Can the agronomic performance of urea equal calcium ammonium nitrate across nitrogen rates in temperate grassland?

Nitrogen fertilizers have been identified in energy crops LCAs as the main contributors to global warming, as well as to many other environmental impacts. The distinct production process and application emissions of nitrogen fertilizer types for top dressing produce different GHG savings when energy crops value chains are compared to fossil energy alternatives. In this study, three types of fertilizers (calcium ammonium nitrate, urea and ammonium sulphate) at N top dressing rates of 80 kg N/ha are used to grow rye for electricity generation under the conditions of the Continental Mediterranean climate of central-northern Spain. Complete LCAs for the whole value chain based on real data were performed in conjunction with soil nitrogen balances (SNBs) to assess the accomplishment of European Union (EU) GHG savings sustainability criteria, as well as the sustainability of fertilization practices for soil nitrogen stocks. The results obtained can provide interesting insights for policy making, since calcium ammonium nitrate, the most common fertilizer for rye crops, led to 66% GHG savings, as opposed to the 69% achieved when applying urea and 77% when ammonium sulphate was used. Nevertheless, the three fertilizers produced annual soil deficits greater than 50 kg N/ha. In order to ensure savings above 80%, as required by the EU sustainability criteria, and sustainable SNBs, additional optimization measures should be taken at key points of the value chain.

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Differences in rainfall and temperature define the use of different types of nitrogen fertilizer on managed grassland in UK, NL [Netherlands] and Eire

Netherlands Journal of Agricultural Science ◽

10.18174/njas.v44i4.540 ◽

1996 ◽

Vol 44 (4) ◽

pp. 317-338 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

D.W. Bussink ◽

O. Oenema

Keyword(s):

Decision Support ◽

Ammonium Nitrate ◽

Weather Conditions ◽

Field Trials ◽

Temperature Pattern ◽

Decision Support Model ◽

Agronomic Efficiency ◽

Calcium Ammonium Nitrate ◽

N Yield ◽

Support Model

There are distinct differences between the Netherlands (NL) and the United Kingdom (UK) in the use of urea and calcium ammonium nitrate (Ca-AmmN) fertilizers on grassland. It has been known for some time that rainfall and temperature affect NH3 volatilization from urea and its agronomic efficiency. This study aimed (i) to examine rainfall and temperature pattern in NL and UK in relation to the observed urea efficiency, and (ii) to provide a simple decision support model for farmers to enable them to choose the most appropriate N fertilizer. A statistical analysis (residual maximum likelihood) of existing data from numerous field trials was undertaken. The agronomic efficiency of urea compared to Ca-AmmN in field trials was expressed as (i) urea relative N yield (Urel-N-y), and (ii) apparent-urea relative (N) yield (Uarel-(N)-y). In NL, (Urel-N-y) did not significantly differ from 100% on peat grassland. Mean (Urel-N-y) on sand and clay was 95%, in both cases. Mean seasonal Uarel-y and Uarel-N-y for the summed data of sand and clay soils was 92.3 and 86.4%, respectively, without significant differences between first and later cuts. There was no significant improvement of UNapp-relY in the last decades. In the first cut, mean Uarel-y was lower than in UK (100.9%) and Eire (100.2%). Differences in efficiency between countries could be described by short-term rainfall and temperature. By aggregating NL, UK and Eire data a simple regression equation was derived: Uarel-y= 89.48(+or-0.78) +[2.188(+or-0.15)xR3] -[1.091(+or-0.07)xT3], where R3 and T3 are rainfall amount and average temperature within three days after fertilizer application, respectively. The decision support model based on this equation showed that under prevailing NL weather conditions it will be profitable for the farmer to apply urea instead of calcium ammonium nitrate, for the first and second cut, only once every 5 and 7 years, respectively, because R3's exceeding 6 and 9.5 mm are required.

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Calcium Ammonium Nitrate

Hawley's Condensed Chemical Dictionary ◽

10.1002/9780470114735.hawley02720 ◽

2007 ◽

Keyword(s):

Ammonium Nitrate ◽

Calcium Ammonium Nitrate

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PSXIV-34 Encapsulated nitrate on performance of growing Nellore bulls under grazing system during the dry season

Journal of Animal Science ◽

10.1093/jas/skz258.855 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 97 (Supplement_3) ◽

pp. 431-432

Author(s):

Cibelle B Figueiredo ◽

Mauricia B Silva ◽

Juliano Fernandes ◽

Alana M Calaça ◽

Higor Rocha ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Body Weight ◽

Ammonium Nitrate ◽

Feed Efficiency ◽

Dry Matter ◽

Average Daily Gain ◽

Dry Season ◽

Dry Matter Intake ◽

Calcium Ammonium Nitrate ◽

Randomized Design ◽

Daily Gain

Abstract The aim of this trial was to evaluate the effect of encapsulated calcium ammonium nitrate as a partial substitute for soybean meals in the concentrate dry matter intake, average daily gain and feed efficiency of Nellore young bulls under grazing conditions, during the dry season. Sixty-four weaned Nellore (initial BW = 177.46±3.77 kg and 9 mo old) were used in a completely randomized assay. The study lasted 84 days on the dry season. Animals were allotted into 16 paddocks of 1.0 ha each of Urochloa brizantha, randomly assigned into one of two treatments: (CTL) supplement with 25% CP, without nitrate inclusion and; (ENP): supplement with 25% CP, with a inclusion of 50 g of encapsulated calcium ammonium nitrate to each 100 kg of body weight. Animals were fed with concentrate at 1.0% of body weight. Concentrate offered was monitored daily as well as his refusals were collected and weighed to determine daily concentrate dry matter intake (DMI) and feed efficiency (F:G). Animals were weighed every 28 d for calculating average daily gain (ADG). Data were analyzed as a completely randomized design, using ANOVA (α = 0.05). No effects of treatments (P > 0.3487) were observed for final BW (246.69 kg). The same for concentrate dry matter intake (P > 0.0550). Animals consumed 2.34 kg of supplement per day. The average daily gain (0.832 kg, P > 0.2649) and feed efficiency (0.356 kg, P > 0.7315) were not affected by the inclusion of nitrate. The inclusion of encapsulated calcium ammonium nitrate in supplement to Nellore young bulls under grazing conditions during the growing phase did not affect the performance.

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74 Effects of bismuth subsalicylate and encapsulated calcium-ammonium nitrate on enteric methane production and apparent total-tract nutrient digestibility of beef cattle.

Journal of Animal Science ◽

10.1093/jas/sky404.874 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 96 (suppl_3) ◽

pp. 398-399

Author(s):

D Henry ◽

F Ciriaco ◽

R Araujo ◽

P Fontes ◽

N Oosthuizen ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Beef Cattle ◽

Ammonium Nitrate ◽

Methane Production ◽

Nutrient Digestibility ◽

Calcium Ammonium Nitrate ◽

Bismuth Subsalicylate ◽

Enteric Methane

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Effects of bismuth subsalicylate and encapsulated calcium ammonium nitrate on ruminal fermentation of beef cattle

Journal of Animal Science ◽

10.1093/jas/skaa199 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 98 (8) ◽

Author(s):

Darren D Henry ◽

Francine M Ciriaco ◽

Rafael C Araujo ◽

Pedro L P Fontes ◽

Nicola Oosthuizen ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Beef Cattle ◽

Ammonium Nitrate ◽

Rectal Temperature ◽

Ethylenediaminetetraacetic Acid ◽

Neutral Detergent Fiber ◽

Ruminal Fermentation ◽

Calcium Ammonium Nitrate ◽

Bismuth Subsalicylate ◽

Total Concentrations ◽

Microbial N

Abstract A replicated 5 × 5 Latin square design with a 2 × 2 + 1 factorial arrangement of treatments was used to determine the effects of bismuth subsalicylate (BSS) and encapsulated calcium ammonium nitrate (eCAN) on ruminal fermentation of beef cattle consuming bahiagrass hay (Paspalum notatum) and sugarcane molasses. Ten ruminally cannulated steers (n = 8; 461 ± 148 kg of body weight [BW]; average BW ± SD) and heifers (n = 2; 337 ± 74 kg of BW) were randomly assigned to one of five treatments as follows: 1) 2.7 g/kg of BW of molasses (NCTRL), 2) NCTRL + 182 mg/kg of BW of urea (U), 3) U + 58.4 mg/kg of BW of BSS (UB), 4) NCTRL + 538 mg/kg of BW of eCAN (NIT), and 5) NIT + 58.4 mg/kg of BW of BSS (NITB). With the exception of NCTRL, all treatments were isonitrogenous. Beginning on day 14 of each period, ruminal fluid was collected and rectal temperature was recorded 4× per day for 3 d to determine ruminal changes every 2 h from 0 to 22 h post-feeding. Ruminal gas cap samples were collected at 0, 3, 6, 9, and 12 h on day 0 of each period followed by 0 h on days 1, 2, 3, and 14. Microbial N flow was determined using Cr-Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid, YbCl3, and indigestible neutral detergent fiber for liquid, small particle, and large particle phases, respectively. Data were analyzed using the MIXED procedure of SAS. Orthogonal contrasts were used to evaluate the effects of nonprotein nitrogen (NPN) inclusion, NPN source, BSS, and NPN source × BSS. There was no treatment effect (P > 0.05) on concentrations of H2S on day 0, 1, 2, or 14; however, on day 3, concentrations of H2S were reduced (P = 0.018) when NPN was provided. No effect of treatment (P = 0.864) occurred for ruminal pH. There was an effect of NPN source on total concentrations of VFA (P = 0.011), where a 6% reduction occurred when eCAN was provided. There were effects of NPN (P = 0.001) and NPN source (P = 0.009) on the concentration of NH3-N, where cattle consuming NPN had a greater concentration than those not consuming NPN, and eCAN reduced the concentration compared with urea. Total concentrations of VFA and NH3-N were not affected (P > 0.05) by BSS. There was an effect of BSS (P = 0.009) on rectal temperature, where cattle not consuming BSS had greater temperatures than those receiving BSS. No differences for NPN, NPN source, nor BSS (P > 0.05) were observed for microbial N flow. In conclusion, eCAN does not appear to deliver equivalent ruminal fermentation parameters compared with urea, and BSS has limited effects on fermentation.

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Effects of bismuth subsalicylate and encapsulated calcium-ammonium nitrate on enteric methane production, nutrient digestibility, and liver mineral concentration of beef cattle

Journal of Animal Science ◽

10.1093/jas/skaa234 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 98 (8) ◽

Author(s):

Darren D Henry ◽

Francine M Ciriaco ◽

Rafael C Araujo ◽

Pedro L P Fontes ◽

Nicola Oosthuizen ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Beef Cattle ◽

Ammonium Nitrate ◽

Methane Production ◽

Nutrient Digestibility ◽

Negative Effects ◽

Mineral Concentration ◽

Nonprotein Nitrogen ◽

Calcium Ammonium Nitrate ◽

Bismuth Subsalicylate ◽

Enteric Methane

Abstract Two randomized block designs were performed to evaluate the effects of bismuth subsalicylate (BSS) and encapsulated calcium-ammonium nitrate (eCAN) on enteric methane production, nutrient digestibility, liver mineral concentration, and performance of beef cattle consuming bahiagrass hay (Paspalum notatum; ad libitum) and sugar cane molasses [1.07 kg/d; dry matter basis]. Experiment 1, used 25 crossbred steers [335 ± 46 kg of initial body weight (BW)] with a 2 × 2 + 1 factorial arrangement of treatments for two 20 d periods. Factors were nonprotein nitrogen (NPN) source (350 mg/kg BW of nitrate or 182 mg/kg BW of urea), BSS (0 or 58.4 mg/kg BW), and a negative control (NCTRL; bahiagrass hay and molasses only). Steers were re-randomized for a second period (n = 10/treatment total). Intake, apparent total tract digestibility and enteric methane were evaluated. Experiment 2 used 75 crossbred heifers in 25 pens (3 heifers/pen; 279 ± 57 kg of initial BW), consuming the same diet and treatments as experiment 1, to determine liver mineral concentration and growth performance over 56 d. Orthogonal contrasts were used to evaluate the effects of NPN (NCTRL vs. others), source of NPN (NS; urea vs. eCAN), BSS, and NS × BSS. For experiment 1, no interactions were observed for any variables, nor were there any effects of NPN on total tract digestibility of nutrients, except for crude protein. Digestibility of all nutrients was reduced (P ≤ 0.021) for steers consuming eCAN compared with urea. There was no effect (P > 0.155) of BSS on digestibility of nutrients; however, BSS reduced (P = 0.003) apparent S retention. Enteric CH4 emission (g/kg BW0.75) was decreased (P = 0.051) by 11% with the addition of eCAN compared with urea. For experiment 2, no NS × BSS interactions (P ≥ 0.251) were observed to affect liver mineral concentration; however, the addition of BSS decreased liver concentration of Cu (P = 0.002) while increasing Fe concentration (P = 0.016). There was an NS × BSS interaction (P = 0.048) where heifers consuming eCAN and BSS had lesser final BW compared with heifers consuming urea and BSS. While eCAN may be a viable resource for mitigating enteric CH4 production of forage-fed cattle, the negative effects on digestibility should be considered. Furthermore, BSS, at the amount provided, appears to have no negative effects on digestibility of nutrients in forage-fed cattle; however, there may be deleterious impacts on performance depending upon what nitrogen source is supplied.

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