperature-RT, heart rate-HR, respiratory rate-RR) and blood traits, infrared thermography temperatures, heat tolerance indices, body measurements, weight and carcass traits were measured. Statistical analyses included variance, correlations, factor, discrimination and regression. Observing the correlations between physiological characteristics (RT, RR and HR) with temperatures measured by infrared thermography, regions for further studies should include the mean temperature of flank, nose and rump. Results show that there are strong relationships between thermograph measurements and RR, RT and HR in lambs, which are suggested to be directly correlated with heat tolerance capacity of the different genetic groups evaluated in this study. The assessment of body surface temperature measured by the thermograph could be used as a noninvasive tool to assess heat tolerance of the animals.

Methane emission of Santa Inês sheep fed cottonseed by-products containing different levels of gossypol.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the methane (CH4) emission of Santa Inês sheep fed cottonseed by-products, verifying if the gossypol content of these feedstuffs affects CH4 emission. Twelve late-lactating Santa Inês sheep (44.8 ± 7.5 kg body weight (BW)) were allocated in metabolic cages for an experimental period of 19 days, 14 days for adaptation and 5 days for measuring CH4 emission and dry matter intake (DMI). The animals were divided into four treatments, established in accordance with the cottonseed by-product used in concentrate formulation: Control (CON - no cottonseed by-product), Whole cottonseed (WCS), Cottonseed cake (CSC), and Cottonseed meal (CSM). The free gossypol level of the concentrates were 0, 1,276, 350, and 190 ppm for CON, WCS, CSC, and CSM, respectively. Also, the animals received Cynodon dactylon cv. Coast Cross hay, water, and mineral salt ad libitum. The ether extract content of the diets was balanced between treatments by including soybean oil in concentrates. The technique used to measure the CH4 emission was the sulfur hexafluoride (SF6) tracer technique, and the gas samples collected were quantified by analysis in gas chromatography system. The CH4 emission was evaluated considering the daily emission (g CH4/day); DMI (g CH4/kg DMI); and BW (g CH4/kg BW). No statistical difference was found (P > 0.05) between treatments for DMI and CH4 parameters. In the regression analysis, no significant relation (P > 0.05) between gossypol content and CH4 emission was observed. These results suggest that gossypol does not affect rumen methanogenesis.

Machine Learning to Predict Pregnancy in Dairy Cows: An Approach Integrating Automated Activity Monitoring and On-Farm Data.

Automated activity monitoring (AAM) systems are critical in the dairy industry for detecting estrus and optimizing the timing of artificial insemination (AI), thus enhancing pregnancy success rates in cows. This study developed a predictive model to improve pregnancy success by integrating AAM data with cow-specific and environmental factors. Utilizing data from 1,054 cows, this study compared the pregnancy outcomes between two AI timings-8 or 10 h post-AAM alarm. Variables such as age, parity, body condition, locomotion, and vaginal discharge scores, peripartum diseases, the breeding program, the bull used for AI, milk production at the time of AI, and environmental conditions (season, relative humidity, and temperature-humidity index) were considered alongside the AAM data on rumination, activity, and estrus intensity. Six predictive models were assessed to determine their efficacy in predicting pregnancy success: logistic regression, Bagged AdaBoost algorithm, linear discriminant, random forest, support vector machine, and Bagged Classification Tree. Integrating the on-farm data with AAM significantly enhanced the pregnancy prediction accuracy at AI compared to using AAM data alone. The random forest models showed a superior performance, with the highest Kappa statistic and lowest false positive rates. The linear discriminant and logistic regression models demonstrated the best accuracy, minimal false negatives, and the highest area under the curve. These findings suggest that combining on-farm and AAM data can significantly improve reproductive management in the dairy industry.

Selective signatures in composite MONTANA TROPICAL beef cattle reveal potential genomic regions for tropical adaptation.

Genomic regions related to tropical adaptability are of paramount importance for animal breeding nowadays, especially in the context of global climate change. Moreover, understanding the genomic architecture of these regions may be very relevant for aiding breeding programs in choosing the best selection scheme for tropical adaptation and/or implementing a crossbreeding scheme. The composite MONTANA TROPICAL® population was developed by crossing cattle of four different biological types to improve production in harsh environments. Pedigree and genotype data (51962 SNPs) from 3215 MONTANA TROPICAL® cattle were used to i) characterize the population structure; ii) identify signatures of selection with complementary approaches, i.e. Integrated Haplotype Score (iHS) and Runs of Homozygosity (ROH); and iii) understand genes and traits related to each selected region. The population structure based on principal components had a weak relationship with the genetic contribution of the different biological types. Clustering analyses (ADMIXTURE) showed different clusters according to the number of generations within the composite population. Considering results of both selection signatures approaches, we identified only one consensus region on chromosome 20 (35399405-40329703 bp). Genes in this region are related to immune function, regulation of epithelial cell differentiation, and cell response to ionizing radiation. This region harbors the slick locus which is related to slick hair and epidermis anatomy, both of which are related to heat stress adaptation. Also, QTLs in this region were related to feed intake, milk yield, mastitis, reproduction, and slick hair coat. The signatures of selection detected here arose in a few generations after crossbreeding between contrasting breeds. Therefore, it shows how important this genomic region may be for these animals to thrive in tropical conditions. Further investigations on sequencing this region can identify candidate genes for animal breeding and/or gene editing to tackle the challenges of climate change.

Using seasonal physiological and biochemical responses to select forest components adapted to soybean and corn intercropping.

Given the increasing utilization of forest components in integration systems worldwide, coupled with the growing demand for food in regions facing water restrictions, this study aims to evaluate how physiological and biochemical parameters contribute to the diversification of adaptive mechanisms among native species and eucalyptus genotypes intercropped with soybean or corn. The native tree species Anadenanthera macrocarpa and Dipteryx alata, and the eucalyptus genotypes Urograndis I-144 and Urocam VM01, were grown in soybean and corn intercropping areas and evaluated in fall, winter, spring, and summer. The study evaluated morning water potential, chloroplast pigment concentration, gas exchange, cell damage, and antioxidant enzyme activity. Intercropped with soybean, development the of A. macrocarpa improved through instantaneous water use efficiency, energy use by the electron transport chain, chloroplast pigments, and catalase enzyme activity. On the other hand, A. macrocarpa when, intercropped with corn, despite increasing energy absorption by the reaction center, there is a need for non-photochemical dissipation and in the activity of the enzymes superoxide dismutase and ascorbate peroxidase in response to water and oxidative deficits. In D. alata, the physiological and biochemical responses were not influenced by intercropping but by seasons, with increased chloroplast pigments in fall and electron transport in summer. However, in corn intercropping, the dissipation of excess energy allowed leaf acclimatization. The I-144 and VM01 genotypes also showed no significant differences between intercrops. The results describe photosynthetic and biochemical challenges in the native species A. macrocarpa intercropped with corn, such as a greater need for enzymatic and non-enzymatic defense mechanisms in response to more negative water potential. In D. alata, the challenges are present in both intercrops due to improved mechanisms to protect the photosynthetic apparatus. The survival of the I-144 genotype may be inefficient in both intercrops under prolonged drought conditions, as it modifies the photosystem; in contrast, genotype VM01 was the most adapted to the system for using captured energy, reducing water loss and being resilient.

Effect of Density and Lineage on Dorsal Surface Temperature, Performance, and Carcass Condemnation of Broiler Grillers.

The aims of this study were (i) to evaluate the effect of density, lineage, age, and time of day on dorsal surface temperature and (ii) to evaluate the effect of density and lineage on performance and carcass condemnations in broiler grillers. The evaluations were carried out in barns with the Dark House system, with two densities, 17 and 19 chickens/m2 and two lineages, Cobb and Ross. The dorsal surface temperature of the chickens was measured by infrared thermography at 7, 14, 21, 23, 25 and 27 days of age, four times a day. The average daily weight gain, feed conversion, mortality, partial carcass condemnations, as well as those due to arthritis and dermatosis were also evaluated. The highest dorsal surface temperatures were observed in Cobbs housed at a density of 17 chickens/m2, and in Ross housed at a density of 19 chickens/m2. Cobbs housed at a 17 chickens/m2 density showed the lowest feed conversion compared to Ross at the same density. Ross showed higher dorsal surface temperatures when compared to Cobbs at 14, 21, and 27 days. Cobbs showed higher percentages of partial carcass condemnation and arthritis compared to Ross. The higher density of broiler grillers in the Dark House system does not influence the dorsal surface temperature, performance, dermatosis, arthritis, and partial carcass condemnations.

Thermographic evaluation of climatic conditions on lambs from different genetic groups.

In production systems the characterization of genetic resources in relation to their capacity to respond to environmental conditions is necessary. The objective of this study was to evaluate the use of infrared thermography for separation of animals from different genetic groups and determine which phenotypic traits are important for climatic adaptation. A total of 126 suckling lambs from four different genetic groups (Santa Inês--SI, Bergamasca--B, Bergamasca X Santa Inês--BS, and Ile de France X Santa Inês--IL) were used. The animals were divided into two groups, one housed and another in an outside paddock. Thermograph photographs were taken at four-hour intervals over three full days. Temperatures of the nose, skull, neck, fore and rear flanks and rump were measured, as well as coat depth, the density and length of hairs, reflectance and color. The daily temperature range during the experimental period was more than 20°C, with animals experiencing heat (12 h to 15 h) and cold (24 h to 4 h) stress. The three main phenotypic traits that influenced genetic group separation were hair density, height of coat, and length of hairs. Thermograph temperatures were able to detect different responses of the genetic groups to the environment. Therefore, infrared thermography is a promising technique to evaluate the response of animals to the environment and to differentiate between genetic groups.

Genetic architecture of a composite beef cattle population.

Composite breeds are widely used in the beef industry. Composites allow producers to combine desirable traits from the progenitor breeds and simplify herd management, without repeated crossbreeding and maintenance of purebreds. In this study, genomic information was used to evaluate the genetic composition and characteristics of a three-breed beef cattle composite. This composite population referred to as Composite Gene Combination (CGC) consisted of 50% Red Angus, 25% Charolais, and 25% Tarentaise. A total of 248 animals were used in this study: CGC (n = 79), Red Angus (n = 61), Charolais (n = 79), and Tarentaise (n = 29). All animals were genotyped with 777k HD panel. Principal component and ADMIXTURE analyses were carried out to evaluate the genetic structure of CGC animals. The ADMIXTURE revealed the proportion of Tarentaise increased to approximately 57%, whereas Charolais decreased to approximately 5% and Red Angus decreased to 38% across generations. To evaluate these changes in the genomic composition across different breeds and in CGC across generations, runs of homozygosity (ROH) were conducted. This analysis showed Red Angus to have the highest total length of ROH segments per animal with a mean of 349.92 Mb and lowest in CGC with a mean of 141.10 Mb. Furthermore, it showed the formation of new haplotypes in CGC around the sixth generation. Selection signatures were evaluated through Fst and HapFlk analyses. Several selection sweeps in CGC were identified especially in chromosomes 5 and 14 which have previously been reported to be associated with coat color and growth traits. The study supports our previous findings that progenitor combinations are not stable over generations and that either direct or natural selection plays a role in modifying the progenitor proportions. Furthermore, the results showed that Tarentaise contributed useful attributes to the composite in a cool semi-arid environment and suggests a re-exploration of this breed's role may be warranted.

Composite breeds are commonly used in the U.S. beef industry since they provide producers with benefits such as breed complementarity and retained heterosis. However, cattle composite genomes are not well characterized. Therefore, in this study, genomic information was used to evaluate the genetic composition and characteristics of a three-breed composite (50% Red Angus, 25% Charolais, and 25% Tarentaise). The analysis showed an increase in the proportion of Tarentaise to approximately 57%, whereas Charolais decreased to approximately 5% and Red Angus decreased to 38%. Furthermore, new genome segments formed around the sixth generation. These changes show that progenitor breed proportions are not stable over generations and that either direct or natural selection plays a role in modifying the proportions. The increase in Tarentaise proportion suggests useful attributes to the composite in a cool semi-arid environment.

The arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus Rhizophagus clarus improves physiological tolerance to drought stress in soybean plants.

Soybean (Glycine max L.) is an economically important crop, and is cultivated worldwide, although increasingly long periods of drought have reduced the productivity of this plant. Research has shown that inoculation with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) provides a potential alternative strategy for the mitigation of drought stress. In the present study, we measured the physiological and morphological performance of two soybean cultivars in symbiosis with Rhizophagus clarus that were subjected to drought stress (DS). The soybean cultivars Anta82 and Desafio were grown in pots inoculated with R. clarus. Drought stress was imposed at the V3 development stage and maintained for 7 days. A control group, with well-irrigated plants and no AMF, was established simultaneously in the greenhouse. The mycorrhizal colonization rate, and the physiological, morphological, and nutritional traits of the plants were recorded at days 3 and 7 after drought stress conditions were implemented. The Anta82 cultivar presented the highest percentage of AMF colonization, and N and K in the leaves, whereas the DS group of the Desafio cultivar had the highest water potential and water use efficiency, and the DS + AMF group had thermal dissipation that permitted higher values of Fv/Fm, A, and plant height. The results of the principal components analysis demonstrated that both cultivars inoculated with AMF performed similarly under DS to the well-watered plants. These findings indicate that AMF permitted the plant to reduce the impairment of growth and physiological traits caused by drought conditions.

Skin and coat traits in sheep in Brazil and their relation with heat tolerance.

The objective of this study was to evaluate and compare physical parameters in groups of sheep with different phenotypic characteristics in the Centre-west region of Brazil. Five groups of sheep, with nine animals per group, were selected, three groups of Santa Inês animals with different coat colours (white, brown and black), one group with crossbred animals (Santa Inês × Bergamasca) and one group with animals of the Bergamasca breed. The following traits were evaluated: coat thickness, number and length of hair, pigmentation level in the coat and the skin as well as the percentage area of sweats glands in the skin tissue, carried out by histological analysis. The number of hairs and the area of sweats glands were not significantly different between the evaluated groups. The Bergamasca breed showed low pigmentation of the skin and long hairs. The levels of pigmentation of the hair and of the skin were highly correlated. Between the Santa Inês groups, the group with white hair showed the better parameters for heat adaptation, while the brown hair group showed the lower heat adaptation when compared with another hair breed groups.

Short-Term Effect in Soil Microbial Community of Two Strategies of Recovering Degraded Area in Brazilian Savanna: A Pilot Case Study.

The Brazilian Cerrado is a highland tropical savanna considered a biodiversity hotspot with many endemic species of plants and animals. Over the years, most of the native areas of this biome became arable areas, and with inadequate management, some are nowadays at varying levels of degradation stage. Crop-livestock integrated systems (CLIS) are one option for the recovery of areas in degradation, improving the physicochemical and biological characteristics of the soil while increasing income and mitigating risks due to product diversification. Little is known about the effect of CLIS on the soil microbial community. Therefore, we perform this pilot case study to support further research on recovering degraded areas. The bacterial and fungal soil communities in the area with CLIS were compared to an area under moderate recovery (low-input recovering - LI) and native savanna (NS) area. Bacterial and fungal communities were investigated by 16S and ITS rRNA gene sequencing (deep rRNA sequencing). Ktedonobacteraceae and AD3 families were found predominantly in LI, confirming the relationship of the members of the Chloroflexi phylum in challenging environmental conditions, which can be evidenced in LI. The CLIS soil presented 63 exclusive bacterial families that were not found in LI or NS and presented a higher bacterial richness, which can be related to good land management. The NS area shared 21 and 6 families with CLIS and LI, respectively, suggesting that the intervention method used in the analyzed period brings microbial diversity closer to the conditions of the native area, demonstrating a trend of approximation between NS and CLIS even in the short term. The most abundant fungal phylum in NS treatment was Basidiomycota and Mucoromycota, whereas Ascomycota predominated in CLIS and LI. The fungal community needs more time to recover and to approximate from the native area than the bacterial community. However, according to the analysis of bacteria, the CLIS area behaved differently from the LI area, showing that this treatment induces a faster response to the increase in species richness, tending to more accelerated recovery. Results obtained herein encourage CLIS as a sustainable alternative for recovery and production in degraded areas.

Genomic Breed Composition of Selection Signatures in Brangus Beef Cattle.

Cattle breeding routinely uses crossbreeding between subspecies (Bos taurus taurus and Bos taurus indicus) to form composite breeds, such as Brangus. These composite breeds provide an opportunity to identify recent selection signatures formed in the new population and evaluate the genomic composition of these regions of the genome. Using high-density genotyping, we first identified runs of homozygosity (ROH) and calculated genomic inbreeding. Then, we evaluated the genomic composition of the regions identified as selected (selective sweeps) using a chromosome painting approach. The genomic inbreeding increased at approximately 1% per generation after composite breed formation, showing the need of inbreeding control even in composite breeds. Three selected regions in Brangus were also identified as Angus selection signatures. Two regions (chromosomes 14 and 21) were identified as signatures of selection in Brangus and both founder breeds. Five of the 10 homozygous regions in Brangus were predominantly Angus in origin (probability >80%), and the other five regions had a mixed origin but always with Brahman contributing less than 50%. Therefore, genetic events, such as drift, selection, and complementarity, are likely shaping the genetic composition of founder breeds in specific genomic regions. Such findings highlight a variety of opportunities to better control the selection process and explore heterosis and complementarity at the genomic level in composite breeds.

Encapsulated nitrate replacing soybean meal changes in vitro ruminal fermentation and methane production in diets differing in concentrate to forage ratio.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of using encapsulated nitrate product (ENP) replacing soybean meal in diets differing in concentrate to forage ratio on ruminal fermentation and methane production in vitro using a semi-automatic gas production technique. Eight treatments were used in a randomized complete design with a 2 × 4 factorial arrangement: two diet (20C:80F and 80C:20F concentrate to forage ratio) and four levels of ENP addition (0%, 1.5%, 3.0%, and 4.5% of DM) replacing soybean meal. There was a diet × ENP interaction (p = 0.02) for methane production. According to ENP addition, diets with 80C:20F showed more intense reduction on methane production that 20C:80F. A negative linear effect was observed for propionate production with ENP addition in diet with 80C:20F and to the relative abundance of methanogens Archaea, in both diet. The replacement of soybean meal by ENP in levels up to 3% of DM inhibited methane production due to a reduction in the methanogens community without affecting the organic matter degradability. However, ENP at 4.5% of DM level affected fiber degradability, abundance of cellulolytic bacteria, and propionic acid production, indicating that this level of inclusion is not recommended for ruminant production.

New world goat populations are a genetically diverse reservoir for future use.

Western hemisphere goats have European, African and Central Asian origins, and some local or rare breeds are reported to be adapted to their environments and economically important. By-in-large these genetic resources have not been quantified. Using 50 K SNP genotypes of 244 animals from 12 goat populations in United States, Costa Rica, Brazil and Argentina, we evaluated the genetic diversity, population structure and selective sweeps documenting goat migration to the "New World". Our findings suggest the concept of breed, particularly among "locally adapted" breeds, is not a meaningful way to characterize goat populations. The USA Spanish goats were found to be an important genetic reservoir, sharing genomic composition with the wild ancestor and with specialized breeds (e.g. Angora, Lamancha and Saanen). Results suggest goats in the Americas have substantial genetic diversity to use in selection and promote environmental adaptation or product driven specialization. These findings highlight the importance of maintaining goat conservation programs and suggest an awaiting reservoir of genetic diversity for breeding and research while simultaneously discarding concerns about breed designations.