Project title: New approaches to pasture farming under difficult conditions
In the course of the intensification of agriculture, the grazing of ruminants has become less important in Austria since around the middle/end of the last century. However, in recent decades, various measures and framework conditions (subsidies, market, legal requirements, low-input concepts, research and advisory activities, social pressure, etc.) have increased interest in grazing again.
The legal requirements have become stricter, particularly for organic farms, and the pressure on practice and advice has increased as a result. Site-adapted management is important to avoid negative effects on soil, animals and humans. Sustainable and innovative solutions that build on current knowledge but also go beyond it are needed, especially under difficult operating conditions, such as little pasture, steep areas and hay meadows, areas in arid regions as well as arable land, grazing of small ruminants, etc. Cow-based rearing of calves is increasingly being implemented on dairy farms, especially organic farms. This near-natural calf rearing is increasingly becoming the focus of the market. There are a few advisory documents and scientific findings on housing for this form of rearing. There is no accumulated experience of keeping calving dairy cows on pasture.
In order to gain wider acceptance for this new approach to calf rearing, further findings on pasture management and economic benefits are needed. STUDIA is involved with the work package „Economic considerations for rearing systems with calf-led dairy cows“.
Project partners:
Duration: 01.01.22-31.12.24
Programme: EIP AGRI
Contact: DI Dr. Stefan Kirchweger
