The 2024 American Dairy Science Association (ADSA) Annual Meeting, held June 16 through 19 in West Palm Beach, Florida, brought together a dynamic mix of university faculty and students (both graduate and undergraduate), industry representatives, and governmental researchers.  A broad range of interests was represented with sessions dedicated to genetics, reproduction, environment, welfare, nutrition, production, dairy foods and technology among others.

Here are a few key takeaways from this year’s meeting that should be top of mind for dairy industry members.

1. Dairy industry and the environment: Enteric Methane

There was a significant focus on the dairy industry’s “carbon footprint”, particularly concerning greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from ruminal enteric methane production.

• Understanding Methane Metrics: Methane production can be expressed in several different ways:
  • Daily Methane Production: Total grams of methane produced per day
  • Methane Yield: Grams of methane produced per kg of dry matter intake
  • Methane Intensity: Grams of methane per kg of energy-corrected milk
• Nutritional Additives: Various nutritional additives have been evaluated for their ability to reduce ruminal methane production, such as marine seaweed/macroalgae, 3-NOP, nitrates, lipids, and various plant-derived compounds. While some additives show promise, results have been variable.
• Diet Composition: Generally speaking, diets higher in concentrates and lower in fiber tend to reduce methane yield and intensity.
• Rumination and Methane Production: One paper reported a negative correlation between minutes spent ruminating and daily methane production, meaning that the cows that spent more time ruminating produced less methane.

The dairy industry faces increased pressure to lower GHG production. Hopefully, producers will be able to capture value by selling carbon credits based on adopting these methane-reducing strategies.

2. Dairy industry and the environment: Sustainability

Sustainability may be defined as the ability of an industry (farm) to utilize resources in a way that helps ensure the future viability of that industry (farm). For dairies, those resources can include land, water, capital, animals and personnel.

• Feed Efficiency: Increasing feed efficiency (energy-corrected milk production/dry matter intake) is important in reducing dairy’s environmental impact and assuring sustainability.
• Selecting for Low RFI: By selecting cows and bulls with low Residual Feed Intake (RFI), producers can breed for cows that consume less feed per unit of milk produced, thereby increasing overall herd efficiency.
• Forage Quality and Digestibility: Improving forage quality/digestibility is important for improving feed efficiency. High-quality forage supports better nutrient absorption and utilization.
• Optimal Heifer Growth: Adjusting heifer growth rate to achieve optimal age and weight at first calving is essential. Not only does this practice achieve higher retention rates but also enhances the lifetime productivity of dairy cows.

Increasing efficiency and lowering culling rates helps to ensure that producers are making the best use of their resources.

3. Functional Nutrients

A proper balance of nutrients plays a vital role in optimizing dairy cattle growth and productivity. However, some nutrients offer additional benefits that can significantly impact overall animal health and performance.

• Primary Nutrient Functions: Nutrients such as carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins, minerals, and water primarily support growth and productivity in dairy animals.
• Functional Nutrients: Certain nutrients demonstrate additional beneficial functions above and beyond their traditional roles such as effects on health, reproduction, growth, etc.
• Fatty Acids and Milk Production: Feeding different combinations of oleic and palmitic (fatty) acids can affect milk production, milk fat content, and body condition.
• Bioactive Nutrients for Gut Health: Certain bioactive nutrients such as butyric acid, oligosaccharides, and certain amino acids can aid in gut development in pre-ruminant calves.

Many feed ingredients have benefits that aren’t captured in a ration-balancing program.  Work with your nutritionist to determine what ingredients/nutrients can help you achieve your production goals.

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