Table 3 Characteristics of farms modelled and evaluated using the ISFM

From: Limiting grazing periods combined with proper housing can reduce nutrient losses from dairy systems

Parameter

Manawatu, New Zealand

Canterbury, New Zealand

Pennsylvania, United States

New York, United States

The Netherlands

 

Grazed (real)

Hybrid

Confined

Grazed (real)

Hybrid

Confined

Grazed

Hybrid

Confined (real)

Grazed

Hybrid

Confined (real)

Grazed

Hybrid (real)

Confined

Cow numbers

650

650

650

560

560

560

100

100

100

500

500

500

100

100

100

Farm area (ha)

255

255

255

285

285

285

100

100

100

530

530

530

63

63

63

Grass area (ha)

232

215

192

260

200

115

100

50

30

530

200

50

63

55

54

Grass yield (t DM ha−1)

13.6

13.4

13.4

17.4

17.5

17.4

7.3

6.6

6.3

8.7

8.3

6.0

9.6

9.7

10.4

Small grains or Brassica (ha)

23

40

63

25

85

170

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

Corn (ha)

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

30

50

–

180

280

–

8

9

Alfalfa (ha)

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

20

20

–

150

200

–

–

–

Farm N fertilizer (kg ha−1)

42

80

100

137

142

103

80

62

62

90

30

11

81

121

131

Farm P fertilizer (kg ha−1)

10

10

–

30

22

–

–

5

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

Replacement rate (%)

22

28

30

21

25

30

25

32

36

25

32

38

32

32

32

Milk production (kg FPCM cow−1)

6,021

7,000

9,000

6,377

7,500

8,600

6,000

8,700

10,000

7,600

9,500

11,500

7,916

9,755

11,114

Milk fat (%)

4.7

4.4

4.3

4.8

4.4

4.0

4.5

3.8

3.6

4.9

3.9

3.8

4.5

4.5

4.4

Grazed forage (t DM)

2,417

1,769

–

2,689

1,725

–

295

145

–

1,392

535

–

239

105

–

Harvested forage (t DM)

318

1,175

2,175

370

570

1,735

160

302

448

1,138

2,818

3,725

273

445

478

Harvested grain (t DM)

–

–

471

–

655

1,308

–

259

255

–

439

1,006

–

–

69

Imported grain (t DM)

–

658

1,111

51

241

239

57

–

–

1,043

214

–

120

237

196

Imported other feed (t DM)

920

544

911

337

450

664

50

7

69

150

674

666

131

48

124

Manure handling

Slurry

Slurry

Slurry

Slurry

Slurry

Slurry

Solid

Liquid

Liquid

Solid

Slurry

Liquid

Slurry

Slurry

Slurry

Soil P content

High

High

High

High

High

High

Very high

Very high

Very high

High

High

High

High

High

High

  1. Additional weather and soil characteristics are available in Supplementary Tables 4 and 5. For farms in the Manawatu, Canterbury, Pennsylvania, New York, and the Netherlands, mean annual temperature was 13.4, 12.0, 12.1, 8.1 and 12.1 °C, respectively. Commensurate values of mean annual precipitation were 1,034, 613, 1,074, 1,001 and 1,074 mm and soil pH 5.8, 5.7, 6.5, 5.5 and 6.0. Soil texture for all farms was silt loam except for the clay loam in the farm from the Netherlands. Small grains are usually barley except for the grazed and hybrid systems in New Zealand where crops (usually Brassica) are grazed in situ to supplement winter feed. Grazed forage (t dry matter (DM) offered) consists of pasture and the grazed forage crops. Soil P content in New Zealand and the Netherlands is measured as Olsen P with high encompassing a range of 35–45 mg kg−1. Soil P content in the United States was measured as Mehlich-3 P, with high and very high representing concentrations of 100–150 and >150 mg kg−1, respectively.
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