Assessment of bioenergy plant locations using a GIS-MCDA approach based on spatio-temporal stability maps of agricultural and livestock byproducts: A case study.

Addressing the global challenge of energy sustainability and global directives on farming emissions, the United Nations, the European Union, and China have led with strict targets for clean energy, renewable share growth, and carbon neutrality, highlighting a commitment to collective sustainability. This work is situated within the ambit of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), advocating for a transition towards renewable energy sources. With substantial and accessible bioenergy resources, notably in Hubei Province, China, biogas technology has emerged as an emission-cutting solution.

Genome-Wide Associative Study of Phenotypic Parameters of the 3D Body Model of Aberdeen Angus Cattle with Multiple Depth Cameras.

In beef cattle breeding, genome-wide association studies (GWAS) using single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) arrays can reveal many loci of various production traits, such as growth, productivity, and meat quality. With the development of genome sequencing technologies, new opportunities are opening up for more accurate identification of areas associated with these traits. This article aims to develop a novel approach to the lifetime evaluation of cattle by 3-D visualization of economic-biological and genetic features.

Environmental assessment of a two-stage high pressure anaerobic digestion process and biological upgrading as alternative processes for biomethane production.

Biomethane plays a key role in achieving decarbonization and sustainable development goals. According to the objectives that arise, choosing the most suitable production system allows optimization of production, thereby reducing CO emissions. In this study, three biomethane production scenario life cycle assessments were compared to determine which would maintain the lowest CO emissions.

A comparative environmental life cycle assessment of rice straw-based bioenergy projects in China.

Bioenergy is a promising solution for greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions mitigation. However, the emissions resulting from the different production stages must be quantified and evaluated. The life cycle assessment (LCA) method was used to compare and quantify the environmental burdens of three rice straw (RS) utilization scenarios for producing biogas, briquette fuel, and syngas.

A Comparative Study of Machine Learning Methods for Predicting Live Weight of Duroc, Landrace, and Yorkshire Pigs.

Live weight is an important indicator of livestock productivity and serves as an informative measure for the health, feeding, breeding, and selection of livestock. In this paper, the live weight of pig was estimated using six morphometric measurements, weight at birth, weight at weaning, and age at weaning. This study utilised a dataset including 340 pigs of the Duroc, Landrace, and Yorkshire breeds.

A sample of Italian vineyards: Landscape and management parameters dataset.

Agricultural land use plays a critical role in land planning sustainability. Employing a GIS-based decision-making protocol based on spatial and management data represents an appropriate tool for land planning. The Italian vineyards database presented here describes several spatial and management features of 3686 sample vineyards distributed throughout Italy.

Challenges and Tendencies of Automatic Milking Systems (AMS): A 20-Years Systematic Review of Literature and Patents.

Over the last two decades, the dairy industry has adopted the use of Automatic Milking Systems (AMS). AMS have the potential to increase the effectiveness of the milking process and sustain animal welfare. This study assessed the state of the art of research activities on AMS through a systematic review of scientific and industrial research.

Drivers of farmers' adoption and continuation of climate-smart agricultural practices. A study from northeastern Italy.

The EU rural development policy has addressed challenges related to climate change in agriculture by introducing public voluntary schemes, which financially support the adoption of climate-smart agricultural practices. Several factors, most of which are non-financial ones, drive adoption and continuation of these schemes by farmers. Despite the importance of these factors, only a few studies explore their role in the European context.

On-Barn Pig Weight Estimation Based on Body Measurements by Structure-from-Motion (SfM).

Information on the body shape of pigs is a key indicator to monitor their performance and health and to control or predict their market weight. Manual measurements are among the most common ways to obtain an indication of animal growth. However, this approach is laborious and difficult, and it may be stressful for both the pigs and the stockman.

A Feasibility Study on the Use of a Structured Light Depth-Camera for Three-Dimensional Body Measurements of Dairy Cows in Free-Stall Barns.

Frequent checks on livestock's body growth can help reducing problems related to cow infertility or other welfare implications, and recognizing health's anomalies. In the last ten years, optical methods have been proposed to extract information on various parameters while avoiding direct contact with animals' body, generally causes stress. This research aims to evaluate a new monitoring system, which is suitable to frequently check calves and cow's growth through a three-dimensional analysis of their bodies' portions.

Environmental and economic benefits of variable rate nitrogen fertilization in a nitrate vulnerable zone.

Agronomic input and management practices have traditionally been applied uniformly on agricultural fields despite the presence of spatial variability of soil properties and landscape position. When spatial variability is ignored, uniform agronomic management can be both economically and environmentally inefficient. The objectives of this study were to: i) identify optimal N fertilizer rates using an integrated spatio-temporal analysis of yield and site-specific N rate response; ii) test the sensitivity of site specific N management to nitrate leaching in response to different N rates; and iii) demonstrate the environmental benefits of variable rate N fertilizer in a Nitrate Vulnerable Zone.