Development programs aimed at increasing production, improve milk quality and assist genetic selection of livestock are strategic initiatives to modernize the dairy chain in Brazil. Farmers, mostly family-scale, need special guidance to access technological information and training programs to increase production and improve productivity of the dairy herd. In addition, action plans and strategies to improve milk quality are essential in order to promote their inclusion in the formal dairy market

Status: Completed     Start date: Fri Mar 01 00:00:00 GMT-03:00 2013

The breeding programs of Dairy Gir, Guzerat, Red Sindhi and Girolando breeds are conducted at Embrapa Dairy Cattle in work integrated with the respective breeders' associations, as follows: ABCGIL (Brazilian Association of Dairy Gir Breeders), CBMG2/ACGB (Brazilian Center of Guzerat Genetic Breeding / Association of Guzerat and Girolando Breeders Brazil), ABCSindi (Brazilian Association of Red Sindhi Breeders) and Girolando Association. It also includes the participation of the following institu

Status: Completed     Start date: Fri Aug 01 00:00:00 GMT-03:00 2014

Selection for desirable bovine phenotypes has been practiced since the domestication of cattle, which occurred approximately 10,000 years ago. This process of domestication has brought about a marked change in behavioral and morphological characteristics in the subspecies and, together with the development of breeds and genetic breeding programs, has given rise to the enormous variety of patterns and racial types known today. Since then, traditional breeding tools, based on quantitative theory,

Status: Completed     Start date: Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 GMT-03:00 2015

A few years ago the carmine cochineal was introduced in the Northeast of Brazil, and its population slowly expanded across the forage cactus plantations of that region. With the occurrence of suitable growth conditions during the drought of 2012, such scale insect reached the condition of pest, and decimated or compromised the productivity of thousands of hectares of forage cactus. It is interesting to note that the long period without drought influenced farmers to neglect the renovation of thei

Status: Completed     Start date: Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 GMT-03:00 2015

The identification of animals with more efficiency in feed utilization is one of the alternatives to overcome the challenges as increased production costs, increased consumer awareness regarding food safety, animal welfare and environmental impacts of the agriculture and livestock. As feeding expenses account for the main cost of livestock activity, differences among animals in converting diet to beef and milk are of great relevance. Animals that use feed more efficiently need to consume less to

Status: Completed     Start date: Sat Jul 01 00:00:00 GMT-03:00 2017

Brazil is the fifth largest producer of milk in the world with 35 billion liters produced in 2015. However, Brazilian dairy farmers still need improve milk quality and reduce production costs. One of the major limiting factors to increase the efficiency and competitiveness of milk production in Brazil is the management of dairy farms. In this context, Embrapa Gado de Leite developed, in partnership with the Central Cooperative of Rural Producers of Minas Gerais -(Cooperativa Central dos Produtor

Status: Completed     Start date: Tue May 01 00:00:00 GMT-03:00 2018

The productivity indices of dairy farming in Brazil are low when compared to countries with technologically advanced dairy farming. Productivity can be significantly improved through the use of animals with higher genetic value for milk production and appropriate management techniques. Worldwide, the Holstein breed is predominant for milk production, being also the most used in Brazil, both as a pure breed and in crosses, as a contribution to the development of the Girolando breed. In this proje

Status: Completed     Start date: Sat Sep 01 00:00:00 GMT-03:00 2007

Bovine tick parasitism is a determinant of estimated losses of US $ 3.4 billion annually in Brazil. Much of these losses are due to mistakes made in the controlling attempts. The three main mistakes made are the use of an inappropriate acaricide at the wrong time and in the wrong way. In view of this situation, Embrapa Dairy Cattle implemented the acaricide effectiveness testing, a free service based on the determination of the most suitable product for application in each property, based on sam

Status: Completed     Start date: Sun Jun 01 00:00:00 GMT-03:00 2008

In previous projects, Embrapa Dairy cattle developed nanostructured intramammary formulations of mastitis, which show potential therapeutic use in the treatment of bovine keratoconjunctivitis. Infectious bovine keratoconjunctivitis is a contagious disease that affects the eyes of cattle of all age groups, mainly calves, caused by Moraxella bovis. The disease is rarely fatal, but production losses are high. The costs caused by this disease involve weight loss, falling milk production and

Status: Completed     Start date: Fri Mar 01 00:00:00 GMT-03:00 2013

Sugarcane is one of the most economical alternatives for off-season roughage feeding, which, whenever corrected, can become a feeding solution for animals with average production, even with the managerial difficulties of daily harvesting, regrowth handling, need for extra labor or specialized machinery, need to complete harvest within the same cycle, in addition to the risk of fire in the crop fields, all of which can be corrected. A correction alternative is sugarcane ensiling and nutritional e

Status: Completed     Start date: Tue Jul 01 00:00:00 GMT-03:00 2008