Vergleich der Ökobilanzen von stall- und weidebasierter Milchproduktion

Klimaschutz, Umweltschutz und der Verbrauch von knappen Ressourcen sind Stichworte mit welchen sich die Schweizer Milchwirtschaftsbetriebe vermehrt beschäf-tigen müssen. Im Rahmen des Systemvergleichs Milch-produktion Hohenrain konnte mit der Ökobilanzmethode Swiss Agricultural Life Cycle Assessment (SALCA) eine umfassende Betrachtung der Umweltwirkungen durchge-führt werden. Dazu wurden die ökologischen Stärken und Schwächen der beiden Systeme saisonale Vollweide und Stallfütterung einander gegenübergestellt. Die Stallherde ist in drei von 13 Wirkungs-kategorien deutlich besser als die Weide-herde-SILO. Im Gegenzug schneidet die Weideherde-SILO in sieben von 13 Wirkungs-kategorien besser ab. Eine wesentliche Schwäche der Weideherde ist der höhere Methanausstoss pro kg energiekorrigierte Milch (+ 41 %) und der 1,5 mal höhere Flächenbedarf pro kg energiekorrigierte Milch. Die Stallherde hat ihre grössten Schwächen in der Abholzung von Wald, dem Ressourcenbedarf an Phosphor und Kalium und der Ökotoxizität. Wichtigste Verursacher für das schlechte Abschneiden in diesen Kategorien sind der Mais und das Sojaschrot.Protezione del clima, protezione dell’ambiente e l’uso di risorse che scarseggiano sono le parole chiave con cui le aziende svizzere produttrici di latte sono obbligate a confrontarsi maggiormente. Nell’ambito del progetto «Confronto di sistemi di produzione lattifera Hohenrain», con il metodo d’analisi del ciclo di vita SALCA (Swiss Agricultural Life Cycle Assessment) si è effettuata una valutazione completa degli impatti ambientali della produzione di latte. A questo scopo si sono confrontate le forze e debolezze ecologiche di due sistemi; uno basato sul pascolo, l’altro sull’alimentazione in stalla. La mandria alimentata in stalla in tre categorie di impatto su 13 risulta essere significati-vamente migliore rispetto alla mandria alimentata al pascolo-SILO. Per contro la mandria alimentata al pascolo-SILO ottiene risultati migliori in sette categorie d’impatto su 13. Una delle principali debolezze di quest’ultima è la maggiore emissione di metano (+ 41 %) e l’elevato bisogno di superficie (x 1,5) per kg di latte corretto per il contenuto energetico (ECM).I punti deboli della mandria alimentata in stalla sono rappresentati dal disbosca-mento, il consumo di risorse (fosforo e potassio) e l’ecotossicità, dovute principalmente alla sua alimentazione con mais e soja.Swiss dairy farms must increasingly cope with climate protection, environ-mental conservation and the use of limited resources.In the context of the Hohenrain comparison of dairy production systems, a comprehensive assessment of the environmental impacts was conducted using the Swiss Agricultural Life Cycle Assessment method. The environmental strengths and weak-nesses of seasonal full-pasture and indoor feeding systems were com-pared.The indoor herd performed signifi-cantly better than the pasture herd in three of thirteen impact categories. In contrast, the pasture herd performed better in seven of thirteen impact categories. A considerable weakness in the pasture herd was its higher methane emissions per kilogram of energy-corrected milk and the one-and-a-half times greater land require-ment per kilogram of energy-corrected milk. The indoor herd had its main weaknesses in deforestation, the phosphorous and potassium resource requirements and higher ecotoxicity. The main causes for poor performance in these categories were maize and soybean meal

Microwave plasma-assisted reactive HiPIMS of InN films: Plasma environment and material characterisation

This work focuses on the low temperature fabrication process of InN thin films via microwave plasma-assisted reactive high power impulse magnetron sputtering (MAR-HiPIMS). The influence of microwave plasma on the HiPIMS discharge process at various nitrogen flows and microwave powers was monitored and characterised through in situ diagnostics, including following HiPIMS I(V,t) curves, optical emission spectroscopy (OES), as well as performing time-resolved Langmuir probe and time-of-flight mass spectroscopy (ToF-MS) measurements. This was followed by the deposition of InN films via standard reactive HiPIMS (reference sample) and MAR-HiPIMS and their characterisation via X-ray diffraction (XRD), reflectometry (XRR), as well as scanning and transmission electron microscopy (SEM, TEM). It was found that the microwave plasma facilitates the dissociation/activation of nitrogen species and supplies seed electrons to the magnetron discharge plasma. Furthermore, the energy of the incoming ions was determined via ToF-MS, and it was possible to identify their plasma origin and temporal behaviour. The produced R-HiPIMS sample was highly metallic, with no nitride phase detected. The MAR-HiPMS film, however, was stoichiometric and exhibited (0002) direction texturing, with an optical bandgap of approx. 1.5 eV, electron concentration of 2.72 × 1020 cm−3 and electron mobility of 7.16 cm2V−1 s−1 (in the range for polycrystalline InN)

Ovarian activity in Fleckvieh, Brown Swiss and two strains of Holstein-Friesian cows in pasture-based, seasonal calving dairy systems

The objectives of the study were to compare the ovarian activity of Holstein-Friesian (CH HF), Fleckvieh (CH FV) and Brown Swiss (CH BS) dairy cows of Swiss origin with that of Holstein-Friesian (NZ HF) dairy cows of New Zealand origin, the latter being used as a reference for reproductive performance in pasture-based seasonal calving systems. Fifty, second-lactation NZ HF cows were each paired with a second-lactation Swiss cow (17, 15 and 18 CH HF, CH FV and CH BS respectively) in 13 pasture-based, seasonal-calving commercial dairy farms in Switzerland. Ovarian activity was monitored by progesterone profiling from calving to first breeding service. CH BS cows produced less energy-corrected milk (mean 22·8 kg/d) than the other breeds (26·0-26·5 kg/d) during the first 100 d of lactation. CH HF cows had the lowest body condition score (BCS) at calving and the greatest BCS loss from calving to 30 d post partum. Commencement of luteal activity (CLA) was later for NZ HF than for CH FV (51·5 v. 29·2 d; P <0·01), with CH HF and CH BS intermediate (43 d). On average, NZ HF and CH HF cows had one oestrous cycle before the onset of the seasonal breeding period; this was less (P<0·01) than either CH FV (1·7) or CH BS (1·6). There was a low prevalence of luteal persistency (3%) among the studied cows. First and second oestrous cycle inter-ovulatory intervals did not differ between breeds (20·5-22·6 d). The luteal phase length of CH BS during the second cycle was shorter (10·6 d) than that of the other breeds (13·8-16·0 d), but the inter-luteal interval was longer (9·8 d v. 7·0-8·0 d). The results suggest that the Swiss breeds investigated have a shorter interval from calving to CLA than NZ HF cow

Förderung eines guten Betriebsklimas ist zentral

Die Häufigkeit von Aggressionsereignissen im Gesundheitswesen wird von der Arbeitsumgebung, der Qualität der Zusammenarbeit und der Führungs- und Organisationsebene bestimmt. Entsprechend sollte beim Betriebsklima und dem Aggressionsmanagement angesetzt werden, um die unbefriedigende Situation in vielen Akutspitälern zu verbessern

Ovarian activity in Fleckvieh, Brown Swiss and two strains of Holstein-Friesian cows in pasture-based, seasonal calving dairy systems

The objectives of the study were to compare the ovarian activity of Holstein-Friesian (CH HF), Fleckvieh (CH FV) and Brown Swiss (CH BS) dairy cows of Swiss origin with that of Holstein-Friesian (NZ HF) dairy cows of New Zealand origin, the latter being used as a reference for reproductive performance in pasture-based seasonal calving systems. Fifty, second-lactation NZ HF cows were each paired with a second-lactation Swiss cow (17, 15 and 18 CH HF, CH FV and CH BS respectively) in 13 pasture-based, seasonal-calving commercial dairy farms in Switzerland. Ovarian activity was monitored by progesterone profiling from calving to first breeding service. CH BS cows produced less energy-corrected milk (mean 22·8 kg/d) than the other breeds (26·0-26·5 kg/d) during the first 100 d of lactation. CH HF cows had the lowest body condition score (BCS) at calving and the greatest BCS loss from calving to 30 d post partum. Commencement of luteal activity (CLA) was later for NZ HF than for CH FV (51·5 v. 29·2 d; P <0·01), with CH HF and CH BS intermediate (43 d). On average, NZ HF and CH HF cows had one oestrous cycle before the onset of the seasonal breeding period; this was less (P<0·01) than either CH FV (1·7) or CH BS (1·6). There was a low prevalence of luteal persistency (3%) among the studied cows. First and second oestrous cycle inter-ovulatory intervals did not differ between breeds (20·5-22·6 d). The luteal phase length of CH BS during the second cycle was shorter (10·6 d) than that of the other breeds (13·8-16·0 d), but the inter-luteal interval was longer (9·8 d v. 7·0-8·0 d). The results suggest that the Swiss breeds investigated have a shorter interval from calving to CLA than NZ HF cows

Lactose: Chemistry, processing, and utilization

In this review recent advances in dairy chemistry, materials science, engineering and pharmaceutical science have been integrated with established knowledge to explain how lactose is used in mainstream dairy products and chocolate, for the synthesis of derivatives including galacto-oligosaccharides and as an excipient in tablets and dry powder inhalers. Lactose exists in crystalline and amorphous forms. The crystalline forms are alpha lactose monohydrate, anhydrous alpha lactose, beta lactose and compound crystals. The consequences for dairy and pharmaceutical products of the interconversion of these forms are described. Moisture induced crystallization of amorphous lactose is a cause of physical and chemical instability in dairy and pharmaceutical products. Methods for estimating the level of amorphous lactose- and its obverse, the estimation of “lactose crystallinity”- are described. Edible and pharmaceutical grades of lactose are made by cooling batch crystallization of whey permeate supersaturated in lactose. The shape, size, purity and yield of lactose crystals are influenced by mutarotation between alpha and beta lactose, the rate of cooling and the presence of compounds including calcium phosphates, lactose phosphate and riboflavin, which are normally present in the permeate. Milling of the lactose crystals to achieve the required particle size forms small yet critical amounts of amorphous lactose. Strategies for improving the manufacture of alpha lactose monohydrate are critically discussed. The role of pre-crystallization of lactose in the manufacture of non-hygroscopic whey powder is explained

Lactose : chemistry, processing and utilization

In this review recent advances in dairy chemistry, materials science, engineering and pharmaceutical science have been integrated with established knowledge to explain how lactose is used in mainstream dairy products and chocolate, for the synthesis of derivatives including galacto-oligosaccharides and as an excipient in tablets and dry powder inhalers. Lactose exists in crystalline and amorphous forms. The crystalline forms are alpha lactose monohydrate, anhydrous alpha lactose, beta lactose and compound crystals. The consequences for dairy and pharmaceutical products of the interconversion of these forms are described. Moisture induced crystallization of amorphous lactose is a cause of physical and chemical instability in dairy and pharmaceutical products. Methods for estimating the level of amorphous lactose- and its obverse, the estimation of "lactose crystallinity" - are described. Edible and pharmaceutical grades of lactose are made by cooling batch crystallization of whey permeate supersaturated in lactose. The shape, size, purity and yield of lactose crystals are influenced by mutarotation between alpha and beta lactose, the rate of cooling and the presence of compounds including calcium phosphates, lactose phosphate and riboflavin, which are normally present in the permeate. Milling of the lactose crystals to achieve the required particle size forms small yet critical amounts of amorphous lactose. Strategies for improving the manufacture of alpha lactose monohydrate are critically discussed. The role of pre-crystallization of lactose in the manufacture of non-hygroscopic whey powder is explained