Effect of forage legumes on feed intake, milk production and milk quality – a review

Literature data from experiments with lactating dairy cows offered silage-based diets was reviewed to evaluate the effects of the grassland legume species Trifolium repens (WC, white clover), Trifolium pratense (RC, red clover) and Medicago sativa (M, lucerne) on feed intake, milk production and milk quality. Seven data sets were created to compare grass silage (G) with grassland legumes in general(L), G with RC, G with WC, G with M, RC with WC, RC with M and different silage proportions of RC. Daily dry matter intake and milk yield were on average 1.6 and 1.6 kg, respectively, higher and milk fat content 1.2 g/kg milk lower on L than on G based diets. Similar differences were found when G was compared with RC or WC diets. Cows offered WC yielded 1.1 kg/d more milk than RC, and milk produced on WC and M contained 0.7 g more protein per kg than milk from RC diets. Increasing the silage diet RC proportion from 0.5 to 1.0 also decreased the milk protein content by 0.8 g/kg milk. RC increased the level of poly-unsaturated fatty acids, particularly C18:3n-3, and isoflavones, particularly equol, in milk. Effects are discussed in relation to plant cell wall characteristics, plant chemical constituents and changes in rumen digestion to explain the origin of the differences in intake, milk yield and milk compositio

The unique properties of red clover in the diet of ruminants

Grassland legumes are essential in organic ruminant livestock production due to their ability to fix atmospheric nitrogen (N), providing high yields of high feeding value without N fertilization. White clover (Trifolium repens L.) and red clover (Trifolium pratense L.) are the most important legumes of temperate grasslands with white clover as the most widely used. New research has reviled new properties of red clover that may affect animal performance and product quality significantly. Red clover containing diets have increased the production of milk and meat (compared with grasses) and the content of beneficial fatty acids in milk and meat (compared with grasses and other legumes), improved the efficiency of feed N utilization (compared with Medicago sativa L.), and increased the milk content of isoflavones (compared with grass and white clover). Red clover contains high levels of the enzyme polyphenol oxidase that might reduce the extent of lipolysis and proteolysis. The paper presents a review on resent results from own and others’ research on the use of red clover in the diet of ruminants and the likely mechanisms by which red clover affects production and product qualit

Forage botanical and chemical composition on dairy farms with different grassland systems and production systems

Thirty-two dairy farms in Middle-Norway with different grassland systems (short-term (7 years) grassland (L)) and different production systems (organic (O) or conventional (C)) were compared in a field study in 2007. In a principal component analysis on variables including farm details, botanical composition and chemical forage composition, the farms were separated into organic and conventional farms with the exception of one farm. Amongst the organic farms most SO farms were distinguished from LO farms. Concentration of forage crude protein was positively correlated with proportion of grass. Concentration of non-fibrous carbohydrates, in vitro digestibility and net energy lactation was positively correlated with proportion of legumes. Species diversity and cutting time at first cut was positively correlated with proportion of non-legume herb

Workshop on quality and nutrition value of organic milk and meat

The workshop was arranged at the Institute of Genetics and Animal Breeding PAS in Jastrzębiec (IGAB), Poland, 19.-20. November 2009. The aim of the workshop was to encourage cooperation between Norwegian and Polish scientists specialized in organic animal breeding and organic milk and meat production. The organic market in Europe is growing annually from 2 to 15% depending on a country. Establishing scientific contacts with Norwegian researchers will positively influence the development of Polish organic scientific sector, which will transfer further the obtained knowledge and experience direct to the farmers. The workshop enabled Norwegian scientists to establish contacts with scientists from Poland and from other Central-European countries. The agenda of the meeting took into account the discussion on challenges and scientific ideas together with German, Austrian and Czech scientists. The workshop allowed presentation of contemporary organic breeding and production strategies for optimizing production methods in achieving high quality of organic milk and meat with high nutritive value for consumer. The presentations are available at the website: http://www.ighz.edu.pl/?p0=4&p1=32&p2=134&p3=135 During the second day of the workshop, the participants worked together and made outlines of future cooperation based on the presentations given on the first day. The workshop was funded by the Polish-Norweagian Research Fund (PNRF 284–A II– 2/08

Produksjon og utnytting av gjenvekst ved høge avdråttsnivå

Kyr med høg avdrått må få energirikt grovfôr frå eng som er tidleg og hyppig slått, og der gjenvekstar utgjer ein stor del av årsavlinga. Mellom vårvekst og gjenvekst vil det vere variasjon i proteininnhald og fiberkvalitet. Det trengst meir kunnskap om korleis ein kan balansere dei ulike kvalitetane i ei målretta fôring

Effect of forage legumes on milk quality – a review

The review confirms that feeding legume silage leads to higher DMI and milk production than grass. White clover is superior to red clover and red clover to lucerne in milk yield relative to intake. Milk fat content is lower on red clover than on grass diets and red clover yield milk with lower protein content than white clover and lucerne. Red clover yields milk with higher proportion of the fatty acids C18:2n-6 and C18:3n-3 than grass and higher content og equol than grass and white clover

High Nitrogen Costs of Dairy Production in Europe: Worsened by Intensification

Intensification of agriculture has been proposed as one way of minimizing emissions per unit of product, apparently legitimizing the ongoing structural changes in agriculture. We have investigated the relationship between the farming intensity and the nitrogen (N) dissipation by calculating the overall N emission factor (E: total N surplus per unit of N in the produce) from several studies of dairy farms, covering a wide range of environments and production intensities. Fundamental steps were 1) the distinction between trophic levels, mineral, plant and animal N; and 2) the inclusion of N losses related to bought feed. The results show that E increases significantly with the production intensity of the dairy farm. The tradition for separate optimization of the animal and crop sectors may be a reason. We suggest that the N pollution can be mitigated by more extensive farming, both by re-coupling crop and animal production side by side, and by keeping land under cultivation when production is reduced

Effect of grassland management in organic and conventional farming systems on bovine milk quality – a field study

Thirty-two dairy farms in Middle-Norway participated in a field study in 2007 and 2008. Nine organic farms with short-term grassland (SO) were paired with 9 conventional farms with short-term grassland (SC) and 7 organic farms with long-term grassland (LO) were paired with 7 conventional farms with long-term grassland (LC) with regard to proximity and calving pattern. Every second month feed and tanker milk samples were collected from each farm. Data from the Norwegian dairy herd recording system were collected and botanical composition before first cut in 2007 was analysed. Milk samples were analysed for chemical composition, fatty acid composition, vitamin concentration, selenium concentration and phytoestrogen concentration. In this paper results from 2007 are presented. Milk quality was more influenced by production system then grassland system. Higher proportions of SFA and lower proportion of oleic acid in milk from O compared to C may be a future challenge for adjusting feed ratios in organic farming in Norway. Red clover stands for the main botanical effect in this study with strong effect on equol concentrations. The potential health effects of equol should be investigated further

Hvordan påvirker driftssystemet kvalitet på melk og kjøtt?

Effekten av ulike driftssystemer på kvalitetsegenskaper av kjøtt og melk ble belyst i fire forsøk. I en casestudie hos 34 melkeprodusenter i Midt-Norge i 2007 og 2008 ble driftssystemene økologisk drift med kortvarig eng (ØK), økologisk drift med langvarig eng (ØL), konvensjonell drift med kortvarig eng (KK) og konvensjonell drift med langvarig eng (KL) undersøkt. I et beiteforsøk sommeren 2008 ble økologisk rødkløvergrasbeite (RB) sammenlignet med økologisk beite med en botanisk allsidig sammensetning (AB). I et forsøk med diekalver i 2006 og 2007 i Gausdal, Lillehammer og Øyer, gikk diekalvene enten på innmarksbeite (IB) eller på utmarksbeite (UB) og effekten på kjøttkvalitet ble undersøkt. I et forsøk i 2008 ble effekten av IB på Ås eller UB i Grimsdalen på kjøttkvaliteten til diekalver av rasen Sidet Trønderfe og Nordlandsfe med eller uten sluttfôring på innmark undersøkt. I forsøkene var fokus rettet mot fettsyresammensetning i melk og kjøtt, innhold av vitaminer i melk, fytoøstrogener i melk og i det siste forsøket sensorisk profil i kjøtt. Driftssystemer med ulik fôrstyrke og tilskudd av fett kan ha stor innvirkning på kvalitetsegenskapene og spesielt fettsyresammensetning i drøvtyggerprodukter. Dette kan kamuflere effekter av botanisk sammensetning. Driftssystemer som inkluderer utmarksbeite er følsomme for værforhold som påvirker beiteplantenes utvikling og dermed energitilgangen i rasjonen gjennom beitesesongen. Driftssystemer med forskjellig botanisk sammensetning av enga kan ha stor betydning for innholdet av fytoøstrogener i drøvtyggerprodukter

Engdriftsmåter og melkekvalitet

Sammenhengen mellom engdriftssystemer og melkekvalitet i økologisk landbruk skal undersøkes i et nytt prosjekt. Valget mellom kortvarig og langvarig eng er avgjørende for den botaniske sammensetningen i drøvtyggerfôret og en kan forvente at melkas kvalitetsegenskaper påvirkes. Tolv økologiske melkebruk ble paret med 12 konvensjonelle i Midt-Norge og inngår i en toårig feltstudie som startet i januar 2007. Seks gårder i hver gruppe er valgt ut blant gårder med kortvarig eng og 6 blant gårder med langvarig eng. Annenhver måned skal det samles inn melkeprøver fra gårdstanken og fôrprøver på alle gårdene. Melkeprøvene vil bli analysert for fettsyresammensetning, oksidativ stabilitet, vitaminer, fytoøstrogener, sensorisk kvalitet og innhold av mikromineraler. I tillegg inngår data fra kukontrollen. På gårdene vil det bli samlet inn opplysninger om planteproduksjonen, og den botaniske sammensetningen på engarealene vil bli registrert. Hypotesen er at økologisk melk som er produsert på grovfôr fra langvarig og urterik eng 1) har lavere innhold og andel av n-3 fettsyrer, transvaksensyre, konjugerte linolsyrer, 2) har høyere innhold av vitaminer, 3) har lavere innhold av planteøstrogener, og 4) er sterkere mot oksidering enn økologisk melk produsert på grovfôr fra kortvarig og kløverrik eng. Dessuten forventes det at økologisk melk har høyere innhold og andel av n-3 fettsyrer, TVA, tokoferoler, kartotenoider og planteøstrogener, men er mer utsatt for oksidering enn konvensjonell melk