Dairy R&D in SA

Discipline: mastitis; Keywords: SCC, test day records, lactation, province, season, breed, variation explained.

One of the key traits in profitable milk production is somatic cell count (SCC). It is used as a measure of udder health and management thereof in terms of cleanliness, cow health and selection is paramount. Over years, a substantial data base has accumulated from the milk recording and management system, allowing analyses from different perspectives to better understand factors influencing SCC. Some factors not normally thought of provide interesting results as shown by the author cited below. 

Discipline: management; Keywords: age at first calving, lifetime efficiency, productive life, selection, genetic parameters. 

Discipline: yogurt; Keywords: Listeria monocytogenes, Staphylococcus aureus, probiotics, antibacterial activity, antibiotic resistance, yogurt.

Discipline: contamination; Keywords: Pseudomonas fluorescens , psychrotrophic bacteria, refrigeration temperature, unhygienic surfaces, biofilms, milk flocculation, UHT milk.                 

Discipline: environment; Keywords: pasture system; dairy; nitrogen balance; greenhouse gas; emission factors.

Discipline: pastures; Keywords: kikuyu-ryegrass, Tall fescue, plantain, mixture, fodder flow, milk yield.

Discipline: mastitis; Keywords: antibiotic resistance, MIC, Staphylococcus aureus, mastitis, somatic cell count, seasons, regions.

Discipline: sustainability; Keywords: environmental integrity, GHG, soil health, waste management, water, biodiversity, socio-economics, rural stability, farm worker conditions, quality and safety, animal care.

Discipline: nutritive value; Keywords: maize hardness, near-infrared spectroscopy, PSI, RVA, intra-lab analysis, feed industry.

Discipline: breeding; Keywords: high and low input systems, heterogeneity, selection, INTERGIS, milk yield, ranking of sires.