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Effects of different stocking rates with dairy cows on herbage quality and milk production in organic farming

Schori, Fredy (2008) Effects of different stocking rates with dairy cows on herbage quality and milk production in organic farming. Poster at: Cultivating the Future Based on Science: 2nd Conference of the International Society of Organic Agriculture Research ISOFAR, Modena, Italy, June 18-20, 2008.

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Summary

In order to identify the optimum stocking rate for grazing dairy cows in organic farming, grazing experiments were conducted from 2004 to 2006. Cows of one herd were divided into two groups during vegetation periods. The paddocks of the rotational pasture were split in a way that the low stocking rate group (SRL) had 15% more pasture area than the high stocking rate group (SRH). Post grazing sward height for SRH, was decisive for the simultaneous change of the sub-paddocks. Annual stocking rates for SRH were 2.0, 2.3 and 2.3 cows per hectare (ha). In the offered herbage mass for SRL significant lower ash-, CP-, APDE- and APDN values as well as higher NDF values were detected. Sugar- and NEL values were unaffected. No significant differences were found for milk production per cow, but milk production per ha was significantly higher for SRH. Apart from two exceptions (lactose 2005 and urea 2006), no significant differences were identified for milk composition. The attribution of more pasture area without topping leads to a lower pasture quality. Increasing the stocking rate, within limits, slightly reduces the milk yield per cow, but clearly improves the utilization of grown herbage.


EPrint Type:Conference paper, poster, etc.
Type of presentation:Poster
Keywords:stocking rate, milk production, organic farming, herbage quality, dairy cow
Subjects: Animal husbandry > Production systems > Dairy cattle
Animal husbandry > Feeding and growth
Research affiliation: Switzerland > Agroscope > ALP
International Conferences > 2008: IFOAM OWC: Research Track / ISOFAR > 3.3 Animal health and nutrition – ruminants
Deposited By: Schori, Fredy
ID Code:11907
Deposited On:02 Oct 2008
Last Modified:12 Apr 2010 07:36
Document Language:English
Status:Published
Refereed:Peer-reviewed and accepted
Additional Publishing Information:This paper is published in the conference proceedings:
Neuhoff, Daniel; Halberg, Niels; Alfldi, Thomas; Lockeretz, William; Thommen, Andreas; Rasmussen, Ilse A.; Hermansen, John; Vaarst, Mette; Lck, Lorna; Carporali, Fabio; Jensen, Henning Hgh; Migliorini, Paola and Willer, Helga, Eds. (2008) .Cultivating the Future Based on Science. Proceedings of the Second Scientific Conference of the International Society of Organic Agriculture Research (ISOFAR), held at the 16th IFOAM Organic World Congress in Cooperation with the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM) and the Consorzio ModenaBio, 18 . 20 June 2008 in Modena, Italy.. International Society of Organic Agriculture Research (ISOFAR), c/o IOL, DE-Bonn, Research Institute of Organic Agriculture FiBL, CH-Frick. https://orgprints.org/13672 and https://orgprints.org/13674

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