Rather than an adaptation of the environment towards the requirements of the high yielding dairy cow, the principle of organic breeding is to adapt the cow towards the local and natural production system. The one-sided genetic selection, favouring increased milk yield, complicates feeding and management of modern Holstein genetics when confronted with the strict rules defined for organic milk production. This requires a reformulation of existing dairy cattle breeding goals, or the utilization of alternative and locally adapted breeds that historically emphasized functionality, robustness and longevity.
The project will conduct an evaluation of novel functional traits and associated environmental descriptors for the implementation of organic breeding strategies of local dual-purpose cattle kept in organic production systems. An overall organic breeding index for the improvement of health, product quality, fertility, longevity and welfare of dual-
purpose cattle kept in pasture based production systems will be developed to provide helpful “breeding tools“ for farmers.
Main activities
- characterization of pasture based production systems
- novel data recording
- genetic evaluations
- optimized breeding program designs for dual-purpose cattle
- optimized dual-purpose cattle farm management in pasture based systems
The recording of environmental descriptors will allow the development of guidelines to improve farm management for dual-purpose cows in low input systems. Through the development of solutions adapted to low input organic farming and dual-purpose breeds, the durability of bovine production is expected to improve.
An overall organic breeding value and organic indices for the improvement of health, product quality, fertility, longevity and welfare of dual-purpose cattle will be developed.
Estimation of breeding values will be optimized by a detailed consideration of environmental effects. The project will provide solutions for the impact of environmental effects on novel traits including suggestions to improvement of the overall farm management (feeding strategies, pasture management strategies, etc.). Economic optimization of strategies and product prices, needed for high quality ‘grass-milk’, will be calculated.
A better adaptation of dual-purpose cows to pasture based systems, organic farming in order to improve the robustness will enhance farm management- contributing to both aspects of animal welfare and working conditions of farmers. A uniform recording methodology for new traits shall be related to the working conditions of the breeder, animal welfare (health traits, behavior, longevity, fertility), environmental aspects (feed intake and greenhouse gas emissions) and the quality of products (milk and meat quality).
