FutureDairy: a national, multidisciplinary project to assist dairy farmers to manage future challenges - methods and early findings

Abstract

FutureDairy is a national, multidisciplinary project designed to assist Australian dairy farmers to manage future challenges. FutureDairy is exploring technical, economic and social aspects of technology adoption through an innovative approach that combines methodologies of social research (‘People’), extension (‘System’) and technical research (‘Science’). The technologies being investigated revolve around increasing forage production per unit of land through a complementary forage rotation; evaluating the most efficient use of brought-in feed to increase milk production per ha; and, the incorporation of automatic milking and other technological innovations that would either reduce labour input or allow more precise agriculture. The central strategy of FutureDairy is to utilise ‘knowledge partnerships’ to co-develop knowledge around each of the key areas of investigation; thus a key feature of the project is its linkage with commercial ‘partner’ farmers that explore similar questions to those being investigated at Elizabeth Macarthur Agricultural Institute (NSW Department of Primary Industries), where the technical research is being undertaken. This paper focuses on early findings from the forages module. Work thus far has shown that forage yields in excess of 40 t DM/ha.year are achievable. However, the practicalities of implementing this technology on-farm have already identified new and diverse issues that, unless understood, will jeopardise its effective adaptation by farmers.