• Taishu horses are an endangered Japanese breed whose genetics are insufficiently profiled. • Runs-of-homozygosity analysis indicated persistent and multi-generational inbreeding in the Taishu horse population. • Kinship estimation, MDS and GRM analyses revealed that all individuals formed one group. • We established the inbreeding status of Taishu horses, and our study methods potentially allow the identification of suitable candidates for introduction to this population. Taishu horses are an endangered Japanese breed facing challenges due to limited genetic diversity and insufficient profiling. In this study, we aimed to elucidate population genetics for this breed with a particular view to measures of inbreeding and relatedness that will support enhancement of the breed’s genetic diversity. We applied SNP-array techniques to assess inbreeding (runs of homozygosity [ROH], and F IS and F ROH indices) and relatedness (kinship, multi-dimensional scaling [MDS], and genetic relationship matrix [GRM]) in nearly all extant Taishu horses as of 2021 (n=48; age range: 1-27 years). Short ROH accounted for the majority of detected segments (22.75% of total ROH), while medium to very long ROH were present in all horses, indicating persistent, multi-generational inbreeding. Mean F IS and F ROH were -0.053 ± 0.098 and 0.194 ± 0.076, respectively. F IS and F ROH were broadly constant, irrespective of year of birth, which indicates a degree of success for the breeding program. Kinship, MDS, and GRM analyses identified close genetic relationships involving one horse of unknown pedigree and confirmed that all 48 individuals formed a single genetic cluster. This study establishes the inbreeding status of Taishu horses and demonstrates the utility of relatedness analyses, which could be used to evaluate suitable candidates for re-introduction into this population, and is of general interest to those involved in conservation efforts for other endangered equine breeds.

• BSFL oil can replace conventional vegetable oils in piglet diets without negative effects on growth performance. • The natural, age-driven development of the fecal microbiome was not disrupted by the inclusion of BSFL oil. • Our findings validate BSFL oil as a safe and sustainable alternative feed ingredient for practical swine production. Post-weaning (PW) is a stressful period in the early life of growing pigs. Changes in diet may cause a shift in microbiome composition of the gastrointestinal tract (GIT), with potential effects on piglet health. Here, we evaluate the effect of black soldier fly larvae (BSFL) oil, as a sustainable nutrient source, on growth performance and fecal microbiome composition in PW pigs. Two trials were conducted, with Trial 1 including 60 piglets,of which 40 were sampled for microbiome analysis, and Trial 2 involving 160 piglets, of which 122 were sampled. All piglets were approximately 21 days old, Topigs/Pietrain crossbreed, weighed over 5 kg, and both trials lasted 39 days post-weaning. To assess the impact of BSFL oil blend on microbiome composition, 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing was performed on fecal samples collected on day 11 and 26 in Trial 1, and day 11 and 42 in Trial 2. No direct effects of BSFL oil blend implementation were observed on pig general performance in terms of body weight (BW), average daily gain (ADG) and gain-to-feed ratio (G). Moreover, no difference in microbiome development was observed with BSFL oil blend relative to soy and palm kernel oil. These results indicate that BSFL oil is a valid alternative nutrient source for weaned pigs, as both performance and microbiome are unaffected.

• The paper presents an analysis of multiple aspects of economic performance of Mediterranean pastoral sheep farms. • Net profit is negative or low in most countries but pastoral farms have cost advantages as well as the potential to add value to their products. • Use of local resources, diversification and integration with other value chains imply good examples for increasing economic performance. • Family labor is the main source of workforce and more attractiveness is required to improve the situation for the sector. Driven by numerous factors, in the last decades a constant decline in pastoral systems is witnessed in numerous Mediterranean areas. Previous research has shown that pastoral systems share common features such as low productivity and low production costs even if the latter do not always counterbalance the former. However, in general little attention has been paid on the economic performance of pastoral farms and the analysis of main drivers of revenues and costs. In this paper, the economic performance of Mediterranean pastoral sheep farms is investigated with a view to provide a deeper understanding of strong and weak aspects in their operation and respond to common discussions about pastoralism and its future trajectories. The analysis is based on primary technical and economic data from pastoral farms rearing sheep from eight territories of seven Mediterranean countries (Greece, Croatia, Cyprus, Turkiye, France, Italy, Algeria). Typologies of pastoral sheep farms were developed in each territory based on criteria which were relevant and specific to each one of them. Then, using a questionnaire that was specifically designed for the activity, detailed technical and economic data were collected from representative farms from each type. The analysis revealed significant differences across countries and types in terms of farm organization structure, use of local resources and choice of activities, all of which are reflected in indicators of economic performance. The role of income support was very important in EU pastoral systems while for the non-EU countries local markets played a more important role for product sales. There is a need to support successful pastoral examples that can orient Mediterranean systems towards diversification and sustainable use of resources. An enabling policy framework and further research are required to promote well-informed discussions and policy making.