Nutritive evaluation of dried cabbage (Brassica oleracea var. capitata) waste meal as feed for grower-finisher pigs.

This research investigated the nutritive value of dried cabbage waste meal (CWM) as feed for grower-finisher pigs. One hundred crossbred (Large white X Landrace; 86.10 ± 0.15 kg BW) clinically certified grower-finisher pigs of equal sexes were randomly allocated to five dietary treatments with five replicates per treatment in a completely randomized design. The control diet (T0 Diet) contained 1000 g kg-1DM concentrate without CWM, while diets T50, T100, T150 and T200 had 50, 100, 150 and 200 g kg-1 DM levels of inclusion of CWM, respectively, replacing parts of the total mixed ration (TMR). Data were collected on growth performance, carcass indices, blood biochemical profiles, and economics characteristics of pigs. The study lasted for 8 weeks. Feed and water were available ad libitum. Feed intake (2336.74-2651.01 g/d) increased (p < 0.05) while weight gain (913.04-877.53 g/d) and feed conversion ratio (2.56-3.02) were better (p < 0.05) among pigs fed T0, T50 and T100 diets. Carcass parameters followed the same trend as growth indices (p < 0.05). Red blood cell counts (6.04-8.57 × 1012/L), haemoglobin (15.10-18.35 g/dl) and neutrophils (21.28-25.88%) concentrations increased (p < 0.05) among pigs fed cabbage waste meal. Aspartate aminotransferase concentrations (33.25-40.23 U/L) increased (p < 0.05) significantly among pigs fed T100, T150 and T200 diets. Total cost of feeding (61.19-56.27 $) reduced (p < 0.05) with similar gross benefits (48.97-52.30 $) across the treatment groups. The results suggest that up to 100 g kg-1 CWM could be incorporated into pig diets to improve their growth performance and support profitable pig production.

Genotype and phenotype data standardization, utilization and integration in the big data era for agricultural sciences.

Large-scale genotype and phenotype data have been increasingly generated to identify genetic markers, understand gene function and evolution and facilitate genomic selection. These datasets hold immense value for both current and future studies, as they are vital for crop breeding, yield improvement and overall agricultural sustainability. However, integrating these datasets from heterogeneous sources presents significant challenges and hinders their effective utilization. We established the Genotype-Phenotype Working Group in November 2021 as a part of the AgBioData Consortium (https://www.agbiodata.org) to review current data types and resources that support archiving, analysis and visualization of genotype and phenotype data to understand the needs and challenges of the plant genomic research community. For 2021-22, we identified different types of datasets and examined metadata annotations related to experimental design/methods/sample collection, etc. Furthermore, we thoroughly reviewed publicly funded repositories for raw and processed data as well as secondary databases and knowledgebases that enable the integration of heterogeneous data in the context of the genome browser, pathway networks and tissue-specific gene expression. Based on our survey, we recommend a need for (i) additional infrastructural support for archiving many new data types, (ii) development of community standards for data annotation and formatting, (iii) resources for biocuration and (iv) analysis and visualization tools to connect genotype data with phenotype data to enhance knowledge synthesis and to foster translational research. Although this paper only covers the data and resources relevant to the plant research community, we expect that similar issues and needs are shared by researchers working on animals. Database URL: https://www.agbiodata.org.

Molecular insights on skewing of sex ratio in rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) supplemented with dietary calcium and magnesium.

The effect of dietary calcium (Ca) and magnesium (Mg) supplementation on serum biochemical parameters, steroid hormones, gene expression, and the sex ratio was investigated in female New Zealand white rabbits. A total of 25 rabbits were allocated into five treatment groups: The control group was fed with regular pellet feed, whereas, treatment groups were supplemented with Ca and Mg: T1 (0.40% and 0.01%), T2 (0.60% and 0.02%), T3 (0.80% and 0.03%) and T4 (1.00% and 0.04%), respectively. The rabbits were subjected to three breeding cycles. The T3 group skewed towards females (65.33%) from all three breeding. There was elevated Ca concentration in T3 (15.26 ± 0.77 mg dL-1) and T4 (15.61 ± 0.82 mg dL-1) groups compared to the control. The concentration of estradiol was significantly high in T3 and T4 groups at 0.5 days post-coitus (dpc) and T2, T3 and T4 groups at 21dpc. Testosterone was significantly high in T4 group at 0.50 dpc and T2 and T4 group at 21dpc. The expression of 13 genes was studied in the oviduct. Genes such as OVGP1, CCT4, ANXA2 and TLR4 were up-regulated and positively correlated with the female sex ratio. The molecular functions and pathways of up-regulated genes were suggestive of their role in fertilization such as sperm selection, sperm storage, immune regulation, implantation and early embryonic development. The variations in the serum electrolytes, steroid hormones and gene expression might have an impact on the skewing process.