Program leader Yani Garcia said information collected on the monitored farms would contribute to Dairy UP’s two biggest projects that aim to unlock the potential of kikuyu pastures and unlock the potential of the dairy cow in intense feeding systems.
“We are very keen to build a network of NSW dairy farms to be part of two major projects,” Professor Garcia said.
The project, Unlocking the Potential of Kikuyu, will explore the application of remote sensing for managing pastures, the genetic diversity of kikuyu, key anti-nutritional factors, environmental impacts and the value of real-time predictions of pasture nutritional changes.
The other project, Unlocking the Potential of the Cow, led by Dr Ian Lean, will help farmers increase productivity and wellbeing in commercial farms through improved nutrition, environmental and health management.
Participating farms will receive regular visits from a project officer, as well as real-farm data insights captured using innovative monitoring tools and support with data management, interpretation and use.
