by Heinz Meissner
Click on any of the publications below to read more about the specific topic:
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Click on any of the publications below to read more about the specific topic:
Title | Date | Discipline | Extract | Keywords |
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BIOLOGICAL TREATMENT OF DAIRY WASTEWATER | Environment | Two wastewater streams from the dairy parlour are relevant: (1) wastewater originating from cleaning, disinfection and sanitation of milking equipment, containing water, milk and detergents; and (2) wastewater from floor washing, containing manure, urine, waste milk and dirt. These are usually flooded into wastewater settling ponds which, depending on design, are variably effective in terms of utilisation of irrigation and settled solids thereafter. |
wastewater, chemical oxygen demand, nutrients, settling ponds, laboratory analyses. | |
THE GREENHOUSE GAS DEBATE IN LIVESTOCK CONTINUOUS | Environment | Prelude: Methane emissions in particular, and nitrous oxide as potent greenhouse gases (GHG), have been in the political, activist and general public debate for some time. Central in the debate has been livestock ruminants, in particular beef and dairy cattle, since estimates show the global production of these gases from livestock may be upwards of 20% of total. |
methane, nitrous oxide, global warming, cattle numbers, emission reduction, carbon sequestration, food security. | |
THE IMPORTANCE OF STAPHYLOCOCCUS AUREUS IN SA DAIRY HERDS | Animal Health and Welfare | Staphylococcus aureus is internationally recognised as the most important pathogen of intra-udder infection and the foremost reason for economic loss to dairy farmers. South Africa is not different, but the spread and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) of different strains compared to elsewhere in the world is not well documented, which then was the main focus of the review by the authors cited. |
mastitis, economic loss, dairy cattle, antibiotic resistance. | |
TURNIP PHOTOSENSITISATION IN DAIRY COWS | Animal Health and Welfare | Several causes of hepatogenous or secondary photosensitisation have been reported, such as from hepatotoxic plants, water-borne cyanobacteria and saprophytic fungi. In cattle, hepatogenous photosensitivity is associated with the feeding of crops comprising certain cultivars and/or hybrids of forage Brassica, namely turnip, rape and swedes. The bovine clinical case is referred to as Brassica-associated liver disease or BALD, which has been well-described in Australia and New Zealand, but not previously in South Africa. |
Brassica rapa, forage turnip, teat lesions, Barkant, Brassica-associated liver disease, hepatogenous photosensitivity | |
THE BURDEN AND VALUE OF MANURE ON PASTURE-BASED DAIRY FARMS | Maintaining soil health is pivotal towards ensuring that the soil can function as a living ecosystem, keeping it in biological balance to ensure productive agriculture. Through the implementation of careful manure management, regenerative farming practices and sustainable cultivation, many dairy farmers contribute to the sequestration of carbon into soil, as well as replenishing soils with other nutrients which are essential for crop cultivation. |
soil health, effluent management, manure chemical fertilizers, nutrient deficiencies. | ||
WHAT BENEFITS BRING MORE SUSTAINABLE METHODOLOGIES TO THE PASTURE-BASED DAIRY FARMER’S TABLE? | The purpose of the study cited was to investigate the association between the economic and environmental facets of sustainability as it relates to milk production in the pasture-based dairy operations of the country. The data derived from a case study of 62 farms from the Eastern Cape (55), Western Cape (3) and KZN (4) that are following the Trace & Save advisory package for sustainable production. These farms supply almost 10% of the country’s milk. The methodologies used for calculation were based on proposals of the UN’s IPCC. |
pasture-based dairy farms, sustainable practices, soil carbon, environmental impact, gross margin. | ||
BUFFER AND WETLAND MANAGEMENT GUIDELINE FOR PASTURE DAIRY FARMS | Environment | From results of a research project by the authors cited, a guideline was compiled. The guideline aims to support sustainability in the dairy sector through provision of best practice guidelines for improved management of water resources using riparian buffer zones and enhanced wetlands. |
riparian buffer, wetland, pollution, water management, aquatic ecosystems, cost analysis. | |
THE CONTROVERSY ABOUT CATTLE’S ROLE IN THE GLOBAL ENVIRONMENT | Environment | Cattle have been the focus of an intense debate between those concerned about, among other things, the possible negative effects on global warming, land degradation, food competition and human health, and those who are positive toward the possible role of cattle in maintaining global socio-economic and environmental sustainability. |
cattle, carbon sequestration, animal-based foods, grazing capacity, methane emission, photosynthesis. | |
EFFECT OF DIETARY PROTEIN QUALITY IN SUPPLEMENTS TO DAIRY COWS | Feed sources and Nutrition | The authors postulated that the performance of dairy cows grazing ryegrass pastures may be enhanced if the amino acid balance in the small intestine is enhanced. Being normally in short supply on ryegrass, supplementation with rumen-protected methionine (RPM) and lysine (RPL) could be beneficial. This was then investigated in the study. |
metabolisable protein, amino acids, rumen-protected methionine and lysine, ryegrass pasture, Jersey cows. | |
GRAIN-LEGUME SILAGES FOR THE SWARTLAND | Feed sources and Nutrition | The Swartland area utilizes winter cereal crops and mostly relies on small grain cereals as silage in dairy cow diets. These crops are usually lower in crude protein (CP) and result in lower dry matter (DM) yields than either maize or lucerne, which implies that more CP concentrates at extra cost need to be supplemented to achieve the milk yields wanted. Therefore, it has become important to evaluate alternative forage sources to grain-only silages. This then forms the basis for the investigation cited. |
winter cereals, legumes, grain crop-legume mix, dry matter yield, predicted milk production. |