Nitrogen excretion and utilisation of dairy cows grazing temperate semi-natural grasslands
Diets reliant on grazed, temperate herbage are prone to greater nitrogen (N) losses via urine than balanced stall-fed diets which poses a greater risk for N emissions. Measures for improving the N utilisation in grazing-based dairy cattle systems are predominantly investigated on homogenous clover-r...
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Elsevier
2024-12-01
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| author | S. Perdana-Decker E. Velasco J. Werner U. Dickhoefer |
| author_facet | S. Perdana-Decker E. Velasco J. Werner U. Dickhoefer |
| author_sort | S. Perdana-Decker |
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| description | Diets reliant on grazed, temperate herbage are prone to greater nitrogen (N) losses via urine than balanced stall-fed diets which poses a greater risk for N emissions. Measures for improving the N utilisation in grazing-based dairy cattle systems are predominantly investigated on homogenous clover-ryegrass pastures with high herbage yields and nutritional quality. In contrast, grazing-based systems reliant on less external inputs (e.g., synthetic fertilisers or concentrates) using semi-natural grassland as main feed source, such as in large parts of Central Europe, received less attention. The N utilisation and excretion of grazing cows in low-input dairy farms were, thus, investigated on nine commercial organic dairy farms in South Germany across one to four periods per farm. The dataset captured a diverse set of dairy production systems comprising 323 individual animal observations. A mean (± one SD) milk production, DM intake (DMI), and pasture DMI of 23.9 kg (± 5.35), 21.0 kg (± 3.21), and 11.3 kg/d (± 4.83), respectively, was determined. Feed intake was estimated using titanium dioxide and faecal CP concentration as markers of faecal excretion and diet digestibility, respectively. Milk N use efficiency (MNE; i.e., milk N secretion as share of N intake) averaged 24.7 g/100 g N intake (± 5.91), which is greater than observations in temperate, high-input grazing systems but lower than in cows receiving balanced diets in the barn. The MNE and another seven indicators of N utilisation and excretion displayed a wide range of values. The grazing management factors explaining this variation were, thus, identified via backward elimination. The supplementation strategy had the greatest potential for manipulating N utilisation and excretion of dairy cows. Increasing shares of fresh forages (i.e., meadow grass or clover-grass leys) as well as of hay in supplement DMI increased N utilisation (e.g., MNE) and decreased urinary N excretion (e.g., urinary N to creatinine ratio), while increasing shares of concentrates in supplement DMI are related to lower N losses via urine. At the same time, increases in total supplement DMI reduced N utilisation and increased urinary N excretion. Hence, full-time grazing combined with supplementation of fresh forage and hay in the barn is a viable option for low-input, grazing-based dairy operations with moderate levels of N losses. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-40e7579c54e04eda8b2df3b5fb9bd5f0 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1751-7311 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-12-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
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| series | Animal |
| spelling | doaj-art-40e7579c54e04eda8b2df3b5fb9bd5f02024-11-21T06:03:37ZengElsevierAnimal1751-73112024-12-011812101358Nitrogen excretion and utilisation of dairy cows grazing temperate semi-natural grasslandsS. Perdana-Decker0E. Velasco1J. Werner2U. Dickhoefer3Department of Animal Nutrition and Rangeland Management in the Tropics and Subtropics, Institute of Agricultural Sciences in the Tropics, University of Hohenheim, Fruwirthstr. 31, 70599 Stuttgart, GermanyDepartment of Animal Nutrition and Rangeland Management in the Tropics and Subtropics, Institute of Agricultural Sciences in the Tropics, University of Hohenheim, Fruwirthstr. 31, 70599 Stuttgart, GermanyDepartment of Animal Nutrition and Rangeland Management in the Tropics and Subtropics, Institute of Agricultural Sciences in the Tropics, University of Hohenheim, Fruwirthstr. 31, 70599 Stuttgart, GermanyInstitute of Animal Nutrition and Physiology, Kiel University, Hermann-Rodewald-Str. 9, 24118 Kiel, Germany; Corresponding author.Diets reliant on grazed, temperate herbage are prone to greater nitrogen (N) losses via urine than balanced stall-fed diets which poses a greater risk for N emissions. Measures for improving the N utilisation in grazing-based dairy cattle systems are predominantly investigated on homogenous clover-ryegrass pastures with high herbage yields and nutritional quality. In contrast, grazing-based systems reliant on less external inputs (e.g., synthetic fertilisers or concentrates) using semi-natural grassland as main feed source, such as in large parts of Central Europe, received less attention. The N utilisation and excretion of grazing cows in low-input dairy farms were, thus, investigated on nine commercial organic dairy farms in South Germany across one to four periods per farm. The dataset captured a diverse set of dairy production systems comprising 323 individual animal observations. A mean (± one SD) milk production, DM intake (DMI), and pasture DMI of 23.9 kg (± 5.35), 21.0 kg (± 3.21), and 11.3 kg/d (± 4.83), respectively, was determined. Feed intake was estimated using titanium dioxide and faecal CP concentration as markers of faecal excretion and diet digestibility, respectively. Milk N use efficiency (MNE; i.e., milk N secretion as share of N intake) averaged 24.7 g/100 g N intake (± 5.91), which is greater than observations in temperate, high-input grazing systems but lower than in cows receiving balanced diets in the barn. The MNE and another seven indicators of N utilisation and excretion displayed a wide range of values. The grazing management factors explaining this variation were, thus, identified via backward elimination. The supplementation strategy had the greatest potential for manipulating N utilisation and excretion of dairy cows. Increasing shares of fresh forages (i.e., meadow grass or clover-grass leys) as well as of hay in supplement DMI increased N utilisation (e.g., MNE) and decreased urinary N excretion (e.g., urinary N to creatinine ratio), while increasing shares of concentrates in supplement DMI are related to lower N losses via urine. At the same time, increases in total supplement DMI reduced N utilisation and increased urinary N excretion. Hence, full-time grazing combined with supplementation of fresh forage and hay in the barn is a viable option for low-input, grazing-based dairy operations with moderate levels of N losses.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1751731124002957Dairy cattleFresh forageLow-input farmingNitrogen balancePasture |
| spellingShingle | S. Perdana-Decker E. Velasco J. Werner U. Dickhoefer Nitrogen excretion and utilisation of dairy cows grazing temperate semi-natural grasslands Animal Dairy cattle Fresh forage Low-input farming Nitrogen balance Pasture |
| title | Nitrogen excretion and utilisation of dairy cows grazing temperate semi-natural grasslands |
| title_full | Nitrogen excretion and utilisation of dairy cows grazing temperate semi-natural grasslands |
| title_fullStr | Nitrogen excretion and utilisation of dairy cows grazing temperate semi-natural grasslands |
| title_full_unstemmed | Nitrogen excretion and utilisation of dairy cows grazing temperate semi-natural grasslands |
| title_short | Nitrogen excretion and utilisation of dairy cows grazing temperate semi-natural grasslands |
| title_sort | nitrogen excretion and utilisation of dairy cows grazing temperate semi natural grasslands |
| topic | Dairy cattle Fresh forage Low-input farming Nitrogen balance Pasture |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1751731124002957 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT sperdanadecker nitrogenexcretionandutilisationofdairycowsgrazingtemperateseminaturalgrasslands AT evelasco nitrogenexcretionandutilisationofdairycowsgrazingtemperateseminaturalgrasslands AT jwerner nitrogenexcretionandutilisationofdairycowsgrazingtemperateseminaturalgrasslands AT udickhoefer nitrogenexcretionandutilisationofdairycowsgrazingtemperateseminaturalgrasslands |