scholarly journals The Case for Grazing Dairy Cows

Agronomy ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (12) ◽  
pp. 2466
Author(s):  
J. Michael Wilkinson ◽  
A. Thomas Chamberlain ◽  
M. Jordana Rivero

The case for grazing dairy cows at pasture is reviewed in six categories: (i) optimal land use for food production; (ii) soil carbon sequestration; (iii) carbon footprint; (iv) animal health and welfare; (v) effects on human health of milk produced from grazed pasture; and (vi) consumer demand for milk from grazed cows. Land best-suited to grazing is uncultivatable peaty soil receiving relatively low levels of fertilisation. With soil carbon sequestration, carbon footprint is lower for grazing than for other systems of milk production. Some indices of animal health and welfare (e.g., lameness, status of hock integument) are influenced positively by extent of grazing. Benefits to human health may accrue from higher levels of essential amino acids, carotenoids, omega-3 fatty acids and conjugated linoleic acid in milk from cows given pasture compared to diets based on silage and concentrates. Milk producers, processors and supermarkets are responding to consumer demand for milk and milk products from cows given access to pasture during the grazing season. The major constraint to milk production from grazing is energy intake. Research opportunities to address this constraint include application of remote sensing and artificial intelligence to grazing management.

2015 ◽  
Vol 104 ◽  
pp. 121-129 ◽  
Author(s):  
Inmaculada Batalla ◽  
Marie Trydeman Knudsen ◽  
Lisbeth Mogensen ◽  
Óscar del Hierro ◽  
Miriam Pinto ◽  
...  

CATENA ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 181 ◽  
pp. 104098 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiang Gu ◽  
Xi Fang ◽  
Wenhua Xiang ◽  
Yelin Zeng ◽  
Shiji Zhang ◽  
...  

2016 ◽  
Vol 368 ◽  
pp. 28-38 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jorge Hernández ◽  
Amabelia del Pino ◽  
Eric D. Vance ◽  
Álvaro Califra ◽  
Fabián Del Giorgio ◽  
...  

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Talal Darwish ◽  
Therese Atallah ◽  
Ali Fadel

Abstract. North East North Africa (NENA) region spans over 14 % of the total surface of the Earth and hosts 10 % of its population. Soils of the NENA region are mostly highly vulnerable to degradation, and food security will depend much on sustainable agricultural measures. Weather variability, drought and depleting vegetation are dominant causes of the decline in soil organic carbon (SOC). In this work the situation of SOC was studied, using a land capability model and soil mapping. The land capability model showed that most NENA countries (17 out of 20), suffer from low productive lands (> 80 %). Stocks of SOC were mapped (1 : 5 Million) in topsoils (0–30 cm) and subsoils (30–100 cm). The maps showed that 69 % of soil resources present a stock of SOC below the threshold of 30 t ha−1. The stocks varied between ≈ 10 t ha−1 in shrublands and 60 t ha−1 for evergreen forests. Highest stocks were found in forests, irrigated crops, mixed orchards and saline flooded vegetation. The stocks of SIC were higher than those of SOC. In subsoils, the SIC ranged between 25 and 450 t ha−1, against 20 to 45 t ha−1 for SOC. This paper also highlights the modest contribution of NENA region to global SOC stock in the topsoil not exceeding 4.1 %. The paper also discusses agricultural practices that are favorable to carbon sequestration. Practices of conservation agriculture could be effective, as the presence of soil cover reduces the evaporation, water and wind erosions. Further, the introduction of legumes, as part of a cereal-legume rotation, and the application of nitrogen fertilizers to the cereal, caused a notable increase of SOC after 10 years. The effects of crop rotations on SOC are related to the amounts of above and belowground biomass produced and retained in the system. Some knowledge gaps exist especially in aspects related to the effect of irrigation on SOC, and on SIC at the level of soil profile and soil landscape. Still, major constraints facing soil carbon sequestration are policy relevant and socio-economic in nature, rather than scientific.


CATENA ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 172 ◽  
pp. 104-112 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jürgen Kern ◽  
Luise Giani ◽  
Wenceslau Teixeira ◽  
Giacomo Lanza ◽  
Bruno Glaser

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