Special Issue on “Toward Sustainable Sheep Production Systems: Integrating Genetics, Welfare, Health, Reproduction, Management and Product Quality”

Editorial committee:

- Dr. Georgget Banchero, gbanchero@inia.org.uy, Investigadora Principal Referente, Sistema Agrícola Ganadero, Instituto Nacional de Investigación Agropecuaria, Uruguay, https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1146-3612

- Dr. Ignacio De Barbieri, idebarbieri@inia.org.uy, Investigador Principal, Sistema Ganadero Extensivo, Instituto Nacional de Investigación Agropecuaria, Uruguay, https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0799-424X

- Prof. Paul Kenyon, P.R.Kenyon@massey.ac.nz, Head of School, School of Agriculture & Environment, Massey University, New Zealand, https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1131-0736

- Dr. Elize van Lier, evanlier@fagro.edu.uy, Profesora titular, Departamento de Producción Animal y Pasturas, Facultad de Agronomía, Universidad de la República, Uruguay, https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1510-0456

Brief background:

Over the past two decades, sheep research has gained renewed global relevance, driven by the need for more efficient, resilient, and sustainable production systems in the face of climate change and the growing demand for animal-derived foods. In this context, both quantitative genetics and genomics have played complementary and increasingly integrated roles, enabling a deeper understanding of complex traits such as feed efficiency, disease resistance, environmental adaptation, and greenhouse gas emissions (including nutritional, physiological, and management-related components, beyond genetic control). Advances in genetic evaluation, supported by genomic information, have accelerated selection responses and improved the accuracy of breeding programs across

diverse production systems, from intensive operations to extensive pastoral systems, with a more holistic integration of phenotype, genotype, and environment.

At the same time, research on wool and meat production has evolved toward a more comprehensive perspective focused on quality and value addition. In wool, studies have deepened the understanding of key attributes such as fiber diameter, staple strength, and uniformity, linking them to both genetic background and nutritional and environmental management. In meat production, research has prioritized sensory quality, fatty acid composition, and feed conversion efficiency, in response to increasingly discerning consumers. Moreover, animal welfare and health have become central themes, with emphasis on stress mitigation, reduced reliance on antimicrobials, positive welfare, and the development of preventive strategies, including vaccination and genetic selection for parasite resistance.

Finally, reproduction and production systems have been key areas for improving overall efficiency in the sheep sector. Advances in reproductive biotechnologies, estrous cycle control, and management of prolificacy have enabled greater precision in production planning, while increasing attention has been paid to lamb survival as a critical determinant of system productivity, focusing on maternal traits, neonatal vigor, and perinatal management. In parallel, systems-level research has incorporated the strategic use of pastures as a central component of sustainable sheep production, emphasizing grazing management, forage diversity, and pasture–animal interactions to enhance efficiency and ecosystem services. This systemic perspective integrates productive, economic, and environmental dimensions—including carbon footprint and resource-use efficiency—and is essential for designing sheep production models capable of adapting to changing conditions while contributing to food security and ecosystem conservation.

We invite researchers and practitioners to contribute original articles to this Special Issue: Toward Sustainable Sheep Production Systems: Integrating Genetics, Welfare, Health, Reproduction, Management and Product Quality."

Topics of interest for this special issue include:

- Genetics

- Reproduction

- Wool & Meat

- Health

- Welfare & Behaviour

- Production Systems

Submissions for this special issue are due on September 30, 2026, at 16:00 (Uruguay time)

Manuscript submission information

Full manuscripts should be submitted by the deadline through our platform https://agrocienciauruguay.uy, indicating in the note to the editor that they are intended for the Special Issue. Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere. All manuscripts will undergo a double-blind peer-review process. Authors must use the journal template to submit their manuscript. Submitted papers must be written in English only, as the special issue will be published exclusively in English.. Accepted papers will be published altogether during the first semester of 2027.

Agrociencia Uruguay is edited and funded by the Agronomy College (FAgro), Universidad de la República (Udelar), in collaboration with the National Institute of Agricultural Research (INIA) of Uruguay. It is a diamond open-access journal with no article processing charges (APCs) and is indexed in Scopus, AmeliCA, SciELO, among others.

Call for Authors to Publish in a Special Issue of the Agrociencia Uruguay Journal. 

The academic and professional journal, Agrociencia Uruguay (https://agrocienciauruguay.uy/), boasts over 25 years of experience in publishing advances and experiences in agricultural sciences. Its mission is to foster progress, communication, and exchange within the field. Recently indexed in Scopus, the journal accepts articles in English, Spanish, and Portuguese.

The target audience includes researchers and producers in agricultural sciences, as well as anyone interested in the subject. The journal covers a wide range of disciplines within agricultural sciences, including agroecology, plant and microbial biotechnology, forestry and landscape management, social sciences, rural sociology and agrarian economics, animal production and pastures, plant production, plant protection, natural and environmental resources, and food technology.

Agrociencia Uruguay Iis edited and financed by the Agronomy College (FAgro), Universidad de la República (Udelar), in collaboration with the National Institute of Agricultural Research (INIA) of Uruguay.

In 2024, a special issue titled "RECENT ADVANCES IN DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION IN THE AGRICULTURAL SECTOR" will be prepared and published.

This issue aims to disseminate research promoting precision agriculture in Uruguay and the region, focusing on the impact of new technologies, Industry 4.0, and digital farming. The goal is to encourage Uruguay's active participation in the global shift towards technological advancements in agriculture.

 Authors are invited to submit scientific articles, reviews, or technical notes in four sections:

1. New Technologies and Digital Methodologies Applied to the Agricultural Sector

2. AGRO 4.0: Optimization of Productivity and Rational Resource Management

3. Plant and Animal Phenotyping

4. Research in Agrogenomics

Key dates:

Submission of work abstracts (optional but recommended): Until March 1, 2024

Expression of intention to participate (Title and section of the work): Until March 1, 2024

Acceptance notification: April 1, 2024

Submission of full articles for review: Until June 1, 2024

Instructions for abstract format can be found at this link. You can download the template for submitting the abstract proposal from this link. For inquiries or abstract submissions, authors can send a message to: agrociencia@fagro.edu.uy 

Manuscript submission information:

Authors are encouraged to send a title and an abstract (up to 300 words) to the Guest Editors and agrociencia@fagro.edu.uy for a pre-check (optional but recommended). Full manuscripts should be submitted by the deadline to agrociencia@fagro.edu.uy. Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously nor be under consideration elsewhere. All manuscripts will undergo a thorough double-blind peer-review process. The journals template should be used for manuscript submission, and papers can be written in Spanish, English, or Portuguese, with English being highly recommended. Authors may utilize Agrociencia Uruguay´s translation service (USD 200 or USD 156 for Uruguayan authors) before publication. Accepted papers will be collectively published in the second semester of 2024, and there is no charge for publication (APC free).

Editorial committee:

Mercedes Fourment  
Universidad de la República, Facultad de Agronomía, Departamento de Producción Vegetal, Uruguay

Guadalupe Tiscornia  
Instituto Nacional de Investigación Agropecuaria (INIA Uruguay), Área de sistemas de información y transformación digital (GRAS), Uruguay

Hervé Quénol  
Université Rennes 2, LETG-UMR 6554 CNRS, France

 Key dates:

Deadline for abstract submission: 30/11/2023
Deadline for author notification: 10/01/2024
Deadline for manuscript submission: 30/04/2024

Contents

The vulnerability of actual agroecosystems presents a pressing need to evaluate the consequences of climate change and variability. In terms of adaptation of agricultural production, it becomes imperative to develop and implement management measures that ensure the sustainability of these systems. Additionally, enhancing the resilience of agroecosystems is crucial to enable their ability to respond, reorganize, and preserve their fundamental functions, identity, and structure, while concurrently augmenting their adaptive capacity. Moreover, from a mitigation perspective, it is essential to establish agroecosystems that effectively minimize or offset greenhouse gas emissions.

This Special Issue on “challenges and opportunities for adaptations and mitigations of the agricultural sector to climate change and variability” of the journal Agrociencia Uruguay (http://agrocienciauruguay.uy/) is designed to highlight the contribution of science to the development of the adaptation and mitigation of the agricultural sector in a changing climate.

Potential topics include, but are not limited to:

1. Assessing climate change and variability
2. Impact of climate change and variability on annual and perennial crops
3. Impact of climate change and variability on animal production
4. Strategy for adapting and mitigating agrosystems to climate change

Manuscript submission information:

• Authors are invited to send a title and an abstract up to 300 words long to the Guest Editors and agrociencia@fagro.edu.uy for a pre-check (optional but recommended).
• Full manuscripts should be submitted by the deadline to agrociencia@fagro.edu.uy. Please, use the journal template to submit your manuscript.
• Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere.
• Submitted papers can be written in Spanish, English, or Portuguese, although, English is highly recommended.
• Authors may use Agrociencia Uruguay´s translation service prior to publication. For further information, please send an e-mail to agrociencia@fagro.edu.uy.
• All manuscripts will undergo a thorough double-blind peer-review process.
• Accepted papers will be published altogether during the second semester of 2024.
• The publication of the article is free of charge (APC free).