TIA Future Forum: Nitrogen efficiency in dairy systems

Join us for an insightful 90-minute webinar hosted by the Tasmanian Institute of Agriculture (TIA) in collaboration with the Australian Association of Animal Sciences (AAAS) VIC/TAS branch. This event will explore the critical topic of nitrogen use efficiency in farming systems: pasture based and intensive. The webinar will offer fresh perspectives and practical solutions for sustainable livestock production. 

As part of the Dairy HIGH 2 program (short for High Integrity Grass-fed Herds), TIA researchers will share the latest findings from their feedbase research, aimed at helping dairy farmers maintain efficient, profitable, and environmentally responsible farming practices. The long-term trial has an ambitious goal to halve the amount of synthetic nitrogen used on pasture-based dairy farms (target of 150kg nitrogen per hectare) while continuing to produce 20 tonnes of forage dry matter and producing 2000kg of milk solids per hectare. 

You'll also hear from Paul Cheng, Associate Professor at the University of Melbourne, on the economic and environmental costs of poor nitrogen efficiency in intensive livestock systems, including why current efficiency levels are often much lower than appreciated and what can be done to improve them.  

Methodological considerations and practical strategies for enhancing nitrogen use will be discussed, making this a must-attend event for anyone involved in dairy production or agricultural sustainability. 

Don’t miss this opportunity to learn, connect, and contribute to the future of sustainable dairy farming. 

Speakers

Associate Professor James Hills
Centre Leader Livestock Production, Tasmanian Insitute of Agriculture

James is the Centre Leader (Livestock Production) at the Tasmanian Institute of Agriculture. James has a particular interest in variability in farming systems, and the use of technology for measuring and managing this variability to improve the efficiency and sustainability of production.

Pieter Raedts

Research Fellow, Tasmanian institute of Agriculture

Pieter Raedts is originally from the Netherlands and is currently working as a research fellow in the TIA dairy team, focusing on animal nutrition, feedbase, irrigation and precision farming technology research. Pieter has extensive experience with a large variety of farming systems. He is one of the lead researchers in the multi-year Farmlet trial at TIA’s Dairy Research Facility.

Associate Professor Paul Cheng
Livestock Nutrition and Grazing Management, University of Melbourne

Paul (Long) Cheng is an Associate Professor in Livestock Nutrition and Grazing Management and the coordinator for graduate researcher.  He graduated from Lincoln University, New Zealand with a Bachelor of Agricultural Science (Honours) and PhD in animal science, focussing on nitrogen metabolism biomarker development in ruminants. Paul then worked as an AGMARDT postdoctoral fellow investigating forage herbs for sustainable heifer production.  

Dr Jo Newton OAM
Research Scientist Agriculture Victoria and President, Victoria & Tasmanian Branch Australian Association of Animal Sciences

Dr Jo Newton currently works as a Research Scientist for Agriculture Victoria where she uses a multi-disciplinary approach in developing and valuing decision support tools that enable more informed breeding and management decisions on-farm. In 2023 she spent three months on a global study tour exploring the growing use of beef genetics in the dairy herd through the ICAR Brian Wickham Young Person Exchange Program. Jo holds a PhD in animal breeding and genetics from the University of New England, Australia. She also has 15 years’ leadership experience in not-for-profit organisations, particularly in advocacy and support of young people in agriculture. Jo was awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) in 2020 for her service to agriculture.