The Deviation between Dairy Cow Metabolizable Energy Requirements and Pasture Supply on a Dairy Farm Using Proximal Hyperspectral Sensing

Federico Duranovich, Nicolás López-Villalobos, Nicola Shadbolt, Ina Draganova, Ian Yule and Stephen Morris
Additional contact information
Federico Duranovich: School of Agriculture and Environment, College of Sciences, Massey University, Private Bag 11-222, Palmerston North 4442, New Zealand
Nicolás López-Villalobos: School of Agriculture and Environment, College of Sciences, Massey University, Private Bag 11-222, Palmerston North 4442, New Zealand
Nicola Shadbolt: School of Agriculture and Environment, College of Sciences, Massey University, Private Bag 11-222, Palmerston North 4442, New Zealand
Ina Draganova: School of Agriculture and Environment, College of Sciences, Massey University, Private Bag 11-222, Palmerston North 4442, New Zealand
Ian Yule: Massey AgriFood Digital Lab, School of Food and Advanced Technology, College of Sciences, Massey University, Private Bag 11-222, Palmerston North 4442, New Zealand
Stephen Morris: School of Agriculture and Environment, College of Sciences, Massey University, Private Bag 11-222, Palmerston North 4442, New Zealand

Agriculture, 2021, vol. 11, issue 3, 1-15

Abstract: This study aimed at determining the extent to which the deviation of daily total metabolizable energy (ME t ) requirements of individual cows from the metabolizable energy (ME) supplied per cow (DME) varied throughout the production season in a pasture-based dairy farm using proximal hyperspectral sensing (PHS). Herd tests, milk production, herbage and feed allocation data were collected during the 2016–2017 and 2017–2018 production seasons at Dairy 1, Massey University, New Zealand. Herbage ME was determined from canopy reflectance acquired using PHS. Orthogonal polynomials were used to model lactation curves for yields of milk, fat, protein and live weights of cows. Daily dietary ME supplied per cow to the herd and ME requirements of cows were calculated using the Agricultural Food and Research Council (AFRC) energy system of 1993. A linear model including the random effects of breed and cow was used to estimate variance components for DME. Daily herd ME t estimated requirements oscillated between a fifth above or below the ME supplied throughout the production seasons. DME was mostly explained by observations made within a cow rather than between cows or breeds. Having daily estimates of individual cow requirements for ME t in addition to ME dietary supply can potentially contribute to achieving a more precise fit between supply and demand for feed in a pasture-based dairy farm by devising feeding strategies aimed at reducing DME.

Keywords: metabolizable energy balance; pasture-based dairying; individual milking cows (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q1 Q10 Q11 Q12 Q13 Q14 Q15 Q16 Q17 Q18 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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