BC3 Seminars: Systems Modelling for Sustainable Farming

BC3 Seminars
“Systems Modelling for Sustainable Farming”

Dr.del Prado

Abstract

The talk covered the area of development of systems modelling approaches (e.g. SIMSDAIRY and NGAUGE) to understand, mitigate, optimise and predict consequences of the interactions between dairy farm management, genetics and site conditions (e.g. climate and soil) for impacts on:

(i) Nutrient cycling (e.g. N).

(ii) environmental losses [atmosphere (GHG: N2O, CH4), NH3 and NOx and water diffuse pollution: (NO3 – phosphorus, FIOs and sediments).

(iii) productivity (e.g. secondary: through animals and primary: plant production) in current and future livestock systems (e.g. accounting for interactions between climate changes, socio-economics, etc.).

(iv) Other aspects that affect farm sustainability: economics, soil quality, animal welfare, biodiversity, landscape aesthetics and product quality (e.g. milk).