scholarly journals The use of a nitrification inhibitor (DCn™) to reduce nitrate leaching under a winter-grazed forage crop in the Central Plateau

2012 ◽  
pp. 103-103 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Shepherd ◽  
A. Stafford ◽  
D. Smeaton
Keyword(s):  
Dairy Cows ◽  
Nitrate Leaching ◽  
Nitrification Inhibitor ◽  
N Leaching ◽  
Forage Crops ◽  
Central Plateau ◽  
Forage Crop ◽  
Nitrate N

Grazing of brassica winter forage crops returns large amounts of excreted nitrogen (N) back to the paddock during winter when risk of leaching is high. This experiment measured nitrate-N leaching below 60 cm of 132 and 173 kg N/ha following June grazing by dairy cows of swede/kale crops in 2008 and 2009. Application of DCD immediately after grazing plus 6 weeks later decreased leaching by 20-27% (significant at P

scholarly journals The effectiveness of the nitrification inhibitor dicyandiamide (DCD) for mitigating nitrogen leaching losses from a winter grazed forage crop on a free draining soil in northern Southland.

2012 ◽  
pp. 39-44 ◽  
Author(s):  
L.C.Smith T.Orchiston R.M. Monaghan
Keyword(s):  
Porous Ceramic ◽  
Nitrification Inhibitor ◽  
Drainage Water ◽  
Organic N ◽  
Livestock Farming ◽  
Forage Crops ◽  
N Losses ◽  
Forage Crop ◽  
Brassica Crop ◽  
Ceramic Cups

Evidence suggests that the wintering of stock on forage crops is a significant contributor to N losses from livestock farming. Losses are likely to be exacerbated if crops are grown on shallow free-draining soils types and grazed by dairy cattle. A three-year trial (December 2008 - November 2011) was conducted in northern Southland on a soil classified as having severe vulnerability for nutrient leaching to groundwater. Porous ceramic cups were installed under a brassica crop which was grazed by dairy cows in June each year and the leachate collected regularly for N analysis. The treatments evaluated were with and without a single application of DCD applied at the time of crop grazing. Concentrations of nitrate-N in drainage water ranged from 40 mg/L in May 2011. Concentrations of dissolved organic N (DON) also increased from a low initial value (

scholarly journals Chicory for milk production

1998 ◽  
pp. 33-37 ◽  
Author(s):  
C.D. Waugh ◽  
D.A. Clark ◽  
S.L. Harris ◽  
E.R. Thom ◽  
P.J.A. Copeman ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Dairy Cows ◽  
Milk Production ◽  
Dairy Farms ◽  
Cichorium Intybus ◽  
Forage Crops ◽  
High Quality ◽  
Forage Crop ◽  
Research Corporation

The 1997-98 season has seen a marked increase in the amount of chicory planted on dairy farms in New Zealand. However, no New Zealand data are available for milk production from dairy cows grazing chicory. As part of a larger trial examining the effect of summer forage crops on milk production, Grasslands Puna chicory was compared with Barkant turnips. In January and March 1998, grazing trials were conducted at No.1 Dairy, Dairying Research Corporation using 60 lactating twin cows. In January, chicory and turnips were break-fed at a constant allowance (4 kg DM/cow/ day) to supplement pasture offered at 3 allowances (15, 27.5 and 40 kg DM/cow/day). In March, these crops were fed at 3 levels (0, 4 and 8 kg DM/cow/ day) to supplement pasture offered at a constant allowance of 25 kg DM/cow/day. Chicory and turnips gave similar milksolids (MS) responses of 40-41 g MS/kg DM offered in January. Milksolids responses in March were higher for turnips, 34 g MS/kg DM vs 32 g MS/kg DM from chicory. In January and March the size of the milksolids response declined with increasing allowance. This could be attributed to an increasing amount of substitution at higher allowances. Chicory produced between 8.8 and 13.8 t DM/ha from 4 October to 10 March, offering a high quality summer-autumn forage crop and improved milk production when supplemented with pasture. Keywords: chicory, Cichorium intybus, pasture allowance, dairy cows, milk production, forage crops, turnips, milksolids

scholarly journals Field-scale monitoring of nitrate leaching in agriculture: assessment of three methods

2021 ◽  
Vol 194 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hannah Wey ◽  
Daniel Hunkeler ◽  
Wolf-Anno Bischoff ◽  
Else K. Bünemann
Keyword(s):  
Nitrate Leaching ◽  
Seasonal Pattern ◽  
N Uptake ◽  
In Situ Monitoring ◽  
Soil Conditions ◽  
N Leaching ◽  
Central Plateau ◽  
N Losses ◽  
Monitoring Method ◽  
Water Percolation

AbstractDeterioration of groundwater quality due to nitrate loss from intensive agricultural systems can only be mitigated if methods for in-situ monitoring of nitrate leaching under active farmers’ fields are available. In this study, three methods were used in parallel to evaluate their spatial and temporal differences, namely ion-exchange resin-based Self-Integrating Accumulators (SIA), soil coring for extraction of mineral N (Nmin) from 0 to 90 cm in Mid-October (pre-winter) and Mid-February (post-winter), and Suction Cups (SCs) complemented by a HYDRUS 1D model. The monitoring, conducted from 2017 to 2020 in the Gäu Valley in the Swiss Central Plateau, covered four agricultural fields. The crop rotations included grass-clover leys, canola, silage maize and winter cereals. The monthly resolution of SC samples allowed identifying a seasonal pattern, with a nitrate concentration build-up during autumn and peaks in winter, caused by elevated water percolation to deeper soil layers in this period. Using simulated water percolation values, SC concentrations were converted into fluxes. SCs sampled 30% less N-losses on average compared to SIA, which collect also the wide macropore and preferential flows. The difference between Nmin content in autumn and spring was greater than nitrate leaching measured with either SIA or SCs. This observation indicates that autumn Nmin was depleted not only by leaching but also by plant and microbial N uptake and gaseous losses. The positive correlation between autumn Nmin content and leaching fluxes determined by either SCs or SIA suggests autumn Nmin as a useful relative but not absolute indicator for nitrate leaching. In conclusion, all three monitoring techniques are suited to indicate N leaching but represent different transport and cycling processes and vary in spatio-temporal resolution. The choice of monitoring method mainly depends (1) on the project’s goals and financial budget and (2) on the soil conditions. Long-term data, and especially the combination of methods, increase process understanding and generate knowledge beyond a pure methodological comparison.

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

2007 ◽  
pp. 131-135 ◽  
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

N-leaching in hill country; farmer led research

2010 ◽  
pp. 55-60 ◽  
Author(s):  
A.N. Crofoot ◽  
E.W. Crofoot ◽  
C.J. Hoogendoorn ◽  
A.J. Litherland ◽  
C.B. Garland
Keyword(s):  
Nitrate Leaching ◽  
East Coast ◽  
Animal Production ◽  
N Leaching ◽  
Hill Country ◽  
Wise Use ◽  
Nitrate N ◽  
The Face ◽  
N Use

There is scant information on nitrate-N leaching in East Coast hill country. Castlepoint Station, a focus farm in the Wise Use of fertiliser Nitrogen (N) project and in the face of potential restrictions on fertiliser N use, ran a 3 year trial focused on the impacts of N fertiliser on pasture and animal production as well as nitrate leaching.

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

2013 ◽  
Vol 152 (S1) ◽  
pp. 150-158 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. G. WELTEN ◽  
S. F. LEDGARD ◽  
J. LUO
Keyword(s):  
Dairy Cows ◽  
Soil Depth ◽  
Nitrification Inhibitor ◽  
Environmental Benefits ◽  
Control Treatment ◽  
N Leaching ◽  
Gaseous Emissions ◽  
N Losses ◽  
Total N ◽  
Leaching Losses

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.

Maize silage and winter crop options to maximise drymatter and energy for NZ dairy systems

2006 ◽  
pp. 193-197 ◽  
Author(s):  
R.J. Densley ◽  
G.M. Austin ◽  
I.D. Williams ◽  
R. Tsimba ◽  
G.O. Edmeades
Keyword(s):  
Italian Ryegrass ◽  
Maize Silage ◽  
Forage Crops ◽  
Forage Crop ◽  
Maize Hybrid ◽  
Trade Offs ◽  
Feed Value ◽  
Winter Crop ◽  
Winter Crops ◽  
Silage Production

Trade-offs in dry matter (DM) and metabolisable energy (ME) between combinations of three maize silage hybrids varying in maturity from 100-113 CRM and six winter forage options were investigated in a Waikato farmer's field over 2 years. Winter crops were triticale, cut once; oats grazed 1-2 times; and Tama and Feast II Italian ryegrass, each cut or grazed 2-3 times. Greatest DM and ME production (38.9 t/ha; 396 GJ/ha) was from a 113 CRM hybrid followed by a single-cut triticale crop. The most economical sources of DM and ME were obtained from a 100 CRM maize hybrid plus grazed oats (11.8 c/ kg; 1.12 c/MJ), while the cheapest ME source among cut winter forages was a 113 CRM maize hybrid + triticale (1.18 c/MJ). Reliable annual silage production of 30 t DM/ha and 330 GJ ME/ha (or 3000 kg MS/ha) is possible using a late maturing maize hybrid combined with a winter forage crop such as triticale, although the low feed value of the triticale may limit its use as feed for milking cows. Keywords: Italian ryegrass, oats, maize silage, supplements, triticale, winter forage crops

0620 Performance and rumimal metabolism are not changed in lactating dairy cows offered spring available annual forage crops during a short-term grazing experiment

2016 ◽  
Vol 94 (suppl_5) ◽  
pp. 294-295
Author(s):  
K. A. Juntwait ◽  
A. F. Brito ◽  
K. S. O'Connor ◽  
R. G. Smith ◽  
K. M. Aragona ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Dairy Cows ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Forage Crops ◽  
Grazing Experiment ◽  
Lactating Dairy Cows

NLEAP Computer Model and Multiple Linear Regression Prediction of Nitrate Leaching in Vegetable Systems

2002 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 250-256 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hudson Minshew ◽  
John Selker ◽  
Delbert Hemphill ◽  
Richard P. Dick
Keyword(s):  
Linear Regression ◽  
Multiple Linear Regression ◽  
Nitrate Leaching ◽  
Cover Crops ◽  
N Uptake ◽  
N Leaching ◽  
Residual Soil ◽  
Vegetable Crops ◽  
Crop N Uptake ◽  
Mlr Model

Predicting leaching of residual soil nitrate-nitrogen (NO3-N) in wet climates is important for reducing risks of groundwater contamination and conserving soil N. The goal of this research was to determine the potential to use easily measurable or readily available soilclimatic-plant data that could be put into simple computer models and used to predict NO3 leaching under various management systems. Two computer programs were compared for their potential to predict monthly NO3-N leaching losses in western Oregon vegetable systems with or without cover crops. The models were a statistical multiple linear regression (MLR) model and the commercially available Nitrate Leaching and Economical Analysis Package model (NLEAP 1.13). The best MLR model found using stepwise regression to predict annual leachate NO3-N had four independent variables (log transformed fall soil NO3-N, leachate volume, summer crop N uptake, and N fertilizer rate) (P < 0.001, R2 = 0.57). Comparisons were made between NLEAP and field data for mass of NO3-N leached between the months of September and May from 1992 to 1997. Predictions with NLEAP showed greater correlation to observed data during high-rainfall years compared to dry or averagerainfall years. The model was found to be sensitive to yield estimates, but vegetation management choices were limiting for vegetable crops and for systems that included a cover crop.

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