The world is struggling with the dangerous effects of climate change and is also working hard to find sustainable ways to feed itself. Surprisingly, there is now a solution: sweat farming of cows.
This could provide some breathing room for an agriculture industry that has been battling challenges such as global warming and heatstroke.
Now, with the discovery of this perfect method, some of these challenges may be significantly alleviated in advance.
Heat stress and its impact on cattle health and food security
It’s common for cows to sweat, but recent scientific discoveries have revealed that a cow’s ability to sweat is directly related to their survival.
Climate change is making it more difficult to raise cattle. Growth and reproduction are affected by heat, so it’s important to raise cattle that are adapted to hotter, longer summers. Cows lose about 85% of their body heat through sweating, said Raluca Matieescu, professor of animal sciences at the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS).
She also said that if the cows get too hot, they will stop eating.
This has huge implications for the health of the cattle. It can affect the growth of the cattle and, as a result, threaten the longevity of the food supply provided by the herd. This is most likely to occur in subtropical regions. It is mainly in this region that heat stress wreaks havoc on beef production. This condition can often lead to large economic losses due to reduced cattle performance.
Mateescu said heat stress was the main threat to food security. She said under heat stress, cattle growth, production and reproduction could be severely affected.
But a new study published in the Journal of Animal Science and Biotechnology finds that it’s possible to identify the genes in cow breeds that will produce the sweatiest, heat-resistant offspring.
Study of Brangus cattle reveals genetic markers for increased heat tolerance
The study was conducted primarily on Brangus cattle, which are considered the breed most prone to sweating. The researchers studied 2,401 Brangus cattle from two commercial ranches in Florida. They used skin biopsies to identify phenotypes that contribute to a cow’s ability to manage heatstroke.
The study found that there is moderate variation in sweating ability and that it is genetic. This allows farmers to select cows that are more likely to sweat based on genetic markers. The study also found that both Brahman and Angus cattle have a positive influence on the sweating ability of Brangus cattle.
Genetic selection aims to improve heat stress tolerance in cattle for future food security
The study highlights the need to address the negative effects of heat stress on cattle. As mentioned before, heat stress significantly impacts cattle health. “Unless you take measures to affect the cattle’s ability to thrive under heat stress, they will not reproduce, so there are food security concerns,” Mattiesk pointed out.
That’s why it’s so important that researchers focus on selecting for genes that improve sweating abilities, in the hopes of developing breeds of cows that are more resistant to heat stress.
This would allow cows to remain both productive and fertile in hotter climates. The future lies in developing innovative solutions that pave the way for a sustainable food supply for generations to come.
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About the Editor
Gairika Mitra Gairika is a tech geek, an introvert and an avid reader. Lock her in a room full of books and she’ll never complain.
