scholarly journals Using a whole farm model linked to the APSIM suite to predict production, profit and N leaching for next generation dairy systems in the Canterbury region of New Zealand

2011 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
N Leaching ◽  
Next Generation ◽  
Farm Model ◽  
Dairy Systems

scholarly journals The Carbon Footprint of Energy Consumption in Pastoral and Barn Dairy Farming Systems: A Case Study from Canterbury, New Zealand

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (17) ◽  
pp. 4809 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hafiz Muhammad Abrar Ilyas ◽  
Majeed Safa ◽  
Alison Bailey ◽  
Sara Rauf ◽  
Marvin Pangborn
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Carbon Footprint ◽  
Dairy Farming ◽  
Carbon Footprints ◽  
Energy Inputs ◽  
Study Results ◽  
Feed Supplements ◽  
Dairy Systems ◽  
Milk Solids ◽  
On Farm

Dairy farming is constantly evolving to more intensive systems of management, which involve more consumption of energy inputs. The consumption of these energy inputs in dairy farming contributes to climate change both with on-farm emissions from the combustion of fossil fuels, and by off-farm emissions due to production of farm inputs (such as fertilizer, feed supplements). The main purpose of this research study was to evaluate energy-related carbon dioxide emissions, the carbon footprint, of pastoral and barn dairy systems located in Canterbury, New Zealand. The carbon footprints were estimated based on direct and indirect energy sources. The study results showed that, on average, the carbon footprints of pastoral and barn dairy systems were 2857 kgCO2 ha−1 and 3379 kgCO2 ha−1, respectively. For the production of one tonne of milk solids, the carbon footprint was 1920 kgCO2 tMS−1 and 2129 kgCO2 tMS−1, respectively. The carbon emission difference between the two systems indicates that the barn system has 18% and 11% higher carbon footprint than the pastoral system, both per hectare of farm area and per tonne of milk solids, respectively. The greater carbon footprint of the barn system was due to more use of imported feed supplements, machinery usage and fossil fuel (diesel and petrol) consumption for on-farm activities.

The potential of diverse pastures to reduce nitrogen leaching on New Zealand dairy farms

2014 ◽  
Vol 54 (12) ◽  
pp. 1971 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. C. Beukes ◽  
P. Gregorini ◽  
A. J. Romera ◽  
S. L. Woodward ◽  
E. N. Khaembah ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
System Analysis ◽  
Dilution Effect ◽  
Dairy Farms ◽  
Water Soluble ◽  
Scale Model ◽  
Soluble Carbohydrate ◽  
N Leaching ◽  
Protein Ratio ◽  
Total N

The largest contributor to nitrogen (N) leaching from ryegrass-clover pasture based dairy farms is the surplus feed N excreted as urinary N (UN) onto pastures. Pastures consisting of mixtures of ryegrass, herbs and legumes (diverse pastures) have shown potential to yield similar DM, but with a lower N content and a higher water soluble carbohydrate : crude protein ratio compared with standard ryegrass–clover pastures. These diverse pastures have shown the potential to lower the UN excreted by dairy cows in short-term, late-lactation studies. This modelling study was designed to scale the results from component studies up to farm and over a full season to evaluate the potential of diverse pastures to become a suitable strategy for reducing N leaching on New Zealand dairy farms. The Molly cow model was tested against observed data from one indoor and one outdoor study where feeding diverse pasture resulted in UN (N excreted in urine g/day) reductions of 50% and 17%, respectively. The model predicted UN reductions of 23% and 17%. Farm-scale model scenarios, where 20% or 50% of the farm was sown with diverse pastures, resulted in 2% and 6% reductions in UN deposited onto paddocks. This reduction was smaller than expected with some system interactions related to seasonal feed supply, diet composition and total N intake being likely to play a role. The reduction in UN onto paddocks, together with a dilution effect from larger urine volumes per cow per day as a result of lower DM% of diverse pastures, resulted in N leaching reductions of 11% and 19% for the two scenarios, respectively. This potential to reduce N leaching needs to be evaluated further in the context of farm profitability when other aspects of diverse pastures such as yield, persistency, drought resistance and ability to extract N from the soil becomes part of the farm-system analysis.

scholarly journals Comparative environmental impacts of intensive all-grass and maize silage-supplemented dairy farm systems: a review

2007 ◽  
pp. 137-143
Author(s):  
I.D. Williams ◽  
S.F. Ledgard ◽  
G.O. Edmeades ◽  
R.J. Densley
Keyword(s):  
Dairy Farm ◽  
N Leaching ◽  
Maize Silage ◽  
Dairy Farmers ◽  
Low Protein ◽  
Matter Production ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Dairy Systems ◽  
On Farm ◽  
Stocking Rates

Abstract New Zealand dairy farmers are lifting stocking rates and increasing available feed through nitrogen (N) fertiliser applications to pasture, growing maize for silage and other supplementary crops for silage or grazing on-farm, and/or procuring feed supplements off-farm. This has raised concerns about the possibility of increased risk of nutrient losses to waterways and the atmosphere. This paper reviews NZ and overseas data on the integration of maize silage into dairy systems. Maize silage is a low protein forage which helps optimise animal protein intake and reduces N loss. Maize silage-supplemented dairy farms leached more nitrogen per hectare but less per kg milksolids (MS) than intensive all-grass systems. Feeding maize silage on a feedpad and spreading the resulting effluent uniformly over the farm further reduces N leaching. In the Resource Efficient Dairying (RED) trial, total emissions of nitrous oxide (N2O, a potent greenhouse gas) for the maize-supplemented farmlet was 14% lower on a per hectare basis and 22% lower on a kg MS basis than the all-grass system when both received 170 kg N/ha as urea. The increases in maize dry matter production in response to incremental additions of N and water, where production is constrained by these inputs, can be 2-3 times greater than that for pasture. Using a feed and stand-off pad and managing maize growing through minimising tillage effects, determining soil N status at planting and timing N applications appropriately further reduce the environmental impact of maize silage-based dairy systems. Keywords: all-grass, environment, greenhouse gases, intensive dairy systems, maize silage, nitrates

scholarly journals Implications of increased use of brought-in feeds on potential environmental effects of dairy farms in Waikato

2017 ◽  
Vol 79 ◽  
pp. 139-145
Author(s):  
S.F. Ledgard ◽  
N.L. Bartlett ◽  
P.J. Van Boheemen ◽  
B.R. Wilton ◽  
S.B. Allen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
New Zealand ◽  
Carbon Footprint ◽  
Environmental Effects ◽  
Dairy Farms ◽  
N Leaching ◽  
Nutrient Efficiency ◽  
High Feed ◽  
On Farm ◽  
Farm System

Abstract The effects of increased use of brought-in feeds were evaluated across 25 dairy farms in central Waikato. Farms were classified into low, medium and high feedinput categories based on 1200 kg DM/cow, covering a range typical of that in the main dairying regions of New Zealand. Average milksolids (MS)/ha was 1087 and 1900 kg in the low and high feed-input categories, but total land-use/tonne MS was the same when all off-farm land was accounted for. Average estimated on-farm nitrogen (N) leaching increased from 26 to 30 kg N/ha/year between the low and high feed-input categories, but off-farm leaching sources were equivalent to an increase of 20 and 84%, respectively. Greenhouse gas emissions/on-farm hectare were 61% higher on high feed-input farms, but the carbon footprint and N leaching per tonne MS were similar across feed-input categories. High feed-input farms used feed-pads and increased effluent area (66 versus 21% of farm) to increase nutrient efficiency. Mitigation analyses indicated that N leaching could be decreased by optimising effluent area, reducing N fertiliser rate and utilising low-N feeds. Keywords: nitrogen leaching, whole farm system, greenhouse gases, land use

Drying-off thinner cows earlier in late lactation - is it beneficial?

2004 ◽  
pp. 177-181
Author(s):  
J.D. Morton ◽  
S.D. Mcbride
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Production Condition ◽  
Early Lactation ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Condition Score ◽  
Normal Feeding ◽  
Dairy Systems ◽  
High Level

In New Zealand dairy systems, cows usually lose condition in early lactation, when their feed demand is high, to buffer milksolids (MS) production. Condition score (CS) at calving is influenced by drying-off date and CS at drying-off. In late-March, two groups of cows with average CS 4.5 were dried off early and offered normal (13 kg DM/cow/day) and high (26 kg DM/cow/day) pasture feeding allowances. Another group of average CS 4.5 was offered 26 kg DM/cow/ day and dried-off late (mid-May). Two more groups with average CS 5.1 were offered normal (26 kg DM/ cow/day) and high (52 kg DM/cow/day) allowances and also dried-off late. From late-March to mid-May, dry cows fed at the high level gained about twice as much condition as normally fed dry cows (+1.5 vs +0.7 CS). The late dried-off cows at initial CS 4.5 and 5.1 had a gain in CS (0.3 units) or maintained condition respectively under normal feeding, but gained 0.4 CS under high feeding. In late lactation, there was no significant difference in MS production (P

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