Forage supply systems for dryland dairy farms in southern Australia

Continued improvements in home grown forage consumption are needed to support the long-term profitability of the dairy industry in southern Australia. Most home grown forage currently comes from perennial ryegrass pastures, which have significant limitations in the southern Australia environment. These limitations threaten future productivity gains, and we therefore consider opportunities for using other plant species. Data on the production of alternative perennial grasses, brassica summer crops, C4 summer crops and winter cereals grown for whole-crop silage are limited and generally show large variation in yields between sites and years. Simulation models suggest that, once the base ryegrass pasture is well-utilised, incorporating complementary forages can return $70 - $100/ha extra operating profit for every additional tonne of home grown forage DM consumed per ha. Double cropping (winter cereal or annual ryegrass followed by a summer crop of turnips or maize) and summer-active pastures such as tall fescue show particular promise. Further information is required on how to integrate these forages into whole farm feeding systems to realise the additional profit with manageable business and environmental risk. Keywords: dairy systems, forage production, pastures, forage crops, simulation models

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Forage production for dairy farming in terms of the Research Station “Poyma”

Кормопроизводство ◽

10.25685/krm.2021.8.2021.002 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 8-16

Author(s):

А.А. Анисимов ◽

П.И. Комахин ◽

В.Н. Золотарев

Keyword(s):

Animal Husbandry ◽

Perennial Grasses ◽

Research Station ◽

Forage Production ◽

Forage Crops ◽

Animal Product ◽

Advanced Experience ◽

Stable Production ◽

Annual Grasses ◽

Silage Production

Важнейшей проблемой продовольственной безопасности страны является уровень обеспеченности населения молочными продуктами. В связи с этим большое значение имеет опыт работы передовых хозяйств такого профиля в определённых почвенно-климатических и природно-экологических условиях. ФГБУ «Опытная станция «Пойма» является одним из наиболее эффективных хозяйств в Московской области по производству молока. Общая площадь сельскохозяйственных угодий составляет 6135 га, из них 2000 га пашни. В структуре посевных площадей 95% и более занимают кормовые культуры, в том числе 12–14% — однолетние травы, 68–70% — многолетние травы и природные кормовые угодья, 15–16% — кукуруза на силос. Основное производство кормов сосредоточено на высокоплодородных пойменных землях, на долю которых приходится 84% кормовых угодий. В статье изложены результаты системного применения достижений науки и передового опыта по стабильному производству высококачественных объёмистых кормов. Проведён анализ состояния кормопроизводства и животноводства хозяйства с 1982 по 2020 год, освещены научные подходы к увеличению производства кормов и животноводческой продукции. Системное освоение передовых научных разработок по созданию высокопродуктивных кормовых посевов и стабильному производству высококачественных объёмистых кормов, их рациональному хранению и использованию, техническая модернизация позволили увеличить среднегодовой надой на корову с 4079 до 9708 кг, или более чем в 2,3 раза, при одновременном снижении расхода кормов на 1 кг молока с 1,37 до 0,90 корм. ед. при повышении рентабельности с 16 до 28%. Food safety of the country is highly affected by the availability of milk products. Therefore, the experience of leading farms is of great importance under certain environmental conditions. The Research Station “Poyma” is one of the leading milk producers in the Moscow region. Its fields occupy around 6135 ha. The proportion of forage crops amounts to 95% including 12–14% of annual grasses, 68–70% of perennial grasses and natural forage lands as well as 15–16% of maize for silage production. 84% of the total cultivation area are high-fertile floodlands. This article focuses on the application of the latest scientific findings and advanced experience for stable production of high-quality bulk fodder. The efficiency of forage production and Animal Husbandry was analyzed in the period from 1982 to 2020. The methods and practices were reviewed to optimize forage and animal product resources. Average annual milk yield was improved from 4079 to 9708 kg per cow, or by more than 2.3 times due to the introduction of the latest findings into the production process including the cultivation of high-productive forage crops, stabilization of bulk fodder supplies, feed effective storage and use. Forage consumption dropped from 1.37 to 0.90 feed units for the production of 1 kg of milk, payback increased from 16 to 28%.

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Change of physical and chemical properties of grey forest soil of Tatarstan agrocenosis under the influence of Alfalfa cultivated on different mineral nutrition backgrounds

Vestnik of Kazan state agrarin university ◽

10.12737/1382 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 8 (3) ◽

pp. 139-143

Author(s):

Сочнева ◽

Svetlana Sochneva ◽

Миннулин ◽

Genadiy Minnulin ◽

Сафиоллин ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mineral Nutrition ◽

Biological Properties ◽

Perennial Grasses ◽

Forage Production ◽

Meadow Fescue ◽

Forage Crops ◽

The World ◽

Leading Position ◽

The Republic ◽

The Impact

In the world more than 100 types of crops are cultivated on the fodder purposes, including perennial grasses, corn, fodder and forage crops account, which provides about 70% of the livestock’s necessity. Among the perennial grasses, the leading position, both in areas under crops and the yield, is alfalfa crop, which is grown in 165 countries around the world according to the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations, especially in the countries of Americas (20-25 million hectares). Furthermore, the palatability ratio of green and dry alfalfa is significantly higher, compared to other legumes perennial grasses. It is difficult to overestimate the importance of alfalfa forage production in the modern forage production. This paper presents the current issues of growing alfalfa on different backgrounds of mineral nutrition. In our country its acreage needs to be expanded to 350 hectares (40% of the acreage of perennial grasses), because the farming biologization without the inclusion this crop in the field, forage and farms crop rotation is theoretically impossible and not feasible. In order to obtain the high biomass of at least 23 tons per hectare and agriculture biologization on gray forest soils of the Republic of Tatarstan we recommend to cultivate alfalfa mixed with awnless rump and meadow fescue in the ratio of 0,70:0,15:0,15. In households with high use of chemicals so that to obtain for more than 36 tons per hectare of green herbage mass in polyspecific grasses, it should prevail crop components (awnless rump and meadow fescue), which are in a leading position, according to the impact on the agro biological properties of the soil of Kama zone of the Republic of Tatarstan.

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A survey of dairy farmers' practices and attitudes towards some aspects of arable-land management in the Darling Downs and South Burnett regions of Queensland

Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture ◽

10.1071/ea01179 ◽

2003 ◽

Vol 43 (5) ◽

pp. 449 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

R. G. Chataway ◽

V. J. Doogan ◽

W. M. Strong

Keyword(s):

Arable Land ◽

Management Strategies ◽

Productive Capacity ◽

Forage Production ◽

Resource Base ◽

Dairy Farmers ◽

Forage Crops ◽

Double Cropping ◽

Potential Benefits ◽

Fertiliser Use

The Darling Downs and Southern Inland Burnett are important geographical subregions of the Queensland dairy industry. The system of dairy farming in these subregions is unique in Australia in that it is based on grazed annual forage crops rather than pastures. When these soils were first cultivated up to 110 years ago they were inherently fertile. However, erosion and fertility decline has reduced their productive capacity and there is a need for the adoption of farming practices that are less exploitative. In February 1997, a survey was conducted to determine dairy farmers' practices and attitudes toward management strategies that were being recommended to grain farmers in the subtropical cereal belt for sustaining the soil resource base. These strategies included greater use of ley pastures, opportunistic double-cropping, zero-till planting and higher fertiliser inputs. We found that dairy farmers were generally familiar with and understanding of the potential benefits of these approaches to their farming enterprises. However, farmers raised a number of issues that need consideration in the transfer of these practices to dairy forage production. These included concerns that an increased emphasis on pastures would result in lower and less-reliable forage production; that double-cropping is practiced more out of necessity than in the belief it is a better way to farm; that zero tillage may not be suitable on clay soils that have been trampled by cattle and that farmers rely primarily on their own observations of crop performance to determine fertiliser use. These findings have particular implications for research and extension activities conducted with dairy farmers and are also relevant to work conducted with other cropping enterprises that incorporate grazing animals in their farming program.

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Effect of intercropping forage peas (Pisum sativum L.) with winter wheat (Tritium vulgare L.) or triticale (Triticale hexaploide Lart.) on DM yield, nutritive characteristics when harvested at different stages of growth

Animal Production Science ◽

10.1071/an12005 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 52 (10) ◽

pp. 949 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

J. L. Jacobs ◽

G. N. Ward

Keyword(s):

Winter Wheat ◽

Positive Impact ◽

Yield Potential ◽

Growth Stages ◽

High Fertility ◽

Forage Crops ◽

Total Contribution ◽

Winter Cereal ◽

Winter Cereals ◽

Boot Stage

An experiment was undertaken over 2 years (2007–09) to determine the effect of intercropping forage peas with either forage winter wheat or triticale for whole-crop silage. Monocultures of triticale (T100), wheat (W100) and forage peas (P100) and plus cereal–pea combinations of 75% triticale : 25% pea (T75), 50% triticale : 50% pea (T50), 25% triticale : 75% pea (T25), 75% wheat : 25% pea (W75), 50% wheat : 50% pea (W50), 25% wheat : 75% pea (W25), with ratios based on sowing rate, were evaluated for DM yield and nutritional characteristics at a range of growth stages. It was hypothesised that an increase in the ratio of peas to cereal would not adversely affect DM yield and would have a positive impact on nutritive characteristics across a range of harvest times based on growth stages of the cereal component of mixes. In Year 1, at the boot stage of growth of cereals, P100 had a lower DM yield than W100 and all triticale-based treatments, while in Year 2 P100 had a lower DM yield than all other treatments. By the soft dough growth stage in Year 1, all triticale treatments except T25 had higher DM yields than P100 and in Year 2 P100 had a lower DM yield than all triticale treatments and W100. The crude protein (CP) concentration of P100 at the boot stage of growth was higher than T100, T75, T50, W100 and W50 in Year 1 and all treatments in Year 2. At soft dough, P100 had a higher CP concentration than all other treatments in both years, while T25 and W25 had higher CP concentrations than their respective monocultures. In Year 1 at soft dough, W100 had a lower estimated ME concentration than other wheat treatments and P100, while in Year 2, T50 and W50 had higher values than T100 and W100, respectively. Bi-cropping forage peas with winter cereal forage crops did not adversely affect DM yields at a range of different harvest times, but did not consistently and significantly improve nutritive characteristics. Despite relatively high sowing rates of forage peas, their total contribution in mixes with cereals to DM yield was low, indicating that their ability to compete with winter cereals under the high fertility conditions of the experiment was low. When grown as a monoculture peas tended to produce lower DM yields but had higher CP concentrations and a higher harvested CP/ha at the soft dough stage of growth. The timing of harvesting will affect DM yields and nutritive characteristics and can be manipulated depending upon the end use of the feed grown and also to allow greater flexibility in the sowing of subsequent forages. Consideration should also be given to the growing of monocultures of winter cereals and forage peas and developing systems to mix during ensiling to capture both DM yield potential and optimum nutritive characteristics.

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The quality of pork according to the back fat thickness

Vestnik of Kazan state agrarin university ◽

10.12737/1384 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 8 (3) ◽

pp. 144-147

Author(s):

Пинчук ◽

Viktor Pinchuk ◽

Рябичева ◽

Angelina Ryabicheva ◽

Стрельцов ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Biological Properties ◽

Perennial Grasses ◽

Forage Production ◽

Meadow Fescue ◽

Forage Crops ◽

The World ◽

Leading Position ◽

The Republic ◽

The Impact

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Annual forage production from spring-planted winter cereal monocrops and mixtures with spring barley

Canadian Journal of Plant Science ◽

10.4141/p99-008 ◽

1999 ◽

Vol 79 (4) ◽

pp. 565-577 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

P. E. Juskiw ◽

D. F. Salmon ◽

J. H. Helm

Keyword(s):

Spring Barley ◽

Late Summer ◽

Winter Rye ◽

Forage Production ◽

Seeding Rate ◽

Hordeum Vulgare L ◽

Winter Cereal ◽

Winter Triticale ◽

Winter Cereals ◽

Biomass Yields

Spring-planted winter cereals grown as monocrops or in mixture with spring cereals maintain yield and quality into late summer and fall, and can be used to replace or complement perennial pasture. Our objectives were to determine the response to clipping of spring-planted winter cereals, and to determine the effects of seeding rates and ratios of spring to winter cereals on this response. Monocrops of winter triticale (X Triticosecale Wittmack) cv. Pika and winter rye (Secale cereale L.) cv. Musketeer and mixtures of these cereals with the spring barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) cv. Noble were evaluated. Tests were conducted from 1991 to 1993 at Botha and Lacombe, AB. Mixtures of spring:winter cereals were 0:100, 25:25, 25:75, 50:50, 75:25, 75:75 and 100:100 (Lacombe only), where the ratio of components represented the percentage of the base seeding rate of 250 seeds m−2. Biomass yields for triticale treatments (5.5 t ha−1 at Botha and 6.3 t ha−1 at Lacombe for the May to October growing season) were generally as high as for the rye treatments (5.9 t ha−1 at Botha and Lacombe); however, at Lacombe, spring regrowth after overwintering for triticale treatments was only 0.6 t ha−1 compared with 1.0 t ha−1 for rye treatments (LSD0.05 = 0.17). As little as 25% spring barley in a mixture ensured good early-season biomass yields, but more than 50% reduced late-season biomass yields. All treatments produced good-quality forage with protein >20%, neutral detergent fibre (NDF) <45% and acid detergent fibre (ADF) <30%. Nitrate contents were frequently >0.5% at both sites in 1991 and 1992, especially for those treatments with spring barley. Key words: Winter triticale, winter rye, annual forage, biomass, forage quality

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Evaluation of increased feed supply and different fattening strategies for an Ethiopian sheep population by system dynamics modelling

Animal Production Science ◽

10.1071/an19546 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 60 (17) ◽

pp. 2050

Author(s):

K. T. Gebre ◽

M. Wurzinger ◽

S. Gizaw ◽

A. Haile ◽

B. Rischkowsky ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Simulation Model ◽

Smallholder Farmers ◽

Genetic Selection ◽

Dynamic Modelling ◽

Forage Production ◽

Forage Crops ◽

Sheep Population ◽

Alternative Feed ◽

Dynamic Stochastic ◽

Supply Systems

Context The productivity of Ethiopian smallholder farms is considered to be low owing to different factors such as feed shortage, lack of breeding strategies, disease prevalence and missing marketing strategies. Aim The main objective of the study was to develop a dynamic, stochastic herd model by adopting system dynamic modelling methodology for evaluation of the effect of increased feed availability (forage production) in combination with different fattening strategies on herd dynamics and profitability of an Ethiopian sheep population. Methods Forage production utilising part of smallholder farmers’ cropland was built into a dynamic simulation model. Two alternative feed-supply systems were evaluated: turning 25% and 50% of the current cropland into area used for forage production. The simulation period was 20 years, the first 10 years representing the baseline fattening scenario (culled rams fattened). For the last 10 years, genetic selection was introduced and two scenarios were evaluated: fattening of culled rams (Scenario I) and fattening of young rams (Scenario II). Key results Increasing the feed supply resulted in an increase to the herd size when the model balanced dry matter supply and demand of the herd. Fattening of young rams (Scenario II) with genetic selection was significantly more profitable than the baseline and Scenario I in both of the simulated alternative feed-supply systems. This can be used for regular cash generation, which might reduce disposal of animals at lower price in cases of need for emergency cash. Conclusions Overall, the simulation model demonstrates that production of improved forage crops should be combined with selective breeding and an appropriate finishing strategy. The competition for resources (land and labour) with crop production, forage seed shortage and extended family size are other challenges raised by smallholder farmers for the feasibility of the two alternative feed-supply systems.

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Risk of drought for winter cereals in Castilla y León (N Spain) under current and future climate

10.5194/egusphere-egu21-8459 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Margarita Ruiz-Ramos ◽

Alfredo Rodríguez ◽

Antonio Saa-Requejo ◽

José Luis Valencia ◽

María Villeta ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Iberian Peninsula ◽

Regional Climate ◽

Simulation Models ◽

Future Climate ◽

Climate Simulation ◽

Historical Period ◽

Winter Cereal ◽

The North ◽

Winter Cereals

Due to the latitude of the Iberian Peninsula, it is repeatedly affected by significant drought episodes. This has been the case of the events observed in the years 1979-1983, 1992-1995, 2005, or 2016-2017. In the historical period, the occurrence of droughts in the Peninsula has been closely linked to the natural variability of the climate itself, which is modulated by multiple factors, such as the surface temperature of the oceans, the polar ice cover, the Oscillation of the North Atlantic or the stratospheric circulation itself (e.g. Lorenzo et al., 2011). Within the context of global warming, the projected increase in temperatures is expected to have a direct impact on the recurrence and severity of droughts on the Iberian Peninsula.Therefore, the objective of this work is to study the relationships between climatic variables that indicate a high risk of yield loss of rainfed cereals affected by drought, and their projection in the immediate future. This work has been framed in the area of &#8203;&#8203;Castilla y Le&#243;n in the North Plateau of Spain.The selected methodology consisted of the design of agrometeorological indices that allowed capturing the behaviour of the most relevant variables related to the response of the cereals to drought in the study area. For this purpose, meteorological station observations, observations in grid, and simulations of present and future climate generated by regional climate simulation models (EUROCORDEX RCMs, van Meijgaard et al., 2014), which were used to compute the indices after a bias correction. Finally, results maps were obtained.A total of nine temperature and/or precipitation indices were designed and calculated for periods physiologically meaningful for the crop, both under present and future climate. A discussion of the potential consequences of the indices changes on winter cereal yields in Castilla y Le&#243;n was addressed.AcknowledgementsAuthors are grateful to Agroseguro funding through the project &#8220;Drought events in winter cereals in Castilla-Le&#243;n: risk analysis, trends and climate change&#8221;.ReferencesLorenzo, M.N., Taboada, J.J., Iglesias, I., G&#243;mez-Gesteira, M., 2011. Predictability of the spring rainfall in Northwestern Iberian Peninsula from sea surfaces temperature of ENSO areas. Clim. Change 107 (3&#8211;4), 329&#8211;341.van Meijgaard, E., Moseley, C., Pfeifer, S., Preuschmann, S., Radermacher, C., Radtke, K., Rechid, D., Rounsevell, M., Samuelsson, P., Somot, S., Soussana, J.-F., Teichmann, C., Valentini, R., Vautard, R., Weber, B., and Yiou, P.: EUROCORDEX: new high-resolution climate change projections for European impact research, Reg. Environ. Change, 14, 563&#8211;578, https://doi.org/10.1007/s10113-013-0499-2, 2014.

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Winter survival and yield of early-seeded winter wheat and triticale

Canadian Journal of Plant Science ◽

10.4141/cjps93-090 ◽

1993 ◽

Vol 73 (3) ◽

pp. 691-696 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

D. F. Salmon ◽

V. S. Baron ◽

A. C. Dick

Keyword(s):

Winter Wheat ◽

Grain Yield ◽

Seed Production ◽

Cropping System ◽

Winter Survival ◽

Forage Production ◽

Hordeum Vulgare L ◽

Winter Cereal ◽

Winter Cereals ◽

Spring Cereals

On the Canadian prairies, winter cereals such as rye (Secale cereale L.), triticale (X Triticosecale Wittmack L.) and wheat (Triticum aestivum L. EM Thell) have shown potential for forage production when spring-seeded as monocrops (WMC) or as intercrops (IC) and doublecrops (DC) in binary combinations with barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) or oat (Avena sativa L.). Producers are frequently tempted to overwinter the winter cereals for seed production in the second year. The current study evaluated the influence of forage harvest during the establishment year on the winter hardiness and seed production of winter wheat and triticale in the WMC, IC, and DC cropping systems. Clippings of the WMC and IC as well as planting of the DC were timed to correspond to jointing (DS1), boot (DS2), late milk (DS3) and grain harvest (DS4). Planting of the winter cereal after grain harvest (DS4) of the spring cereal simulated the conventional cropping system. All plots were clipped in late fall to remove aftermath prior to overwintering. Consequently treatments first clipped at DS1 received five clippings compared with DS4 which received only two clippings. Subsequent winter survival and grain yield of both winter species were reduced in the WMC and IC compared with DC treatments. However, increasing the frequency of clipping during the year of establishement in the WMC and IC improved grain yield and winter survival in the winter wheat compared with treatments receiving less frequent or no clipping. Less consistent results were observed for winter triticale. Overwintering spring-planted winter wheat and triticale is not a suitable means for seed production compared with conventional fall planting or reseeding to spring cereals. Key words: Spring cereals, winter cereals, winter survival

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2020 Cool-Season Forage Variety Recommendations for Florida

EDIS ◽

10.32473/edis-aa266-2020 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 2020 (5) ◽

pp. 6

Author(s):

A. R. Blount ◽

M. Wallau ◽

E. Rios ◽

J. M. B. Vendramini ◽

J. C. B. Dubeux ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Crude Protein ◽

Warm Season ◽

Perennial Grasses ◽

Forage Production ◽

Cool Season ◽

Forage Crops ◽

Previous Version ◽

Pasture Grasses ◽

Potential Use ◽

Short Days

Perennial warm-season pasture grasses used in Florida become dormant in late fall and winter because of short days, cooler temperatures, and frosts. Many livestock producers may choose to establish cool-season annual pasture species to supplement their forage production. These plants are usually higher in total digestible nutrients (TDN) and crude protein (CP) than summer perennial grasses, translating into greater animal performance (Dubeux et al., 2016). Planting and growing these forage crops can involve considerable expense and is somewhat risky because rainfall is often unpredictable during the fall establishment period. The species and varieties for potential use vary in the distribution of production during the cooler months and in the type of soils where they are best adapted. This publication provides the most up-to-date information on current adapted cool-season forage varieties. The recommendation of varieties is based on multi-location, multi-year cultivar evaluation experiments that may include trials in Georgia and other states. Previous version: Wallau, Marcelo, Ann Blount, Esteban Rios, Joao Vendramini, Jose Dubeux, Md Babar, and Kevin Kenworthy. 2019. “2019 Cool-Season Forage Variety Recommendations for Florida”. EDIS2019 (August). https://journals.flvc.org/edis/article/view/115513.

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