Browsing by Author "Toro-Mujica, Paula"

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    Adaptation strategies based on the historical evolution for dairy production systems in temperate areas: A case study approach
    (2020) Toro-Mujica, Paula; Vera, Raul; Pinedo, Pablo; Bas, Fernando; Enriquez-Hidalgo, Daniel; Vargas-Bello-Perez, Einar
    Dairy production systems are heterogeneous as they are influenced by farm location and structure, markets, environmental conditions, and the producers' preferences and peculiarities. A typology of the existing dairy systems in Chile was developed with the objective of identifying homogenous groups that would allow for the characterization of adaptation strategies to changing environmental, social, technological, political and economic variables. Multivariate analyses were performed on data from official surveys carried out in 2009, 2011, 2013, and 2015. Six groups (I-VI) were identified representing 26.9%, 21.5%, 21.6%, 14.6%, 6.8% and 8.6% of the population surveyed. Group I was the largest, and it included non-specialized commercial dairies. Group II clustered semi-extensive, medium to large dairies that rely mostly on high yielding improved pastures. Group III included small, semi-extensive commercial farms that make a more intense use of pastoral resources, such as sown pastures and improved native grasslands. Groups IV, V, and VI corresponded to specialized dairies, highly market-oriented, that use annual forages to supplement intensively managed and planned pastures, but that differ in size and some management strategies. The observed temporal changes and adaptations over time were closely linked to farm size, intensity in the use of various technologies, the number and the breed of the dairy cows, and the presence of other agricultural activities in the property. The effect of variable prices of milk and system inputs differed by group. Given the social and economic importance of dairies throughout Central and Southern Chile, a number of interventions are proposed, including technical modifications, extension initiatives, and changes in policies.
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    Authentication of retail cheeses based on fatty acid composition and multivariate data analysis
    (2018) Vargas Bello, Einar; Gomez-Cortes, Pilar; Geldsetzer Mendoza, Carolina Luisa; Sol Morales, Maria; Toro-Mujica, Paula; Angelica Fellenberg, Maria; Ibanez, Rodrigo A.
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    Characterisation of dairy female calf management practices in southern Chile
    (2022) Toro-Mujica, Paula; Gebauer, Ricardo; Tajonar, Karen; Keim, Juan P.; Vargas-Bello-Perez, Einar
    The objective of this study was to characterise husbandry and technical-productive practices at the calf rearing stage in dairy farms in Los Lagos Region, southern Chile. A face-to-face survey was applied to 22 dairy farms in Los Lagos Region in 2017. All farms performed artificial calf rearing under either of two systems: total barn confinement (48%) or a mixed system that considers the first stage with confinement and the second stage in open-air paddocks (52%). More than half (52%) of the farms supplied fresh colostrum to the calf from its dam and the rest of the farms used bottle or oesophageal tube. Only 30% of the farms evaluated colostrum quality using colostrometer (densimeter) or refractometer. After the colostrum supply, milk replacers, waste milk, or a mixture of both were used for calf feeding. Most of the farms (66.7%) did not have automated milk-feeding systems and used bottles (88.9%) and buckets (11.1%) instead. On average, calves were handled by 1.5 caretakers (SD: 0.63) of which 63.4% (SD: 40.2) were men. The average age for caretakers was 43.9 years (SD: 12.7), with 23.8% being less than 35 years old. Overall, results from this study can be used to identify key managements that could improve calves' rearing productive traits.
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    Identification and implementation of technological packages for dual purpose cattle. a case study of Manabi-Ecuador
    (2014) Torres, Yenny; Rivas, Jose; De Pablos-Heredero, Carmen; Perea, Jose; Toro-Mujica, Paula; Angon, Elena; Garcia, Anton
    Advances in livestock systems are associated with the implementation of technologies in production and improvment of their income. The aim of this research was to examine the identification and implementation of technological packages and their relationship with the variability of the production in the dual purpose cattle of Manabi - Ecuador. Two climatic zones are distinguished: 1) Tropical dry forest and 2) Tropical rain forest. Twenty five (25) technologies grouped into six technological packages (TP) were selected by using qualitative and participatory methods. Interviews were conducted in a sample of 41 farms to assess the implementation of technological packages, using descriptive statistics, Sperman correlations and multiple regressions. The higher degrees of implementation correspond to animal health (76.2 %), equipment (55.6 %) and feeding (55.5 %). Correlations (P<0.01) between TP of feeding, with equipment (0.711) and reproduction (0.774) were evidenced. The variability in milk production (30 %) is explained by the TP of land use in the Tropical dry Forest and by the TP animal health in Tropical rain forest. This research facilitates preliminary results about the identification of a number of technologies that are implemented in the dual purpose cattle of Manabi - Ecuador. Moreover, all animal production systems being seeking a dynamic balance of technologies that allows farms migrate to more efficient processes without losing the main attributes, in this case of the dual purpose cattle systems.
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    Incorporating a Fresh Mixed Annual Ryegrass and Berseem Clover Forage Into the Winter Diet of Dairy Cows Resulted in Reduced Milk Yield, but Reduced Nitrogen Excretion and Reduced Methane Yield
    (2020) Enriquez-Hidalgo, Daniel; Teixeira, Dayane Lemos; Pinheiro Machado Filho, Luiz Carlos; Hennessy, Deirdre; Toro-Mujica, Paula; Williams, Shaun Richard Owen; Pereira, Fabiellen Cristina
    The winter diet of dairy cows in Mediterranean climate regions is usually a total mixed ration with a base of conserved summer crops such as corn silage and alfalfa hay. However, there is increased labor and financial cost related to this kind of feeding, which could be reduced if fresh forages were used in place of some of the conserved forage in the cow diet. The objective of our study was to evaluate the effect of including fresh mixed annual ryegrass and berseem clover into the diet of dairy cows on milk, nitrogen utilization, and methane emission. Twenty-four lactating dairy cows were split into two groups and offered either a diet similar to that usually offered to the cows (CON) or one where a mixture of fresh annual ryegrass and berseem clover was used to partially substitute the corn silage and alfalfa hay in the diet (MIX). Milk yield was recorded automatically, and methane emissions were estimated using the SF6 tracer technique. The MIX diet had lower crude protein concentration (148 vs. 170 g/kg DM) but higher DM digestibility (81.6 vs. 78.6%) than the CON diet. Compared to the cows offered the CON diet, milk yield was reduced when cows were fed the MIX diet (36.4 vs. 31.9 kg/d), but methane emissions (381 vs. 332 g/d) and nitrogen excretion were also reduced (238 vs. 180 g/d). Nitrogen use efficiency was unaffected (30.8%). In addition, milk from cows fed the MIX diet had a fatty acid profile considered to be more beneficial to human health than that of the milk from cows fed the CON diet. Increasing the protein concentration in the MIX diet, either by direct supplementation or increasing the proportion of legume in the mixed herbage, could overcome the reduction on milk and positively affect methane emission and N use efficiency.
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    Technical, social and commercial profile of the Manchega dairy sheep farms in South-Central Spain
    (2014) Rivas, Jose; Garcia, Anton; Toro-Mujica, Paula; Angon, Elena; Perea, Jose; Morantes, Martina; Dios-Palomares, Rafaela
    Manchega sheep farms are characterized by technical, social and commercial aspects of the protected designation of origin "Queso Manchego". The data was obtained through surveys with stratified random sampling and proportional allocation, representing 17.25 % of the population. The characterization was obtained by analysis of descriptive statistics. Groups were formed based on the size and use of technology and compared using a multivariate ANOVAC. The typical farm responds to a mixed crop-livestock extensive system of pastoral type (85 %), with 888 sheep and 1,124 ha total area, 18 % of this area is used in agriculture, mainly grain and forage, the rest of the ST is natural grass, fallow land and wastelands which are used by grazing. The farmer is 48 yr old, married, with one child; there is hope for continuity in the activity (91 %), and generational handover (74 %). The marketing is done by 91 % for long or traditional commercial channels and only 9 % for short or alternative channels (9 %). The greater challenge is associated with high input prices and low product prices. The competitive advantages of the farms are on the one hand the low level of investment and the realization of low-yield farming, aspects that give it flexibility. From the groups by size and technology use different production models emphasizing small and large farms with low use of technologies and large with high use of established technology.