The role of livestock in the Environment: Grazing to Sustainability

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1 Rothamsted Research where knowledge grows The role of livestock in the Environment: Grazing to Sustainability Professor Michael Lee Head of North Wyke Site, Rothamsted Research Chair in Sustainable Livestock Systems, University of Bristol

2 Sustainable Farming Systems SOCIETY PEOPLE Food Quality & Safety Farmers Skills Rural Social & Economic Conditions Crop & Animal Health & Welfare Food Supply Farmers Income Sustainable Food Products ECONOMY (PROFIT) Soil/Water/Air Energy Biodiversity ENVIRONMENT (PLANET)

3 Challenges to Sustainability Increasing population Increasing urbanisation Climate change

4 Increasing Demand for Meat

5 Contrasting Livestock Production Systems Nomadic herding e.g. Africa Intensive production e.g. USA/UK Grass-fed production e.g. Uruguay/UK Cut and carry systems e.g. India

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7 Societal Needs Price and a perception of product quality Why we buy: Food safety Nutritional value and colour shelf life Production methods Lifestyle Animal welfare/exploitation Health Alternatives to animal products Environmental impact Food scares

8 Nutritional Value - Fatty acids 5000 Monounsaturated mg/100g muscle Holstein-Friesian Welsh Black Belgium Blue (DM) 18:1 n-9 0 Total fatty acids Saturated 14:0; 16:0 and 18:0 Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) linoleic acid (18:2n-6) α-linolenic acid (18:3n-3) eicosapentaenoic acid (20:5n-3; EPA) docosahexaenoic acid (22:6n-3; DHA)

9 Plant lipids Membrane Lipid Triacylglycerol Diacylglycerol Free Fatty Acid linolenic acid (18:3n-3) linoleic acid (18:2n-6) palmitic acid (16:0) other

10 mouth Plant Secondary Metabolites Free abomasum Protozoa Lipolysis Dietary Lipid Cell Bound Organelle phospho- & galacto lipid Biohydrogenation FFA C18 PUFA Conjugated dienes and trienes Lipolysis FFA Red Clover PPO Green Odour Trans C18:1 C18:0 Fish Oil Biohydrogenation Rumen C18:3 n-3 92% C18:2 n-6 86%

11 Effect of forage compared to concentrate feeding Conc Silage mg 100g muscle :3n-3 20:5n-3 22:5n-3 22:6n-3

12 Colour shelf life

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14 Loin steaks aged for 10d and displayed for 14d

15 Environmental Needs Methane from Livestock

16 High WSC grasses on methane production

17 High sugar grasses - impact on nutrient use efficiency

18 Soil Organic Matter and Carbon Store Well-managed permanent grasslands are recognised as carbon sinks Plant cover including large quantities of roots, and the return of dung and slurry to the soil, allow significant carbon stocks to build and be maintained in grassland soils used for grazing. Cultivation often causes soil degradation and the loss of soil carbon, both directly as carbon dioxide and indirectly by erosion of vulnerable bare soil and the soil carbon bound to it in sloping lands.

19 Invertebrate Biomass Total biomass (mg/m Fallow Arable Grass

20 Economic Needs Dairy drive for yield Bred to produce up to 50 L milk per day 10,000 20,000 L per lactation Poor confirmation Poor fertility High energy demands No longer can graze

21 The Bovine Athlete (Huxley, 2008) Moderate exercise - 1.2x maintenance (M) Tour de France cyclist - ~2.7xM Polar explorers xM 28L cow - 3.2xM 50L cow - 4.8xM

22 The Robust Cow Model (Neil Darwent) High Output (10,000kg) Robust (7,000kg) Annual Milk Sales ( / Cow) Calving Interval 430 days Annual Milk Sold 8,488 litres Fat % 3.90 Protein % 3.18 Milk price (pence) ,716 Annual Milk Sales ( / Cow) Calving interval 385 days Annual Milk Sold 6,636 litres Fat % 3.98 Protein % 3.34 Milk Price (pence) ,190 Feed Costs 21kg Dry Matter Intake 3.0T 230 / ton 690 Forage (grazing & conserved) 467 1,157 Margin over Feed & Forage 1,559 Feed Costs 19.5kg Dry Matter Intake 2.0T 230 / ton 460 Forage (grazing & conserved) 409 Margin over Feed & Forage 1, Margin / litre sold 18.37p Margin / litre sold 19.91p

23 Added value in the system 100 cow High Output herd Margin over Feed & Forage 1,559 (18.37p) Calving Interval 430 Calves born / year 85 Live male 40 Live female 40 Heifers retained 31 Calves to sell cow Robust herd Margin over Feed & Forage 1,321 (19.91p) Calving Interval 385 Calves born / year 95 Live male 45 Live female 45 Heifers retained 22 Calves to sell 68 Calf Sales Average price per head 102 Income per cow per annum 51 Replacement Costs (28%) Cull cow value 450 Cost of replacement 1800 Cost per cow in herd Margin / Cow / Annum 1,232 Margin / litre sold 14.51p Calf Sales Average price per head 220 Income per cow per annum 150 Replacement Costs (20%) Cull cow value 550 Cost of replacement 1,600 Cost per cow in herd Margin / Cow / Annum 1,261 Margin / litre sold 19.00p

24 Trade offs (Beef) Criteria Measure Units Animal performance Daily weight gain Kg weight gain/day Carrying capacity Animals per hectare Kg weight/ha Nutritional quality Nutrients per hectare (e.g. calories, protein, minerals) Kg nutrient/ha Nutrient and soil loss to water Losses per hectare per day Kg/ha/day Greenhouse gas emissions CO 2 (or equivalent) per unit of animal product Kg CO 2 eq/kg product Animal health and welfare Costs of preventive veterinary care and treatment of diseases Veterinary costs ( ) Biodiversity Range of wildlife and plant species Species/ha Inputs (fertiliser, machinery, labour) Purchase cost Outputs (beef cattle) Sales value

25 North Wyke Farm Platform A globally unique facility covering 68ha addressing the issues of sustainable intensification Collects key data at the field-scale to enable farm relevant research

26 Soil Atmosphere Farm Management % Moisture Rainfall Field inputs/outputs Temperature CO 2 and N 2 O Liveweight gain ph Farm activities Bulk density Labour hours N, P & C status Machine hours 15 flume laboratories Flow cell & sensors Water Temperature Conductivity Turbidity ph Dissolved O 2 Ammonium Nitrate Dissolved organic C Sequential/composite sampler follow us Total-P Ortho-P

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28 Partners and Farms

29 Country Model farm Special focus Latitude Biome Australia Future Farm 2050 Clean, green & ethical Subtropical Mediterranean Australia Sydney University Rangeland beef Subtropical Dry forest Canada University of Alberta Rangeland beef Temperate Taiga China Zhejiang University Feedlot Dairy Subtropical Rainforest Ethiopia Bahir Dar University Intercropping Tropical Highland savannah India Thiruvazhamkunnu Indigenous livestock & fodder Tropical Rainforest Malawi SSLLP Smallholder dairy livelihoods Tropical Tropical savannah New Zealand Massey University Grazing dairy Temperate Rainforest UK North Wyke Grassland nutrient flows Temperate Broadleaf forest Uruguay Palo a Pique Pasture rotation beef Subtropical Steppe (pampas) USA K-State University Rangeland beef Temperate Steppe USA Penn State University Feedlot beef Temperate Broadleaf forest USA University of Wisconsin Grazing dairy Temperate Broadleaf forest

30 Thank you Graze Responsibly towards Sustainability