title: Farm Management in Organic and Conventional Dairy Production Systems Based on Pasture in Southern Brazil and Its Consequences on Production and Milk Quality.
abstract: Pasture-based dairy production is used widely on family dairy farms in Southern Brazil. This study investigates conventional high input (C-HI), conventional low input (C-LI), and organic low input (O-LI) pasture-based systems and their effects on quantity and quality of the milk produced. We conducted technical site visits and interviews monthly over one year on 24 family farms (n = 8 per type). C-HI farms had the greatest total area (28.9 ha), greatest percentage of area with annual pasture (38.7%), largest number of lactating animals (26.2) and greatest milk yield per cow (22.8 kg·day(-1)). O-LI farms had the largest perennial pasture area (52.3%), with the greatest botanical richness during all seasons. Area of perennial pasture was positively correlated with number of species consumed by the animals (R² = 0.74). Milk from O-LI farms had higher levels of fat and total solids only during the winter. Hygienic and microbiological quality of the milk was poor for all farms and need to be improved. C-HI farms had high milk yield related to high input, C-LI had intermediate characteristics and O-LI utilized a year round perennial pasture as a strategy to diminish the use of supplements in animal diets, which is an important aspect in ensuring production sustainability.
authors.affiliation: Department of Zootechny and Rural Development, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianópolis 88034-001, Brazil. shirley.kuhnen@ufsc.br.|Graduate Program in Agroecosystems, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianópolis 88034-001, Brazil. shirley.kuhnen@ufsc.br.
authors.forename: Shirley
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kuhnen
authors.affiliation: Graduate Program in Agroecosystems, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianópolis 88034-001, Brazil. rudistibuski@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Rudinei Butka
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Stibuski
authors.affiliation: Graduate Program in Agroecosystems, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianópolis 88034-001, Brazil. honorato.luciana@ufsc.br.
authors.forename: Luciana Aparecida
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Honorato
authors.affiliation: Department of Zootechny and Rural Development, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianópolis 88034-001, Brazil. pinheiro.machado@ufsc.br.|Graduate Program in Agroecosystems, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianópolis 88034-001, Brazil. pinheiro.machado@ufsc.br.
authors.forename: Luiz Carlos Pinheiro Machado
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Filho
keywords: food security; organic milk; pasture-based dairy production; sustainable agriculture