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Tuesday, 22-May-2012 10:29:31 BST
Reducing Environmental Footprint Is A Step In The Right Direction For Dairy Farmers
Reducing the environmental footprint while lowering costs will this year be the theme of the Institute of Grassland and Environmental Research (IGER) stand at the Dairy Event being held on the 19th and 20th September. Scientists will be on hand to give practical advice on how measures taken on-farm can not only be of benefit to the environment, but can lead also to cost savings.
"Greenhouse gas emissions are high on the political agenda while impacts of agriculture on acid rain formation and nitrate pollution of water courses are also of concern. Mitigation strategies are more likely to be taken up by farmers if they also reduce costs”, says Professor Mike Theodorou
UK dairy farmers who have seen reduced returns from their enterprises in recent times will learn how measures taken to reduce their environmental footprint can also help them cash in whilst also meeting their cross-compliance obligations.
IGER research will be featured on breeding varieties of red and white clover which reduce fertiliser use and improve soil quality. Clovers fix atmospheric nitrogen and reduce the fertiliser requirements for grass/clover swards giving a high protein forage.
Strategies for nutrient budgeting on both conventional and organic dairy farms will be highlighted, including the analysis of soils, slurries and manures while methods will be displayed for the management of farm wastes which maximise the use of nitrogen and minimise polluting losses.
"Animal manures can play a vital role on the farm because they contain valuable plant nutrients such as nitrogen, potassium, sulphur and phosphorous” said Heather McCalman
"Careful management and recycling of this resource can cut fertiliser costs, lower pollution and add to the fertility of the soil. It makes sound economic sense to conserve and exploit these nutrients rather than letting them go to waste and running the risks of air and water pollution”.
Breeding forages for the future has been the focus of IGER’s breeding programmes in recent years. The development of highly digestible grasses with high ME and optimised contents of crude protein and sugar have proven to increase the proportion of nitrogen in the plant that is incorporated into meat and milk according to IGER extension officer Heather McCalman.
"By adding to the supply of fermentable carbohydrate in the rumen, these new varieties can improve the efficiency with which dietary protein is used by the dairy cow”, she added.
"Increasing the efficiency of rumen processes could also lead to reduced emissions to air of ammonia and the powerful greenhouse gases methane and nitrous oxide.”
Low cost winter management options for dairy livestock will also be displayed which enable dairy farming to adapt to climate change scenarios for the West of the UK. Farmers will be prompted to consider crop selection and sequence, grazing control, feed supplements, livestock welfare, soil management along with possible alternatives to housing.
"These practical measures can also help producers meet the concerns of consumers who want their food to be produced by more sustainable methods,” said Heather McCalman
"We are confident that these approaches will help dairy farmers nationwide to think positively at a difficult time for the industry, and will bring benefits not only for their businesses, but also for the environment.”
NVZ status across the UK is currently the subject of government consultation and outputs from IGER research can helps farmer to manage nutrients efficiently. This will be essential to farmers currently operating above the proposed limit of 170kg/N ha. Maximum efficiency of N use will be one of the keys to economic survival. On the stand IGER staff will be inviting farmers to take part in a quick quiz about manures, slurries and fertiliser use with a prize of 5 acres of a HSG grass ley to the winning entry kindly donated by British Seed Houses.
Note: IGER’s exhibit at the Dairy Event on 19th and 20th September will be located on stand 123 in Exhibition Hall1.
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