A model-farm approach to research on crop-livestock integration — III. Benefits of crop-livestock integration and a critique of the approach
Views
0% 0
Downloads
0 0%
Timeless limited access
View/Open
Corresponding Author
Date
2000-03-20
Date Issued
1995-01-01
ISI Journal
Impact factor: 5.370 (Year: 2000)
Citation
Euan F Thomson, Faik Bahhady, Thomas L Nordblom, Hazel c Harris. (20/3/2000). A model-farm approach to research on crop-livestock integration — III. Benefits of crop-livestock integration and a critique of the approach. Agricultural Systems, 49 (1), pp. 31-44.
Abstract
A six year on-station research project used a model-farm approach to study the benefits of improved crop-livestock integration, achieved through the introduction of leguminous forage species into crop rotations. Previous papers reported the conceptual framework, methods and experimental results.
A model farm with integrated crop-sheep enterprises had twice the output of metabolizable energy and a higher stocking rate compared to a model farm with traditional rotations. A linear programming model suggested that integration improved farm profits and stocking rates, but improving the nutritional regime of ewes reduced farm profits.
The model-farm approach allows close supervision of animals but otherwise had several weaknesses, in particular the difficulty of mimicking the real farm environment on a research station. If the weaknesses are corrected, the approach could be applied with substantial benefits in national programs that have under-utilized land, animal and staffing resources.