Pasture and forage crop systems for non-irrigated dairy farms in southern Australia. 1. Physical production and economic performance |
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| Authors: | DF Chapman SN Kenny D Beca IR Johnson |
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| Institution: | 1. School of Agriculture and Food Systems, University of Melbourne, Victoria 3010, Australia;2. M.C. Franklin Laboratory, University of Sydney, Camden, NSW 2570, Australia;3. Beca-Zuur Consulting, 16 Grange Road, Warrnambool, Victoria 3280, Australia;4. IMJ Consulting Ltd., P.O. Box 1590, Armidale, NSW 2350, Australia |
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| Abstract: | The dairy industry in southern Australia relies on perennial ryegrass pasture to supply 60–70% of the diet of lactating cows. Improvements in the amount and quality of home-grown forage used for dairy cow feeding are critical for further productivity gains in the industry. A modeling approach was used to estimate the effects of changing the forage system on farm business profit. Base models (using 100% of farm area in perennial ryegrass pasture) were constructed for above-average (Top 40%) and high performing (Top 10%) farm types typical of two locations: Terang in southwest Victoria and Ellinbank in Gippsland, eastern Victoria. These models were then re-simulated using different forage base options such as: oversowing annual ryegrass, winter crops (annual ryegrass monoculture, winter cereal grown for whole crop silage), summer crops (grazing brassicas, maize), combinations of these (double cropping), or summer shoulder pasture (notionally based on tall fescue) on between 10% and 100% of farm area. |
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| Keywords: | Dairy systems Forage Pasture Simulation modeling Milk production Profitability |
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