Predicting nitrogen use efficiency, nitrogen loss and dry matter intake of individual dairy cows in late lactation by including mid-infrared spectra of milk samples.

Background: Nitrate leaching to groundwater and surface water and ammonia volatilization from dairy farms have negative impacts on the environment. Meanwhile, the increasing demand for dairy products will result in more pollution if N losses are not controlled. Therefore, a more efficient, and environmentally friendly production system is needed, in which nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) of dairy cows plays a key role.

Understanding transitions in farming systems and their effects on livestock rearing and smallholder livelihoods in Telangana, India.

Increasing food demands are causing rapid transitions in farming systems, often involving intensified land and resource use. While transitioning has benefits regarding poverty alleviation and food outputs, it also causes environmental and social issues over time. This study aims to understand the transitions in farming systems in a region in Telangana, from 1997 to 2015, and their effect on livestock rearing and smallholder livelihoods.

Yield gap analysis in dairy production systems using the mechanistic model LiGAPS-Dairy.

The difference between the theoretical maximum (potential) production and the actual production realized by farmers is referred to as the yield gap. The objectives of this study are to develop a mechanistic model for dairy cows that allows yield gap analysis in dairy production systems and to evaluate model performance. We extended and adapted an existing model for beef cattle to dairy cattle, and the new model was named Livestock simulator for Generic analysis of Animal Production Systems-Dairy cattle (LiGAPS-Dairy).

Predicting nutrient excretion from dairy cows on smallholder farms in Indonesia using readily available farm data.

Objective: This study was conducted to provide models to accurately predict nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) excretion of dairy cows on smallholder farms in Indonesia based on readily available farm data.

Methods: The generic model in this study is based on the principles of the Lucas equation, describing the relation between dry matter intake (DMI) and faecal N excretion to predict the quantity of faecal N (QFN). Excretion of urinary N and faecal P were calculated based on National Research Council recommendations for dairy cows.

Pastoralists in a changing environment: The competition for grazing land in and around the W Biosphere Reserve, Benin Republic.

Pastoralists face increasing competition for land with crop farmers and nature in and around the W Biosphere Reserve (WBR) in Benin. Our aim was to describe and analyse land use changes in order to understand their drivers, and to describe and analyse the viewpoints of relevant stakeholders in order to understand the competition for land. To this end, remote sensing data, regional statistics, and survey data were collected.