10 YEARS MANAGEMENT OF ON FARM
DAIRY PASTURE PROJECTS:
REVIEW OF METHODOLOGY AND RESULTS
H. Kohnen (LTAE), J. Boonen (LTAE), G. Conter (SER)
Projects
FILL Pasture Project: 2003-2005 & 2006- 2008
“Improve pasture & dairy production”
4 pilot farms
National (multi actor: Uni Bonn- herd book- book accounting)
Dairyman: 2010-2013; EU Interreg IVB:
“Sustainable dairy production”
NWE: 7 countries, 10 regions (B, D, F, IR, NI, L, NL)
Network of 130 pilot farms (Lux. 6 farms; 3 pasture farms)
Autograssmilk: 2014- 2015; EU P7
“Combine AMS & pasture”
6 countries (B, DK, F, I, NL, S, L coop since 2014)
37 monitor & experimental farms (LUX: 4)
20. Dez 14
6. Dez 14
Grassilage
22. Nov 14
8. Nov 14
25. Okt 14
Heu
11. Okt 14
Mais
27. Sep 14
13. Sep 14
Stroh
30. Aug 14
16. Aug 14
SAFT futter
2. Aug 14
19. Jul 14
5. Jul 14
Sonstiges
21. Jun 14
7. Jun 14
KF MW
24. Mai 14
10. Mai 14
26. Apr 14
KF Stat
12. Apr 14
29. Mrz 14
15. Mrz 14
1. Mrz 14
Feed intake (kg DM.cow -1.day-1)
Feed and pasture calendar
and 4 explicative graphs
Feed intake
Weide
20
15
10
5
0
Feed & pasture calendar:
Feed cost simulation
Milk yield (kg Milk/cow/day
0,04
0,06
Pasture cost: 0,05 €/kg DM
Feed cost: 0,22 €/kg DM
0,1
0,08
0,12
35
0,14
30
0,16
25
0,18
20
0,2
0,2
15
0,22
0,2
0,24
0,22
10
100
© Kohnen LTA 2012
80
60
40
Pasture (% DM
20
0
Pasture management
2003- 2006: Pasture management by guidelines:
Graze early in spring!
Graze tight with low pregrazing high!
Reduce supplementary feeding!
 Grass silage  Maize silage  Concentrates
2006: Pasture management with weekly farm walk
Estimate available pasture
2006- 2008: „Pasture days ahead“ (F)
2008- : Feed wedge (NZ)
Estimate available pasture:
Weekly pasture walk with
Grassmaster (2003-04):
Electric impedance
Herbomètre (F) &
Rising Plate Meter (NZ)
2005- 2010
Compressed grass
high
Estimate available pasture:
“Weekly pasture drive”
Feedreader
Quad & Ultrasonic sensor
Evaluate available pasture:
Feed wedge
Recorded data must be transposed into understandable figures
Problems:
In time with measurements
No autonomous weekly pasture walk
(no measurements and data handling by farmers)
Impact on farmers decision not evident
(simple guidelines are well accepted)
Improve tools –
improve knowledge transfer– improve knowhow
Farm development plan:
- Farm specific
- Objective driven – Strategy - Indicators
FARM DESCRIPTION
Pasture intake
Selection of
objectives
OBJECTIVES
Grass
growth
Pasture
infrastructure
Sustainable
improvement
Pasture intake
STRATEGY
Action
Indicator
target
Grass growth
Action
Indicator
Actual
target
Pasture infrastructure
Action
Indicator
actual
target
Actual
F&P
GM
HM
RPM
FR
FW
FDP
Final Evaluation
Time consuming
++
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-
+
-
Spec. Knowledge
(technical realisation)
++
+
+
+
++
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++
+
+
+
-
++
++
++
+
+
+
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Spec. Knowledge
(data interpretation)
Accuracy
Acceptance (with
technical help)
Acceptance
(autonomous)
Conclusions
Pilot farm networks are very appropriate for
implementing innovating ideas
Exchange platform & knowledge transfer
(research- advisory- farming praxis- education)
Multi actor network:
More actors  more time needed for agreement (“slower”)
More actors  higher implementation of the results
Proposed scientific tools not always in accordance with
farmers demands and skills
(“visual, intuitive”   “scientific model”)
Time consuming to collecting data
specific knowledge to interpret data
Farmers have an intuitive understanding of complicated farm
process
Pilot farm network:
Analyse dairy production systems
Analyse dairy production systems
Explicative data analysis
Criteria for success pasture based- indoor- mixed system
Settings
Great number of divers pilot farms & regions (countries)
All farming systems (not only grazing)
Homogenous data recording and treatment
Create a European reference network
Smaller networks can refer to!
Great help for small countries with divers pedo- climatic
conditions