Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-ndw9j Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-05T21:22:29.972Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Effect of dietary crude protein on ammonia-N emission measured by herd nitrogen mass balance in a freestall dairy barn managed under farm-like conditions

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  26 February 2010

M. J. Aguerre ,
M. A. Wattiaux ,
T. Hunt  and
B. R. Larget
M. J. Aguerre
Affiliation:
Department of Dairy Science, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
M. A. Wattiaux*
Affiliation:
Department of Dairy Science, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
T. Hunt
Affiliation:
School of Agriculture, University of Wisconsin-Platteville, Platteville, WI 53818, USA
B. R. Larget
Affiliation:
College of Agricultural and Life Science Statistical Consulting Services, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
*
†E-mail: [email protected]
Get access

Abstract

The main objective of this experiment was to monitor the impact of barn side and dietary crude protein (CP) on production performance, manure production and composition, and ammonia nitrogen (N) emission from a lactating dairy herd housed in a free-stall barn and managed under farm-like conditions throughout a number of months in each season of the year. The 78-cow lactating herd of the University of Wisconsin-Platteville (USA) was halved and each group was allocated to either the north or south side of the barn and either a recommended (REC) diet with 16.7 ± 1.3% CP dry matter basis (DM) or an excess (EXC) CP diet containing 1.5 units of CP above the REC diet (18.2 ± 1.5%). In 7 months between February 2004 and January 2005, total manure collection was conducted by manual scraping of the alleys and ammonia-N emission was calculated as intake N + bedding N – milk N – scraped manure N. Side of the barn (northern v. southern exposure) did not influence measurements and there was no effect of dietary CP on dry matter intake (DMI), milk, milk fat, and milk protein production, but a lower manure N concentration was observed for the group of cows fed the REC diet compared with the EXC diet (3.43% v. 3.66% of DM). Nitrogen intake was 63 g/day lower (643 v. 706 g/day), milk N was unaffected (157 g/day), manure N was 32 g/day lower (391 v. 423 g/day), and ammonia-N emission was 34 g/day lower (93 v. 127 g/day) for the group consuming the REC diet compared with the group consuming the EXC diet. There were larger variations in measured responses among months of the year than between level of dietary CP. Wet and dry manure excretions tended to be higher, but manure pH was reduced when corn silage became unavailable and the diet included additional corn grain and alfalfa silage as the only forage source. Prediction of manure N excretion for a group of cow determined as N intake – N milk was 9% higher than current prediction equations of the American Society of Agricultural Engineers. Ammonia-N loss averaged 110 g/day per lactating cow, but ranged from 64 g/day to 178 g/day with no clear seasonal pattern. There was no clear association between barn temperature, manure temperature or manure pH and ammonia-N emission; however, intake N explained 61% of the variation in ammonia-N emission.

Keywords

nitrogen mass balanceammonia emissionmanuredairy
Type
Full Paper
Information
animal , Volume 4 , Issue 8 , August 2010 , pp. 1390 - 1400
Copyright
Copyright © The Animal Consortium 2010

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

Andrew, SM, Erdman, RA, Waldo, DR 1995. Prediction of body composition of dairy cows at three physiological stages from deuterium oxide and urea dilution. Journal of Dairy Science 78, 1083–1095.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
American Society of Agricultural Engineers (ASAE) 2005. Manure production and characteristics. ASAE Standards D384.2. ASAE, St. Joseph, MI, USA.Google Scholar
Association of Official Analytical Chemists (AOAC) 1990. Official methods of analysis, vol. 1, 15th edition. AOAC, Arlington, VA, USA.Google Scholar
Bannink, A, Valk, H, Van Vuuren, AM 1999. Intake and excretion of sodium, potassium, and nitrogen and the effects on urine production by lactating dairy cows. Journal of Dairy Science 82, 1008–1018.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Braam, CR, Smits, MCJ, Gunnick, H, Swierstra, D 1997. Ammonia emission from a double-sloped solid floor in a cubicle house for dairy cows. Journal of Agricultural Engineering Research 68, 375–386.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Broderick, GA 2003. Effects of varying dietary protein and energy levels on the production of lactating dairy cows. Journal of Dairy Science 86, 1370–1381.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Broderick, GA, Clayton, MK 1997. A statistical evaluation of animal and nutritional factors influencing concentrations of milk urea nitrogen. Journal of Dairy Science 80, 2964–2971.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Burgos, SA, Fadel, JG, DePeters, EJ 2007. Prediction of ammonia emission from dairy cattle manure based on milk urea nitrogen: relation of milk urea nitrogen to urine urea nitrogen excretion. Journal of Dairy Science 90, 5499–5508.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Caraviello, DZ, Weigel, KA, Fricke, PM, Wiltbank, MC, Florent, MJ, Cook, NB, Nordlund, KV, Zwald, NR, Rawson, CL 2006. Survey of management practices on reproductive performance of dairy cattle on large US commercial farms. Journal of Dairy Science 89, 4723–4735.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Chaney, AL, Marbach, EP 1962. Modified reagents for determination of urea and ammonia. Clinical Chemistry 8, 130–132.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Dhiman, TR, Satter, LD 1997. Yield response of dairy cows fed different proportions of alfalfa silage and corn silage. Journal of Dairy Science 80, 2069–2082.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) 2006. Livestock’s Long Shadow. Environmental issues and options. November 2006. Retrieved July 13, 2008, from http://www.fao.org/docrep/010/a0701e/a0701e00.HTM.Google Scholar
Hollmann, M, Knwolton, KF, Hanigan, MD 2008. Evaluation of solids, nitrogen, and phosphorus excretion models for lactating dairy cows. Journal of Dairy Science 91, 1245–1257.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
James, T, Meyer, D, Esparza, E, Depeters, EJ, Perez-Monti, H 1999. Effects of dietary nitrogen manipulation on ammonia volatilization from manure from Holstein heifers. Journal of Dairy Science 82, 2430–2439.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Jonker, JS, Kohn, RA, Erdman, RA 1998. Using milk urea nitrogen to predict nitrogen excretion and utilization efficiency in lactating dairy cows. Journal of Dairy Science 81, 2681–2692.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Jungbluth, T, Hartung, E, Brose, G 2001. Greenhouse gas emissions from animal houses and manure stores. Nutrient Cycling in Agroecosystems 60, 133–145.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kohn, RA, Kalscheur, KF, Russek-Cohen, E 2002. Evaluation of models to estimate urinary nitrogen and expected milk urea nitrogen. Journal of Dairy Science 85, 227–233.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Komaragiri, MVS, Casper, DP, Erdman, RA 1998. Factors affecting body tissue mobilization in early lactation dairy cows. 2. Effect of dietary fat on mobilization of body fat and protein. Journal of Dairy Science 81, 169–175.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Misselbrook, TH, Powell, JM, Broderick, GA, Grabber, JA 2005. Dietary manipulation in dairy cattle – laboratory experiments to assess the influence on ammonia emissions. Journal of Dairy Science 88, 1765–1777.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Moreira, VR, Satter, LD 2006. Effect of scraping frequency in a freestall barn on volatile nitrogen loss from dairy manure. Journal of Dairy Science 89, 2579–2587.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Monteny, GJ, Erisman, JW 1998. Ammonia emission from dairy cow buildings: a review of measurement techniques, influencing factors and possibilities for reduction. Netherlands Journal of Agricultural Science 46, 225–247.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Monteny, GJ, Schulte, DD, Elzing, A, Lamaker, EJJ 1998. A conceptual mechanistic model for the ammonia emissions from free stall cubicle dairy cow houses. Transactions of the American Society of Agricultural Engineers 41, 193–201.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Muck, RE 1982. Urease activity in bovine feces. Journal of Dairy Science 65, 2157–2163.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Muck, RE, Richards, BK 1983. Losses of manurial nitrogen in free-stall barns. Agricultural Wastes 7, 65–79.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
National Research Council (NRC) 2001. Nutrient requirements of dairy cattle, 7th revised edition. National Academic Press, Washington, DC, USA.Google Scholar
National Research Council (NRC) 2003. Air emissions from animal feeding operations: current knowledge, future needs. National Academic Press, Washington, DC, USA.Google Scholar
Nennich, TD, Harrison, JH, VanWieringen, LM, Meyer, D, Heinrichs, AJ, Weiss, WP, St-Pierre, NR, Kincaid, RL, Davidson, DL, Block, E 2005. Prediction of manure and nutrient excretion from dairy cattle. Journal of Dairy Science 88, 3721–3733.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Olmos Colmenero, JJ, Broderick, GA 2006. Effect of dietary crude protein concentration on milk production and nitrogen utilization in lactating dairy cows. Journal of Dairy Science 89, 1704–1712.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Paul, JW, Dinn, NE, Kannangara, T, Fisher, LJ 1998. Protein content in dairy cattle diets affects ammonia losses and fertilizer nitrogen value. Journal of Environmental Quality 27, 528–534.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Powell, JM, Jackson-Smith, DB, McCrory, DF, Saam, H, Mariola, M 2006. Validation of feed and manure data collected on Wisconsin dairy farms. Journal of Dairy Science 89, 2268–2278.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Powell, JM, Broderick, GA, Misselbrook, TH 2008. Seasonal diet affects ammonia emissions from tie-stall dairy barns. Journal of Dairy Science 91, 857–869.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Rotz, CA 2004. Management to reduce nitrogen losses in animal production. Journal of Animal Science 82, E119–E137.Google ScholarPubMed
Rotz, CA, Oenema, J 2006. Predicting management effects on ammonia emissions from dairy and beef farms. Transactions of the ASABE 49, 1139–1149.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Statistical Analysis Systems Institute (SAS) 2001. SAS user’s guide: statistics, version 8, edition 2001. SAS Institute Inc., Cary, NC, USA.Google Scholar
Smits, MCJ, Valk, H, Elzing, A, Keen, A 1995. Effect of protein nutrition on ammonia emission from a cubicle house for dairy cattle. Livestock Production Science 44, 147–156.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sommer, SG, Zhang, GQ, Bannink, A, Chadwick, D, Misselbrook, T, Harrison, R, Hutchings, NJ, Menzi, H, Monteny, GJ, Ni, JQ, Oenema, O, Webb, J 2006. Algorithms determining ammonia emission from buildings housing cattle and pigs and from manure stores. Advances in Agronomy 89, 261–335.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
St-Pierre, NR 2003. Reassessment of biases in predicted nitrogen flows to the duodenum by NRC 2001. Journal of Dairy Science 86, 344–350.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) 2005. National Emission Inventory-ammonia Emissions from Animal Husbandry Operations. Revised Draft Report, April 2005. Retrieved July 13, 2008, from http://www.epa.gov/ttn/chief/ap42/ch09/index.html.Google Scholar
Van Duinkerken, G, Andre, G, Smits, MCJ, Monteny, GJ, Sebek, LBJ 2005. Effect of rumen-degradable protein balance and forage type on bulk milk urea concentration and emission of ammonia from dairy cow houses. Journal of Dairy Science 88, 1099–1112.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Van Horn, HH, Newton, GL, Kunkle, WE 1996. Ruminant nutrition from an environmental perspective: factors affecting whole-farm nutrient balance. Journal of Animal Science 74, 3082–3102.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Van Soest, PJ, Robertson, JB, Lewis, BA 1991. Methods for dietary fiber, neutral detergent fiber, and non-starch polysaccharides in relation to animal nutrition. Journal of Dairy Science 74, 3583–3597.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wattiaux, MA, Karg, KL 2004a. Protein level for alfalfa and corn silage-based diets: I. Lactational response and milk urea nitrogen. Journal of Dairy Science 87, 3480–3491.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wattiaux, MA, Karg, KL 2004b. Protein level for alfalfa and corn silage-based diets: II. Nitrogen balance and manure characteristics. Journal of Dairy Science 87, 3492–3501.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Wattiaux, MA, Nordheim, EV, Crump, P 2005. Statistical evaluation of factors and interactions affecting dairy herd improvement milk urea nitrogen in commercial Midwest dairy herds. Journal of Dairy Science 88, 3020–3035.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Weiss, WP, St-Pierre, NR 2006. Factors affecting manure excretion by dairy cows. In Proceedings of the Penn State dairy cattle nutrition workshop, pp. 23–27. Penn State University Extension, Grantville, PA, USA.Google Scholar
Wheeler, EF, Adviento-Borbe, MA, Topper, PA, Brown, NE, Varga, G 2008. Ammonia and greenhouse gas emissions from dairy freestall barn manure. ASABE Annual International Meeting, Providence, Rhode Island, USA, Paper Number: 084370.Google Scholar
White, SL, Sheffield, RE, Washburn, SP, King, LD, JrGreen, JT 2001. Spatial and time distribution of dairy cattle excreta in an intensive pasture system. Journal of Environmental Quality 30, 2180–2187.CrossRefGoogle Scholar