scholarly journals Keys to sustainable grazing : economic and environmental consequences of grazing strategies for dairy farms

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cindy Klootwijk
Keyword(s):  
Dairy Farms ◽  
Environmental Consequences ◽  
Sustainable Grazing ◽  
Grazing Strategies

Managing for rainfall variability: impacts of grazing strategies on perennial grass dynamics in a dry tropical savanna

2011 ◽  
Vol 33 (2) ◽  
pp. 209 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. M. Orr ◽  
P. J. O'Reagain
Keyword(s):  
Carrying Capacity ◽  
Rainfall Variability ◽  
Perennial Grasses ◽  
Heteropogon Contortus ◽  
Heavy Grazing ◽  
Average Rainfall ◽  
Sustainable Grazing ◽  
Grazing Strategies ◽  
The Impact

Rainfall variability remains a major challenge to sustainable grazing management in northern Australia with perennial grasses the key to the stability of the resources that maintain a sustainable grazing industry. This paper describes the dynamics of five perennial grasses – Bothriochloa ewartiana (Domin) C.E. Hubb., Chrysopogon fallax S.T. Blake, Aristida spp., Panicum effusum R. Br. and Heteropogon contortus (L.) P. Beauv. ex Roem. & Schult. in relation to three grazing strategies – moderate stocking at long-term carrying capacity, heavy stocking and rotational wet season spelling. The research was conducted in permanent quadrats on the predominant land type in an extensive grazing study in an Aristida-Bothriochloa pasture in north Australia between 1998 and 2010. Summer rainfall was above average for two periods – 1998 – 2001 and 2008 – 2010 with drought and below-average rainfall from 2002 to 2007. Low rainfall affected the dynamics of all grasses by reducing survival and basal area through its effect on plant size; this impact was most noticeable for the shorter-lived Aristida spp., P. effusum and H. contortus. The impact of grazing was greatest on the long-lived B. ewartiana and C. fallax; this effect was accentuated by the 2002–07 drought. Heavy grazing during this period further reduced the survival and size of B. ewartiana in comparison with the moderate stocking and rotational spell treatments. In contrast, the survival of C. fallax was reduced in the moderate stocking and rotational spelling treatment during drought, relative to that under heavy grazing. The density of B. ewartiana declined even under moderate grazing and despite two sequences of above-average rainfall because seedling recruitment failed to offset mature plant death. Results from this study emphasised the importance of maintaining the existing populations of key long-lived species such as B. ewartiana through good management. These results also supported the overall findings from the grazing study indicating that stocking at the long-term carrying capacity is sustainable in managing for climate variability.

ENVIRONMENTAL CONSEQUENCES OF SPECIALIZATION OF FARMS

2018 ◽  
Vol XX (2) ◽  
pp. 65-71
Author(s):  
Adam Harasim
Keyword(s):  
Water Pollution ◽  
Organic Matter ◽  
Stocking Density ◽  
Dairy Farms ◽  
Ecological Indicators ◽  
Environmental Consequences ◽  
Field Crops ◽  
Arable Field ◽  
Pig Farms ◽  
The Impact

The aim of the study was to determine the impact of various types of farms on the environment. The research was carried out in the years 2011-2016 on farms grouped according to the leading production direction. The assessment of the environmental impact of farms was made on the basis of 10 agro-ecological indicators. Pig farms, which were characterized by unfavorable (excessive) balances of nutrients and soil organic matter were the greatest threat to the environment (due to water pollution). Farms with arable field crops contributed to lowering soil fertility as they had the negative balances of nutrients. Farms with a mixed production profile and dairy farms with optimal stocking density (about 1 LU /ha UAA ) were the smallest threat to the environment and fertility of soils.

scholarly journals Dutch dairy farms after milk quota abolition: Economic and environmental consequences of a new manure policy

2016 ◽  
Vol 99 (10) ◽  
pp. 8384-8396 ◽  
Author(s):  
C.W. Klootwijk ◽  
C.E. Van Middelaar ◽  
P.B.M. Berentsen ◽  
I.J.M. de Boer
Keyword(s):  
Dairy Farms ◽  
Environmental Consequences

scholarly journals Economic and environmental consequences of different governmental policies to reduce N losses on dairy farms

1994 ◽  
Vol 42 (1) ◽  
pp. 11-19
Author(s):  
P.B.M. Berentsen ◽  
G.W.J. Giesen
Keyword(s):  
Programming Model ◽  
Financial Incentive ◽  
Dairy Farms ◽  
Legal Regulation ◽  
Ammonia Emission ◽  
Feed Ratio ◽  
Farm Income ◽  
N Losses ◽  
Environmental Consequences ◽  
Run Off

Dairy farming contributes substantially to Dutch environmental problems. In this paper the central issue is to quantify the consequences of four government environmental policies on labour income and losses of nitrogen on dairy farms situated on sandy soil. Two policies impose a legal regulation and two impose a financial incentive to farmers. A linear programming model is used to model some typical dairy farms. The most important decision variables affecting nitrogen use and nitrogen losses are: the animal density on the farm, the feed ratio of the cows and young stock, the method and length of storing manure, the method of applying manure to the land, whether the land is used for grassland or fodder crops and the level of nitrogen application on grassland. The results show net farm income decreases (excluding levies paid) on the intensive farm up to Dfl 13 910 (17%). N losses on this farm decrease up to 283 kg/ha (54%). Finally, it appears from the results that it is much more expensive to reduce ammonia emission than to reduce the same amount of other N losses (leaching and run-off).

337. Occupational Health Services Showing Effect on Finnish Dairy Farms

1999 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. Kalliokoski ◽  
J. Kangas ◽  
M. Kotimaa ◽  
K. Louhelainen
Keyword(s):  
Occupational Health ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Dairy Farms ◽  
Occupational Health Services

Effects of integrated cropping and pasture renewal on the performance and profit of dairy farms

2010 ◽  
pp. 29-34
Author(s):  
J.R. Bryant ◽  
M.G. Lambert ◽  
R. Brazendale ◽  
C.W. Holmes ◽  
T.J. Fraser
Keyword(s):  
Dairy Farms ◽  
Forage Crops

Pasture renewal on the milking platform of dairy farms may or may not involve growing forage crops in the transition from old to new pasture.

Automatic Milking Systems: an option to address the labour shortage on New Zealand dairy farms?

2002 ◽  
pp. 39-43
Author(s):  
J.G. Jago ◽  
M.W. Woolford
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Dairy Industry ◽  
Research Programme ◽  
Working Hours ◽  
Dairy Farms ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Labour Shortage ◽  
Commercial Farms ◽  
Grazing Systems ◽  
Automatic Milking Systems

There is a growing shortage of labour within the dairy industry. To address this the industry needs to attract more people and/or reduce the labour requirements on dairy farms. Current milk harvesting techniques contribute to both the labour requirements and the current labour shortage within the industry as the process is labour-intensive and necessitates long and unsociable working hours. Automated milking systems (AMS) have been in operation, albeit on a small scale, on commercial farms in Europe for a decade and may have the potential to address labour issues within the New Zealand dairy industry. A research programme has been established (The Greenfield Project) which aims to determine the feasibility of automated milking under New Zealand dairying conditions. A Fullwoods MERLIN AMS has been installed on a protoype farmlet and is successfully milking a small herd of 41 cows. Progress from the prototype Greenfields system offers considerable potential for implementing AMS in extensive grazing systems. Keywords: automated milking systems, dairy cattle, grazing, labour

An evaluation of a strategic de-stocking regime for dairying to improve nitrogen efficiency and reduce nitrate leaching from dairy farms in nitrate-sensitive areas

2000 ◽  
pp. 105-110
Author(s):  
Cecile De Klein ◽  
Jim Paton ◽  
Stewart Ledgard
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Nitrate Leaching ◽  
Management Practice ◽  
Field Measurements ◽  
Dairy Farms ◽  
Nitrogen Efficiency ◽  
Management Tool ◽  
Pasture Production ◽  
Leaching Losses ◽  
Sensitive Areas

Strategic de-stocking in winter is a common management practice on dairy farms in Southland, New Zealand, to protect the soil against pugging damage. This paper examines whether this practice can also be used to reduce nitrate leaching losses. Model analyses and field measurements were used to estimate nitrate leaching losses and pasture production under two strategic de-stocking regimes: 3 months off-farm or 5 months on a feed pad with effluent collected and applied back to the land. The model analyses, based on the results of a long-term farmlet study under conventional grazing and on information for an average New Zealand farm, suggested that the 3- or 5-month de-stocking could reduce nitrate leaching losses by about 20% or 35-50%, respectively compared to a conventional grazing system. Field measurements on the Taieri Plain in Otago support these findings, although the results to date are confounded by drought conditions during the 1998 and 1999 seasons. The average nitrate concentration of the drainage water of a 5-month strategic de-stocking treatment was about 60% lower than under conventional grazing. Pasture production of the 5-month strategic de-stocking regime with effluent return was estimated based on data for apparent N efficiency of excreta patches versus uniformlyspread farm dairy effluent N. The results suggested that a strategic de-stocking regime could increase pasture production by about 2 to 8%. A cost/ benefit analysis of the 5-month de-stocking system using a feed pad, comparing additional capital and operational costs with additional income from a 5% increase in DM production, show a positive return on capital for an average New Zealand dairy farm. This suggests that a strategic destocking system has good potential as a management tool to reduce nitrate leaching losses in nitrate sensitive areas whilst being economically viable, particularly on farms where an effluent application system or a feed pad are already in place. Keywords: dairying, feed pads, nitrate leaching, nitrogen efficiency, productivity, strategic de-stocking

SCIENTIFIC APPROACHES TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF GUIDELINES FOR GREENING THE STEPPE AGRO-TECHNOLOGIES BASED ON SMART DIGITAL AGRICULTURE

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Y.A. Gulyanov ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Digital Technology ◽  
Agricultural Technologies ◽  
Environmental Consequences ◽  
Digital Agriculture

The article discusses the scientific approaches to the development of promising ways of greening steppe agricultural technologies aimed at the leveling of a trench heterogeneity with the use of intelligent digital technology. In order to minimize negative environmental consequences, the necessity of carrying out a complex of rehabilitation agrotechnical measures that have a soil-restoring and environmentimproving effect is justified.

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