Science projects

Looking for information on milking three times in two days? This research programme will investigate the human, animal and pasture response to milking three times in two days (3-in-2).

The DairyNZ-led programme Forages for Reduced Nitrate Leaching – a cross-sector approach (2013-2019) provided new scientific knowledge, tools and technologies for forage production that can amount to more than 20% reduction of nitrate leaching from.

We have completed a four-year trial at Scott Farm in the Waikato, validating the Forage Value Index (FVI) under typical farm management conditions.

Frontier Farms is a research project launched in 2021 that aims to keep New Zealand dairying ahead of our global competitors.

The first competitor assessment in the Frontier Farms project was carried out on US mega-dairies (farms of more than 2,500 cows, typical of mid-western states).

Exploring new, cost-effective off-paddock wintering options for dairy farmers, particularly in the southern South Island, where farmers utilise winter crop grazing.

The Plantain programme is a DairyNZ-led collaborative research and development initiative. The aim is to substantially reduce nitrogen lost to freshwater and greenhouse gas produced from pastoral sectors by using the grazing herb plantain (Ecotain®).

The Fertility Breeding Value (BV) has led to gradual improvements in genetic merit for fertility. Under 'Pillars of New Dairy System', we aim to increase the accuracy of the Fertility BV to accelerate genetic improvement in fertility.

Research to improve herd reproduction performance, we are studying two heifer traits that could provide early measures of cow fertility.