Nutrition Strategies in Ruminants in a Changing Climate: International Academic Exchange at the Agricultural University – Plovdiv

On May 28, 2025, an open lecture was held by Prof. Dr. Augusto Lanza from the "Instituto Politécnico de Beja" - Portugal, organized by the Department of Animal Sciences of the Faculty of Agronomy on the occasion of the 80th anniversary of the Agricultural University.
The lecture was on the topic: "Nutrition Strategies in Ruminants in a Changing Climate".

The event was attended by AU students from the specialties "Animal Engineering", "Animal Engineering with Information Technologies", "Agronomy (Field Cultivation)", farmers and scientists from other universities and institutions. 

Prof. Lanza pointed out the challenges facing feed production and animal nutrition in the face of accelerated climate change. These changes require new methods and approaches to pasture animal husbandry. 

In particular, increasing priority is being given to indigenous plant species traditionally associated with the raising of specific species and breeds of animals. Currently, in countries such as Portugal and some parts of Africa, so-called "ethnobotanical" groups of plants have been formed, which are found in certain geographical areas and are an important resource for pastoral livestock farming. Special attention is paid to local breeds that evolve in parallel with the environment and have a high adaptive capacity to local conditions. 
Prof. Lanza demonstrated possible strategies for maintaining pastures in dry regions and seasons with scarce rainfall. In the expected future of increasingly noticeable negative climate change, farmers will continue to rely on science and research as an integral part of agroecosystem management.