Which and how many information sources are available to support selective dry-off strategies

Mastitis represents one of the most significant issues in intensive dairy farming.

The research project PLFNoDrug aims to provide farmers with decision support for the best dry-off strategies for cows.

By using all the information available on the farm (data measured by sensors, monthly functional checks, and bacteriological analyses before drying off and post-calving), the goal is to assess the udder health status to promote the correct use of antimicrobials and reduce the incidence of antimicrobial resistance.

Moderator: Fabio Abeni, head of the PLFNoDrug project, CREA – Research Center for Animal Husbandry and Aquaculture, Lodi

• Tools and technologies in support of decision-making (Petrera F. – CREA)
• Mastitis pathogens in milk: analytical techniques and an overview (Daminelli P. – IZSLER)
• Metagenomics for the analysis of milk microbiota (Marino R., Zago M. – CREA)
• PLF data in support of farm management decisions (Abeni F., Barzaghi S. – CREA)
• Drying off, cow welfare, and antimicrobial consumption (Fusi F. – IZSLER)