Administration of dicyandiamide to dairy cows via drinking water reduces nitrogen losses from grazed pastures

SUMMARYOral administration of the nitrification inhibitor dicyandiamide (DCD) to ruminants for excretion in urine represents a targeted mitigation strategy to reduce nitrogen (N) losses from grazed pasture. A farmlet grazing study was undertaken to examine the environmental benefits of administering DCD in trough water to non-lactating Friesian dairy cows that consecutively grazed 12 replicated plots (each 627 m2with a grazing intensity of up to 319 cows/ha/day) during two grazing rotations in the winter of 2007 in the Waikato region, New Zealand. Nitrate-N (NO3−-N) leaching losses were measured using ceramic cup samplers (600 mm soil depth) and gaseous emissions of nitrous oxide (N2O) were quantified using a static chamber technique in the DCD and control treatments. Administration of DCD in trough water had no effect on daily water intake by dairy cows, which averaged 15 and 18 l/cow/day for the June and August grazing rotations, respectively. This resulted in a mean daily DCD intake of 46 and 110 g/cow/day, respectively. The DCD farmlet had significantly lower NO3−-N concentrations in leachate at the last three samplings, which reduced total NO3−-N leaching losses by 40% (from 32·0 to 19·2 kg N/ha). The DCD treatment reduced N2O emission rates compared to the control treatment following the August grazing, resulting in a 45% reduction in total N2O emissions relative to the control treatment (from 0·49 to 0·27 kg N2O-N/ha). This preliminary study highlights the potential for administering ruminants with DCD as an effective mitigation option for reducing N losses from agricultural systems.

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Reducing nitrate leaching losses from a Taupo pumice soil using a nitrification inhibitor eco-n

Proceedings of the New Zealand Grassland Association ◽

10.33584/jnzg.2007.69.2694 ◽

2007 ◽

pp. 131-135 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

K.C. Cameron ◽

H.J. Di ◽

J.L. Moir ◽

A.H.C. Roberts

Keyword(s):

Water Quality ◽

Nitrate Leaching ◽

Nitrification Inhibitor ◽

N Leaching ◽

N Transfer ◽

Management Options ◽

N Losses ◽

Leaching Losses ◽

Significant Contributor ◽

Annual Loss

The decline in water quality in Lake Taupo has been attributed to nitrogen (N) leaching from surrounding land areas. Pastoral agriculture has been identified as a significant contributor to this N transfer to the lake through animal urine deposition. There is therefore an immediate need for new management options to reduce N losses. The objective of this study was to measure the effectiveness of using a nitrification inhibitor (eco-n) to reduce nitrate leaching losses from a pasture soil of the Taupo region. A 3-year study was conducted using 20 lysimeters on Landcorp's 'Waihora' sheep and beef farm, within 10 km of Lake Taupo. The results show that animal urine patches were the main source of nitrate leaching (>95% of the total annual loss) and that eco-n significantly (P

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Assessments of N leaching losses from six case study dairy farms using contrasting approaches to cow wintering

Proceedings of the New Zealand Grassland Association ◽

10.33584/jnzg.2012.74.2874 ◽

2012 ◽

pp. 51-55 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

J.M. Chrystal ◽

R.M.Monaghan D. Dalley ◽

T. Styles

Keyword(s):

Dairy Cow ◽

N Uptake ◽

Dairy Herd ◽

High Potential ◽

System Level ◽

N Leaching ◽

Forage Crops ◽

N Losses ◽

Total N ◽

Leaching Losses

The expansion of the southern dairy herd in New Zealand has raised a number of concerns about the sustainability of grazing brassica forage crops. Here we provide an assessment of the contribution of these crops to the potential for N losses to water at a wholefarm system level, and compare these with metrics derived for systems that use alternative approaches for wintering cows. The risks of nutrient losses to water from six Monitor Farms that use contrasting approaches to dairy cow wintering were assessed using the Overseer® Nutrient budgets model (Overseer). This modelling assessment was supplemented with detailed information about the management of effluent generated from off-paddock cow wintering facilities such as wintering pads and covered housing. Predictions of N losses from individual farm blocks indicated that both winter- and summer-grazed brassica forage crops have a relatively high potential for N leaching losses. Expressed at a whole-system level (i.e. accounting for the milking platform, winter forage crop and other support land), the winter forage crops accounted for between 11 and 24% of total N leaching losses, despite representing only 4 to 9% of the area. The high N leaching losses predicted for summer-grazed forage crops were attributed to the limited opportunity for N uptake of excreted urinary N by the following new pasture. Another risk identified for some farms was the current practice of applying effluents collected from off-paddock facilities to land during winter. These assessments suggest that off-paddock cow wintering systems can help to minimise N losses from farms to water, although the storage and safe return to land of effluents and manures generated from the housing facilities is essential if this potential benefit is to be realised. Our assessments also suggest that summer crop paddocks have a relatively high potential for N leaching losses, although further research is needed to confirm this. Keywords: dairy cow wintering, Southland, nitrate leaching, grazed brassica forage crops.

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Applying urine collected from non-lactating dairy cows dosed with dicyandiamide to lysimeters and grass plots: effects on nitrous oxide emissions, nitrate leaching and herbage production

The Journal of Agricultural Science ◽

10.1017/s0021859615000660 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 154 (4) ◽

pp. 674-688 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

P. J. O'CONNOR ◽

D. MINOGUE ◽

E. LEWIS ◽

M. B. LYNCH ◽

D. HENNESSY

Keyword(s):

Nitrous Oxide ◽

Dairy Cows ◽

Production Systems ◽

Sandy Loam ◽

Nitrous Oxide Emissions ◽

N Leaching ◽

N Losses ◽

Total N ◽

Lactating Dairy Cows ◽

N Loading

SUMMARYIn agricultural production systems, nitrogen (N) losses to the environment can occur through nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions and nitrate (NO3−) leaching. The objectives of the present study were to evaluate: (1) if urine excreted by non-lactating dairy cows pulse-dosed with dicyandiamide (DCD) and applied to lysimeters reduced N2O-N emissions and NO3−-N leaching on two soil types; and (2) if urine + DCD would increase herbage production over winter. Lysimeters were used to measure N2O emissions and NO3-N leaching. The soils used were a free-draining acid brown earth of sandy loam to loam texture (termed free-draining) and a poorly drained silt loam gley (termed poorly drained). Grass plots were established on the free-draining soil to measure herbage production. The N loading rate of the urine + DCD was 508 kg N/ha and the urine without DCD (urine only) was 451 kg N/ha. Total NO3−-N leaching losses from the free-draining and poorly draining soils were reduced from 100 and 81 kg NO3−-N/ha on the urine-only treatment, respectively, to 9 and 11·6 kg NO3−-N/ha on the urine + DCD treatment, respectively. Total N2O-N emissions from the free-draining and poorly drained soils were reduced significantly from 13·6 and 12·1 kg N2O-N/ha on the urine-only treatment, respectively, to 2·23 and 5·24 kg N2O-N/ha on the urine + DCD treatment, respectively. Applying urine with DCD to pastures inhibited the nitrification process for up to 56 days after treatment application. In the current experiment, there was no significant effect on spring herbage production when urine + DCD was applied to grass plots. Therefore, feeding DCD to dairy cows to apply DCD directly in urine patches was shown to be an effective mitigation strategy to reduce NO3−-N leaching and N2O-N emissions but did not appear to increase spring herbage production.

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The implications of lag times between nitrate leaching losses and riverine loads for water quality policy

Scientific Reports ◽

10.1038/s41598-021-95302-1 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

Author(s):

R. W. McDowell ◽

Z. P. Simpson ◽

A. G. Ausseil ◽

Z. Etheridge ◽

R. Law

Keyword(s):

Water Quality ◽

Mean Transit Time ◽

Lag Time ◽

Practice Change ◽

N Leaching ◽

N Losses ◽

Leaching Losses ◽

Nitrate N ◽

The Mean ◽

Lag Times

AbstractUnderstanding the lag time between land management and impacts on riverine nitrate–nitrogen (N) loads is critical to understand when action to mitigate nitrate–N leaching losses from the soil profile may start improving water quality. These lags occur due to leaching of nitrate–N through the subsurface (soil and groundwater). Actions to mitigate nitrate–N losses have been mandated in New Zealand policy to start showing improvements in water quality within five years. We estimated annual rates of nitrate–N leaching and annual nitrate–N loads for 77 river catchments from 1990 to 2018. Lag times between these losses and riverine loads were determined for 34 catchments but could not be determined in other catchments because they exhibited little change in nitrate–N leaching losses or loads. Lag times varied from 1 to 12 years according to factors like catchment size (Strahler stream order and altitude) and slope. For eight catchments where additional isotope and modelling data were available, the mean transit time for surface water at baseflow to pass through the catchment was on average 2.1 years less than, and never greater than, the mean lag time for nitrate–N, inferring our lag time estimates were robust. The median lag time for nitrate–N across the 34 catchments was 4.5 years, meaning that nearly half of these catchments wouldn’t exhibit decreases in nitrate–N because of practice change within the five years outlined in policy.

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Effects of two wood-based biochars on the fate of added fertilizer nitrogen—a 15N tracing study

Biology and Fertility of Soils ◽

10.1007/s00374-020-01534-0 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Subin Kalu ◽

Gboyega Nathaniel Oyekoya ◽

Per Ambus ◽

Priit Tammeorg ◽

Asko Simojoki ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Plant Uptake ◽

Plant Biomass ◽

Application Rate ◽

Control Treatment ◽

Organic N ◽

N Leaching ◽

Soil N ◽

Mineral N ◽

Total N ◽

Application Rates

AbstractA 15N tracing pot experiment was conducted using two types of wood-based biochars: a regular biochar and a Kon-Tiki-produced nutrient-enriched biochar, at two application rates (1% and 5% (w/w)), in addition to a fertilizer only and a control treatment. Ryegrass was sown in pots, all of which except controls received 15N-labelled fertilizer as either 15NH4NO3 or NH415NO3. We quantified the effect of biochar application on soil N2O emissions, as well as the fate of fertilizer-derived ammonium (NH4+) and nitrate (NO3−) in terms of their leaching from the soil, uptake into plant biomass, and recovery in the soil. We found that application of biochars reduced soil mineral N leaching and N2O emissions. Similarly, the higher biochar application rate of 5% significantly increased aboveground ryegrass biomass yield. However, no differences in N2O emissions and ryegrass biomass yields were observed between regular and nutrient-enriched biochar treatments, although mineral N leaching tended to be lower in the nutrient-enriched biochar treatment than in the regular biochar treatment. The 15N analysis revealed that biochar application increased the plant uptake of added nitrate, but reduced the plant uptake of added ammonium compared to the fertilizer only treatment. Thus, the uptake of total N derived from added NH4NO3 fertilizer was not affected by the biochar addition, and cannot explain the increase in plant biomass in biochar treatments. Instead, the increased plant biomass at the higher biochar application rate was attributed to the enhanced uptake of N derived from soil. This suggests that the interactions between biochar and native soil organic N may be important determinants of the availability of soil N to plant growth.

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Innovative Controlled-Release Polyurethane-Coated Urea Could Reduce N Leaching in Tomato Crop in Comparison to Conventional and Stabilized Fertilizers

Agronomy ◽

10.3390/agronomy10111827 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 10 (11) ◽

pp. 1827

Author(s):

Luca Incrocci ◽

Rita Maggini ◽

Tommaso Cei ◽

Giulia Carmassi ◽

Luca Botrini ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Controlled Release ◽

Crop Yields ◽

Nutrient Use Efficiency ◽

Nitrification Inhibitor ◽

Fruit Production ◽

N Leaching ◽

Vegetable Production ◽

Tomato Crop ◽

Total N ◽

Coated Urea

Large amounts of fertilizers are being used in agriculture to sustain growing demands for food, especially in vegetable production systems. Soluble fertilizers can generally ensure high crop yields, but excessive leaching of nutrients, mainly as nitrate, can be a major cause of water pollution. Controlled-release fertilizers improve the nutrient use efficiency and lower the environmental hazard, usually without affecting the production. In this study, an innovative controlled-release coated urea fertilizer was compared to conventional nitrogen (N) fertilizers and a soluble ammonium-based fertilizer containing a nitrification inhibitor, in a round table tomato cultivation. Both the water and N balance were evaluated for each treatment, along with the yield and quality of the production. The experiment was repeated in three different seasons (spring, autumn and summer-autumn) in a glasshouse to prevent the effect of uncontrolled rainfall. The results indicated that N leaching decreased by increasing the percentage of coated urea. The application of at least 50% total N as coated urea strongly reduced N leaching and improved N agronomic efficiency in comparison with traditional fertilizers, ensuring at the same time a similar fruit production. Due to reduced leaching, the total N amount commonly applied by growers could be lowered by 25% without detrimental effects on commercial production.

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Dicyandiamide as nitrification inhibitor of pig slurry ammonium nitrogen in soil

Ciência Rural ◽

10.1590/0103-8478cr20141664 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 46 (5) ◽

pp. 802-808 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Rogério Gonzatto ◽

Fernanda Stüker ◽

Celso Aita ◽

Sandro José Giacomini ◽

Roberto Carlos Lüdtke ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Nitrification Inhibitor ◽

Ammonium Nitrogen ◽

Environmental Benefits ◽

Pig Slurry ◽

Ammoniacal Nitrogen ◽

N Losses ◽

Inhibition Of Nitrification

ABSTRACT: Inhibition of nitrification of ammoniacal nitrogen pig slurry after its application to the soil can mitigate nitrogen (N) losses by nitrate (NO3 -) denitrification and leaching, with economical and environmental benefits. However, the use of this strategy is incipient in Brazil and, therefore, requires further assessment. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficiency of dicyandiamide (DCD) nitrification inhibitor in slowing the nitrification of ammoniacal N applied to the soil with pig slurry (PS). For this, incubation was performed in laboratory, where nitrification was assessed by NO3 - accumulation in the soil. Rates of 2.8, 5.7 and 11.3kg DCD ha-1 were compared, being applied to the soil during PS addition. Nitrification was inhibited by DCD, and inhibition magnitude and duration depended on DCD applied rate. At a dose of 11.3kg ha-1 DCD, nitrification was completely inhibited in the first 12 days. During the first month after PS application, each 2.8kg of DCD increase applied per hectare promoted NO3 --N reduction in the soil of 13.3kg ha-1, allowing longer ammoniacal N maintenance in the soil.

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The nitrogen footprint of food products in the European Union

The Journal of Agricultural Science ◽

10.1017/s0021859613000786 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 152 (S1) ◽

pp. 20-33 ◽

Cited By ~ 80

Author(s):

A. LEIP ◽

F. WEISS ◽

J. P. LESSCHEN ◽

H. WESTHOEK

Keyword(s):

European Union ◽

Crop Yields ◽

Essential Element ◽

Mineral Fertilizer ◽

N Leaching ◽

The European Union ◽

N Losses ◽

Total N ◽

Reactive N ◽

Livestock Products

SUMMARYNitrogen (N) is an essential element for plants and animals. Due to large inputs of mineral fertilizer, crop yields and livestock production in Europe have increased markedly over the last century, but as a consequence losses of reactive N to air, soil and water have intensified as well. Two different models (CAPRI and MITERRA) were used to quantify the N flows in agriculture in the European Union (EU27), at country-level and for EU27 agriculture as a whole, differentiated into 12 main food categories. The results showed that the N footprint, defined as the total N losses to the environment per unit of product, varies widely between different food categories, with substantially higher values for livestock products and the highest values for beef (c. 500 g N/kg beef), as compared to vegetable products. The lowest N footprint of c. 2 g N/kg product was calculated for sugar beet, fruits and vegetables, and potatoes. The losses of reactive N were dominated by N leaching and run-off, and ammonia volatilization, with 0·83 and 0·88 due to consumption of livestock products. The N investment factors, defined as the quantity of new reactive N required to produce one unit of N in the product varied between 1·2 kg N/kg N in product for pulses to 15–20 kg N for beef.

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Improving environmental benefits of white clover through condensed tannin expression

Journal of New Zealand Grasslands ◽

10.33584/jnzg.2019.81.382 ◽

2019 ◽

pp. 195-202

Author(s):

Derek R. Woodfield ◽

Marissa B. Roldan ◽

Christine R. Voisey ◽

Greig R. Cousins ◽

John R. Caradus

Keyword(s):

White Clover ◽

Condensed Tannins ◽

Genetically Modified Organisms ◽

Protein Complexes ◽

Condensed Tannin ◽

Animal Health ◽

Environmental Benefits ◽

N Leaching ◽

Forage Legumes ◽

N Losses

Forage legumes improve both the intake and quality of the diet in pasture-based livestock systems. However, the high protein content of these forages can lead to inefficient nitrogen utilisation in the rumen and to high nitrogen (N) losses in urine and dung. Condensed tannins in forages have been shown to significantly reduce N leaching and also methane emissions. The use of classical breeding approaches over more than 50 years has failed to elevate condensed tannins in forage legumes. However, molecular biology approaches have achieved condensed tannin expression in white clover at levels that are biologically significant (>2% of dry matter). Results from a field trial in the USA showed that while condensed tannin levels in white clover (Trifolium repens) were similar to those produced by birdsfoot trefoil (Lotus corniculatus), plants did suffer a yield penalty. Protein binding assays were conducted by incubating soluble white clover leaf CTs in a solution containing the protein bovine serum albumin (BSA). The CTs in white clover leaves efficiently precipitated BSA from the supernatant at pH 6.5, and these CT-protein complexes dissociated at pH 2.5.While the use of genetically modified organisms in New Zealand is regulated, this development has the potential to improve environmental, animal health and animal productivity outcomes from grazed pasture systems.

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Influence of different nitrogen inhibitors on maize yield

10.5194/egusphere-egu21-9859 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Maria Heiling ◽

Mahdi Shorafa ◽

Rayehe Mirkhani ◽

Elden Willems ◽

Arsenio Toloza ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Block Design ◽

Nitrification Inhibitor ◽

Maize Yield ◽

N Fertilizer ◽

Control Treatment ◽

Nitrification Inhibitors ◽

Stable Form ◽

N Losses ◽

N Fertilizers ◽

Significant Difference

Nitrogen (N) fertilizer management is challenging due to the many factors and have low N use efficiency (NUE). Heavy N losses from soil reduce plant yield and have negative impacts on the environment. Nitrogen processes inhibitors, such as urease and nitrification inhibitors (UI and NI), are chemical compounds which reduce urea hydrolysis and nitrification respectively. By coating ammonium based chemical fertilizers with N process inhibitors allows N to stay in a more stable form of ammonium (NH4+) thus minimising N losses as well as improving NUE and consequently enhancing crop yield.A field experiment was established at the Soil and Water Management and Crop Nutrition Laboratory (SWMCNL) in Seibersdorf, Austria to determine the effect of different N fertilizers coated with N process inhibitors on maize yield in summer 2020. The field site is characterised by a moderately shallow Chernozem soil with significant gravel content. Three combinations of N fertilizer (urea or NPK) with N process inhibitors (UI and/or NI)) were tested and compared with a control treatment (without N fertilizer) and a urea application without any inhibitor. All treatments received 60 kg ha-1 P2O5 and 146 kg ha-1 K2O. The amount of N added to each treatment receiving N fertilizer was 120 kg N ha-1. The inhibitors used were (i) UI (2-NPT: N-(2-nitrophenyl) phosphoric acid triamide), (ii) NI-1 (MPA: N-[3(5)-methyl-1H-pyrazol-1-yl) methyl] acetamide), and (iii) NI-2 (DMPP: 3,4-dimethylpyrazole phosphate). DMPP, a nitrification inhibitor, was used in combination with NPK fertilizer. A randomized complete block design with four replications was used in this study. Treatments were: T1 (control treatment - without N fertilizer), T2 (Urea only), T3 (Urea + UI), T4 (Urea + UI + NI-1), and T5 (NPK + NI-2). Urea was applied through two split applications in the T2 treatment. In T3, T4, and T5 treatments, N fertilizers were applied only once. Supplemental irrigation was only applied in the early stages of growth, to ensure that the crop could establish. Harvest was carried out at 98 days after planting.The yield data showed that different fertilizer treatments had a significant (p &#8804; 0.01) effect on maize yield (dry matter production). There was no significant difference between treatments 4 and 5, which had the highest yield followed by treatments 2 and 3. The comparison between T2 and T3 showed that the application of a urease inhibitor avoids the need for a split application of urea, which decreases labour costs. Adding NI-1 (under T4) further increases the yield. Also, the package of NPK, a common choice by farmers in Austria, in combination with the nitrification inhibitor NI-2 showed equally good results as urea combined with two inhibitors. Based on the yield results, it can be concluded that N process inhibitors play a significant role in enhancing maize yields.

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