scholarly journals Baseline data on the diversity and abundance of selected bird species on conventional and converting organic dairy farms

Author(s):  
Marion Mondot ◽  
Grant Blackwell ◽  
Tanja Maegli

While it has been shown that bird species can benefit from organic farm management internationally, there is little information on birds in production landscapes in NZ. In this paper we apply spatial analysis techniques to compare the spatial distribution and habitat use of birds on selected North Island dairy farms, half of which are undergoing a 3-year organic conversion process and half of which are remaining under conventional management. There were significantly more skylarks recorded on conventionally managed farms. Overall however, there were few differences in overall bird abundance or diversity between the two management systems. The comparable use of woody vegetation and open pasture may reflect similar proportions and composition of these on the study farms. Once fully converted, organic dairy production systems may offer benefits for some bird species, although the composition and management of the farm and surrounding landscape are probably also key factors for bird numbers and diversity. Keywords: birds, dairy farming, landscape composition, organic conversion, pasture composition

Agriculture ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 17
Author(s):  
Jonathan Walsh ◽  
Robert Parsons ◽  
Qingbin Wang ◽  
David Conner

Many U.S. dairy farms, especially small farms, are struggling to stay in business due to difficult economic conditions. While switching to organic milk production has been identified as one way to improve farm profitability, there are very limited economic data available on organic dairy profitability and the key factors contributing to its variation among organic dairy farms. This study analyzes a 10-year longitudinal dataset of Vermont organic dairy farms (2006–2016), collected by the University of Vermont Extension, to identify key factors influencing farm profitability and quantify their impact on farm return on assets (ROA) through a multivariate fixed-effects regression model. Results suggest that significant factors for organic farm profitability measured by ROA include feeding management, farm management, farm size, milk price and input costs. Such findings may help many organic dairy farms identify potential areas for improving their profitability and conventional farms evaluate the potential financial benefits of switching to organic operation.


2018 ◽  
Vol 34 (1) ◽  
pp. 75-83 ◽  
Author(s):  
K.J. Soder ◽  
B.J. Heins ◽  
H. Chester-Jones ◽  
A.N. Hafla ◽  
M.D. Rubano

2012 ◽  
Vol 145 (1-3) ◽  
pp. 63-72 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Ivemeyer ◽  
G. Smolders ◽  
J. Brinkmann ◽  
E. Gratzer ◽  
B. Hansen ◽  
...  

2006 ◽  
Vol 159 (20) ◽  
pp. 680-682 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. C. O'Mahony ◽  
A. M. Healy ◽  
K. J. O'Farrell ◽  
M. L. Doherty

2022 ◽  
Vol 43 (2) ◽  
pp. 869-882
Author(s):  
Gabriel Michelutti do Nascimento ◽  
◽  
Marita Vedovelli Cardozo ◽  
Mylena Karoline Valmorbida ◽  
Natália Pereira ◽  
...  

Bovine mastitis is one of the main causes of economic damage in dairy farms. Therefore, the control and prevention of microorganisms involved in this disease, mainly Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, and Streptococcus agalactiae, are essential. One of the most important steps for the prevention of the disease is the use of antiseptic products before and after the milking process to avoid bacteria from infecting the udder of the animal. Currently, the most used antiseptic product in dairy farms is iodine-based, and organic dairy farms, which follow several strict regulations, including the use of natural products whenever possible, are often forced to adopt non-natural antiseptic products, such as iodine-based ones, because of the lack of natural alternatives. Propolis, a natural substance produced by honeybees, has been extensively studied for its various properties, one of which is antimicrobial activity. Therefore, a new natural antiseptic product containing 1% propolis in 10% hydroalcoholic solution for the pre-dipping, and 10% glycerol solution added with 0.2% citronella oil for the post-dipping was analyzed for its capacity to reduce bacteria in vivo in order to prevent bovine mastitis, allowing its use on organic dairy farms. A total of 128 samples were analyzed in terms of bacterial growth for Enterobacteriaceae and Staphylococcus spp. using the spreadplate technique. The reduction in the bacterial concentration after the application of the products was compared between two antiseptic solutions, an iodine-based solution as the control and a propolis-based one as the natural alternative. The results obtained show a similar efficiency for both products in terms of total bacterial reduction, indicating considerable antimicrobial activity against bacteria most commonly associated with bovine mastitis. Molecular analysis was carried out for the identification of Streptococcus agalactiae; the PCR results were negative for the presence of S. agalactiae in all samples, indicating that the animals most likely did not have any form of the disease. The efficiency of the natural antiseptic was satisfactory, indicating an important find facilitating organic milk production worldwide, showcasing a natural antiseptic solution with efficient antimicrobial activity.


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