Resumen

WINGCHING-JONES, Rodolfo  y  MORA CHAVES, Esteban. Environmental variables and Jersey cattle milk quality in the humid tropic of Costa Rica. Cuadernos de Investigación UNED [online]. 2015, vol.7, n.2, pp.165-171. ISSN 1659-4266.

Climatic conditions affect milk production in the humid tropics. They have an effect on somatic cell count (SCC) and total solids (TS), fat, protein (CP) and lactose concentration in milk. We studied these variables in Turrialba, Costa Rica, for 52 weeks between 2009 and 2010. We collected 784 samples (100 ml each) of milk from 19 animals and analyzed them with the FOSS Electric A/S for MilkoScan TM FT 120 Type 71200. Somatic cell count was done with the 400 Series Fossomatic. Temperature affected TS, fat and lactose content (p <0.05), precipitation affected the TS and CP content correlated with radiation. Humidity affected SCC, TS, fat and lactose. Within system variables, animal and lactation days are significant for SCC and milk components; calving number was related to fat content, CP and lactose. Age and milk production affect TS, fat, CP and lactose. Month affected TS, CP and lactose content. All variables changed with the year.

Palabras clave : Temperature; precipitation; grazing; protein in milk; somatic cell in milk; total solid in milk.

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