July 6, 2010

 

Australian study focuses on nutrient efficiency in dairy farms
 

 

Dairy producers in Australia can save money and boost productivity, by being better aware of fertiliser efficiency, according to a four-year research project for a study into nutrients on the nation's dairy farms.

 

The "Accounting For Nutrients" project is about working with commercial dairy farmers across the country to quantify nutrient flows and the efficiency of nutrient use on commercial dairy farms.

 

Chief researcher Dr Cameron Gourley said cow feed and pasture fertilisers are the focus of the study that also deals with environment responsibility of land managers.

 

"It is about making sure that the inputs, feed and fertilisers, are used most efficiently to drive production, and to have a lower environmental footprint," he said.

 

"We need to recognise that our dairy industry has intensified over the past decade, and it has a much greater reliance on imported fertiliser and feed, and that has changed the way that dairy and milk is produced," he explained. "As a result of this intensification we have a much greater disconnect between the way nutrients are cycled within the farm, and we need to revisit the issues associated with making sure we are not overloading our farms with nutrients; and the nutrients that are coming on board are used much more efficiently to drive production."

 

The national dairy nutrient study results show a marked difference in on-farm nutrient use nationally when the researchers compared inputs with outputs.

 

"What we found is quite a range of across farms, anywhere between 14 and 50% efficiency. So for every 100 units, perhaps only 14 or perhaps 50 ended up in product, and the rest of that was lost to the broader environment," he said.

 

Dr Cameron Gourley said farmers need to minimise the loss of nitrogen off farm to cut costs and reduce the chance for pollution.

 

He said this study points to ways to save farmers money.

 

"It makes no economic sense to apply fertilisers to soils that already have nutrient levels above optimum levels," he said. "The only way you can ascertain that is to get a soil test done, then make strategic fertiliser applications rather than applying the same blend at the same rate across the entire farm, and we have to be way smarter in the way we are applying fertilisers on farm."

 

Dairy Australia chairman Max Roberts said farmers are benefiting from the practical research, co-funded by Dairy Australia, the national research and development body for the dairy sector.

 

"What we want to make sure is that we don't create pollution; and the community responsibility that we have as an industry is simply that - let's not pollute, let's not create the pollution," he said. "We can do that by simply utilising what others perceive as pollution as good nutrient, good feedstock into our production systems, and utilising it that way."

 

"If we can get productivity gains out of what others deem as potential pollution, and the dairy industry is doing that and it is a win for everybody," he added.