298 J
. Hodges Livestock Production Science 38 2000 271 –310
correctly emphasizes the role of social circumstances vitamins and non-nutritive additives enzymes, anti-
in directing artificial selection. biotics, and pre- and pro-biotics are dealt with in
The book is certainly very useful for scientists in relation to the possible problems in the application.
genetics and applied livestock breeding. For this In Chapter Four there is an overview of the post-
group of readers it is especially to be mentioned that pelleting equipment. Low dose is a problem with
the book uses an original structure in presenting all most vitamins, trace elements, antibiotics, pro-biotics
different aspects of genetic improvement strategies. and enzymes, when added in a proportion of 0.1-
Moreover, the book contains a number of original 0.002 of feed. Accurate dosing and mixing of such
ideas. small proportions requires high standard technical
equipment. The authors describe essential aspects of Dr. A.F. Groen
the equipment design is several situations spraying Associate Professor, Animal Breeding and Ge-
system, continuous addition, batch system. They netics Group, Department of Animal Sciences,
also pay attention to the positioning of liquid addi- Wageningen University, The Netherlands.
tion in a production line, the requirements for the equipment concerning factors such as the number of
Post-pelleting application
of liquid
additives sprayed pellets in the mixture, number of droplets,
1999. G.M.A. Engelen and A.F.B. van der Poel. mixing method, segregation of feed particles and the
Wageningen Pers, Marijkeweg 40, 6709 PG additive content of fines, allergic reactions to sensi-
Wageningen, The Netherlands. ISBN 90-74134- tive people etc.
66-1 Paperback, 99p. The analysis of feed quality in Chapter Four is a
difficult affair with the small doses and the usual low This book focuses on the application in liquid
accuracy of the analytical methods. Effects of sample form of micro-ingredients, which are sensitive to
size, the sampling method and the number of sam- damage by heat and processing during production of
ples play a role in determining the confidence compound feeds. However, heating is important for
interval for calculated standard deviations. Also help good hygiene, for safe feed and quality food as
with a tracer instead of the additive may improve the demanded by end-users and consumers because
results or reduce costs of the analyses. Finally using high temperatures during processing decreases
recommendations are given for further research on microbial contamination. The application of liquid
the recovery as well as distribution and homogeneity additives in a post-pelleting application may be an
in the equipment suitable for this applications. alternative technological solution to prevent heat
The book is of interest to process engineers, damage of the additive, to reduce cross-contamina-
nutritionists, researchers and students interested in tion and to guarantee almost 100 recovery of the
post-pelleting applications of additives. additive in the animal feed. Moreover, such a system
benefits feed manufacturers since it provides more Dr. Ynze van der Honing,
flexibility in meeting the demand for special custom- Head, Dept. of Pig and Poultry Nutrition, DLO-
build feeds. The authors also describe a number of Institute of Animal Science and Health, PO Box 65,
requirements of the feed and equipment which are 8200 AB, The Netherlands.
critical for implementation of liquid additive sys- tems.
Poultry Meat Science. 1999. Eds: R.I. Richar-
Quality as defined in ISO-standards and GMP- dson G.C. Mead. CAB International, Wallin-
codes receive attention as does the measurement and gford, Oxon. OX10 8DE, UK. ISBN 0-85199-237-
statistics around uniformity homogeneity or distribu- 4. 464 pages. HB. £65 or US120. This text derives
tion briefly in Chapter Two. The authors present the from the 25th Poultry Science Symposium held at
literature associated with the liquid additives in the University of Bristol, UK, 17-19 September,
Chapter Three. A table of micro-components that can 1997.
be added in liquid form is shown, as well as a table indicating available thermo-stable enzymes and their
This volume has the great merit of summarizing applications. Nutritive additives such as amino acids,
four wide lines of research each of marked scientific
J . Hodges Livestock Production Science 38 2000 271 –310
299
importance: Biochemical basis of meat quality; with protein currently being the most valuable milk
Production and harvesting factors affecting meat component. Hence, feeding systems that allow the
quality; Microbiological quality of poultry meat and farmer to manipulate the level of the various milk
meat products; Quality aspects of poultry meat components are needed. According to the authors the
products. current systems for diet formulation in the UK,
Topics are covered in separate chapters by some which are based on the ARC metabolizable energy
of the well-known names in the world of scientific ME and AFRC metabolizable protein MP pro-
research, are brilliantly presented, and are of easy posals are unable to satisfy such a need. Because
access for the reader to gain a good understanding, they use ‘‘a factorial assessment of the cow
’s despite their vastness and complexity. This work is,
nutrient requirements to calculate the supply of indeed, of a great help for those working in food
energy and protein that must be provided in the diet science research, both at the academic and industrial
to meet those requirements’’, but do not take into levels. Also under-graduates and graduates involved
account: in biological sciences could benefit their knowledge
base with updated state-of-the-art information. •
how the cow responds to changes in the nutrient The first part of the book elucidates on a bio-
supply, chemical basis, the features associated with meat
• how dietary constituents interact in their effect on
quality, focuses on the complex structure of muscle, the processes of digestion and metabolism,
its development, and the relationship with texture, •
how diet affects the partitioning of nutrients colour and flavour. The dynamic state of research in
between milk production and body gain and the factors affecting meat quality during production
between the major milk constituents, at different and harvesting is covered and includes: production,
stages of lactation. nutrition and pre- and post-slaughter.
Microbiological quality of poultry meat and meat The authors emphasize that the current systems are
products is examined in the third part of the book, not inaccurate, but merely fail to accommodate the
stressing in particular the production environment, future needs of milk producers. Therefore, a Working
hygiene during transport, slaughter and processing, Party under the auspices of the former AFRC
methods for decontaminating meat and for extending Technical Committee on Response to Nutrients was
shelf-life. commissioned to write a report on this topic. How-
The final section covers poultry meat products ever, due to a lack of support the report was not
where contributors examines the quality aspects of finalized, until support from CAB International and
harvesting by means of properly organized taste the Ministry of Agriculture LINK project ‘‘Feed into
panels, and new technologies. Milk’’ enabled completion of the report, resulting in
the book that is the topic of this review. Prof. Francesco Nicastro
The book is logically divided into 10 chapters, Department of Animal Production, University of
starting with a Summary and Introduction. The book Bari, Via Amendola, 165 A, 70126 Bari, Italy
then proceeds with a chapter on the current feeding systems and their limitations. A comparison is made
Response in the yield of milk constituents to the with current systems in the US and other European
intake of nutrients by dairy cows. 1998. UK- countries. Although all systems are very similar,
AFRC Technical Committee on Responses to there are small but important differences between
Nutrients, Report No. 11. CAB International them. One can not help but wonder how nice it
Publishing, Wallingford, Oxford, UK. ISBN 0- would be to adopt one common system between
85199-284-6. 96pp. Softback. £19.95. countries; this would greatly facilitate the communi-
cation and collaboration between scientists interna- The authors state that the costs associated with
tionally. The next chapter outlines the three main feeding constitute approximately 50 percent of the
elements of a new system: nutrient supply, nutrient costs of milk production. Furthermore, the milk price
use, and characterization of the state of the cow. depends on the levels of the major milk constituents,
Each of these elements is dealt with in detail in the
300 J
. Hodges Livestock Production Science 38 2000 271 –310
following three chapters, describing the current state be, already serve a useful role in pinpointing gaps in
of knowledge for each. Following a brief chapter our biological knowledge about processes of nutrient
with Conclusions, a very useful chapter follows with utilization and metabolism, and thus aid in targeting
recommendations for future research in order to fill essential areas of biological research.
the gaps in information that is needed to develop the Finally, while the book describes the need for a
proposed nutrient response system. The final chapter new feeding system in Great Britain, the contents of
outlines possible approaches to the prediction of a the book is equally relevant to students and profes-
response in milk constituent output from a nutrient sionals in other countries. After all, despite differ-
supply; reference is made to several existing mathe- ences in feed stuffs used and in milk production and
matical models. The book also contains an Appendix milk composition between different breeds, the
in which a brief outline is given of a possible model principles of the underlying biological processes on
of metabolism in dairy cows, based on the work by which the system will be based, are very similar if
France and Thornley 1984. not identical in most places.
The authors point out that it was not their intention to write an extensive comprehensive review of all
Dr. Kerst Stelwagen, available information, but rather provide a summary
Head Section Dairy Cattle Nutrition, Research of a review of several major areas of ruminant
Station for Cattle, Sheep and Horse Husbandry PR, nutrition. Unfortunately, this brevity and the fact that
P.O. Box 2176, NL-8203 AD Lelystad, The Nether- in certain sections of the book the text is rather
lands. tedious and not always easy to follow, may make the
book less suitable for students and professionals with
Forage Seed Production, Volume l: Temperate
little or no expertise in ruminant nutrition. However, Species 1997. Edited by D.T. Fairey J.G.
for those with more experience in this field the book Hampton. CAB International, Wallingford Oxon,
provides a good overview, albeit brief, of the under- OX10 8DE, UK, ISBN 0-85199-190-4. 420 pages.
lying principles, the challenges, problems and re- IHB. £65 or US120
quirements for a nutrient response feeding system. The book points out that such a complex system can
This book is the first volume of a two-volume only be achieved with the help of computer models.
series, the second being on forage seed production Over the years several groups, world-wide, have
from tropical and subtropical species. The book’s been increasingly successful in trying to model
justification is: firstly, the vital importance of grasses processes such as feed intake, nutrient utilization and
and legumes in grazed pastures and conserved stands absorption, and mammary gland function. The chal-
as foundation feeds for ruminant animal production; lenge that lies ahead is to improve those models, to
secondly, that increasingly, more non-agricultural develop new ones where necessary, and combine
uses are being found for the so-called ‘forage’ them into a robust system that is able to predicts the
grasses and legumes – amenity purposes, landscap- output of individual milk constituents from a certain
ing, erosion control, industrial land reclamation, supply of nutrients with a minimum of input vari-
biomass energy, medical pharmaceutical products to ables. This will be a formidable task, which due to
name a cross-section; thirdly, that the seed pro- its complexity and size can only be achieved through
duction sector of the world agricultural economy has collaboration of national and international groups of
been relatively neglected from a research and de- scientists with not only modelling expertise, but also
velopment perspective; fourthly, to issue challenges with expertise in physiology, biochemistry and endo-
to researchers and seed producers to achieve the seed crinology, in order to close the gasps in existing
yield potentials of the different species by classifying knowledge, which is necessary for the development
and optimally integrating the physiological responses of the appropriate models. Indeed, the authors rightly
of seed crops to management factors. point out that while the practical application of the
The book comprises two parts; part 1, with 11 nutrient response system may still be a thing of the
chapters which make up 70 per cent of the book’s future, existing models, however limiting they may
text, covers all the aspects relevant to seed pro-
J . Hodges Livestock Production Science 38 2000 271 –310
301
duction, the dominant areas overviewed being: plant There are 20 grass and legume genera whose
morphological structures and physiological mecha- species are usually accepted as temperate in nature.
nisms; improvement of seed yields and quality Thus, in concentrating only on the 11 species from
standards; seed crop management; seed harvesting seven genera because of their international signifi-
and processing; the international seed trade. Part 2, cance, the book admits to the omission of many
with 11 shorter chapters, presents practical case species – Phalaris and Bromus grass species, and
studies from eight countries on the seed production Onobrychis and Vicia legume species, for example –
of the main species sown in temperature grasslands which are of importance in some countries or regions
and traded internationally; namely, six grass species of a country. As such, these species represent a
from four genera tall fescue, red fescue, Italian challenge to the seed trade to meet market demands
ryegrass, perennial ryegrass, smooth-stalked meadow since they are needed for differing environments, but
grass, cocksfoot and five legume species from three the demand for seed is not always met because of a
genera birdsfoot trefoil, lucerne, red clover, white low payback. Arguably, a book or booklet of case
clover, subterranean clover. There are 43 con- studies of such species would be valuable.
tributors, 27 being involved in the Part 1 chapters In conclusion the book’s first and main part is
and 16 in the Part 2 chapters. Authorship is interna- essentially a scientific technological treatise with an
tional, with circa 50 per cent from seven European international emphasis. It provides a valuable source
countries, 20 per cent from New Zealand, 20 per cent of information and references for kindred researchers
from the United States of America and 10 per cent involved in the seed production of temperate grasses
from four other countries. Part 1 is liberally refer- and legumes, and for agricultural science lecturers
enced with the nine mainly scientific technological and their advanced students. Researchers will ap-
chapters averaging 116 references per chapter. In preciate the gaps in knowledge identified and so will
part 2, with its emphasis on the practicalities of seed be able to formulate future experimentation. In the
production, the average number of citations per second part the practical aspects covered in the case
chapter is just 13. The book is particularly well- studies for the 11 most important temperate forage
indexed. species will be of particular value to progressive seed
Seed production of temperate forage plants is a producers, advisers and seed trade personnel.
relatively new industry, tracing its roots back to the nineteenth century. However, the greatest advances
Dr. John Frame, formerly of the Scottish Agricultural in cultivar improvement and hence production of
College, Auchincruive, Ayr, Scotland. certified seed of high quality were from the 1920s
onwards. Notwithstanding, seed yields from indi-
Secondary Plant Products: Antinutritional and
vidual species are still highly variable and many seed Beneficial Actions in Animal Feeding. 1999.
multiplication issues identified in the early years John C. Cayhill and Irene Mueller-Harvey. Not-
have still not been fully resolved. The part 1 chapters tingham University Press. Manor Farm, Thrum-
make significant contributions to the science and pton, Nottingham, NG11 0AX, UK. ISBN 1-
technology of these issues. Notable pivotal chapters 897676-28. Softback. 130pp. £25.
are those dealing with: reproductive development and establishment of potential seed yield; compo-
This 130-page book collects the reports that were nents of seed yield; pollination, fertilization and
presented at the Reading University symposium on pollinating mechanisms; harvest and postharvest
the initiative of the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries management of seed crops. The chapter entitled
and Food. It sums up our knowledge on the effects ‘‘The Forage Seed Trade’’ emphasises the important
of some secondary components of plants that are role of international trade and the international
used in animal feeding. After going through all the regulatory bodies such as the Organisation for Econ-
substances that may have an anti-nutritional or a omic Co-operation and Development OECD and
positive role in animal production, the authors detail the Federation International du Commerce des Se-
tannins, trypsin inhibitors and lectins. mences FIS0.
Concerning tannins, the different kinds are first
302 J
. Hodges Livestock Production Science 38 2000 271 –310
presented, then their positive or negative effects on of the world. Contributors are from a diverse group
animal production are discussed in relationship with of professions and disciplines and include vet-
their chemical composition, their amount in the plant erinarians, physicians, botanists, chemists, biochem-
and the type of animal studied. The same is done ists, agricultural scientists, extension agents and
with protein inhibitors whose negative effect mainly representatives of regulatory bodies. The scientific
appears in young animals and with lectins which are presentations range from the fundamental to the
dangerous when ingested in high quantities but can applied and, in essence, deal mainly with plant toxins
have a positive effect on the animal which has eaten in relation to animal health and productivity, and to a
them in some circumstances. much lesser extent with the safety of food production
The consequences of these effects are then brought for humans.
up to suggest possible selection schemes for the The symposium papers are formatted as 110
concerned plants. This makes an in-depth study, individual chapters. These are grouped under nine
which includes the names of plants, of complex subject area headings which are listed in the table of
problems linked to the chemical nature of molecules contents though not in the body of the text. A further
in each substance category, backed by a particularly two chapters contain obituaries of the scientists, W.
well-documented list of bibliographical references. Binns and J.W. Dollahite. The group headings and
The discussion opens up some interesting possi- their respective numbers of chapters are: regional
bilities for future research works which could allow and epidemiological issues 13; cardiopulmonary
one to transform negative effects into positive ones. system 19; diagnostic treatment issues 18; mis-
An index makes it possible to look up the paragraph cellaneous topics 8; the reproductive system and
dealing with the topic one is interested in very the embryo 12; public health and herbal medicine
quickly. concerns 5; the musculoskeletal and the neurologi-
The very clear presentation with many experimen- cal system 13; mycotoxins and mycotoxicoses 9;
tal results makes it an invaluable work for those who detoxification, digestion and elimination 15. Un-
ware willing to understand these intricate mecha- usually for a symposium, there are no overview
nisms and to contribute to improving their effects on plenary papers and so the chapters average only five
animals. pages each. The multi-disciplinary nature of the
work on toxic plants and collaboration involved is Professor J-L.Tisserand
illustrated by the multi-authorship of individual ´
´ Etablissement National d’Enseignement Superieur
papers, with sometimes as many as 8, 9 and 10 being Agronomique de Dijon, ENESAD, Dijon, France.
associated. There are 430 contributor names for the papers, the majority from the USA and Australia, but
Toxic Plants and Other Natural Toxicants 1998. some authors contribute to a number of papers; also
Edited by T. Garland and A.C. Barr, CAB 17 countries are represented in the authorship. Amer-
International, Wallingford, Oxon, OX10 8DE, UK. ican workers dominate the sections on epidemiologi-
ISBN 0-85199-263-3. 585 pages. HB £75 or cal issues and public health while Australians domi-
US240. nate the section on mycotoxins. In general the papers
are liberally referenced, averaging 13 per chapter and This book consists of the edited and refereed
totalling over 1400 citations, though some appear in papers presented at the 5th International Symposium
a number of papers. There is a detailed subject area
on Poisonous Plants ISOPP 5 which was held at index but not an author index.
San Angelo, Texas, USA in 1997. The internationali- The book contents make it clear that toxic plants
ty of the proceedings, though limited if judged by the and other natural toxicants play important roles in
number of countries represented, grew out of an animal and human health, and so involve the many
initial American Australian dialogue started in the interrelated disciplines exhibited in the work re-
1970s. The main objective of the symposium was to ported. While economic aspects per se are not
present and exchange new information on the effects presented the editors note that estimates of the
of poisonous plants on livestock in different regions economic impact on livestock have ranged in the
J . Hodges Livestock Production Science 38 2000 271 –310
303
millions of dollars US in countries such as the sented by authors from many European countries.
USA and Australia, let alone other countries. The They are concerned mainly with European systems
production of safe, healthy food is increasingly a but also some African farming systems. 13 papers
priority subject of public debate, particularly in so- are in French with an English summary and 11 are in
called developed countries and this is inducing English with a French summary. In general the work
governments to undertake ever-closer regulatory is categorized by the various relationships between
surveillance and action. Thus the book makes a farms and their indigenous and exogenous environ-
significant up-to-date contribution on the subject ments. These include down-stream influences with a
insofar as the aspects of poisonous plants, mycotox- focus on special issues such as farm organisation and
ins and herbal intoxications are concerned. Adverse the community role as well as up-stream focusing on
effects, from illness through to fatality in livestock, the interaction between farms and the farming indus-
are well described as are the identification, biochem- try. The book clearly demonstrates the need to
istry and modes of action of the chemical compounds consider the changing environment and its impact on
responsible but also, importantly, the protocols for the technical and economic functioning and organisa-
their management, eradication or amelioration. tion of farms.
In conclusion the specific subject areas covered in These objectives allow topics to be grouped
the book are wide ranging in nature yet individually around six trends: Farm management and internal
still specialized. Therefore, the publication is for operation; diagnostic methods and approaches of
browsing and dipping into selectively by workers in farm systems; micro economic modelling of decision
the different fields of toxicology dealt with. The and behaviour; negotiation of contracts between
book expresses the current state of play of research farms and their partners; assessment of evolution in
and development in plant animal toxicological mat- farming systems; and the responses to change and
ters, particularly on problems, their detection, treat- the perspective for multi-disciplinary studies on
ments and solutions, provides a rich source of farming systems. Three papers on farm management
references and hopefully, inspiration for work into operation deal with understanding functions and
aspects not yet fully understood. decision-making processes at farm level. The specific
originality of the contribution is associated with the Dr. John Frame, formerly of the Scottish Agricultural
assessment of improvements at the farm enterprise College, Auchincruive, Ayr, Scotland.
level and its effect on overall farm operation with the aim to improve overall efficiency. Four papers deal
Farm and Rural Resources Management: New with diagnostic problems of farm systems. A strong
Context, New Constraints, New Opportunities focus is brought to the need to include the infra-
1998. Jacques Brossier and Barry Dent Eds. structure, economic and natural environment with
