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Cattle diet and winter plant growth effects on nitrogen losses from cattle urine patches

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Abstract

Nitrogen (N) losses from agricultural land is a major environmental concern, as N leaching can cause eutrophication and nitrous oxide (N2O) is a greenhouse gas. A lysimeter experiment was undertaken to investigate the effects of cattle diet and winter plant growth on N losses from cattle urine patches. The experiment was conducted using intact soil monolith lysimeters, beneath two different pasture or cropping systems: (i) perennial ryegrass/white clover pasture, and (ii) bare fallow after simulated grazing of fodder beet (beet fallow). Two different cow urine treatments (700 kg N ha−1) were applied to each of the crop treatments in June 2017, using freshly collected urine from herds on a diet of either pasture or fodder beet (beet) (supplemented with lucerne silage). Winter plant growth was found to have a large effect on N leaching losses. There were high N leaching losses beneath the beet fallow (335–345 kg N ha−1) compared to the significantly lower leaching loss beneath the pasture (55–121 kg N ha−1). Urine treatment had a significant effect on N losses/transformations beneath the pasture. The pasture with beet urine treatment had 36% lower average ammonia oxidising bacteria (AOB) population abundance, 31% lower soil NO3−–N concentration and subsequently 64% lower NO3−–N leaching losses than the pasture with pasture urine treatment. The lower AOB population and lower average soil NO3−–N suggest a biological nitrification inhibitor effect was present in the beet urine. This study shows the potential of winter plant growth and manipulation of cattle diet in reducing farm N losses.

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Acknowledgements

This research was completed as a part of the “Reducing Nitrogen Losses from Farms” programme with principal funding from the New Zealand Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE, Contract C09X1610). The programme is in a partnership between Manaaki Whenua – Landcare Research, Lincoln University, Plant & Food Research and Scion. The authors also wish to thank the technical staff involved in this experiment; Trevor Hendry, Roger Atkinson, Jeneth Hendry, Shelagh Bassett (Lincoln University), Carina Davis (Manaaki Whenua – Landcare Research), Steven Dellow (Plant & Food Research), the Ashley Dene Research and Development Station staff, and Dave Saville (Saville Statistical Consulting Ltd) for advice and guidance with statistical analysis.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Soil and Physical Sciences, Lincoln University, PO Box 85084, Lincoln, Canterbury, 7647, New Zealand

    William D. Talbot, Keith C. Cameron & Hong J. Di

  2. The New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research Ltd, Private Bag 4704, Christchurch, New Zealand

    Brendon J. Malcolm

  3. Manaaki Whenua – Landcare Research, PO Box 69040, Lincoln, Canterbury, 7640, New Zealand

    David Whitehead

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  1. William D. Talbot
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  2. Brendon J. Malcolm
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Correspondence to William D. Talbot.

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Talbot, W.D., Malcolm, B.J., Cameron, K.C. et al. Cattle diet and winter plant growth effects on nitrogen losses from cattle urine patches. Nutr Cycl Agroecosyst 116, 365–379 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10705-020-10050-4

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