This study evaluated the botanical, morphological and chemical composition of pea-wheat (PW) and faba bean-wheat (FBW) whole crop herbages at different harvest times at 2-week intervals in Northern Finland. The herbages were also ensiled in round bales and their in vivo digestibility was measured using the total faecal collection method with sheep. The grain legumes dominated in the stands so that the proportions of pea and faba bean were on average 0.912 and 0.824 (on dry matter (DM) basis). The harvest time affected the organic matter digestibility of the crops differently as it decreased for PW but increased for FBW with progressing growth. The average in vivo D-values of the silages were rather low (581 and 595 g kg-1 DM for PW and FBW, respectively). In vitro pepsin-cellulase digestibility predicted in vivo organic matter digestibility moderately well (R2=0.54), but the data set was small. Ensiled whole-crop cereal silages dominated by grain legumes showed potential as feeds for cattle.

We conducted three experiments to investigate the effects of partial replacement of grass silage with maize silage (25% or 50% of the dry matter [DM]) on feed intake, milk production, diet digestibility, and methane (CH4) emissions in dairy cows. The starch concentrations of maize silages were high for northern latitudes and ranged from 236 g kg-1 DM at early harvest to 278 and 254 g kg-1 DM at late harvest, respectively. Partial replacement of grass silage with maize silage increased feed intake, whereas diet digestibility decreased. Milk and energy corrected milk (ECM) yields increased in one experiment, whereas no corresponding changes were observed in the other experiments. Replacing grass silage with maize silage improved nitrogen utilization in all the experiments and CH4 intensity (g kg-1 ECM) decreased in one experiment. In northern conditions, the beneficial effects of maize silage on feed intake can be achieved, while effects on milk production and enteric CH4 emissions are less consistent due to annual variation in maturity and starch content of maize.

This study uses a modified Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) to explore how the ethical concern and familiarity with animal farming as proxies for self-identity and consumption strategies of ‘boycotting’ and ‘buycotting’, influence citizens’ intentions for purchasing and paying a premium for welfare-labeled pork. A survey was conducted with 400 Finnish respondents, and structural equation modeling was used to analyze the relationships within TPB constructs, including above-mentioned modifications of self-identity and consumption strategies, across different socioeconomic subgroups and the full sample. The findings indicate that attitudes toward farm animal welfare, ethical concerns, and familiarity with animal farming are the strongest predictors of purchasing intentions for welfare-labeled pork. While most respondents expressed a willingness to pay more for AW-labeled products, the role of boycotting emerged as more significant than buycotting, particularly among women and those sharing grocery shopping responsibilities. Social norms and perceived behavioral control showed limited influence in the full sample but were significant for specific groups, such as higher-educated consumers and middle-aged respondents. These results provide valuable insights into consumer motivations, particularly the role of self-identification with ethical concerns, and offer strategic opportunities for marketers and policymakers to promote ethical consumption and strengthen the market potential of welfare-labeled products.

This study compared the effects of using bio-based fertilisers (BBFs) of high (BBFH) or low (BBFL) metal content with conventional mineral superphosphate (SP) fertilisation on dietary exposure of arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), nickel (Ni) and lead (Pb), in Finland, Denmark, France, Germany, Hungary, and Spain. We estimated changes in the metal content of the following crops: wheat, barley, oat, rye, potato, carrot, sunflower seed, and maize following 100-year scenarios of fertilization with the different products. To estimate changes in chronic dietary exposure to metals via food, we used available national data of food consumption and metal content in target crops. Our results showed low changes to current chronic dietary exposure after using BBFs. Exceedance of the maximum allowed levels of Cd and Pb in food (EU 2023/915) was more rare with low-Cd BBF than with SP mineral fertilizer. Only the BBFH slightly increased the dietary exposure to Cd, although similarly to SP. In conclusion, the studied BBFs did not increase dietary exposure to heavy metals, especially compared with the use of conventional SP mineral fertiliser.

Adjusting crop rotation is a key agricultural strategy to boost variable profit, enhance soil fertility, adapt to climate change, and mitigate farming risks. The aim of this paper is to assess the opportunities for simultaneously enhancing carbon balance and variable profit of crop cultivation through altering the allocation of crop use in a regional scale. Using a numerical optimization model for mineral soils in southern Finland, results show that careful diversifying of crop cultivation can enhance both carbon balance and profit compared to the current allocation. Including the lifecycle carbon footprint of nitrogen fertilizers further increases potential gains. Variable profit can rise by 75–207 € ha-1 year-1, while carbon balance improves by 70–336 kg C ha-1 year-1, depending on the weighting of economic and climate outcomes. Changes can be made without significantly increasing fixed costs of cultivation. Optimal strategies include reducing spring crops and fodder grass while increasing nitrogen-fixing grasses and high-profit crops like clover grass, green manure, potato, and sugar beet. Sensitivity analysis highlighted the importance of higher yields for enhanced outcomes, emphasizing the need to enhance forage grass, clover grass, and green manure yields for carbon balance and forage grass, potato, sugar beet, and spring crop yields for increased variable profit. Investments in infrastructure, marketing, and innovative food products are essential to promote local crop diversity and incentivize farmers to utilize and test new crops on a farm.

We examined the views of Finnish non-farmers and farmers on the desirable future developments of agriculture and agricultural policy using principal component and cluster analysis by focusing on three key themes: the structure of agricultural production, agri-environmental issues, and the funding of agriculture. There is strong public support for maintaining the viability of domestic agriculture through government intervention, but views differ on allocation of agricultural support and how agricultural production should be developed. A significant number of respondents supported the idea that climate and other environmental issues should be better considered in agricultural policy. However, about half of the respondents accepted environmental damage caused by agriculture and one-fifth perceived the importance of agriculture in a society as declining. These views, not prominent in the public debate, emphasize the importance of regular investigation of citizen opinions for including all the relevant stands in policy discussion to design legitimate policy measures.

This study examined the long-term effects of applying structure lime (mixture of ~80% CaCO3 and 20% Ca(OH)2) and ground limestone (CaCO3) on soil aggregate stability and risk of phosphorus (P) losses 5–7 years after liming, incidence of soil-borne diseases and yield in winter wheat (Tritium aestivum), oilseed rape (Brassica napus) and sugar beet (Beta vulgaris). Lime was applied in 13 field trials in Sweden 2013–2015 and soil characteristics and crop yield were monitored until 2021. Seedbed (0–4 cm depth) aggregate (2–5 mm size) stability was improved to the same extent with both lime treatments compared to the untreated control, sampled 5–7 years after liming. Analyses and estimations of different P fractions (total P, PO4-P, and particulate P) in leachate following simulated rainfall events on undisturbed topsoil cores sampled 6–8 years after liming revealed lower total P and particulate P concentrations in both lime treatments compared to the untreated control. Two sugar beet trial sites with soil pH ≤7.2 before liming showed an increase in sugar yield for structure lime and ground limestone as an effect of increased concentration of soil potassium (K-AL) and/or lower Aphanomyces root rot potential compared to the untreated control. The yield of winter wheat was not affected by the application of either type of lime at sites with pH >7.2 but the yield of oilseed rape decreased after the application of structure lime.

This study aimed to investigate the multivariate relationship between the glycolytic potential, and meat quality traits from grass-fed steers carcasses with variations in early postmortem pH. From a contemporary group of steers (n=70) from the same production unit and slaughtered under similar conditions, thirty carcasses (10/group) were selected based on pH values measured at 3h (pH3h): Low (< 6.2), Intermediate pH3h (6.2–6.5), and High (> 6.5). Carcasses segregated by pH3h groups were different (p < 0.05) in muscular glycogen (MCG), glucose (G+G6P) content, glycolytic potential (GP) and GPstrict (GP without lactate content). The interaction pH3h groups × sampling time was significant only for lactate content (LC) (p < 0.05). Quality traits, except redness, did not vary (p > 0.05) among pH3h groups. Color variables had a positive and moderate correlation with MGC, G+G6P, LC, and GP. Results does not allow to recommend early carcass segregation by very early pH (3h postmortem); however, important bivariate and multivariate relationships between G+G6P, lactate content and instrumental color parameters in LL muscle from grass-fed cattle were demonstrated.

Two experiments were conducted under Northern European conditions to quantify dairy cow responses to variable grass silage quality and concentrate feed supplementation. Experiment 1 included 3 primary growth grass silages (early, intermediate and late maturity stage) supplemented with three concentrate levels (9, 12 and 15 kg d-1). Experiment 2 included three consecutive harvests (first, second and third harvest from the same sward within the growing season) and three levels of concentrate supplementation (9, 11 and 13 kg d-1). Dairy cows responded clearly to changes in the harvesting time of silage in primary growth (quadratic effect) and amount of concentrate (linear effect) in the diet in Experiment 1. Milk yield was the lowest with third harvest silage in Experiment 2, and responses to increasing concentrate allowance were linear. Interactions between silage quality and concentrate supplementation were detected in Experiment 1, where milk production responses to additional concentrate decreased with increasing silage digestibility. No interactions were found in Experiment 2, probably due to the small range of differences in nutritional quality between the silages prepared from different harvests. The results demonstrated that it is difficult to compensate for low silage digestibility by increasing the amount of concentrate. The variable ECM response (from –0.01 to 0.85 kg ECM per kg DM incremental concentrate in the diet) is explained by the concomitant decrease in silage intake and negative effect on diet neutral detergent fibre digestibility.

Winter rye (Secale cereale L.), one of the small-grain winter annuals, can be used as a cover crop for protection against soil erosion for absorption of unused soil nitrogen, and for cattle feed by preserving as silage. The experiment was conducted with the objective to evaluate the potential of the blend of homofermentative and hetero- and homofermentative lactic acid bacteria (LAB) as a rye silage additive. Early-cut rye (at boot stage, wilted) and whole-crop rye (at milk and soft dough stages of grain) were ensiled in laboratory mini-silos with (1) a blend of homofermentative LAB strains containing Lactobacillus plantarum (DSM26571), Enterococcus faecium (DSM22502), and Lactococcus lactis (NCIMB30117), (2) a blend of hetero- and homofermentative LAB strains containing Lactobacillus plantarum (DSM26571), Enterococcus faecium (DSM22502), and Lactobacillus buchneri (DSM22501), or (3) a blend of hetero- and homofermentative LAB strains containing Lactobacillus buchneri (DSM22501) and Lactococcus lactis (DSM11037). They were compared to ensiling without additive. After 60 days of fermentation at room temperature, mini-silos were opened, sampled for proximate analysis, forage hygiene, fermentation profile, and subjected to an aerobic stability (AS) test. Although the addition of homofermentative LAB strains was effective in reducing fermentation losses, it impaired the aerobic stability of rye silages. The combination of hetero- and homofermentative LAB strains was effective in reducing the aerobic deterioration of the rye silages by supporting a low pH value and inhibiting the proliferation of yeast and moulds.