The Milk Producer - November 2008 - (Page 40)

AppSc,40-42:New Template 10/29/2008 9:56 AM Page 1 APPLIEDSCIENCE By Robert Berthiaume and Gaston Raggio Payoff for all Research into organic dairy production is already showing how it can provide benefits to conventional farms, too ant to lower your dairy farm’s overall energy use, reduce the amount of phosphorus you buy or modify your milk’s composition to make it even healthier for consumers? Recent organic milk production research suggests how, even if you operate a conventional farm. Given the constraints it imposes, organic production doesn’t suit all dairy farmers. Nevertheless, organic research results could benefit conventional producers, too, as the three examples show. Organic dairy production has grown in Canada. By 2005-06, 118 organic dairy farms produced almost 41 million litres of milk, mainly in Quebec, Ontario and British Columbia. That was almost four times the volume produced by half as many producers in 2000-01. Producer numbers and volume have increased steadily since, and production has started to come on-stream in other provinces such as Manitoba. At the Centre for Organic Dairy Research, located on the University of Guelph’s Campus d’Alfred, the general objective is to promote organic dairy production expansion by helping producers meet consumer demand. The only one of its kind in Canada, the centre provides scientists with a certified organic dairy farm for research projects. Organic research generated at the Alfred centre and in other countries is already proving its worth for all dairy farmers—organic and conventional. 40 | November 2008 | MilkPRODUCER W Here’s a closer look at the three examples: Lowering energy use In Denmark, researchers used a complex mathematical model to compare energy efficiency on organic and conventional dairy farms. It took into account, among other factors, energy needed to produce fertilizers and pesticides used in conventional production. The comparison between 17 conventional farms and 14 organic dairy farms shows conventional operations used more than 50 per cent more energy to produce each litre of milk. Organic producers used 2.16 megajoules of energy per litre, despite observed yield decreases, while conventional farms used 3.34 megajoules. Energy-intensive nitrogen fertilizers accounted for a large part of this difference. According to the researchers, conventional producers would be better off adopting farming practices that reduce nitrogen fertilizer use. Including nitrogen-fixing crops such as alfalfa and soybeans in your rotation and using manure wisely on your cropland to reduce energy use and costs. Reducing phosphorus Closer to home, researchers at the Nova Scotia Agricultural College and the University of Guelph conducted a study on 15 Ontario dairy farms that had been certified organic for at least 10 years. They wanted to establish the farms’ nutrient balances, particularly for phosphorus. This would determine the impact of giving up synthetic fertilizers on soil and crop phosphorus levels. The researchers quantified all phosphorus sources brought onto Wise manure use can reduce a dairy farm’s overall energy consumption.

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of The Milk Producer - November 2008

The Milk Producer - November 2008
Contents
Editor's Notes
DFO�Chair's Message
Dairy Update
DFC Promotion
Farm Finance
Forage Fallout
Issues Update
Research
Applied Science
Markets
New 'N' Noted
Back Forty

The Milk Producer - November 2008