New Zealand Journal of Agricultural Research abstracts
Invited paper
Issues and options for future dairy farming in New Zealand
D. A. Clark1
J. R. Caradus2
R. M. Monaghan3
P. Sharp4
B. S. Thorrold1
1Dexcel
Private Bag 3221
Hamilton 3240, New Zealand
2Grasslanz Technology Ltd
Private Bag 11008
Palmerston North 4442, New Zealand
3AgResearch
Invermay Agricultural Centre
Private Bag 50034
Mosgiel 9053, New Zealand
4Ravensdown Fertiliser Co-operative Ltd
PO Box 608
Pukekohe 2340, New Zealand
Abstract The dairy industry in New Zealand is a
significant contributor (7% of GDP) to the national economy. Major
current issues for the industry are the lack of cheap, highly-nutritive
value feed for cows of high genetic merit for milk yield; the poorer
reproductive capacity of these high merit Holstein-Friesian cows; the
quantity and skill of farm labour; and the environmental consequences
of intensive dairy farming. The industry has responded to these
challenges in the following ways. Increased nitrogen fertiliser use has
given increased pasture yields, but also increased nitrate leaching and
nitrous oxide emission from farms, which in turn has led to research on
wintering pads, diet modification and nitrification inhibitors to
reduce N losses to the environment. Increased use of supplementary
feeds has given improved milk yield per cow, but also increased total
farm variable costs, labour requirements and nutrient losses, which in
turn have fostered research for cheaper feeds and rumen modifiers to
improve feed utilisation. The poorer reproductive performance of
Holstein-Friesian cows with overseas genetics initially led to greater
reproduction intervention treatments, but a greater awareness of
welfare issues has encouraged increased use of crossbred
Holstein-Friesian × Jersey cows to improve reproductive
performance through heterosis. The use of larger herds and dairies
initially allowed more efficient use of labour, but continuing problems
with the cost and availability of labour has seen the adoption of
once-daily milking on some farms and the experimental evaluation of
automatic milking systems for pastoral systems. Future developments
will include continued improvements in both quantity and quality of
feed for cows of higher breeding worth, but more emphasis will be
placed on traits such as feed conversion efficiency, health and
survival in the herd. Automation of all farm tasks to reduce labour
costs will be a major feature of future farms. Costs of environmental
compliance will increase in the short-term until research delivers ways
to reduce the carbon and nitrogen losses from grazing and cropping
systems.
Keywords cows; dairy; environment; farm systems;
fertilisers; milksolids; nitrogen; pastures; perennial ryegrass; soils;
white clover
A07006; Online publication date 24 May 2007; Received 15 January
2007; accepted 30 March 2007
New Zealand Journal of Agricultural Research, 2007, Vol. 50:
203—221
0028—8233/07/5002—0203 © The Royal Society of New Zealand 2007
PDF file of entire paper: Print-quality
(801K) | screen-quality (464K)
This year's abstracts |
Journal home page |
All abstracts |
Publishing home page
