Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-tf8b9 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-23T03:43:36.988Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Grassland systems of red meat production: integration between biodiversity, plant nutrient utilisation, greenhouse gas emissions and meat nutritional quality

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  06 April 2011

L. E. R. Dawson ,
P. O'Kiely ,
A. P. Moloney ,
J. E. Vipond ,
A. R. G. Wylie ,
A. F. Carson  and
J. Hyslop
L. E. R. Dawson*
Affiliation:
Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute, Large Park, Hillsborough, Co. Down, BT26 6DR, UK
P. O'Kiely
Affiliation:
Teagasc, Animal and Grassland Research and Innovation Centre, Grange, Dunsany, Co. Meath, Ireland
A. P. Moloney
Affiliation:
Teagasc, Animal and Grassland Research and Innovation Centre, Grange, Dunsany, Co. Meath, Ireland
J. E. Vipond
Affiliation:
Scottish Agricultural College, Bush Estate, Penicuik, Midlothian, EH26 OPH, UK
A. R. G. Wylie
Affiliation:
Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute, 18a Newforge Lane, Belfast, BT9 5PX, UK
A. F. Carson
Affiliation:
Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute, Large Park, Hillsborough, Co. Down, BT26 6DR, UK
J. Hyslop
Affiliation:
Scottish Agricultural College, Bush Estate, Penicuik, Midlothian, EH26 OPH, UK
*
†E-mail: [email protected]; [email protected]
Get access

Abstract

Government policies relating to red meat production take account of the carbon footprint, environmental impact, and contributions to human health and nutrition, biodiversity and food security. This paper reviews the impact of grazing on these parameters and their interactions, identifying those practices that best meet governments’ strategic goals. The recent focus of research on livestock grazing and biodiversity has been on reducing grazing intensity on hill and upland areas. Although this produces rapid increases in sward height and herbage mass, changes in structural diversity and plant species are slower, with no appreciable short-term increases in biodiversity so that environmental policies that simply involve reductions in numbers of livestock may not result in increased biodiversity. Furthermore, upland areas rely heavily on nutrient inputs to pastures so that withdrawal of these inputs can threaten food security. Differences in grazing patterns among breeds increase our ability to manage biodiversity if they are matched appropriately to different conservation grazing goals. Lowland grassland systems differ from upland pastures in that additional nutrients in the form of organic and inorganic fertilisers are more frequently applied to lowland pastures. Appropriate management of these nutrient applications is required, to reduce the associated environmental impact. New slurry-spreading techniques and technologies (e.g. the trailing shoe) help reduce nutrient losses but high nitrogen losses from urine deposition remain a key issue for lowland grassland systems. Nitrification inhibitors have the greatest potential to successfully tackle this problem. Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are lower from indoor-based systems that use concentrates to shorten finishing periods. The challenge is to achieve the same level of performance from grass-based systems. Research has shown potential solutions through the use of forages containing condensed tannins or establishing swards with a high proportion of clover and high-sugar grasses. Relative to feeding conserved forage or concentrates, grazing fresh grass not only reduces GHG emissions but also enhances the fatty acid composition of meat in terms of consumer health. It is possible to influence biodiversity, nutrient utilisation, GHG emissions and the nutritional quality of meat in grass-based systems, but each of these parameters is intrinsically linked and should not be considered in isolation. Interactions between these parameters must be considered carefully when policies are being developed, in order to ensure that strategies designed to achieve positive gains in one category do not lead to a negative impact in another. Some win–win outcomes are identified.

Keywords

biodiversitygreenhouse gas emissionsmeat productiongrasslandUnited Kingdom and Ireland
Type
Full Paper
Information
animal , Volume 5 , Issue 9 , 05 August 2011 , pp. 1432 - 1441
Copyright
Copyright © The Animal Consortium 2011

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

Bouwman, AF, Boumans, LJM, Batjes, NH 2002. Modelling global annual N2O and NO emissions from fertilised fields. Global Biochemical Cycles 16, 1080, 1–9.Google Scholar
Committee on Climate Change 2008. Building a low carbon economy – the UK's contribution to tackling climate change. The First Report of the Committee on Climate Change, TSO, London, UK, 479pp.Google Scholar
Critchley, CNR, Adamson, HF, McLean, BML, Davies, OD 2008. Vegetation dynamics and livestock performance in system-scale studies of sheep and cattle grazing on degraded upland wet heath. Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment 128, 59–67.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dawson, LER 2010. Comparison of the performance and carbon footprint of dairy-origin beef steers. In Advances in animal biosciences. Proceedings of the British Society of Animal Science and the Agricultural Research Forum (ed. S Athanasiadou, EM Baxter, DP Berry, D Bolton, AF Carson, MA Crowe, et al.), p. 42. British Society of Animal Science, Edimburgh, UK.Google Scholar
DEFRA (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs) 2004. The behaviour of some different fertiliser-N materials, Report for DEFRA Project NT2603 (CSA 6354), 114pp.Google Scholar
Di, HJ, Cameron, KC 2002. Nitrate leaching in temperate agroecosystems: sources, factors and mitigating strategies. Nutrient Cycling in Agroecosystems 46, 237–256.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dumont, B, Rook, AJ, Coran, Ch, Röver, K-U 2007. Effects of livestock breed and grazing intensity on biodiversity and production in grazing systems. 2. Diet selection. Grass and Forage Science 62, 159–171.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
EC Habitats Directive 1992. Council Directive 92/43 EEC on the conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora, The European Union law, 7–50pp.Google Scholar
EC Nitrates Directive 1991. Council Directive 91/676/EEC concerning the protection of waters against pollution caused by nitrates from agricultural sources, The European Union law, pp. 1–8.Google Scholar
EC Water Framework Directive 2000. Council Directive 2000/60/EEC establishing a framework for community action in the field of water policy.Google Scholar
Evans, DM, Redpath, SM, Evans, SA, Elston, DA, Dennis, P 2005. Livestock grazing affects the egg size of an insectivorous passerine. Biology Letters 1, 322–325.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Fothergill, M, Davies, DA, Morgan, CT 2001. Extensification of grassland use in the Welsh uplands: sheep performance in years 1–6. Grass and Forage Science 56, 105–117.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Fraser, MD, Davies, DA, Vale, JE, Nute, GR, Hallett, KG, Richardson, RI, Wright, IA 2009. Performance and meat quality of native and continental cross steers grazing improved upland pasture or semi-natural rough grazing. Livestock Science 123, 70–82.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Frost, JP, Gilkinson, SR, Binnie, R 2007. Methods of spreading slurry to improve N efficiency on grassland. In What farmers can deliver. Occasional Symposium no. 38 (ed. JJ Hopkins, AJ Duncan, DI McCracken, S Peel and JRB Tallowin), p. 62. British Grassland Society, Stareton, Kenilworth, UK.Google Scholar
Gregory, PJ 2010. Global challenges: land use for food and energy – 2020 and beyond. Proceedings of the British Society of Animal Science and the Agricultural Research Forum (ed. S Athanasiadou, EM Baxter, DP Berry, D Bolton, AF Carson, MA Crowe, et al.), p. 632. British Society of Animal Science, Edimburgh, UK.Google Scholar
Hansen, S 1996. Effects of manure treatment and soil compaction on plant production of dairy farm system converting to organic farming practice. Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment 56, 173–186.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hill, MO, Evans, DF, Bell, SA 1992. Long-term effects of excluding sheep from hill pastures in North Wales. Journal of Ecology 80, 1–13.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Holland, JP, Waterhouse, A, Robertson, D, Pollock, ML 2008. Effect of different grazing management systems on the herbage mass and pasture height of a Nardus stricta grassland in western Scotland, United Kingdom. Grass and Forage Science 63, 48–59.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hoover, WH, Stokes, SR 1991. Balancing carbohydrates and proteins for optimum microbial yield. Journal of Dairy Science 74, 3630–3644.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Howard, H, O'Kiely, P, Moloney, AP, O'Mara, FP 2007. Intake, digestibility, N metabolism and growth in growing steers offered zero-grazed grass supplemented with sucrose. Proceedings of the Agricultural Research Forum, Tullamore, Ireland, p. 12.Google Scholar
Hyslop, JJ 2008. Simulated global warming potential figures for UK suckler beef production systems. In Livestock and global climate change, Proceedings of the International Conference on Livestock and Global Climate Change (ed. P Rowlinson, M Steele and A Nefzaoui), pp. 127–129. British Society of Animal Science, Edinburgh and Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK.Google Scholar
Isselstein, J, Griffith, BA, Pradel, P, Venerus, S 2007. Effects of livestock breed and grazing intensity on biodiversity and production in grazing systems. 1. Nutritive value of herbage and livestock performance. Grass and Forage Science 62, 145–158.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Johnson, RR 1976. Influence of carbohydrate solubility on non-protein nitrogen utilization in the ruminant. Journal of Animal Science 43, 184–191.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Jones, MB, Donnelly, A 2004. Carbon sequestration in temperate grassland ecosystems and the influence of management, climate and elevated CO2. New Phytologist 164, 423–439.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Jones, EL, Roberts, JE 1991. A note on the relationship between palatability and water-soluble carbohydrates content in perennial ryegrass. Irish Journal of Agricultural Research 30, 163–167.Google Scholar
Lourenco, M, Van Ranst, G, De Smet, S, Raes, K, Fievez, V 2007. Effect of grazing pastures with different botanical composition by lambs on rumen fatty acid metabolism and fatty acid pattern of longissimus muscle and subcutaneous fat. Animal 1, 537–554.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Ledgard, S, Schils, R, Eriksen, J, Luo, J 2009. Environmental impacts of grazed clover/grass pastures. Irish Journal of Agricultural and Food Research 48, 209–226.Google Scholar
Luo, J, de Klein, CAM, Ledgard, SF, Saggar, S 2010. Management options to reduce nitrous oxide emissions from intensively grazed pastures: a review. Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment 136, 282–291.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
MacRae, JC, Smith, JS, Dewey, PJS, Brewer, AC, Brown, DS, Walker, A 1985. The efficiency of utilisation of metabolisable energy and apparent absorption of amino acids in sheep given spring and autumn harvested dry grass. British Journal of Nutrition 54, 197–209.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Marriott, CA, Fothergill, M, Jeangros, B, Scotton, M, Louault, F 2004. Long-term impacts of extensification of grassland management on biodiversity and productivity in upland areas. A review. Agronomie 24, 447–462.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Martikainen, PJ 1985. Nitrous oxide emission associated with autotrophic ammonium oxidation in acid coniferous forest soil. Applied Environmental Microbiology 50, 1519–1525.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Martin, C, Morgavi, DP, Doreau, M 2009. Methane mitigation in ruminants: from microbe to the farm scale. Animal 4, 351–365.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
McCloskey, E, McAdam, J, Carson, AF 2009a. Habitat selection of crossbred ewes on hill farms in Northern Ireland. Proceedings of the Agricultural Research Forum, Tullamore, Ireland, p. 137.Google Scholar
McCloskey, E, McAdam, J, Carson, AF 2009b. Spatial distribution of Scottish Blackface ewes in comparison to other crossbreeds in a hill environment. In Proceedings of the British society of animal science and the agricultural research forum (ed. S Athanasiadou, EM Baxter, DP Berry, D Bolton, AF Carson, MA Crowe, et al.), p. 96. British Society of Animal Science, Edimburgh, UK.Google Scholar
Milne, JA 1996. Environmental effects of low intensity systems of animal production in the hills and uplands of the UK. Animal Science 63, 363–372.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Moloney, AP, Fievez, V, Martin, B, Nute, GR, Richardson, RI 2008. Botanically diverse forage-based rations for cattle: implications for production, composition and quality and consumer health. In Biodiversity and animal feed, future challenges for grassland production. Proceedings of the 22nd General Meeting of the European Grassland Federation. Grassland Science in Europe, vol. 13 (ed. A Hopkins, T Gustafsson, J Bertilsson, G Dalin, N Nilsdotter-Linde and E Sporndly), pp. 361–374. EGF, Zurich, Switzerland.Google Scholar
Moorby, JM, Evans, RT, Scollan, ND, MacRae, JC, Theodorou, MK 2006. Increased concentration of water-soluble carbohydrate in perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.). Evaluation in dairy cows in early lactation. Grass and Forage Science 61, 52–59.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Morgan-Davies, C, Waterhouse, A, Pollock, ML, Holland, JP 2008. Integrating hill sheep production and newly established native woodland: achieving sustainability through multiple land use in Scotland. International Journal of Agricultural Sustainability 6, 133–147.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
O'Kiely, P, Conaghan, P, Howard, H, Moloney, AP, Black, AD 2005. Grazing and ensiling of energy-rich grasses with elevated sugar contents for the sustainable production of ruminant livestock. Grange, Dunsany, Ireland.Google Scholar
Ramirez-Restrepo, CA, Barry, TN 2005. Alternative temperate forages containing secondary compounds for improving sustainable productivity in grazing animals. Animal Feed Science and Technology 120, 179–201.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rath, M, Peel, S 2005. Grassland in Ireland and the UK. In Grassland: a global resource (ed. DA McGilloway), pp. 13–27. Wageningen Academic Publishers, The Netherlands.Google Scholar
Rawes, M 1981. Further results of excluding sheep from high-level grasslands in the North Pennines. Journal of Ecology 69, 651–669.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rook, AJ, Dumont, B, Isselstein, J, Osoro, K, Wallis DeVries, MF, Parente, G, Mills, J 2004. Matching type of livestock to desired biodiversity outcomes in pastures – a review. Biological Conservation 119, 137–150.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Scimone, M, Rook, AJ, Garel, JP, Sahin, N 2007. Effects of livestock breed and grazing intensity on grazing systems: 3. Effects on diversity of vegetation. Grass and Forage Science 62, 172–184.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Scollan, ND, Dewhurst, RJ, Moloney, AP, Murphy, JJ 2005. Improving the quality of products from grassland. In Grassland: a global resource (ed. DA McGilloway), pp. 41–56. Wageningen Academic Publishers, The Netherlands.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Scollan, N, Hocquette, JF, Nuernberg, K, Dannenberger, D, Richardson, I, Moloney, A 2006. Innovations in beef production systems that enhance the nutritional and health value of beef lipids and their relationship with meat quality. Meat Science 74, 17–33.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Scottish Agricultural College (SAC) 2010. Technical Note 622. Optimising the application of bulky organic fertilisers. The Scottish Agricultural College, Edimburgh, UK, 12pp.Google Scholar
Smith, KA, Chambers, BJ 1998. Nutrient losses to water following land application of farm manures. In Environmentally friendly management of farm animal waste (ed. T Matsunaka), pp. 79–83. Proceedings of an International Workshop, Sapporo, Japan.Google Scholar
Soussana, JF, Tallec, T, Blanfort, V 2010. Mitigating the greenhous gas balance of ruminant production systems through carbon sequestration in grasslands. Animal 4, 334–350.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Taweel, HZ, Tas, BM, Smit, HJ, Elgersma, A, Dijkstra, J, Tamminga, S 2006. Grazing behaviour, intake, rumen function and milk production of dairy cows offered Lolium perenne containing different levels of water-soluble carbohydrates. Livestock Science 102, 33–41.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Umstatter, C, Waterhouse, T, Holland, JP 2009. Cattle foraging behaviour in Scottish hills – one more step towards sustainability. Proceedings of the 9th Conference: Construction, Engineering and Environment in Livestock Farming, Berlin, Germany, pp. 333–338.Google Scholar
Vickery, JA, Tallowin, JR, Feber, RE, Askeraki, EJ, Atkinson, PW, Fuller, RJ, Brown, VK 2001. The management of lowland neutral grasslands in Britain: effects of agricultural practices on birds and their food resources. Journal of Applied Ecology 38, 647–664.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Waghorn, GC, Clark, DA 2006. Greenhouse gas mitigation opportunities with immediate application to pastoral grazing for ruminants. International Congress Series 1293, 107–110.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Watson, CJ, Laughlin, RL, McGeogh, KL 2009. Modification of nitrogen fertilisers using inhibitors: opportunities and potentials for improving nitrogen use efficiency. Proceedings 658. International Fertiliser Society, York, UK, 39pp.Google Scholar
Watson, CJ, Jordan, C, Lennox, SD, Smith, RV, Steen, RWJ 2000. Inorganic nitrogen in drainage water from grazed grassland in Northern Ireland. Journal of Environmental Quality 29, 225–232.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Welch, D, Rawes, M 1964. The early effects of excluding sheep from high-level grasslands in the North Pennines. Journal of Applied Ecology 1, 281–300.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Whittington, FW, Dunn, R, Nute, GR, Richardson, RI, Wood, JD 2006. Effect of pasture type on lamb product quality. In New developments in sheep meat quality. Proceedings of the 9th Annual Langford Food Industry Conference (ed. JD Wood), pp. 27–32. BSAS, Edinburgh, UK.Google Scholar
Wright, IA, Pakeman, RJ, Dennis, P, Dalziel, AJ, Milne, JA 2006. The effects of cattle on the natural heritage of Scotland. Scottish National Heritage Commissioned Report no. 203, (ROAME no. FO4AA103), 90pp.Google Scholar
Wulf, S, Maeting, M, Clemens, J 2002. Application technique and slurry co-fermentation effects on ammonia, nitrous oxide and methane emissions after spreading. II. Greenhouse gas emissions. Journal of Environmental Quality 31, 1795–1801.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Zaman, M, Blennerhassett, JD 2010. Effects of different rates of urease and nitrification inhibitors on gaseous emissions of ammonia and nitrous oxide, nitrate leaching and pasture production from urine patches in an extensive grazed pasture system. Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment 136, 236–246.CrossRefGoogle Scholar