SIDDC - Lincoln University Dairy Farm Current Research

1.     Environmental Research Project

2.     Effects of ‘eco-n’ on nitrate leaching and pasture production

3.     Sustainable Productive Support Land for South Island Dairying Click here

4.     Pasture species monitoring

5.     Monitoring Pasture Growth, Soil Moisture and Irrigation Performance

6.     Pasture Growth Rates and Quality

7.     Pest and weed monitoring

8.     IMBADA Camera Technology

9.     The role of nutrition in lameness in Canterbury

10. Rumen Function Studies at LUDF

11. Real time, on-line monitoring for animal health and environmental impact monitoring

12. Greenhouse Inventory and Greenhouse Gas Footprint Click here

13. The Impact of the LUDF and the SIDDC on Canterbury and North Otago Farmers Click here

Environmental Research Project

The objective of this project is to deliver best management practices under irrigation, by transferring the latest environmental monitoring systems onto a commercial dairy farm, which will ensure that the Dairy Industry’s 4% annual productivity gain is achieved in a sustainable way, and that the wider environment is protected.

The project involves measuring changes in groundwater quality using nine monitoring wells across the farm; measuring nitrate leaching losses using 60 large lysimeters installed in the pasture soil; and measuring nitrate losses in drainage water from the farm using six 100m2 drainage plots.

The concentration of nitrate in the shallow unconfined groundwater below the LUDF is currently below the Ministry of Health drinking water maximum acceptable value of 11.3 mg N/L at all bore sites on the farm. There has been little, if any, microbial contamination of the groundwater below the LUDF. The drainage plot and lysimeter studies show that less than 18 kg N/ha/y is leached under the LUDF

(Researchers: Keith Cameron, Hong Di, and Jim Moir, Lincoln University. Funded by Dairy InSight, MAF(SFF), and Ravensdown Fertiliser Coop Ltd).

Effects of ‘eco-n’ on nitrate leaching and pasture production

A recent research breakthrough at Lincoln University and Ravensdown Fertiliser Co-operative Ltd has discovered a new method to reduce nitrate leaching from pastoral soils by 60%, reduce nitrous oxide (a greenhouse gas) emissions by 75%; and at the same time increase pasture yield by 10 to 15%.

The concept involves the use of a nitrification inhibitor to reduce the rate of nitrification in soil and thus reduce the amount of nitrate in the soil. This reduces the risk of nitrate leaching and retains more nitrogen in the plant root zone, which in turn increases plant yield. Lincoln is working with Ravensdown Fertiliser Co-operative Ltd to provide this new nitrification inhibitor technology (called ‘eco-n’) to farmers. Ravensdown launched the commercial product in Feb 2004 and uptake by farmers has been rapid. Extensive lysimeter and field trials are being carried out throughout New Zealand as well as on the Lincoln University Dairy Farm.

Application of 'eco-n' nitrification inhibitor technology continues to produce annual pasture yield increases of over 20% on the LUDF pasture plots. The lysimeter and drainage plot trials continue to show that 'eco-n' can reduce nitrate leaching losses by between 50 to 80% on the LUDF.

(Researchers: Keith Cameron, Hong Di and Jim Moir, Lincoln University. Funded by Ravensdown Fertiliser Co-operative Ltd).

Pasture species monitoring

An evaluation of a range of pasture species is being conducted on part of the farm (paddocks N5 and N10). Information will be used to help guide decisions on pasture renovation.

(Conducted by Graham Kerr, Agriseeds)

Monitoring Pasture Growth, Soil Moisture and Irrigation Performance

Direct measurements of pasture growth and soil moisture content will be made to help to validate potential farm production for a pasture irrigation calculator being developed for farmers by Crop & Food Research and AgResearch. Information on the application uniformity of the centre pivot on the LUDF North Block will also be obtained.

Pasture growth and soil moisture data were collected from three paddocks on the LUDF. Pasture dry matter production and composition were measured by mowing, and soil moisture by neutron probe. There were production differences between the paddocks, and the reasons for this are being investigated. This information is being used to validate a pasture irrigation calculator being developed by Crop & Food Research. The irrigation application uniformity of the centre pivot on the North Block was measured, and recommendations made on how to improve its performance.

[Researchers: Dick Martin and Steve Thomas, Crop & Food Research. Funded by Dairy InSight and FRST].

Pasture Growth Rates and Quality
1. Pasture growth rates are being monitored across the farm to guide grazing management decisions and provide information on growth rates under centre pivot irrigation.

Information will also be used to calibrate the plate meter for centre pivot irrigated South Island conditions.

2. Pasture cages and plate meters are also being used to measure accumulative growth from pre-grazing and post-grazing residuals in paddocks N3 and S8.

(Conducted by Graham Kerr, Agriseeds, Adrian van Bysterveldt, Dexcel Ltd).

Pest and weed monitoring

Pest and weed population dynamics are being recorded to help predict and control pest damage. This information will give the farm manager advance warning and enable him to take appropriate action.

(Conducted in collaboration with AgResearch.)

IMBADA Camera Technology

In 2005 SIDDC allowed Lincoln Ventures Ltd access to the LUDF to conduct preliminary implementations of the IMBADA Image Processing platform to develop several dairy applications. Progress has been very encouraging, if somewhat slower than anticipated.

From November 2005-January 2006 a prototype camera was installed in the LUDF shed This was used to aperture images o cows for a prototype BCS measurement algorithm. The camera was also used to establish operating requirements for a more robust commercial design (heat, water, power supply, etc). The camera has also been used for additional image capture in August in relation to oestrus detection.

The camera has served its purpose in terms of technical performance measurement and a new design is being implemented, this will be much smaller as the entire platform has been revised. Data capture has led to good progress on developing oestrus detection routines as well as some progress on BCS, but this is a more complex problem.

The oestrus detection is now being undertaken in conjunction with LIC, so this will integrate very well into the Protrack System once this has been installed at the LUDF. The BCS development will now move to a different location.

(Researcher: Frank Bollen, Lincoln Ventures Ltd. Funded by LIC).

The role of nutrition in lameness in Canterbury

The project began in Spring 2005 and was completed at drying off in May 2006. The project has two arms; the on-farm recording of all lameness (> 40 farms and >30,000 cows) has been very successful, with enthusiastic producer uptake and compliance. As a 'proof of concept' it has paved the way for further use of this method of dairy health data gathering in this and other fields. While the data obtained must be considered preliminary until the final formal analysis is complete, they demonstrate a clear difference from previous published levels of lameness in NZ herds (a two-fold increase), and indicate there are significant errors in the widely held and promulgated beliefs about other aspects of the impact of lameness (e.g. on reproduction, on production, and the actual cost of lameness).

The second arm is a season long investigation of the actual rumen pH and activity of five high production cows in the LUDF herd. This work has been the first to develop a robust method to achieve this in grazing dairy cows, and in addition it is particularly valuable that this has been done in a strictly commercial, high production herd. The preliminary results indicate that previous understanding of the range and extremes of rumen pH in NZ grass fed cows is almost certainly incorrect, with pH values recorded that are far lower for longer periods than has been accepted. This work has immediate application to further research in nutritional lameness, but also to other aspects of rumen metabolism in the current NZ systems. Results for other measurements (rumination cycles, volatile fatty acid fluxes, ammonia levels) are pending.

The project has been funded for a further three years jointly by the Sustainable Farming Fund (MAF) and Dairy InSight. Future work includes an expansion of the number and geographic regions of the farms from which lameness data is obtained (Southland and the West Coast), and a comprehensive series of focused rumen function trials assessing the actual impact of altered nutritional management. From this body of work the primary South Island factors associated with the high incidence of lameness recorded are being determined, and practical, achievable strategies for reducing lameness are being developed.

(Researchers: Jim Gibbs, Jose Laporte and Richard Dewhurst. Funding from MAF [SFF], Dairy InSight, and Lincoln University).

Rumen function studies at LUDF

A series of experiments have been completed to investigate factors affecting rumen pH in dairy cows grazing ryegrass/white clover pasture.

Rumen pH, temperature and motility were recorded in herd cows across the lactation season, beginning in the winter, including the transition period, and finishing in April. The bulk of this work consisted in describing typical rumen function in high production cows managed under a representative South Island system, and was an extension of the work begun in the previous season. This work has demonstrated that existing rumen pH thresholds for normal rumen function in grass systems do not describe high production cows under intensive management typical of the South Island. It has also demonstrated a marked diurnal variation in these rumen parameters that is directly associated with grazing management, which is in contrast to rumen function patterns reported in ration fed systems overseas.

There were also two additional experiments conducted to investigate specific feeding practices. The first of these investigated the effect of supplementary barley straw fed after the afternoon milking on diurnal variation in pH and motility of the rumen. The study has been completed and results largely analysed (we are still awaiting some alkane analysis). The study has shown no effect of straw supplementation on rumen pH, but reduced rumen motility; existing understanding of this practice appears to be incorrect. This is a topical and interesting result, and a follow up study will be conducted in late 2007 to repeat this work.

The second study has investigated effects of different levels and rates of feed intake on rumen pH and motility. The experimental model used here was to compare highly-productive dairy cows (high intake rate) and non-lactating cows (low intake rate). The animal work for this study was completed in February but still has data to be analysed. Analysis should be completed by June.

(Researcher: Jim Gibbs and Jose Laporte; funding from SIDE, $4000 2006)

Real-time, on-line monitoring for animal health and environmental impact monitoring

The primary objective of this research is to develop the science content of real-time, on line monitoring systems which will allow development of remote monitoring and control systems for dairy farmers.

The project has targeted three main areas: urine testing of Mg levels, breath testing for metabolic stress; and nitrate testing of drainage water.

A research technician, Rachel McCloy, has been appointed to work on sample and data acquisition and handling; and on breath diagnostic and urine Mg analysis aspects of the project.

Quarterly report on this project [January 2008], which has three components

A. Breath Analysis for Metabolic Stress.

We are analysing volatile organic compounds in breath and milk head-space as indicators of abnormal mobilisation of body fat in milking cows. We have concluded that while breath contains a wide range of compounds that derive from both the feed and the cow, the concentrations of indicator compounds is at the lower end of the detectable range in practice and since breath is much more difficult to collect than milk head space gas, this approach is less likely to lead to a practical monitoring system. Thus we have focused on measuring acetone in the head-space above milk. Acetone concentration varied widely during a two month monitoring period and four peaks in concentration were observed. We are now investigating factors that could explain these peaks in concentration.

Discussions with a US supplier of low-cost acetone meters used in monitoring human diabetes indicated that the system could not be automated and used remotely. Therefore we have had discussions with a company marketing an alternative detector that is less compound-specific, but could be automated. We anticipate evaluating one of these meters at LUDF in the next three months.

B. Assessment of the Risk of Hypomagnesaemia through Monitoring Magnesium in Urine.

We continue to experience difficulties with the Mg-specific electrode in monitoring Mg concentrations in urine. As reported previously, we were initially unable to obtain reliable or repeatable results for a set of Mg calibration standards with the probe in the laboratory. After evaluating alternative buffer solutions and removing all electrical interference from the probe, we have now been able to successfully read the Mg standards and create a standard calibration. However, results from the probe with urine samples collected from cows at the LU dairy farm give widely divergent values which are very poorly correlated with results from the same samples analysed using atomic absorption spectrophotometry (AAS), the standard laboratory method. While it may be possible to further adjust buffer solutions to obtain satisfactory results with urine samples, the chances of developing a system which is robust enough to be practical in the milking shed seem remote as the probe is clearly extremely sensitive to changes in operating conditions.

As an alternative, we have evaluated two colorimetric tests for Mg in urine collected at the LUDF, in comparison with AAS results. One of these, using an automated test meter from Hanna Instruments designed for Mg testing in wastewater, provided results which are highly correlated with the AAS results. This system is robust enough for on-farm application, although requires some manual intervention to prepare samples for analysis; reagents need to be mixed with the urine sample prior to placement in the meter. Despite this draw-back this appears to offer much greater potential for developing an on-farm monitoring system that the Mg probe.

C. Monitoring Nitrogen in Drainage Water.

This component of the project involves the development of improved nitrate electrode technology to enable automatic on-farm measurement of nitrate concentrations in groundwater and drainage water from dairy farms. As reported previously, we encountered some problems with current nitrate electrodes because of sensitivity to temperature changes and a need for regular calibration. An improved membrane has been developed which solved the problem, and laboratory calibration of the new nitrate electrode system has been completed. An interface between the electrode and a data logger has been developed and tested.

Problems have recently occurred during the installation of the electrode assembly in groundwater wells. Improvements need to be made to seal the electrode assembly in order to stop water entering the electronic components, or the electrode assembly needs to be mounted at the well-head with a small automatic pump installed in the well to deliver groundwater samples to the electrode at controlled intervals. We anticipate that this problem will be overcome within the next three month period.

[Conducted by A C Bywater, K Cameron, R Dewhurst, A Sykes, Lincoln University, and R Christie, SIDDC]

[Funded by Dairy InSight]

The Impact of the Lincoln University Dairy Farm and the South Island Dairy Development Centre on Canterbury and North Otago Farmers

Abstract

To assess the success of the extension activities of the Lincoln University Dairy Farm (LUDF) and the South Island Dairy Development Centre (SIDDC), a survey was sent to 622 dairy farmers identified by the Livestock Improvement Corporation (LIC) in the Canterbury and North Otago regions in June 2008. A total of 146 surveys were returned by August 1, 2008. The responses were analyzed using the software, SPSS 15 by staff in the Agriculture and Life Sciences Division of Lincoln University.

Farmers participating in the survey had a mean age of 44, with 76.9% having completed some form of tertiary education. The mean farm size was 238.5 hectares, milking 611 cows. Production per cow was 419 kg ms and 1441 kg ms per hectare, with these production levels being higher than industry averages in the areas surveyed (LIC 2007). The majority of respondents (85.9%) identified themselves as using moderate levels of supplementary feeding (Systems 2,3,4).

Nearly 70% of respondents attended at least one LUDF Focus Day over a three year period. A high percentage attended to learn about grazing and animal management, to benchmark against the LUDF from a production and financial standpoint and to learn about environmental management. The social aspects of attending a Focus Day were not highly rated as a reason for attendance.

LUDF messages, such as low grazing residuals, pasture monitoring and environmental matters were very familiar to farmers. However, newer innovations such as OAD milking during calving, OAD calf feeding and aggressive hormone techniques for deal with non-cycling were less well known. There was a negative correlation in regards to knowledge of LUDF results and distance from the farm.

Twenty three farmers were willing to place an economic value on the adoption of LUDF practices. These ranged from $50,000 per year to $1,000,000 per year. Of these technologies, 82.2% had adopted low grazing residuals and 73.8% re-grassing paddocks based on monitoring. Lower numbers had adopted the practice of synchronizing heifers to calve a week before the main herd (28.9%), aggressive hormone intervention for non-cycling (42.2%) and the nil induction policy (36.2%).
Over 70% felt that the adoption of some of the LUDF technologies had made their farm management easier.

Focus Days are the most important source of learning about LUDF results (68.4%), however other sources of information such as the media and Dairy NZ, were considered important. The LUDF website was visited at least once per year by 68.4% of respondents. When asked how they learn about new technology and innovation, the farmers indicated a wide variety of sources.

Dairy NZ events were attended by 78.5% of farmers and 68.3% used private consultants. There was a positive correlation between both of the above activities and higher levels of milksolids/hectare.

If a farming surplus was to occur, funds would be used to pay down debt or purchase more land. Respondents showed a strong inclination to invest in their business with any surpluses, rather than on personal consumption.

The most highly ranked reason for being a farmer was to achieve a “high cash surplus” (91.1%), with “being their own boss” at 87.7%. Those who ranked “farming for capital gain” highly, did not rank the aesthetics of farming such as “farming as a lifestyle”, “quality stock”, etc. highly. Conversely, those who favoured farming as a lifestyle did not rank farming for capital gain highly.

Introduction

The South Island (SI) of New Zealand has experienced rapid growth in dairy farming. From the 1988/89 season until 2006/07, SI herd numbers increased from 1,139 to 2,287, with cow numbers increasing from 172,084 or 8.2% of NZ cows to 1,155,317 or 29.5% of NZ cows (LIC 1988/89 and 2006/07). One of the areas to see the largest increase has been North and South Canterbury, where herd numbers have increased from 247 to 689, and cow numbers have increased from 81,014 or 3.8% of NZ cows to 467,061 or 11.9% of NZ cows (LIC 1988/89 and 2006/07).

In 2001, Lincoln University converted a 185 hectare (ha) dry land sheep property to an irrigated dairy farm with a milking platform of 161 hectares. The South Island Dairying Development Centre (SIDDC) was formed consisting of six commercial, education or research partners. Management of the Lincoln University Dairy Farm (LUDF) was delegated to SIDDC with the aim of fostering best practice, using the LUDF as a commercial demonstration farm of high relevance to SI dairy farmers. Since formation, a number of management techniques have been trialled and results reported at Focus Days, in the media and via the www.siddc.org.nz website. Financial data and benchmarks have been provided for the use of the industry. The LUDF has had over 13,000 visitors.

The farm runs over 4 cows/ha, producing between 1700 to 1800 kg of milk solids (ms) from a low input system. In the 2005/06 season, this resulted in the harvesting of over 16t dry matter (dm) of pasture per ha and an operating profit of $2,240/ha at a $4/kg ms payout. This compared favourably with the industry’s “Dairy DataBase” benchmarks which showed an average operating profit of $1,406 for the Marlborough/Canterbury areas (van Bysterveldt and Christie 2006).

In June of 2008, a postal survey was conducted of dairy farmers in the LUDF catchment area of Canterbury and North Otago. The objective of the survey was to determine the demographics of farmers in the area and to gauge whether farmers had adopted the technologies demonstrated by the LUDF. The data was analysed by staff in the Agriculture and Life Sciences Division of Lincoln University using the software SPPS 15.