Dairy R&D in SA

Discipline: cow health; Keywords: haematology; body condition score; milk production; lactating Holstein dairy cows; veterinary.

Discipline: disease; Keywords: climate change; control; diagnosis; epidemiology; heartwater; ruminants; survey.

Discipline: farm analysis; Keywords: systems dynamic model, costs, management intervention, sub-models.

Discipline: liver fluke; Keywords: Bacillus, molluscicidal activity, snail host, pathogenicity, Lymnaea columella.

Discipline: pastures; Keywords: soil health, fertilisation, nitrogen mineralisation, pasture yield, area differences.

Discipline: dairy production; Keywords: greenhouse gas, global warming, fossil fuel, methane, nitrous oxide, water use, animal foods, plant-based foods.

The claims and accusations in the campaign have been researched from various perspectives. The response by the author plus associated information is summarized below:

Discipline: dairy & health; Keywords: probiotics, Lactobacillus, antibiotic sensitivity, antimicrobial activity, acid and bile resistance.

Discipline: breeding; Keywords: breeding values, cow fitness, genetic improvement, heritability.                                                                                      

Discipline: environment; Keywords: drought, water shortages, veld and pasture, sediment, water infiltration, water quality.

Discipline: environment; Keywords: greenhouse gas emissions, soil carbon, pasture, dairy farms.