Implementing innovative farm management practices on dairy farms: a review of feeding systems

The Australian dairy industry relies primarily on pasture for its feed supply. However, the variability in rainfall negatively affects plant growth, leading to uncertainty in dryland feed supply, especially during periods of high milk price. New feeding (complementary) systems combining perennial ryegrass with another crop and/or pasture species may have the potential to mitigate this seasonal risk and improve productivity and profitability by providing off-season feed. To date, the majority of research studying the integration of alternative crops into pasture-based systems has focused on substitution and utilization of alternative feed sources. There has been little emphasis on the impacts of integration of forage crops into pasture-based systems. This review focuses on pasture-based feeding systems in southeastern Australia and how transitioning of systems contributes to improved productivity leading to improved profitability for dairy farmers.

Anahtar Kelimeler:

Australia, dairy, double-cropping, feeding system, pasture-based, profitability

Implementing innovative farm management practices on dairy farms: a review of feeding systems

Keywords:

Australia, dairy, double-cropping, feeding system, pasture-based, profitability,

PDF

___

Dairy Australia. Australian Dairy Industry in Focus 2013. Mel- bourne, Australia: Dairy Australia; 2013.
Edwards G. The story of deregulation in the dairy industry. Aust J Agr Res Econ 2003; 47: 75–98.
Dharma S. Australian Dairy: Financial Performance of Dairy Producing Farms, 2008–09 to 2010–11, ABARES Report Pre- pared for Dairy Australia. Canberra, Australia: Australian Bu- reau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences; 2011.
Doyle PT, Stockdale CR, Lawson AR, Cohen DC. Pastures for Dairy Production in Victoria. 2nd ed. Kyabram, Australia: De- partment of Natural Resources and Environment; 2000.
Dharma S, Shafron W, Oliver M. Australian Dairy: Farm Tech- nology and Management Practices 2010–11. Canberra, Austra- lia: Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences; 2012.
Fulkerson WJ, Doyle P. The Australian Dairy Industry. Mel- bourne, Australia: Department of Natural Resources and Envi- ronment; 2001.
Özkan Ş. A systems approach evaluating alternative dairy feed- ing strategies in south-east Australia. PhD, University of Mel- bourne, Melbourne, Australia, 2012.
Alford AR, García SC, Farina S, Fulkerson WJ. An Economic Evaluation of the Future Dairy Complementary Forage Rotation System–Using Cost Budgeting, Economic Research Report No. 44. Armidale, Australia: Industry and Investment NSW; 2009.
Alford AR, García SC, Farina S, Fulkerson WJ. An Economic Evaluation of the Future Dairy Complementary Forage Rota- tion System–Using Whole Farm Budgeting, Economic Re- search Report No. 45. Armidale, Australia: Industry and In- vestment NSW; 2009.
Mason W. White Clover: A Key to Increasing Milk Yields. Melbourne, Australia: Agmedia in Association with Dairy Re- search and Development Corporation; 1993.
Little S. Feeding Systems Used by Australian Dairy Farmers. Melbourne, Australia: Dairy Australia; 2010.
Jacobs J, Hargreaves A. Feeding Dairy Cows: A Manual for Use in the Target 10 Nutrition Program. Melbourne, Australia: Victorian Department of Natural Resources and Environment; 2002.
Chamberlain AT, Wilkinson JM. Feeding the Dairy Cow. Lin- coln, UK: Chalcombe Publications; 1996.
Malcolm LR, Egan A, Sale PWG. Agriculture in Australia: An Introduction. Melbourne, Australia: Oxford University Press; 1996.
Nie ZN, Chapman DF, Tharmaraj J, Clements R. Effects of pas- ture species mixture, management, and environment on the productivity and persistence of dairy pastures in south-west Victoria, 1. Herbage accumulation and seasonal growth pat- tern. Aust J Agr Res 2004; 55: 625–636.
Cullen BR, Eckard RJ, Callow MN, Johnson IR, Chapman D, Rawnsley RP, García SC, White T, Snow VO. Simulating pas- ture growth rates in Australian and New Zealand grazing sys- tems. Aust J Agr Res 2008; 59: 761–768.
Jacobs JL, Ward GN, McKenzie FR. Changes in the botanical composition and nutritive characteristics of pasture, and nutri- ent selection by dairy cows grazing rainfed pastures in western Victoria. Aust J Exp Agr 1999; 39: 419–428.
Blair G. Matching pastures to the Australian environment. In: Lovett JV, Scott JM, editors. Pasture Production and Manage- ment. Melbourne, Australia: Inkata Press; 1997. pp. 88–109.
García SC, Holmes CW. Seasonality of calving in pasture-based dairy systems: its effects on herbage production, utilisation and dry matter intake. Aust J Exp Agr 2005; 45: 1–9.
McKenzie F. Clover nitrogen or fertiliser nitrogen? In: Using Nitrogen Confidently Seminar Proceedings. Melbourne, Aus- tralia: University of Melbourne; 1999.
Nie ZN, Chapman DF, Clements R, Letts ER. Effects of pas- ture type and management on the clover content and nutri- tive value of dairy pastures in south-west Victoria. In: Rowe B, Donaghy D, Mendham N, editors. Science and Technology: Delivering Results for Agriculture? Proceedings of the 10th Australian Agronomy Conference. Hobart, Australia: 2001. pp. 1130–1300.
Chapman D, Donaghy D, McKenzie F, O’Brien G, Rowe B, Ja- cobs J. DAV11272 A Target Driven Approach to Increase For- age Production and Utilisation in Southern Dairy Systems Fi- nal Report, Report on Literature Review, Industry Workshops and Future Options for Investment into Forage RD&E in Dry- land Southern Australia. Melbourne, Australia: Department of Primary Industries Victoria; 2003.
Jacobs JL, Hill J, Jenkin T. Effect of stage of growth and silage additives on whole crop cereal silage nutritive and fermenta- tion characteristics. Anim Prod Sci 2009; 49: 595–607.
Greig B, Sheridan J. The Principles of Feed Allocation: How Much Feed is in the Paddock? How Much Should I Give Them? Hamilton, New Zealand: Dexcel; 2009.
García SC, Fulkerson WJ, Opportunities for future Australian dairy systems: a review. Aust J Exp Agr 2005; 45: 1041–1055.
Chapman DF, Kenny SN, Beca D, Johnson IR. Pasture and forage crop systems for non-irrigated dairy farms in southern Australia, 1. Physical production and economic performance. Agr Sys 2008; 97: 108–125.
Tharmaraj J, Chapman DF, Nie ZN, Lane AP. Herbage accu- mulation, botanical composition, and nutritive value of five pasture types for dairy production in southern Australia. Aust J Agr Res 2008; 59: 127–138.
Hill J. Integration of complementary forages into pasture-based systems: animal response. Paper presented at the Australasian Dairy Science Symposium, Dairy Science 2007, Meeting the Challenges for Pasture-Based Dairying. Melbourne, Australia: University of Melbourne; 2007.
Thompson KF, Poppi DP. Livestock production from pasture. In: Langer RHM, editor. Pastures: Their Ecology and Manage- ment. Auckland, New Zealand: Oxford University Press; 1990. pp. 263–283.
Agricultural Research Council. The Nutrient Requirements of Ruminant Livestock: Technical Review by an Agricultural Re- search Council Working Party. Slough, UK: The Agricultural Research Council by Commonwealth Agricultural Bureaux; 1980.
Moran J. Tropical Dairy Farming: Feeding Management for Small Holder Dairy Farmers in the Humid Tropic. Melbourne, Australia: CSIRO Publishing; 2005.
Bargo F, Muller LD, Kolver ES, Delahoy JE. Invited review: production and digestion of supplemented dairy cows on pas- ture. J Dairy Sci 2003; 86: 1–42.
Doyle P, Jacobs J, Henry D. Dairy Moving Forward, Draft Re- port to Steering Committee, Full Report on Five Program Ar- eas. Melbourne, Australia: Dairy Australia, 2010.
Morley FHW. Animal production studies on grassland. In: t’Mannetje L, editor. Measurement of Grassland Vegetation and Animal Production. Brisbane, Australia: CAB Interna- tional; 1978. pp. 103–162.
Millar GD, Badgery WB. Pasture cropping: a new approach to integrate crop and livestock farming systems. Anim Prod Sci 2009; 49: 777–787.
Jacobs JL, Woodward SL. Capturing the benefits of alternative forages for increased dairy farm profitability. In Edwards GR, Bryant RH, editors. Meeting the Challenges for Pasture-Based Dairying, Proceedings of the 4th Australasian Dairy Science Symposium. Christchurch, New Zealand: Caxton Press; 2010. pp. 292–304.
Chapman DF, Hill J, Tharmaraj J, Beca D, Kenny SN, Jacobs JL. Increasing home-grown forage consumption and profit in non-irrigated dairy systems. 1. Rationale, systems design and management. Anim Prod Sci 2014; 54: 221–233.
Doyle PT, Kelly KB. The Victorian dairy industry – improving performance. In: Michalk DL, Pratley JE, editors. Agronomy, Growing a Greener Future? Proceedings of the 9th Australian Agronomy Conference. Wagga Wagga, Australia: Charles Sturt University; 1998.
García SC, Fulkerson WJ, Brookes SU. Dry matter produc- tion, nutritive value and efficiency of nutrient utilization of a complementary forage rotation compared to a grass pasture system. Grass Forage Sci 2008; 63: 284–300.
Chapman D, Jacobs J, Ward G, O’Brien G, Kenny S, Beca D, McKenzie FR. Forage supply systems for dryland dairy farms in southern Australia. Proc New Zealand Grass Assoc 2006; 68: 255–260.
Chapman DF, Kenny SN, Lane N. Pasture and forage crop sys- tems for non-irrigated dairy farms in Southern Australia, 3. Estimated economic value of additional home-grown feed. Agr Sys 2011; 104: 589–599.
Malcolm B. Economics of extended lactations in dairying. Aust Farm Busin Manag J 2005; 2: 110–120.
Jacobs JL, Hill J, Jenkin T. Effect of different grazing strategies on dry matter yields and nutritive characteristics of whole crop cereals. Anim Prod Sci 2009a; 49: 608–618.
Gilmour D, Ryan M, Swann C, Nelson N. Dairy Industry Farm Monitor Project, Annual Report 2010–11. Melbourne, Austra- lia: Department of Primary Industries, 2011.
Chapman DF, Cullen BR, Johnson IR, Beca D. Interannual variation in pasture growth rate in Australian and New Zea- land dairy regions and its consequences for system manage- ment. Anim Prod Sci 2009; 49: 1071–1079.
Johnson IR, Parsons AJ. A theoretical analysis of grass growth under grazing. J Theor Bio 1985; 112: 345–367.
McKenzie F, Jacobs J. Long-term effects of nitrogen fertiliser on nitrogen fixation in grazed perennial ryegrass/white clover dairy pastures in south-west Victoria. Australian Society of Agronomy, Solutions for a Better Environment. In: Proceed- ings of the 11th Australian Agronomy Conference. Geelong, Australia; 2003.
McKenzie FR, Jacobs JL, Kearney G. Long-term effects of multiple applications of nitrogen fertiliser on grazed dryland perennial ryegrass/white clover dairy pastures in south-west Victoria, 2. Growth rates, dry matter consumed, and nitrogen response efficiencies. Aust J Agr Res 2003; 54: 471–476.
Andrews A. Feed year planning and grazing management. In: Lovett JV, Scott JM, editors. Pasture Production and Manage- ment. Melbourne, Australia: Inkata Press; 1997. pp. 207–230.
García SC, Fulkerson WJ, Nettle R, Kenny S, Armstrong D. Fu- turedairy: a national, multidisciplinary project to assist dairy farmers to manage future challenges–methods and early find- ings. Aust J Exp Agr 2007; 47: 1025–1031.
Chapman DF, Kenny SN, Beca D, Johnson IR. Pasture and for- age systems for non-irrigated dairy farms in southern Austra- lia, 2. Inter-annual variation in forage supply, and business risk. Agr Sys 2008; 97: 126–138.
Fulkerson W, Slack K, Moore K, Rolfe C. Management of Lo- lium perenne/Trifolium repens pastures in the subtropics, I. Ef- fect of defoliation interval, seeding rate and application of N and lime. Aust J Agr Res 1993; 44: 1947–1958.
Yates L, Dotterer J, McDermott A. The consequences of vari- ability in pasture growth and milk price on dairy farm prof- itability. In: Edwards GR, Bryant RH, editors. Meeting the Challenges for Pasture-Based Dairying, Proceedings of the 4th Australasian Dairy Science Symposium. Christchurch, New Zealand: Caxton Press; 2010. pp. 244–248.
Soder KJ, Rotz CA. Economic and environmental impact of four levels of concentrate supplementation in grazing dairy herds. J Dairy Sci 2001; 84: 2560–2572.
Shannon PA. Feeding pastures for profit–an innovative and practical approach to understanding and managing grazing based feeding systems. In: Edwards GR, Bryant RH, editors. Meeting the Challenges for Pasture-Based Dairying, Proceed- ings of the 4th Australasian Dairy Science Symposium. Christ- church, New Zealand: Caxton Press; 2010. pp. 185–189.