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Dairy Research Centre
The Dairy Cattle Research Centre is based at Crichton Royal Farm, Dumfries. It aims to develop sustainable systems of dairy production and to support the dairy industry with expert advice and training.
Dairy systems research is performed with the Langhill pedigree herd selected since 1970 as a high genetic merit line and a control line. These cattle are on two distinctly different management systems; a high home-grown forage system and a low forage system relying more on purchased feed.
Associated research work includes dairy cow and young-stock nutrition, energy use and nitrogen efficiency and labour and machinery use.
The dairy systems research programme has a strong emphasis on knowledge transfer. This is achieved by utilising the information gathered from the main systems comparison study run at the centre.
The SAC Dairy Services Unit is also based at Crichton, providing consultancy to dairy farmers and administering the National Dairy Farm Assured Scheme (NDFAS). The Dairy Research Centre also carries out commercial trials for companies.