91制片厂

A new grant to 91制片厂 researchers will help organic dairies remain profitable in the face of ongoing dairy market changes. Led by Andre Brito, associate professor of , the research will develop new science-based management techniques to boost productivity and economic efficiency and, in turn, support the continued supply of New England organic dairy products locally and regionally.

鈥淥rganic dairy is undergoing a transition....Given this new reality, the need to enhance production efficiency, feed quality听and milk components has become even more critical to ensuring that organic dairy remains a profitable enterprise.鈥�

鈥淥rganic dairy is undergoing a transition. After a decade-long 鈥榖oom鈥� cycle, where demand outpaced production, diminished demand for fluid milk and lower pay prices are acute threats to the sustainability of the organic dairy industry here in New England and elsewhere. Given this new reality, the need to enhance production efficiency, feed quality, and milk components has become even more critical to ensuring that organic dairy remains a profitable enterprise,鈥� says , a scientist with the .

With this nearly $2 million grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture鈥檚 National Institute of Food and Agriculture, scientists will test whether forage legume crops common to pastures in the New England and the Midwest鈥攔ed and white clovers and alfalfa 鈥� can help address several pressing challenges facing today's $18 billion organic dairy industry. These include maximizing forage yields and reducing the need for costly grain imports, successfully implementing high-forage diets to capitalize on grass-fed听and other specialty milk markets and optimizing the nutritive value of dairy diets to improve yields of milk and milk components, particularly milk fat and protein.

鈥淔orage legumes are key to addressing these challenges and our project aims to identify strategies for optimally utilizing legumes in organic dairy systems; however, in order to successfully capitalize on their benefits, we must also quantify and manage their potential tradeoffs," says , associate professor of

In addition to Brito and Smith, 91制片厂 researchers include Marta Lima and Paul Tsang; Brad Heins and Joleen Hadrich at the University of Minnesota; and Juan Romero at University of Maine.

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