Dairy R&D in SA

The quest and responsibility to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions remains paramount for all sectors, also the dairy industry. As the bulk of GHG is produced before the farm gate, it is logical that investigations of progress in mitigation should start there.

1. Overview: Practices of water use.

Automated milking systems (AMS) is a technological leap forward tailored to enhance dairy animal monitoring and management. AMS management software records crucial reproductive dates and events, such as insemination and calving dates, facilitating effective individual and contemporary fertility management strategies.

The dairy industry in SA, as elsewhere, is grappling with significant challenges, including escalating costs and diminishing profit margins. However, these difficulties also create a pivotal opportunity for the sector to embrace sustainable practices that not only enhance environmental stewardship but also encourage economic resilience.

Sustainable food systems encompass nutrition, the environment and socioeconomics, each aspect requiring unique assessment and consideration.

Methane (CH₄) is the primary GHG of cattle, of which 80 to 90% is from enteric fermentation. It is this enteric fermentation that drives the narrative that cattle are detrimental to the climate and the environment in general, and thus the suggestion that globally cattle should be reduced and society increasingly rely more on alternative foods, such as plant-based.

Amidst growing global concerns over sustainability, the imperative for sustainable agriculture has become increasingly important. This urgency is enhanced by an increasing awareness among consumers and policymakers, the demands of activists, and the questionable influence of dietary choices on environmental sustainability.

Feed efficiency (FE) has major implications for dairy production profitability and indirectly for environmental sustainability. It thus has become a priority for monitoring the economic viability of milk production and the environmental footprint.

Feed efficiency traits such as dry matter intake (DMI) and gross feed efficiency (GFE) are imperative in the improvement of herd performance, profitability and sustainability. These traits are however normally not included in selection indices, because of the difficulty to measure DMI.

Cow fertility has recently received much more attention world-wide in breeding programmes than previously, because of its economic implications. Age at first calving (AFC) and calving interval (CI) are typically the parameters of choice in South Africa, but the success thereof is affected by the farmer’s management choices. As alternative, service records could be used to derive fertility traits such as services per conception (SPC), calving to first service (CFS) and days open (DO).