Management, milk production level and economic performance : an explorative study on dairy farms

The research described in this thesis focuses on the relation between dairy herd management, milk production per cow, and gross margin per 100 kg of milk. The study was carried out as an explorative and empirical study. The thesis is composed of five parts.First, relations between technical data, including milk production, economic performance and nutrient losses were determined for a group of 478 farms. This part serves as the empirical basis for the study. Second, literature was reviewed as to the definition of management and management research.Third, based on this knowledge a field study was set up with 38 dairy farms. Technical and economic data were gathered during one year. Repeatability of economic data and milk production data was determined to get insight into the usefulness of one year of data. As could be expected, ranking over years of farms was not completely random. However, the ranking changed over time as well. This indicated that one year of data could be used to determine the influence of fixed effects on technical and economic performance, but year-effects cannot be separated.Fourth, two methodologies that were available to analyse this kind of data were described: Principal Components Regression (PCR) and Partial Least Squares (PLS). An overview of these two methodologies showed the advantage of using PLS for the current study, with a relatively large number of variables and complex relations that have to be determined.Fifth, the results of the analyses of the data set were described. Data were available on management, technical and economic performance. Ma-nagement data were acquired by questionnaires, observations, and a workshop. PLS-models were constructed to determine the relationships between pasture and feeding management and gross margin, milk production level and nitrogen loss. The models were used to define hypotheses for the relationship between pasture and feeding management and gross margin and milk production. Also two models were set up to determine the relationships between mastitis and fertility management and gross margin and milk production.In the concluding chapter, a schematic overview is given of management characteristics that are clearly related to gross margin per 100 kg of milk and milk production per cow. Characteristics of the farmer are a central element of 'the key to success'. A high production per cow is not the best economic option for each farmer. High production per cow should only be advised when the farmer is able to give the herd the detailed attention and interest that are needed.</p

Belang melkproduktieniveau voor saldo en N-overschot

Op basis van modellen is de laatste jaren veel onderzoek gedaan naar relaties tussen bedrijfsintensiteit, melkproduktieniveau, bedrijfsresultaat en N-overschot

Influence of grassland and feeding management on technical and economic results of dairy farms

A field study of 38 dairy farms was set up to determine the relationships between feeding management, grassland management and feed costs/100 kg milk, 305-day milk yield and nitrogen surplus/ha. Data of the farms were on management (based on questionnaires), grassland calendar, milk yield and economic data for May 1996 to May 1997. Partial Least Squares (PLS) was used to analyse data, because of the large number of variables relative to the number of farms. The R2 of the models varied between 0.32 (nitrogen surplus model) and 0.60 (feed costs model). The nitrogen surplus model did not have predictive relevance. The PLS-model for feed costs resulted in the hypotheses that (1) a high percentage of pasture that cannot be grazed by the cows results in an increase in feed costs, (2) a high percentage of grazings lasting >4 days increases feed costs, (3) mistakes in set-up of the paddocks cannot be compensated for by exact planning, and (4) farmers who have not organized their grazing management well, also tend to have worse results as to their silage management. The milk yield model showed that a high milk yield/cow is realized on farms with too low a number of growing days for cutting

Regionaal nitraatmonitoringsconcept RENIM; ontwikkeling en toetsing van een eenvoudige methodiek voor het monitoren van de uitspoeling van nitraat naar het grondwater in zand- en lössgebieden

Het regionaal nitraatmonitoringsconcept RENIM is een methodiek waarbij met behulp van (afgeleide) indicatoren een schatting van het nitraatgehalte in het grondwater op regionale schaal gemaakt kan worden. In deze studie is verkend in hoeverre de indicator N-mineraal in het najaar geschikt is voor het voorspellen van regionale nitraatuitspoeling. Voor twee zandgebieden (¿t Klooster en Sint Anthonis) en een lössgebied (Mergelland) zijn de resultaten van het regionaal nitraatmonitoringsconcept vergeleken met de gemeten nitraatconcentraties. Uit deze toetsing volgt dat het regionaal nitraatmonitoringsconcept gemiddeld een onderschatting van ca. 15% oplevert. Uit de betrouwbaarheidsanalyse is gebleken dat de berekeningen en metingen niet significant van elkaar afwijken

Management door melkveehouders

Doel van de publicatie was na te gaan welke management- en persoonlijke eigenschappen een veehouder nodig heeft om een bepaald productieniveau samen te laten gaan met een goed economisch bedrijfsresultaat

Boeren voor grutto's : grutto als agrarisch product

Er zijn mogelijkheden voor toekomstige 'gruttobedrijven'. Deze studie laat zien wat het benodigde beheer is (ecologische opgave), de bedrijfs- en gebiedsopgave, randvoorwaarden en stimulerende factoren en de kosten (maatschappelijke opgave

Niet langer dan vier dagen per perceel. Graslandmanagement staat of valt bij perceelsindeling en planning.

Adviezen aan de hand van een onderzoek, waarbij van januari 1996 tot mei '97 38 bedrijven gevolgd zijn om het verband tussen graslandmanagement en saldo te bepalen. Allen hielden een graslandkalender bi