As the agriculture industry grapples with challenges exacerbated by global warming and heat stress caused by climate change, an unexpected solution has emerged: cow sweating.
This discovery offers hope for mitigating these challenges and could ease the burden on farmers aiming to produce food sustainably in a warming world.
PETALUMA, Calif. – APRIL 26: Cows graze in a field at a dairy farm in Petaluma, Calif. The U.S. Department of Agriculture is ordering dairy farmers to test milk-producing cows for highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI H5N1) before they are shipped to another state after the virus was found in pasteurized milk samples taken by the Food and Drug Administration.
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Genetic Selection for Heat-Tolerant Cattle Brings Hope
Able to dissipate 85% of their body heat, cattle hold promise for boosting food security as the climate warms. As climate change causes temperatures to rise, livestock such as cattle have difficulty growing and reproducing.
Finding sustainable solutions for food production has become a global priority, and an unexpected solution lies in the ability of these cows to sweat efficiently, significantly reducing heat stress.
A new study has revealed that it is possible to identify the genes of cattle breeds that are most likely to sweat and produce heat-resistant offspring, a groundbreaking discovery that could bring much-needed relief to an agricultural sector struggling with rising temperatures and their detrimental effects on livestock health and productivity.
Like humans, cows sweat, and recent scientific studies have highlighted the crucial role that sweat plays in cow survival. As climate change intensifies, raising cows becomes more difficult as heat affects their growth and reproduction. Therefore, there is an urgent need to breed cows that can withstand hotter and longer summers.
Related article: Scientists develop genetically modified cows that produce more milk and are more resistant to diseases
Revolutionizing cattle farming
Cows lose about 85 percent of their body heat through sweating, said Raluca Mateescu, a professor at the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS), and when cows get too hot, they often stop eating, which can have serious health consequences.
This reduction in food intake could stunt cattle growth and threaten long-term food supplies from cattle herds, especially in subtropical regions where heat stress severely impedes beef production, Interesting Engineering reported.
This situation often results in significant economic losses due to reduced cow performance. Mateescu stressed that heatstroke is the main threat to food security, with negative effects on cow growth, productivity and reproductive performance.
A study published in the Journal of Animal Science and Biotechnology suggests a breakthrough in identifying specific genes in cattle breeds that could produce offspring better suited to sweating and heat tolerance.
The study found moderate genetic variation in sweating ability in cattle, suggesting the possibility of selecting cattle that sweat more based on genetic markers, and highlighted that both Brahman and Angus breeds had a positive influence on the sweating ability of Brangus cattle.
This study highlights the need to mitigate the effects of heat stress, which has significant effects on cow health and reproduction. Therefore, a focus on genetic selection is crucial to improve cows’ tolerance to heat stress.
Using innovative solutions, scientists aim to ensure a sustainable food supply for future generations and breed cattle that can remain productive and maintain reproductive health in hotter climates.
Related article: Green farming: Farmers use selective breeding to reduce cattle methane emissions
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