Lincoln University Dairy Farm launches new dairy sector research

Lincoln University Dairy Farm (LUDF) is launching three new farm systems initiatives at its demonstration farm, all geared at sustainable dairy farming practices.

The three new systems will expand LUDF’s focus and extend its outlook through to 2030. The research is on variable milking frequency; moving the forage base to include plantain; and replacement rate reduction.

The South Island Dairying Demonstration Centre (SIDDC) has revised the LUDF systems to more effectively contribute to New Zealand dairying and the wider primary sector.

Speaking on behalf of the partnership, Lincoln University Deputy Vice-Chancellor Professor Grant Edwards explains that SIDDC is committed to taking a leadership role in dairy farming in New Zealand through LUDF.

“It’s important that the partnership regularly reassesses and revisits the farm’s systems to consolidate its position at the vanguard of current and future scenarios.”

Effluent treatment system is set to deliver big water savings for dairy farming

The ClearTech effluent treatment system at Lincoln University Dairy Farm (LUDF) has saved more than 600,000 litres of freshwater in its first full month of operation.

The quantity of freshwater saved equates to the average daily water use of about 3,000 people, or the amount of water that an individual person would use in eight years. With steeply-rising farmer demand for ClearTech, the new effluent treatment technology will potentially save billions of litres of freshwater a year if used across the New Zealand dairy industry.

LUDF Farm Manager Peter Hancox says the impact of the ClearTech system on the farm’s operations has been a revelation.