Dairy R&D in SA

Discipline: nutrition/feeding; 

Smallholder production systems often lack feed sources with sufficient nutrients to support milk production. Of particular significance is the level of protein in the diets during early lactation. The authors referenced below therefore investigated a scenario of this kind by measuring serum protein concentration of pre-calving and early lactation Jersey cows kept under semi-intensive management on smallholder farms.

Discipline: milk; Key words: processing, casein integrity, Alizarol test, potassium, milk fat.

Discipline: environment; Keywords: Carbon dioxide equivalents, dairy production, methane, nitrous oxide.   

Discipline: contamination; Key words: identification, spoilage, Chryseobacterium, Empedobacter, dairy  

The Dairy Sustainability framework (DSF) of the IDF proposed that the Baseline for the global dairy sector should be set at the FAO (2013) figure of 2.9 CO2 eq per kg of fat and protein corrected milk (FPCM). It is accepted that different countries will vary substantially as GHG emissions are influenced by milk yield, feeding practices and efficiency of production. Thus, the figure for some developed country industries is as low as 1.6 CO2 eq per kg FPCM, whereas the figure of Sub-Saharan Africa is 9.0 CO2 eq per kg FPCM.

In recent years, there has been an increase in the prevalence of environmental pathogens as a cause of within udder infections in dairy cattle. Increases in prevalence could potentially be ascribed to improved control methods for contagious pathogens, difficulties in controlling pathogens from an environmental reservoir and the ability of Streptococcus uberis and Escherichia coli to persist in the udder. Streptococcus uberisshowed an increase in prevalence over an 11-year study period (1996–2007) in South African dairies.

The preservation of the teat canal is crucial for udder health, as the main route for bacterial infection is via the teat canal. Milking machines differ in layout and settings and continue to be a challenge to the primary immune system of the bovine udder namely the teat canal. Different levels of teat end vacuum during machine milking may influence milking performance and teat condition. When there is little or no milk flow the vacuum at the teat end increases to that in the milking machine system.

1. A newly developed system of obtaining Dairy Cattle farm-recorded data from automated systems to be used for biological and economic benchmarking as well as future genetic merit predictions

     by DA Kruger, RR vd Westhuizen & D Victor, SA Stud Book, Bloemfontein, South Africa.

Vitamins, mostly A, C and E, and minerals, such as selenium, copper and zinc, have been used to mitigate oxidative stress. However, in confined systems, the risk of over- or undersupplying micro elements is high, hence the overproduction of pro-oxides is common. Additionally, in semi-intensive feeding systems, trace elements, particularly antioxidant supplementation, are limited owing to restricted or lack of supplementation. Therefore, research focus has shifted to exploration of the potential of natural antioxidants in improving animal production and health.

The most popular dairy breed in South Africa is the Holstein. Being of European origin the Holstein is not well adapted to South African veld conditions. Consequently, its milk production on veld is very low, and the animals cannot subsist and produce without some form of supplementary feed. The Nguni breed is an African breed, and is used by communal farmers in KwaZulu-Natal for household milk supply.