Annual and seasonal changes in mineral contents (Ca, Mg, P, K and Na) of grazed clover-grass mixtures in organic farming

A grazed field experiment was established in 1995 to evaluate alsike clover (Trifoliun hybridum L.), red clover (Trifolium pratense L.) and white clover (Trifolium repens L.) in clover-grass mixtures under organic farming practices. In this study the effect of seed mixture (alsike clover, red clover, white clover, white and alsike clover or grass mixture), year (1997, 1998) and grazing period (5 per grazing season) on the herbage calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), potassium (K) phosphorous (P) and sodium (Na) contents was assessed and the relationships between botanical proportions and herbage mineral contents were studied. Herbage Ca and Na contents varied between the seed mixtures, Ca, Mg, P and Na contents between the years and all measured minerals, except Na, between the grazing periods. The white clover mixture resulted in higher Ca and Na contents. The contents of Ca and Mg were positively related with the proportions of clovers and weeds and were higher in 1997. The contents of P and K were higher in the rainy summer of 1998. The seed mixtures resulted in similar mean K/(Ca + Mg) equivalent ratios, but the Ca/P ratio was higher for the white clover mixture. Mineral rations varied between and within grazing seasons. Under organic practices the supply of minerals in the pasture herbage varied temporally and according to the botanical contents and was unable to meet fully the requirements of dairy cows. Additional mineral feeding is recommended for organic farming systems to balance the dietary mineral contents for grazing cows

Grazing management for Nordic organic dairy farming

The aims of this study were to identify limiting factors and to develop adjusted grazing management for Nordic organic dairy farming conditions. The focus was to combine the aspects of plant, animal and organic production, as they are all involved in organic dairy pastures

Annual pastures, seed mixtures and supplementary feeding in organic milk production

The current study was aiming to evaluate annual legume-grass-cereal mixture as a basal feed for dairy cows under organic or other low fertiliser input systems in Nordic conditions. In additional aim was to evaluate the effect of concentrate feeding regimen in order to simplify grazing management

Näin saat lisää litroja luomulaitumelta

Luonnonmukaiseen tuotantoon siirtyminen merkitsee usein laitumen sadon pienenemistä, mitä ei luomussa voida luomusääntöjen vuoksi korvata runsaalla väkirehulla. Ratkaisu saattaa kuitenkin löytyä laiduntamisen tehostamisesta.vo

Markkinoinnin tuloksellisuuden mittaaminen

Siirretty Doriast

Increasing selenium concentration in Finnish organic milk using participatory action approach

Selenium (Se) is an essential trace element for animals. In Finland, Se supplementary feeding and Se-enriched macronutrient fertilisers are used in conventional farming because the Se availability from soil is extremely low. The objective of this study was to improve Se concentration in organic milk by replacing sodium selenite (SS) in mineral-vitamin mixture with selenium yeast (SY) either completely or partly (50/50). The feeding experiment was conducted on 15 certified organic dairy farms in Eastern Finland during spring 2008. The cross-over design consisted of three treatments (SS treatment, SY treatment, and SS/SY treatment), three experimental periods (28 days each), and three farm groups (different order of treatments). Replacing SS with the same amount (0.2 mg Se kg-1 feed dry matter) of SY more than doubled Se concentration in organic milk and their mixture resulted in slightly lower Se concentrations. In conclusion, SY supplementary feeding is needed to improve Se concentration in organic milk and Se supply to cows, their calves, and consumers

Kokemuksia yksivuotisista laidunnurmista luonnonmukaisessa maidontuotannossa

Laiduntaminen kuuluu keskeisenä osana luonnonmukaiseen kotieläintuotantoon. Yksivuotiset laitumet voivat pidentää lyhyttä laidunkautta syksystä. Kesällä 1999 verrattiin kahta yksivuotista palkokasviseosta maidontuotannossa Joensuun yliopiston Siikasalmen tutkimustilalla.vokPA