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Hilshey, Bridgett

Plant and Soil Science

2013

MS

The effect of raw milk, applied at the rate of 186 kg/ha, on the forage growth and nutritive value and soil quality was studied through two field and three microcosm-based experiments. During the field experiment, raw milk was sprayed on mature pastures at two Vermont farms using a paired comparison design. Twice during the growing season, forage pre- and post-grazing mass, and a wide variety of forage and soil quality parameters were measured. The raw milk had little to no effect on pasture productivity or quality at either farm. Three separate microcosm experiments were also conducted. The effect on forage above and below ground mass, tiller elongation rate, tillering rate, and other characteristics was monitored for 43 days over two cuttings.
In one instance, grasses treated with raw milk tillered significantly more rapidly than grasses which did not receive the treatment (p<0.0184), significantly increasing above ground forage biomass. Other measured forage growth parameters were not impacted by the treatment. In other microcosm experiments, raw milk had very little impact on nitrogen mineralization and no impact soil basal respiration rate or litter decomposition rate. The results of this experiment indicate that the application of raw milk onto pasture does not significantly enhance forage production or forage and soil quality. The meager gains recorded are neither great enough to influence milk production nor consistent enough to be a reliable solution.