Location: Environmentally Integrated Dairy Management Research
Project Number: 5090-21500-003-000-D
Project Type: In-House Appropriated
Start Date: Feb 26, 2024
End Date: Feb 25, 2029
Objective:
Objective 1: Develop management practices for annual forage species planted after spring-harvested cover crops to enhance plant and animal productivity.
Sub-objective 1A: Evaluate productivity and nutritive value of annual forage species under different soil and management conditions planted after a spring-harvested cover crop.
Sub-objective 1B: Evaluate animal productivity of dairy heifers and lactating dairy cows fed forages of optimal quality based on results from sub-objective 1A for the specific dairy cattle groups.
Sub-objective 1C: Develop, improve, calibrate, and validate computer models that assess plant and animal responses to crop nutrient management in dairy cropping systems.
Objective 2: Develop manure application strategies to improve in-season manure nutrient use by perennial forages.
Sub-objective 2A: Evaluate effects of in-season liquid dairy manure application timing and techniques on cool-season perennial grass productivity and nutritive value, carbon and nitrogen losses, and soil nutrient changes.
Sub-objective 2B: Develop and validate computer models to predict soil and environmental responses due to nutrient application strategies in dairy production systems.
Objective 3: Develop management practices for grazing cattle on managed pasture that enhance both animal and plant productivity.
Sub-objective 3A: Evaluate productivity and nutritive value of novel forage species that may be further utilized in grazing systems.
Sub-objective 3B: Determine the production potential from dairy heifers raised on pastures, evaluating both plant and animal productivity, as well as pasture species management impact on nutrient cycling.
Approach:
Dairy producers are increasing the harvest of cover crop forages planted after corn silage; however, there are often questions about subsequent forage crop options and best practices. Use of annual forages other than corn for silage can help break insect cycles that occur with consecutive seasons of growing corn and allows for increased application of manure to growing crops. Several forage species have been used with varying success due to lack of best management practices for the Midwest region. Also, raising dairy heifers on pasture is a win-win strategy for improving animal productivity and reducing the environmental footprint of dairy production. Raising replacement heifers on pasture can reduce the economic costs associated with this sector of dairy production. However, there is a lack of science-based recommendations for incorporating grazing practices into dairy systems. Furthermore, software modeling tools to help predict how changes to nutrient management and cropping systems affect forage productivity and the environment are lacking. To address these topics, the proposed research will evaluate the forage productivity and nutritive value of annual and perennial forage species under different management conditions and develop strategies for ensuring replacement dairy heifers can meet production targets through grazing or incorporation of alternative forages into the ration. The approach consists of experimental field work and model development, all organized under three broad objectives:
Objective 1: Develop management practices for annual forage species planted after spring-harvested cover crops to enhance plant and animal productivity.
Objective 2: Develop manure application strategies to improve in-season manure nutrient use by perennial forages.
Objective 3: Develop management practices for grazing cattle on managed pasture that enhance both animal and plant productivity.
These objectives impact dairy and forage production systems in the upper Midwest and elsewhere. Products and outcomes consist of best management practices for nutrient application of forages and harvest management; grazing management recommendations and fundamental knowledge of dairy heifer performance on pasture; and improved tools for modeling livestock production systems. Stakeholders include dairy and grazing-based producers, the dairy industry, and other crop farmers.
