Abstract
The Vologda Region is a region with a well-developed dairy farming industry. High milk yields from cows cannot be achieved without the use of vitamin and mineral supplements in their diet, and the prevention of certain diseases. The aim of the review is to search for the information on pine needles-based products and implementation of those into the practice of productive animal husbandry as well as own research analysis for the period of 2018–2023. In recent years, the study on the use of pine needles and other waste products of coniferous timber processing (tar, coal, and resin) has intensified. According to the results of a patent search, pine needles in the form of pine flour and pine branches were widely used in the 1960s and 1980s. Currently, new technologies for processing fir, spruce, juniper, Scots pine, and larch needles are emerging. These include extraction, combination of needle extracts with other products (such as an aqueous infusion consisting of pine nut shells, pine needles, and arabinogalactan), production of solid-phase dispersed mechanocomposites, and the like. The products of needles processing are successfully used in agriculture, particularly in dairy farming. Moreover, these products are made from environmentally friendly raw materials. There were conducted tests of a coniferous feed additive based on pine needle extract in combination with various components (depending on the intended use). When used as a feed energy, vitamin, and mineral additive for cows during the transit period, the daily milk yield increased by 2.51–3.10 kg, resulting in a cost savings of 29.50–41.60 rubles per head per day. The use of phytoncidal coniferous ointment in the treatment of udder diseases has proven its therapeutic and economic effectiveness, depending on the diagnosis – within 111; 429; 698 rub/head. Treatment of cow metritis with a preparation based on pine tar led to a decrease in the insemination index by 0.2 and to 10 % higher number of surviving animals than in the control. The economic effect from the treatment of the experimental group was 1.9 times higher than in the control. In the experiment of treating parasitic diseases of cows (scabies mites), wounds, dermatitis and limb diseases, the costs were lower compared to the control by 40; 42–105 rub/head., respectively.