Dairy R&D in SA

Discipline: environment; Keywords: GHG, soil health, waste management, water quality, biodiversity, socio-economics, dairy product quality, animal care.

The report is structured according to the FAO-IDF Dairy Declaration of Rotterdam (DDoR) and the Dairy Sustainability Framework (DSF), which endorses the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and provides guidelines for sustainable development. The report in particular pays attention to (1) environmental integrity as it pertains to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, soil health and nutrient supply, waste management, water quality and quantity, and biodiversity; (2) socio-economics in terms of market development, rural stability and farm worker conditions; (3) dairy product quality and safety, and (4) animal care.

Discipline: reproduction; Keywords: SA Holsteins, stillbirth, EBV’s, genetic evaluation, environmental effects.

Stillbirth remains a problem in dairy herds in many countries and is increasingly included in national breeding objectives. In South Africa, however, we lack reliable information on the incidence of stillbirth that can be used to improve this trait genetically. Currently, there are no estimated breeding values (EBVs) for any measures of calving performance produced under the national genetic evaluation programmes. The aim of the study by the authors cited below was therefore to assess the incidence of stillbirth and determine environmental factors affecting the trait in South African Holstein cattle. 

Discipline: environment; Keywords: methane, nitrous oxide, GHG, shale gas, denitrification, life cycle analysis, N fertilization.

Discipline: environment; Keywords: Greenhouse gas emissions, carbon sinc, pasture-based dairy farms, soil carbon levels, soil health, biodiversity.

Discipline: quality; Keywords: Phosphate, Alizarol test, Psychrotropic bacteria, NIR, biofilms, gelation, UHT milk.

Discipline: calf rearing; Keywords: once or twice a day milk feeding, labour costs, health, mortality, rumen development.

Discipline: feeding; Keywords: concentrate feeding, milk yield, stocking rate, replacement, diminishing returns, gross margin.

Discipline: management; Keywords: KPI’s, TMR, breakeven milk yield, reproduction parameters, margin above feed costs.  

Discipline: environment; Keywords: GHG, nitrogen use efficiency, phosphorus, mixed pastures, soil health.

This is a summary of results reported by Dr Craig Galloway (see reference below) of farms where there have been improvements in the carbon balance and other parameters as indicated by data collected between 2013 and 2019. Some of the farms have data for all the years, whereas others only have data for two of the years. All improvements indicated are the most recent data relative to the baseline, which is the first time the assessments were done. The farms are pasture-based dairy farms in the Eastern Cape (Tsitsikamma, Oyster Bay, Humansdorp, Cookhouse, Cradock and Alexandria).

Discipline: lameness; Keywords: claw health, dirt lot, free stall, sole ulcer, white line.

Claw health is an important factor in animal welfare and its evaluation is an early indicator of lameness in dairy cattle. However, claw disorders on many farms are not routinely evaluated and the information not included in genetic evaluations as they are not always considered in terms of productivity. The aim of the study by the authors cited below was to evaluate claw health of dairy cattle housed in dirt lot vs free stall under the TMR systems.