Nutrition top of list for SE dairy day

Delegates will hear how new findings on increasing pasture - while designed to ultimately increase profit - may also present potential challenges.

Keynote speaker, United States-based Professor Santiago Utsumi, will examine how better-informed grazing management can ultimately increase profit for your business, citing leading edge precision dairy and grazing technologies including robotics, sensors and acoustics that can assist in making this happen.

A panel discussion will question the effect that this 'new frontier' of an increase in pasture will have on milk quality, essential elements, grazing rotation and the environment.

Now based at Ellinbank - Australia's leading dairy research facility - researcher Rodrigo Albornoz will expand on his recent study and efforts in the US and explain advances in nutrition that will get farmers thinking differently about the what, how and when of diets, for recently calved cows.

He will answer questions such as can farmers get grazing cows to eat well - and rapidly - and improve production post calving and how can they capitalise on those gains after the fresh period?

Kevin Argyle, Co- Director of DairyFeedbase and DairyBio, will detail the research on dairy pasture and feed through extension projects being undertaken at Ellinbank, that are set to deliver improvements for dairyfarmers at the farm gate.

Delegates will also gain insights into how to prevent repetitive injuries occurring from the daily grind of dairyfarming and milking, with chiropractor David Beltakis detailing the workings of the human body, highlighting the importance of correct human 'body positioning' when milking cows.

The day will end with a conference dinner, which provides a chance to decompress with fellow dairy insiders, while also hearing from guest speaker, beef producer Noel Ogilvie, from the Ogilvie Group.

The DairySA Innovation Day will be held on Wednesday, June 19 from 9.30am at The Barn, Mount Gambier.