Murray Dairy R&D Projects

Australian Government FarmReady Industry Grant.

This project runs from June 2009 to February 2011.

 

The main feature of the project is an impact study by the CSIRO which will use historical data to map seasonal heat stress frequency and duration in the Northern Victoria/Southern Riverina dairying regions over the last 30 years. Model estimates of global warming will then be used to predict likely changes in heat stress frequency and duration in the future, and the impacts that this will have on milk production and fertility. This will enable the benefits of two adaptations to heat stress (shading and watering) to be assessed both now and into the future. A small monitoring experiment has been set up in Southern NSW to assess the efficacy of these adaptation strategies.

 

Other aspects of the project are the further development of the “Cool Cows Benefit Cost Analysis tool” and “Cool Cows weather forecaster sites” for release on the “Cool Cows” website. There will also be service provider briefings and the delivery of a total of 10 “Cool Cows” field Days to farmers in the Murray Dairy region.

 

Contact: Steve Little

Grains2Milk program leader for Dairy Australia

E-mail: slittle@dairyaustralia.com.au