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The soil microbiome has the potential to protect crop plants from biotic stress caused by pests and pathogens. Studies have, for example, shown the role of root exudates in recruiting and enriching beneficial bacteria to protect against pathogens and pests, paving the way for developing strategies for microbiome engineering. However, due to the complex and dynamic nature of soil microbiomes, designing microbiome-focused crop protection strategies remains a challenge. This chapter reviews different interactions between the microbiome components, microbe-induced plant-defense-response mechanisms, and strategies for engineering the soil microbiome to protect crop plants against pests and pathogens.

The increasing consumption and popularity of Brassica vegetables can be linked to its nutrient composition and consequent health benefits. This review discusses the available evidence demonstrating the benefits of the Brassica family, particularly broccoli, and offers information to help ensure that public health messaging reflects current science. It demonstrates that Brassica vegetables have advantages beyond helping achieve basic nutritional requirements and could provide specific nutrients towards reducing the risk of cancer and other diseases. Knowledge of the bioavailability of Brassica bioactive compounds, particularly of phenolic compounds and glucosinolates, is critical to understanding such benefits. Finally, it discusses additional support and strategies to maintain Brassica nutritive value since the content of particular compounds varies significantly due to the different variables in the food supply chain. The overall aim of the present study is to comprise information regarding the Brassica vegetable family that can be used to encourage daily dietary intake through investigating diet-disease relationships.

Knowledge of amino acid formulation minimum constraints in the nutrient matrix are pivotal in order to allow for formulation flexibility, and subsequent broiler productivity at minimum nitrogen supply. Four key amino acid minimums that beg for more research are: arginine, glycine and serine, histidine, and phenylalanine and tyrosine. In this chapter the former have been reviewed.

The supplementation of exogenous enzymes in diets is a common practice in the poultry industry. Different enzymes are used to target specific substrates: phytase acts on phytate, protease acts on proteins of peptides, xylanase acts on arabinoxylan, and amylase acts on starch. The utilization of these enzymes results in the release of target substrate hydrolysis endproducts, leading to enhanced digestibility and improved growth performance. Moreover, the introduction of these enzymes has facilitated the inclusion of various feed ingredients containing anti-nutritional factors in poultry diets, thereby expanding the range of available options and reducing feed costs. Despite their different modes of action and substrates, the use of multiple enzymes concurrently has a potential for synergistic or additive effects. This chapter provides a review of the possible modes of action of these enzymes, as well as recent studies investigating the effects of using these enzymes individually and in combination for broiler chickens.

This chapter describes advances in understanding and improving the use of macro-minerals in poultry with a particular focus on phosphorus (P). The chapter begins by outlining the challenges to optimising mineral nutrition in poultry, covering the characterisation of the P value in feed ingredients and factors that affect P availability. Next a section on case studies is explored, including a meta-analysis for assessing the P value of a diet and a model where the P and calcium (Ca) quantities required for maintenance and growth are aggregated to determine the overall needs of the animals. Finally, future trends are discussed, covering precision feeding for sustainability, the potential for compensatory mechanisms and genetic determinism, the balance between Ca and P in laying hens, and a digestible Ca system.

The chicken egg is a valuable source of macronutrients and micronutrients of high interest for the human diet. Besides these nutrients, it also contains numerous bioactive molecules and a sophisticated antimicrobial defense system, that are initially required for the development and protection of the bird embryo outside the maternal body. In table eggs (unfertilized eggs), these natural defenses help in protecting the egg, particularly the nutrient-rich egg yolk, from bacterial contamination, and thereby contribute to the hygienic quality of eggs. The aim of this chapter is to highlight the complexity and diversity of the egg antimicrobial defenses, their physical/physicochemical and antimicrobial properties and the factors responsible for the variability of these properties. The chapter includes sections describing each protective layer, namely the eggshell, egg white and the vitelline membrane, as well as a section reviewing the main antimicrobial proteins identified in the egg.

Due to changes in lifestyle and the increasing awareness of a healthy diet, consumers’ demand for fresh produce during the last few decades has increased rapidly, bringing along new challenges to the produce industry, including food safety issues. The foodborne pathogen Listeria monocytogenes is often implicated in fresh produce outbreaks due to the lack of “kill” step during processing. Although the incidence rate of L. monocytogenes is relatively low compared to other pathogens, the high fatality rate associated with the outbreaks necessitates the need for advanced understanding of its contamination of fresh produce. This chapter provides information on the current knowledge associated with L. monocytogenes contamination of fresh produce. Specific sections cover the pathogenicity and gene regulation of the pathogen, listeriosis and recent outbreaks, common transmission routes to fresh produce, related guidance and regulations for the fresh produce industry, and current and novel intervention strategies.

This chapter reviews advances in understanding carbohydrate requirements and utilization in dairy cattle. The chapter begins by first describing the importance of feed analysis, focusing specifically on fiber analysis. It then moves on to discuss detergent fibers, which is then followed by an analysis of neutral detergent-soluble carbohydrates. A section on rumen carbohydrate and protein interactions is also provided, which is then followed by sections on rumen health and the importance of higher forage diets. The chapter also provides case studies that provide examples of using higher forage rations in dairy cows. Current on-farm analysis tools are also described, which is then followed by a section on the use of nutrition models.

Salmonella is a frequent etiologic agent for foodborne illnesses acquired via consumption of plant-based foods. This may be attributed to the adaptability of this pathogen to various environments and hosts, including plants. Salmonella has a broad capacity to associate with fresh produce crops from a multitude of plant families, colonizing various anatomical structures of plants at all developmental stages, from root to leaf, from sprout to fruit. Salmonella identifies microsites on the plant surface with adequate water and nutrients and can enter plant tissues through natural plant openings such as stomata and lenticels. Its ability to persist on or penetrate plant tissues may also be facilitated by agricultural practices or post-harvest preparation of fruit and vegetables. This chapter discusses the various plant traits and agricultural practices that aid Salmonella association with fruit and vegetable crops, as well as the genetic strategies that Salmonella employs to compete in the plant niche.

The shell is the only part of the egg that is not consumed, yet its quality is critical to the marketing of eggs. This is especially true as recent developments in egg production systems towards free-range hens and longer production cycles have affected shell quality, particularly its mechanical properties. Here we describe the structure and composition of eggshells and review how eggshell minerals are supplied and regulated to provide the large quantities required for shell formation. The organic matrix also plays a fundamental role, interacting with the mineral phase to give the eggshell its ultrastructure and resulting mechanical properties. Here we describe the composition of this matrix and the mechanisms involved in eggshell formation. The role and importance of amorphous calcium carbonate (ACC) is underlined and detailed. Finally, we describe how all this knowledge could be mobilized to improve eggshells, especially as hens age.

With growing concerns surrounding the impact of climate change on both native and invasive pest invasions, coupled with the rising threat of global food insecurity, more research is required to understand the major insect pests of cereals, including how best to control and monitor them.

Advances in understanding insect pests affecting wheat and other cereals provides a comprehensive review of the wealth of research that addresses this challenge. This collection discusses the most recent developments in fundamental and applied research on major pests and shows how better understanding of these pests can be used to improve integrated pest management strategies.

With growing concerns surrounding the impact of climate change on both native and invasive pest invasions, coupled with the rising threat of global food insecurity, more research is required to understand the major insect pests of cereals, including how best to control and monitor them.

Advances in understanding insect pests affecting wheat and other cereals provides a comprehensive review of the wealth of research that addresses this challenge. This collection discusses the most recent developments in fundamental and applied research on major pests and shows how better understanding of these pests can be used to improve integrated pest management strategies.

With growing concerns surrounding the impact of climate change on both native and invasive pest invasions, coupled with the rising threat of global food insecurity, more research is required to understand the major insect pests of cereals, including how best to control and monitor them.

Advances in understanding insect pests affecting wheat and other cereals provides a comprehensive review of the wealth of research that addresses this challenge. This collection discusses the most recent developments in fundamental and applied research on major pests and shows how better understanding of these pests can be used to improve integrated pest management strategies.

This chapter examines advances in understanding lipid requirements and utilisation in dairy cattle. The chapter begins by first highlighting the major lipid constituents found in dairy cow nutrition, such as free fatty acids, triglycerides, glycolipids and phospholipids. It then goes on to discuss lipid supplements, which is then followed by an examination of fat digestion and absorption in ruminant species. Sections on digestibility of dietary lipids and mammary metabolism of lipids are also provided. The chapter discusses the effects of lipids on feed intake as well as the effects of lipid supplements on milk production on composition. This is then followed by an overview of how dietary lipids can be used to modify milk fat for human health, as well as the effects of lipids on reproduction. The role of dietary lipids in metabolism regulation is also reviewed, followed by an analysis of the important considerations that should be taken into account when selecting for commercial inert fats. Practical recommendations for supplementing fats are also included.

This chapter explores the dynamics of rhizosphere microbiomes, focusing on their composition and functional aspects. It evaluates host-specific selection, plant species, genotypes, domestication, and agricultural ecosystem management practices. The chapter also investigates the legacy of plant developmental stages and root architecture on microbiome assembly and functions. Moreover, it highlights the selective pressure on the rhizosphere microbiome for plant nutrition and health, focusing on factors driving soil-root-plant interactions. Finally, the chapter also discusses challenges in manipulating functional microbiomes and proposes methods to address these gaps.

Anthropogenic alterations in the nitrogen cycle, dominantly through synthetic fertilizer applications, have allowed for greater crop production since the nineteenth century. However, these changes have also allowed for rapid increases in environmental adverse nitrogen loss pathways such as nitrate leaching, and nitrous oxide emissions. Advancing knowledge on how nitrogen cycling processes are impacted by environmental conditions and management practices provides an insight in how the NUE of cropping systems can be increased. In order to improve the NUE of cropping systems, nitrogen supply must be re-synchronized with crop demand; therefore, supporting productivity whist reducing economic and environmental losses. To accomplish this, a detailed understanding of nitrogen fixation, mineralization, volatilization, nitrification and denitrification is required. This chapter outlines the recent advances in knowledge surrounding nitrogen cycling processes, and the main issues researchers and farmers are presented with when attempting to optimize productivity whilst minimizing adverse economic and environmental nitrogen losses.

Eggs are considered healthy because they are a source of proteins, vitamins, and unsaturated fatty acids. However, they may also be subject to microbial contamination. Eggs possess numerous antimicrobial self-defence mechanisms, which include mechanical defences such as the cuticle, shell and shell membranes as well as the antimicrobial properties of egg albumen including lysozyme, avidin and ovotransferrin. Additionally, the pH of the albumen and the viscosity play a role. These protective mechanisms both support the reproduction of chicks and also prevent microbial contamination. However, contamination of eggs can occur at every stage of the production chain, including contamination by foodborne pathogens. This chapter reviews egg defences, pathogens risks and management.

This chapter focuses on the advances in understanding pig nutritional requirements and metabolism. The authors begin by outlining optimising sow nutrition throughout gestation and lactation, covering the management of gilt weight on herd entry, nutrition to prevent sow lameness, minimising variation in nutrient intake during gestation, the transition from gestation to lactation, maintaining body weight during lactation, and nutritional interventions to improve productivity of the gilt, sow and litter. They then discuss reducing variation in pig production systems, and the strategic use of metabolic modifiers and other modes of growth promotion. The authors next examine matching nutrient requirements to diet specifications, covering the rapid measurement of nutritional quality, updated information on nutritional requirements, and water requirements for pigs. They then describe optimising the utilisation of co-products, as well as gut health, nutrient utilisation capacity and health interactions. Finally future trends in the field of nutritional requirements are considered.

A well-functioning digestive tract is key to a sustainable poultry production. Significant progress in our understanding of the digestive tract functionality has allowed for further improvements, and will continue to do so. Feed intake is a prerequisite for a high performance, where feed particle size is a key element. Although crop retention would potentially improve the digestion process, the practice of ad libitum feeding does not fully stimulate to its maximal use. The gizzard plays a very important role due to its very effective fine grinding and its role as a feed-flow regulator, but structural components need to be included in the diet. As material passes into the relatively short small intestine, it is remarkably quickly digested and absorbed. Fermentation in the caeca may contribute to some energy for the bird, but its major role seems to be water reabsorption, including from urine being refluxed into the caeca from the cloaca.

Poultry production is facing substantial challenges. Among these are the necessity to feed the future in the face of increased human population, and the need to adapt to (global warming and scarce natural resources. As feed costs continue to rise due to severe drought conditions and the diversion of grain to ethanol-biofuel production, it's critical to identify cost-effective and alternative nutritional strategies to improve poultry feed efficiency and sustainability. This chapter aims to offer a review of current understanding on feed intake regulation, highlighting the potential molecular mechanisms by which environmental and nutritional stressors modulate energy intake. The authors begin by outlining the factors influencing feed intake, including flock size and stocking density and lighting. They then discuss the ways in which stress and stressors, such as noise and sounds, and heat and cold stress, can affect flocks. Other stressors described are hypoxia, and nutritional stress and nutrient sensing systems.

Fruit growth is a complex mechanism linking biochemical and biophysical processes promoting water and dry matter uptake in fruit tissues. This chapter describes growth mechanisms in apple fruit at different phenological stages and relates phases to key physiological parameters for fruit growth, including phloem and xylem inflows as well transpiration losses. A fundamental understanding of how apple fruit develop can allow the production chain to optimise resource management, leading to higher quality and more profitable and sustainable production.

Advancements are discussed for predicting and optimizing microbial protein as a function of rumen-degraded carbohydrates and correcting for amino acids (AA) in true protein. Intestinal digestibility of rumen-undegraded protein (RUP) is being evaluated primarily using in vitro approaches in field situations, but unfortunately few comparisons to in vivo intestinal digestibility are available in dairy cattle. The AA profile of feeds in libraries has been improved, but interactions between feed category and method prevent systematic prediction of differences in rumen degradability and intestinal digestibility of individual AA among feeds. We discuss a factorial approach to essential AA requirements and models predicting how to meet those requirements. Efficiencies of conversion of metabolizable AA into milk protein vary inversely with their respective supplies but also depend on supply of energy. We describe differences among models to estimate protein and AA requirements and to predict milk protein yield, and future research needs are emphasized.

Soil erodibility refers to the vulnerability of a soil to erosion. This chapter discusses approaches to defining soil erodibility. It then reviews two key soil properties affecting erodibility: aggregate stability and shear stress stability. The chapter assesses individual and combined techniques for measuring these properties and thus gauging the erodibility of a soil.

Soil is an essential part in every terrestrial ecosystem and soil microbes are contributing to several ecosystem functions. Different abiotic and biotic factors impact soil microbiomes and a disturbance of soil microbial communities can have severe consequences for soil health and its ecosystem functions. In this chapter the authors discuss different abiotic stressors related to climatic conditions and agricultural land use and their effects on soil microbial diversity. They highlight the role of soil microbiomes in ecosystem functioning represented by the interaction with plants resulting in plant growth promotion and higher stress tolerance. Soil microbiomes and their ecosystem functions play a pivotal role for a healthy environment and with that for healthy humans and animals within the framework of the One Health concept. To understand this role of soil microbiomes, they present experimental setups to investigate ecosystem services and functions in natural systems or in a lab environment.

Biological soil amendments of animal origin (BSAAO) are essential in contemporary agricultural production to increase crop yield and enrich soil health. BSAAOs may introduce or extend the survival of microbial pathogens that may be transferred to crops. Climate and weather along with amendment type can influence pathogen persistence in agricultural environments. Specifically, moisture and rainfall are critical elements that can enhance pathogen survival in amended soils. This chapter includes a discussion of pathogen survival and transfer along with highlights from recent foodborne illness outbreaks. Reconsidering data presented on E. coli and Salmonella survival in amended soils alongside epidemiological and environmental assessment data is essential to collective growth in this field, as scientists develop recommendations for use and risk analysis. Future use of soil amendments may include use as tools for remediation or inclusion of biocontrol elements to reduce the risk of contamination associated with their application to raw agricultural commodities.

This chapter reviews advances in understanding texture development in apples. It starts by first describing the anatomy and physiology of fruit texture traits. This is then followed by an evaluation of fruit texture parameters. The chapter goes on to discuss the influence of growing conditions, the effects of storage conditions on fruit texture as well as the impact fungal diseases can have on fruit texture. A section on genetic determination of texture is also provided, followed by a review of the association between texture and aroma, as well as an overview of selection/breeding achievements.