Are cheese-making properties of dual purpose cattle impaired by highland grazing? A case study using Aosta Red Pied cows

Abstract Summer transhumance is often practiced in mountainous farming systems. It includes moving dairy cows from lowland (LO) to highland (HI) pastures during summer. It is known that high genetic merit cows are susceptible to the HI conditions, but it is unclear if this also applies to more adapted, regional cow types. The present study aimed to investigate the effect of HI sojourn on cheese-making properties of Aosta Red Pied cows, a dual purpose cattle type. Milk coagulation properties were measured in the milk of 47 cows before and after transhumance. Sources of variation were investigated using linear mixed models, including parity, site, milking time, the interaction parity × site, milking time × site and milking time × parity. Cow was nested within site, and used as subject for repetition, and sampling date was included as repeated factor. Curd-firming time and curd firmness did not vary between LO and HI, whereas rennet coagulation time was prolonged in HI compared to LO in both primiparous (16.4 vs. 18.5 min) and multiparous cows (17.5 vs. 21.1 min, respectively). The percentage of non-coagulating samples was greater in HI (15.0%) compared to LO (8.5%). The lower milk reactivity to rennet addition in HI seems to be mostly related to the simultaneously increasing somatic cell score. Morning and evening milk were similar in coagulation properties. In conclusion, even indigenous dual purpose cows were affected by HI conditions and the experience the multiparous cows had with the transhumance was not helpful either.

[1]  M. Franzoi,et al.  Technical note: Development and validation of a new method for the quantification of soluble and micellar calcium, magnesium, and potassium in milk. , 2017, Journal of dairy science.

[2]  S. Eriksson,et al.  Invited review: Breeding and ethical perspectives on genetically modified and genome edited cattle. , 2018, Journal of dairy science.

[3]  M. Ramanzin,et al.  Variation of milk coagulation properties, cheese yield, and nutrients recovery in curd of cows of different breeds before, during and after transhumance to highland summer pastures , 2016, Journal of Dairy Research.

[4]  M. De Marchi,et al.  Phenotypic characterisation of milk technological traits, protein fractions, and major mineral and fatty acid composition of Burlina cattle breed* , 2016 .

[5]  M. De Marchi,et al.  Predictive ability of mid-infrared spectroscopy for major mineral composition and coagulation traits of bovine milk by using the uninformative variable selection algorithm. , 2016, Journal of dairy science.

[6]  S. Mazza,et al.  Genetic correlations between type and test-day milk yield in small dual-purpose cattle populations: The Aosta Red Pied breed as a case study. , 2016, Journal of dairy science.

[7]  M. De Marchi,et al.  Short communication: Selecting the most informative mid-infrared spectra wavenumbers to improve the accuracy of prediction models for detailed milk protein content. , 2016, Journal of dairy science.

[8]  M. Marchi,et al.  MILK COAGULATION PROPERTIES OF CATTLE BREEDS REARED IN ALPINE AREA , 2015 .

[9]  A. Brodkorb,et al.  Prediction of bovine milk technological traits from mid-infrared spectroscopy analysis in dairy cows. , 2015, Journal of dairy science.

[10]  P. Franceschi,et al.  Influence of milk somatic cell content on Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese yield , 2015, Journal of Dairy Research.

[11]  N. López-Villalobos,et al.  Effectiveness of mid-infrared spectroscopy for prediction of the contents of calcium and phosphorus, and titratable acidity of milk and their relationship with milk quality and coagulation properties , 2015 .

[12]  F. Tiezzi,et al.  A comparison of the predicted coagulation characteristics and composition of milk from multi-breed herds of Holstein-Friesian, Brown Swiss and Simmental cows , 2014 .

[13]  M. Cassandro,et al.  Temporal Variation in Genetic Diversity and Population Structure of Burlina Cattle Breed , 2014 .

[14]  L. Battaglini,et al.  Milk yield, gross composition and fatty acid profile of dual-purpose Aosta Red Pied cows fed separate concentrate-forage versus total mixed ration. , 2014, Animal science journal = Nihon chikusan Gakkaiho.

[15]  F. Tiezzi,et al.  Heritability and repeatability of milk coagulation properties predicted by mid-infrared spectroscopy during routine data recording, and their relationships with milk yield and quality traits. , 2013, Animal : an international journal of animal bioscience.

[16]  F. Dellaglio,et al.  Study of microbial diversity in raw milk and fresh curd used for Fontina cheese production by culture-independent methods. , 2009, International journal of food microbiology.

[17]  V. Malfatto,et al.  Comparing milk yield, chemical properties and somatic cell count from organic and conventional mountain farming systems , 2009 .

[18]  M. Marchi,et al.  Comparing profitability of Burlina and Holstein Friesian cattle breeds , 2009 .

[19]  F. Biasioli,et al.  Effects of stocking density and supplement level on milk production and cheese characteristics in Brown cows grazing on mountain pasture. , 2008, The Journal of dairy research.

[20]  G. Bittante,et al.  Milk coagulation ability of five dairy cattle breeds. , 2007, Journal of dairy science.

[21]  M. Kreuzer,et al.  Contribution of diet type and pasture conditions to the influence of high altitude grazing on intake, performance and composition and renneting properties of the milk of cows , 2006 .

[22]  F. Gaucheron.  The minerals of milk. , 2005, Reproduction, nutrition, development.

[23]  M. Kreuzer,et al.  A study on the causes for the elevated n−3 fatty acids in cows' milk of alpine origin , 2005, Lipids.

[24]  M. Kreuzer,et al.  Protein composition, plasmin activity and cheesemaking properties of cows' milk produced at two altitudes from hay of lowland and high-alpine origins , 2005, Journal of Dairy Research.

[25]  M. Kreuzer,et al.  Contribution of altitude and Alpine origin of forage to the influence of Alpine sojourn of cows on intake, nitrogen conversion, metabolic stress and milk synthesis , 2004 .

[26]  M. Ojala,et al.  Genetic and phenotypic correlations between milk coagulation properties, milk production traits, somatic cell count, casein content, and pH of milk. , 2004, Journal of dairy science.

[27]  D Dupont,et al.  Influence of the composition of Alpine highland pasture on the chemical, rheological and sensory properties of cheese , 1999, Journal of Dairy Research.

[28]  M. Kreuzer,et al.  Metabolic response of early-lactating cows exposed to transport and high altitude grazing conditions , 1998 .

[29]  M. Kreuzer,et al.  Productivity, requirements and efficiency of feed and nitrogen utilization of grass-fed early lactating cows exposed to high Alpine conditions , 1996 .

[30]  I. Politis,et al.  Effects of Somatic Cell Counts and Milk Composition on the Coagulating Properties of Milk , 1988 .

[31]  D. McMahon,et al.  Evaluation of Formagraph for Comparing Rennet Solutions , 1982 .