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Quantification of nitrogen inputs from biological nitrogen fixation to whole farm nitrogen budgets of two dairy farms in Atlantic Canada

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Abstract

Legume biological N fixation (BNF) is a large source of uncertainty in farm N budgets. This study sought to quantify the BNF-N input to two whole farm nitrogen budgets and establish a simple and accurate method for incorporating BNF values as inputs in whole farm N budgets. Nitrogen inputs and outputs as well as flows of N between animal and crop production components were determined for a dairy farm in New Brunswick (NB) and Prince Edward Island (PE) over a two year period. The 15N natural abundance method was used to determine the %N derived from the atmosphere (%Ndfa) through BNF at both sites. Red clover (Trifolium pratense) at the PE site derived 77 % of its N from BNF and alfalfa (Medicago sativa) collected at both the PE and NB farms derived 72 % of its N from BNF. Total BNF-N present in legume biomass from mixed forage fields measured with the 15N natural abundance method ranged from 39 to 116 kg N ha−1 year−1. A legume dry matter conversion model adjusted with %Ndfa and %N of red clover and alfalfa samples from both farm sites was selected to estimate BNF-N inputs from mixed forage fields on the farms. Averaged across the entire cropland area at each farm site, the BNF-N inputs ranged from 27 to 52 kg N ha−1 year−1. The farmgate BNF-N inputs are low in comparison to other studies, possibly due to low legume contents in forage fields. BNF accounted for 18–29 % of farmgate N inputs at the farms. Surpluses of N found at both farm sites ranged from 98 to 135 kg N ha−1 year−1, typical to the whole farm N budgets of similar dairy farms.

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Acknowledgments

This study was supported by the New Brunswick Soil and Crop Improvement Association, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada. We would like to thank the farmer participants for their support and contribution to this work.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Plant and Animal Sciences, Dalhousie Faculty of Agriculture, 50 Pictou Rd, Truro, NS, B2N5E3, Canada

    J. Nimmo & D. H. Lynch

  2. Senator Hervé J. Michaud Research Farm, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, 1045 St. Joseph Rd, Bouctouche, NB, E4S 2J2, Canada

    J. Owen

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  1. J. Nimmo
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  2. D. H. Lynch
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  3. J. Owen
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Correspondence to J. Nimmo.

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Nimmo, J., Lynch, D.H. & Owen, J. Quantification of nitrogen inputs from biological nitrogen fixation to whole farm nitrogen budgets of two dairy farms in Atlantic Canada. Nutr Cycl Agroecosyst 96, 93–105 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10705-013-9579-4

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