Characteristics of milk production systems and feed strategies for dairy cows in the North and Northwest of Paraná State

Abstract

Although milk production is widespread, several barriers remain that limit its competitiveness, including those related to low performance parameters in milk production systems (MPS), which can be minimized through the adoption of effective nutritional strategies. The increased use of corn can provide benefits to both rural production and the entire milk production chain. Moreover, it represents the major economic strategy of adding value to grain produced in Brazil, via the transformation of milk. The objective of this study was to characterize MPS in the north and northwest regions of Paraná, Brazil, and identify the relationship between productive and structural variables across the supply of concentrate containing corn and grain corn for dairy cows. Data were collected from 185 MPS and analyzed via multivariate statistical techniques, including the analysis of hierarchical clusters, as well as hypothesis testing and means comparison using ANOVA. A cluster analysis was performed based on two qualitative and dichotomous variables: (i) concentrate containing corn fed to dairy cows and (ii) grain corn fed to dairy cows. Four groups were defined: Group 1 (N = 99 MPS) was characterized by systems where cows were fed corn only in the form of a concentrate, referred to as “Concentrate”; Group 2 (N = 41 MPS) where cows were fed corn incorporated in both concentrate and grain form, referred to as “Concentrate + Grain”; Group 3 (N = 14 MPS), where corn was supplied to cows solely in the form of grain, referred to as “Corn Grain”; and finally, Group 4 (N = 41 MPS), which included systems where no corn was supplied to cows, referred to as “Zero Corn.” When weighed against the productive and structural variables, Groups 1 and 2 did not differ significantly (P > 0.05), nor did Groups 3 and 4 (P > 0.05). However, Groups 1 and 2 were significantly different from Groups 3 and 4 (P < 0.05). These results suggest that the strategy of supplying corn either exclusively as concentrate or in combination with grain corn resulted in better responses to the structural and productive variables analyzed in the MPS. Our results indicate that this is an important strategy for aggregation of grain value via transformation of milk. In addition, no difference was noted between exclusive use of grain corn and non-use of corn.