The number of weaned piglets per sow and year is a good measurement of sow productivity since it is affected by the number of piglets born alive, the pre weaning mortality (i.e. mortality of live born piglets between birth and weaning) and the number of litters per sow and year. This measure is also closely connected to the number of piglets produced per year, which partly determines the profitability of the piglet producer. During this study, eleven successful piglet-producing herds were visited. Eight of the producers were Swedish and three of the producers were Danish.

In organic animal production, synthetic amino acids are not allowed. Therefore, a higher level of crude protein is needed in the diet to pigs, which lead to more nitrogen (N) excreted in the faeces and urine. N can be emitted to the air in the form of e.g. ammonia (NH3), which contributes to eutrophication and acidification and as nitrous oxide (N2O), which is a very potent greenhouse gas. The emission of N can be reduced by e.g.

The choice of harvest date for leys is one of the most important factors affecting the size and quality of the harvest. An early harvest gives a high nutritive value while a late harvest gives larger quantity. Today?s aim to produce high nutritive leys gives early harvest dates both in primary growth and regrowth in northern part of Sweden. The consequence is a growth in the autumn, a "third harvest".The aim of this master thesis was to study the effects of different harvesting systems and their effect on size, feed quality, wintering and economy for conditions in the northern part of Sweden.

The choice of harvest date for leys is one of the most important factors affecting the size and quality of the harvest. An early harvest gives a high nutritive value while a late harvest gives larger quantity. Today?s aim to produce high nutritive leys gives early harvest dates both in primary growth and regrowth in northern part of Sweden. The consequence is a growth in the autumn, a "third harvest".The aim of this master thesis was to study the effects of different harvesting systems and their effect on size, feed quality, wintering and economy for conditions in the northern part of Sweden.

In the country of Jordan, egg production is very important economically, but several bacte-ria are involved in food borne diseases transmitted from eggs or other poultry products. The most important are Salmonella spp., Campylobacter jejuni and Escherichia coli. In Jordan two different housing systems are used for hens in large scale egg production; con-ventional cages and litter floor systems. Eggs from four different farms were analysed and compared to see if a difference could be found regarding the presence of pathogenic bacte-ria on the egg surfaces between these two systems. Total number of aerobic bacteria was analysed, the presence of Salmonella spp., C.

Half of Sweden?s 140 000-150 000 sows are culled and replaced by 75 000 gilts annually. Culling of old sows is necessary and allows new breeding material to enter the herd. However, many of the culled sows are young, and have not yet become profitable at the time for culling. Therefore, it is an important question for the pig industry, how to raise gilts to sows with a high and sustainable production level.

Barren rearing environment and early weaning of piglets can lead to a high level of distress, behavioural disturbances and reduction in weight gain. The main aim of this thesis was to study the effects of potential enrichment objects on piglet?s behaviour and weight gain during the pre- and post-weaning period. The second aim was to examine what type of object stimulated the highest frequency of interaction. The study was carried out at the Swedish Livestock Research Centre in Lövsta where a batch of litters from 10 first-parity Yorkshire sows were used.

Campylopus introflexus is a moss species that originates from the southern hemisphere and has spread worldwide during the 20th century. Today it is classified as an invasive alien species in many countries, and it has been seen during inventories that it has become widespread in Sweden as well. The purpose of this essay is to contribute to new knowledge about how this moss affects species diversity on Calluna heathlands in Sweden. The study includes both fieldwork and an analysis of scientific literature on the subject, and the question that is answered is if C. introflexus has an impact on species richness in the heather peat.

Mechanization of Swedish agriculture started in the beginning of the twentieth century, to be able to have more animals without raising the number of employers. The horse business has not by far kept up with these cost savings solutions. Cleaning out stables and feeding horses are the most time-consuming tasks in horse stables today. The most common way to clean out the stable is still by shovel and wheelbarrow. The clean out process can easily be mechanized through semi- permanently beds with movable walls between the boxes so that the litter can be removed by a tractor or a loader.

Burnt alun shale and lime is the residual product that was formed when alun shale was used as fuel to convert limestone to quick lime. The material contains arsenic, vanadium, molybdenum, cadmium, nickel, lead, and uranium among other elements. The aim of this paper is to examine the uptake of trace elements in vegetables grown on burnt alun shale and lime to determine whether or not the surrounding environment and humans are exposed to these elements by eating plant products. A cultivation trial was carried out where onion, carrot, and lettuce were grown on three mounds of burnt alun shale and lime in the Falköping area in Sweden. The treatments were burnt alun shale and lime mixed with peat, only burnt alun shale and lime, and a reference soil. The reference plots were natural soil mixed with peat adjacent to the mounds.

Landfill leachate contains a variety of contaminants and is created when rainwater percolates the landfill. For landfill management the leachate is the main issue that can cause problems to the environment. At the landfill of Fläskebo, Renova AB treats the leachate in a local treatment plant. The treatment consists of a chemical treatment step with chemical precipitation, flocculation, sedimentation and filtration, and a final step with a carbon and peat filter. Renova has to ensure that the condition of the leachate reaches the regulation set for the landfill before it is released to the recipient.

Fertilitetsegenskaper har ofta låga arvbarheter och selektion baserat på fenotyp är ofta ineffektiv och långsam. För att förbättra fertilitetsegenskaper som ovulationsmängd och kullstorlek hos får är det effektivast att selektera avelsdjur utefter deras genotyp. Olika mutationer i gener tillhörande transforming growth factor-? (TGF?) superfamiljen har visat sig påverka ovulationsmängd och kullstorlek hos får. Dessa gener är BMPR-1B, BMP15 och GDF9.

Hemoglobin is built up from protein and heme groups which give the blood its red colour . Hemoglobin transports oxygen and carbon dioxide between the lungs and other tissues in the body. Normally, a piglet has a hemoglobin value of 130-150 gram per liter blood, and the lower limit before anaemia appears is 80 grams per liter blood. The immune defense is also dependent upon the presence of iron in hemoglobin, since iron participates in different enzyme systems. When the piglet develops anaemia, it becomes pale and thicker around the neck.

Decomposition of organic matter is a critical process in the ecosystem, which involves many essential biotic and physical parts. Decomposition is therefore an important process both above and below ground. The rate of decomposition is dependent of many environmental factors for example: pH, moisture and supply of oxygen. The decomposition can therefore be affected by large scaled environmental influences, such as acidification and climatic changes. The root litter in the forest is in different ways affected by acidification, liming and manuering.

Heath star moss (Campylopus introflexus) is an alien species in Sweden and is currently classified as composing a "very high risk? of becoming invasive in the country according to SLU, and has in several parts of the world taken over large areas in a short time. The moss is characterized by its preference for disturbed and burned land, something that occurs on the heathland in the Sandsj?backa nature reserve, when burning for nature conservation purposes is carried out annually. Sandsj?backa's heathland is a valuable ecosystem and is one of the few heathlands in a favorable condition that remains in Sweden after strong reforms in modern agriculture in the last century, which led to forest succession of these cultural environments.