An Environmental Approach and the Adoption of Modern Biotechnologies as a Basis for Improvement of Ruminant Breeding Technology

The subject matter of our research will include, inter alia, environment-friendly ruminant raising methods underlying sustainable agriculture and organic livestock breeding in midland and upland regions. Grazing and watering animals in polluted areas, contaminated primarily with heavy metals, leads to their transmission into the organism of the consumer, resulting in potential health deterioration. Hence the importance of examining the degree of retention and level of heavy metals in plants and waters used in animal nutrition, as well as the degree of transmission of heavy metals into milk as the major foodstuff used in human nutrition. In addition, given the fact that parasite infestation is a crucial problem in organic production, it is vital to determine infestation degree and type of endoparasite, then, conduct an analysis to identify potential environment-friendly control and prevention treatments. The research will also cover identification of the endocrine status in dairy cows under intensive raising conditions. Highly intensive production requires certain metabolic adjustments necessitating appropriate nutrition and hormonal regulation. Peripartal period is the most critical period in the neuroendocrine metabolic regulation in dairy cows. The subject matter will also include monitoring of infectious causal agents of Bovine Respiratory Disease Complex-BRDC and their antigenic variants using modern research methods.