Hostname: page-component-8448b6f56d-dnltx Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-25T05:14:32.326Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

The effects of grassland management on nitrogen losses from grazed swards through ammonia volatilization; the relationship to excretal N returns from cattle

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 March 2009

S. C. Jarvis ,
D. J. Hatch  and
Daphne H. Roberts
S. C. Jarvis
Affiliation:
AFRC Institute for Grassland and Animal Production, Hurley, Maidenhead, Berkshire SL6 5LR
D. J. Hatch
Affiliation:
AFRC Institute for Grassland and Animal Production, Hurley, Maidenhead, Berkshire SL6 5LR
Daphne H. Roberts
Affiliation:
AFRC Institute for Grassland and Animal Production, Hurley, Maidenhead, Berkshire SL6 5LR
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Summary

Ammonia (NH3)-N fluxes from three swards, grazed by cattle and with different N managements, were measured using the mass balance micrometeorological method after a 7-day grazing period in the spring of 2 years. At the same time the impact of the sward managements on N returns in dung and urine was examined in housed animals and the effects of the changes in excreted returns on NH3-N losses examined. The treatments were ryegrass swards receiving either 420 or 210 kg N/ha per year, and a mixed ryegrass/white clover sward receiving no mineral N. There was little difference in the faecal N returns between treatments but there were differences in the N returned in urine, thus 74, 60 and 56% of the excreted returns from 420 N, 210 N or grass/clover treatments, respectively, were in urine. The fluxes of NH3-N from the grazed swards were greatest whilst the animals were present and there were large differences between treatments, the ratio of total NH3 losses from 420 N grass to those from 210 N grass and grass/lover being 7·8:1. The NH3-N losses were equivalent (i) to 12,5 and 7 % of the urinary N returns to 420 N, 210 N grass and grass/clover swards, or alternatively (ii) to 9 and 3% of the fertilizer addition to 420 and 210 N swards and 3% of the estimated rate of N2 fixation in the grass/clover sward. Throughout the investigation there was little difference between the effects with the 210 N grass swards and those with grass/clover.

Type
Research Article
Information
The Journal of Agricultural Science , Volume 112 , Issue 2 , April 1989 , pp. 205 - 216
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1989

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

ApSimon, H. M., Kruse, M. & Bell, J. N. B. (1987). Ammonia emissions and their role in acid deposition. Atmospheric Environment 21, 1939–1946.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ball, P. R. (1982). Nitrogen balances in intensively managed pasture systems. In Nitrogen Balances in New Zealand Ecosystems (ed. Gandar, P. W.), pp. 47–66. Palmerston North, New Zealand: D. S. I. R.Google Scholar
Ball, P. R., Keeney, D. R., Theobald, P. W. & Nes, P. (1979). Nitrogen balance in urine-affected areas of a New Zealand pasture. Agronomy Journal 71, 309–314.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ball, P. R. & Ryden, J. C. (1984). Nitrogen relationships in intensively managed temperate grassland. Plant and Soil 76, 23–33.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Betteridge, K., Andrewes, W. G. K. & Sedcole, J. R. (1986). Intake and excretion of nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus by grazing steers. Journal of Agricultural Science, Cambridge 106, 393–404.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Church, D. C. (1971). Digestive Physiology and Nutrition of Ruminants, Vol. 1. Digestive Physiology. Corvallis, Oregon: O & B Books.Google Scholar
Denmead, D. T. (1983). Micrometeorological methods for measuring gaseous losses of nitrogen in the field. In Gaseous Loss of Nitrogen from Plant–Soil Systems (ed. Freney, J. R. and Simpson, J. R.), pp. 133–157. The Hague: Martinus Nijhoff/Dr W. Junk.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Floate, M. & Torrance, C. J. W. (1970). Decomposition of the organic materials from hill soils and pastures. Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture 21, 116–120.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Groenwold, J. & Heringa, J. W. (1981). Urinebrandplekken in grassland. 2. Samenstelling van koeie–urine en omzettingen in de grond. Beddrifsontwikkeling jaargang 12, 459–462.Google Scholar
Holter, J. A. & Reid, J. T. (1959). Relationship between the concentrations of crude protein and apparently digestible protein in forages. Journal of Animal Science 18, 1339–1349.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Jarvis, S. C. & Cuttle, S. P. (1987). Manipulating the fate of nitrogen in grazed swards. In Science and Better Use of Grassland (ed. Hardcastle, J. E. Y.), pp. 20–21. London: Agriculture and Food Research Council.Google Scholar
Jarvis, S. C., Sherwood, M. & Steenvoorden, J. H. A. M. (1987). Nitrogen losses from animal manures: from grazed pastures and from applied slurry. In Animal Manure on Grassland and Fodder Crops. Fertilizer or Waste? (ed. Meer, H. G. van der, Unwin, R. J., Dijk, T. A. van, and Ennik, G. C.), pp. 195–212. Dordrecht: Martinus Nijhoff Publishers.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kruse, M. (1986). Ammonia volatilization from agricultural sources and their implications for acid deposition. M. Sc. thesis, University of London.Google Scholar
Lockyer, D. R. & Whitehead, D. C. (1986). The uptake of gaseous ammonia by the leaves of Italian ryegrass. Journal of Experimental Botany 37, 919–927.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
MacDiarmid, B. N. & Watkin, B. R. (1972). The cattle dung patch. 2. Effect of a dung patch on the chemical status of the soil, and ammonia nitrogen losses from the patch. Journal of the British Grassland Society 27, 43–48.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Nihlgard, B. (1985). The ammonium hypothesis. An additional explanation to the forest dieback in Europe. Ambio 14, 2–8.Google Scholar
Parsons, A. J., Penning, P. D., Orr, R. J. & Jarvis, S. C. (1987). Are grass-clover swards the answer to nitrogen pollution? In Science, Agriculture and the Environment (ed. Hardcastle, J. E. Y.), pp. 10–11. London: Agriculture and Food Research Council.Google Scholar
Ryden, J. C. (1984). The flow of nitrogen in grassland. Proceedings of the Fertiliser Society 229, pp. 1–44. London: Fertiliser Society.Google Scholar
Ryden, J. C. & McNeill, J. E. (1984). Application of the micrometeorological mass balance method to the determination of ammonia loss from a grazed sward. Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture 35, 1297–1310.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ryden, J. C., Whitehead, D. C., Lockyer, D. R., Thompson, R. B., Skinner, J. H. & Garwood, E. A. (1987). Ammonia emission from grassland and livestock production systems in the U. K. Environmental Pollution 48, 173–184.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sherlock, R. R. & Goh, K. M. (1984). Dynamics of ammonia volatilization from simulated urine patches and aqueous urea applied to pasture. 1. Field experiments. Fertilizer Research 5, 181–195.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sherlock, R. R. & Goh, K. M. (1985). Dynamics of ammonia volatilization from simulated urine patches and aqueous urea applied to pasture. III. Field verification of a simplified model. Fertilizer Research 6, 23–30.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Steele, K. W. & Shannon, P. (1982). Concepts relating to the nitrogen economy of a northland intensive beef farm. In Nitrogen Balances in New Zealand Ecosystems (ed. Gandar, P. W.), pp. 85–90. Palmerston North, New Zealand: D. S. I. R.Google Scholar
Van Der Meer, H. G. (1982). Effective use of nitrogen on grassland farms. In Efficient Grassland Farming. Proceedings of the 9th General Meeting of the European Grassland Federation (ed. Corrall, A. J.), pp. 61–68. Occasional Symposium No. 14 of the British Grassland Society, Hurley, U. K.Google Scholar
Van Slyke, D. D., Dillon, R. T., MacFayden, D. A. & Hamilton, P. (1941). Gasometric determination of carboxyl groups on free amino acids. Journal of Biological Chemistry 141, 627–669.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Van Vuuren, A. M. & Meijs, J. A. C. (1987). Effects of herbage composition and supplement feeding in the excretion of nitrogen in dung and urine by grazing dairy cows. In Animal Manure on Grassland and Fodder Crops. Fertilizer or Waste? (ed. Meer, H. G. van der, Unwin, R. J., Dijk, J. A. van and Ennik, G. C.), pp. 17–25. Dordrecht: Martinus Nijhoff.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Weatherburn, M. W. (1967). Phenol–hypochlorite reaction for the determination of ammonia. Analytical Chemistry 39, 971–974.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Whitehead, D. C., Garwood, E. A. & Ryden, J. C. (1986). The efficiency of nitrogen use in relation to grassland productivity. Animal and Grassland Research Institute Annual Report 1985–1986, pp. 86–9. Hurley: A. G. R. I.Google Scholar