Pasture and forage crop systems for non-irrigated dairy farms in southern Australia. 2. Inter-annual variation in forage supply, and business risk

Chapman, D. F.; Kenny, Sean; Beca, D.; Johnson, I. R.

doi:10.1016/j.agsy.2008.02.002

Cited by 56 publications

(25 citation statements)

References 24 publications

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“…Pasture is generally the cheapest source of feed for dairy cows and there is a strong positive relationship between farm profit and total pasture dry matter (DM) consumed per hectare (Chapman et al, 2009;Rawnsley et al, 2013). In southern Australia, perennial ryegrass is the most widely sown pasture species on dairy farms, supplying 60% to 70% of the diet for lactating dairy cows due to its high nutritional value and digestibility (Armstrong et al, 2010;Chapman et al, 2008;MacDonald et al, 2010). The reliable production of high quality pasture in Tasmania reduces the demand for supplementary feed and provides a competitive advantage for the dairy industry in comparison to mainland Australia and international producers.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 95%

Management opportunities for boosting productivity of cool-temperate dairy farms under climate change

Phelan

Harrison

Kemmerer³

et al. 2015

Agricultural Systems

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 95%

Management opportunities for boosting productivity of cool-temperate dairy farms under climate change

Phelan

Harrison

Kemmerer³

et al. 2015

Agricultural Systems

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“…This is consistent with Chapman et al . () who found that diversification of the forage base will help to smooth out the between‐years variability in profit and effectively integrate the within‐year‐round feeding systems to achieve high production.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Forage chain arrangement for sustainable livestock systems in a Mediterranean area

Cosentino

Gresta

Testa

2013

Grass and Forage Science

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Mediterranean forage systems suffer from limited availability of fresh forage because of water deficits and extreme temperatures. Consequently, fresh forage is unavailable for at least 6–7 months a year, and farmers must buy feed to support livestock production. With the aim of overcoming these limitations, a 2‐year trial was conducted on three distinct sites in Sicily (at 10, 600 and 1200 m elevation) with thirty‐four varieties of forage species belonging to nine biennial/perennial and thirteen annual species. Results showed that by integrating grasses and legumes, species from environments with different climatic conditions enable the season of forage production to be extended from mid‐April to mid‐November. Quality traits of forage in different areas varied in relation to species and varieties. In general, the sown‐forage quality was better than in pastures and fallows in the same areas commonly used to feed animals. This also leads to a reduction in the use of supplementary feeds. Among the tested species, Lolium multiflorum and Medicago sativa emerged as the most promising for filling the forage‐deficit periods, and Trifolium spp. and Vicia sativa were found to be superior for increasing forage quality. The results are discussed in the context of adapting Mediterranean forage supplies for ensuring greater sustainability of livestock production in mountain, hill and plain areas. The proposed forage chain arrangement represents part of local potential adaptation to climate limitations and climate change.

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“…In a scenario where an average autumn and a long spring are experienced, a double-cropping system practiced by the top 40% and top 10% farms could potentially conserve a total of 152 t and 32 t DM silage, respectively (51), which could then be carried forward and used in the next lactation. In contrast, short spring seasons are an obstacle to pasture conservation (51).…”

Section: Types Of Complementary Forage Systems Availablementioning

confidence: 99%

“…The supplement cost should always be considered regardless of the proportion of the ration that they form. Nevertheless, higher profits from pasture-based feeding systems are possible when early autumn rainfall and long springs are experienced, reflecting increased herbage production (51). Under Australian climate conditions, however, early autumn rainfall and long springs are relatively rare and, therefore, better management practices to supplement pasture are the cornerstone of profitability of the Australian dairy sector (4,38).…”

Section: Increased Profitability Through Increased Use Of Home-grown mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Cereals grazed in early winter contain high estimated contents of ME and CP (43). Chapman et al (37,51) suggest that there are 2 systems that can potentially improve profitability on a dairy farm: double-cropping, where winter cereal crop is grown for silage and followed by a summer grazing crop (turnip crop), and summer shoulder pastures based on tall fescue. These options are more capable of providing quality feed in summer and winter as long as the soil moisture is sufficient.…”

Section: Types Of Complementary Forage Systems Availablementioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

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

Özkan¹,

Hill²

2015

Turk J Vet Anim Sci

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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.

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Pasture and forage crop systems for non-irrigated dairy farms in southern Australia. 2. Inter-annual variation in forage supply, and business risk

Cited by 56 publications

References 24 publications

Management opportunities for boosting productivity of cool-temperate dairy farms under climate change

Management opportunities for boosting productivity of cool-temperate dairy farms under climate change

Forage chain arrangement for sustainable livestock systems in a Mediterranean area

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

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