Invited review: Helping dairy farmers to improve economic performance utilizing data-driving decision support tools

The objective of this review paper is to describe the development and application of a suite of more than 40 computerized dairy farm decision support tools contained at the University of Wisconsin-Madison (UW) Dairy Management website http://DairyMGT.info. These data-driven decision support tools ar...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Author: V.E. Cabrera
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2018-01-01
Series:Animal
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1751731117001665
_version_ 1818597447533854720
author V.E. Cabrera
author_facet V.E. Cabrera
author_sort V.E. Cabrera
collection DOAJ
description The objective of this review paper is to describe the development and application of a suite of more than 40 computerized dairy farm decision support tools contained at the University of Wisconsin-Madison (UW) Dairy Management website http://DairyMGT.info. These data-driven decision support tools are aimed to help dairy farmers improve their decision-making, environmental stewardship and economic performance. Dairy farm systems are highly dynamic in which changing market conditions and prices, evolving policies and environmental restrictions together with every time more variable climate conditions determine performance. Dairy farm systems are also highly integrated with heavily interrelated components such as the dairy herd, soils, crops, weather and management. Under these premises, it is critical to evaluate a dairy farm following a dynamic integrated system approach. For this approach, it is crucial to use meaningful data records, which are every time more available. These data records should be used within decision support tools for optimal decision-making and economic performance. Decision support tools in the UW-Dairy Management website (http://DairyMGT.info) had been developed using combination and adaptation of multiple methods together with empirical techniques always with the primary goal for these tools to be: (1) highly user-friendly, (2) using the latest software and computer technologies, (3) farm and user specific, (4) grounded on the best scientific information available, (5) remaining relevant throughout time and (6) providing fast, concrete and simple answers to complex farmers’ questions. DairyMGT.info is a translational innovative research website in various areas of dairy farm management that include nutrition, reproduction, calf and heifer management, replacement, price risk and environment. This paper discusses the development and application of 20 selected (http://DairyMGT.info) decision support tools.
first_indexed 2024-12-16T11:47:57Z
format Article
id doaj.art-596ac17b82af420fa79fe272439c8cee
institution Directory Open Access Journal
issn 1751-7311
language English
last_indexed 2024-12-16T11:47:57Z
publishDate 2018-01-01
publisher Elsevier
record_format Article
series Animal
spelling doaj.art-596ac17b82af420fa79fe272439c8cee2022-12-21T22:32:47ZengElsevierAnimal1751-73112018-01-01121134144Invited review: Helping dairy farmers to improve economic performance utilizing data-driving decision support toolsV.E. Cabrera0Department of Dairy Science, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1675 Observatory Dr., Madison, WI 53706, USAThe objective of this review paper is to describe the development and application of a suite of more than 40 computerized dairy farm decision support tools contained at the University of Wisconsin-Madison (UW) Dairy Management website http://DairyMGT.info. These data-driven decision support tools are aimed to help dairy farmers improve their decision-making, environmental stewardship and economic performance. Dairy farm systems are highly dynamic in which changing market conditions and prices, evolving policies and environmental restrictions together with every time more variable climate conditions determine performance. Dairy farm systems are also highly integrated with heavily interrelated components such as the dairy herd, soils, crops, weather and management. Under these premises, it is critical to evaluate a dairy farm following a dynamic integrated system approach. For this approach, it is crucial to use meaningful data records, which are every time more available. These data records should be used within decision support tools for optimal decision-making and economic performance. Decision support tools in the UW-Dairy Management website (http://DairyMGT.info) had been developed using combination and adaptation of multiple methods together with empirical techniques always with the primary goal for these tools to be: (1) highly user-friendly, (2) using the latest software and computer technologies, (3) farm and user specific, (4) grounded on the best scientific information available, (5) remaining relevant throughout time and (6) providing fast, concrete and simple answers to complex farmers’ questions. DairyMGT.info is a translational innovative research website in various areas of dairy farm management that include nutrition, reproduction, calf and heifer management, replacement, price risk and environment. This paper discusses the development and application of 20 selected (http://DairyMGT.info) decision support tools.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1751731117001665data managementsimulationmodelingeconomic performanceeconomic decision-making
spellingShingle V.E. Cabrera
Invited review: Helping dairy farmers to improve economic performance utilizing data-driving decision support tools
Animal
data management
simulation
modeling
economic performance
economic decision-making
title Invited review: Helping dairy farmers to improve economic performance utilizing data-driving decision support tools
title_full Invited review: Helping dairy farmers to improve economic performance utilizing data-driving decision support tools
title_fullStr Invited review: Helping dairy farmers to improve economic performance utilizing data-driving decision support tools
title_full_unstemmed Invited review: Helping dairy farmers to improve economic performance utilizing data-driving decision support tools
title_short Invited review: Helping dairy farmers to improve economic performance utilizing data-driving decision support tools
title_sort invited review helping dairy farmers to improve economic performance utilizing data driving decision support tools
topic data management
simulation
modeling
economic performance
economic decision-making
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1751731117001665
work_keys_str_mv AT vecabrera invitedreviewhelpingdairyfarmerstoimproveeconomicperformanceutilizingdatadrivingdecisionsupporttools