Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-r5fsc Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-29T23:45:57.707Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

The spatial coverage of dairy cattle urine patches in an intensively grazed pasture system

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  23 December 2010

J. L. MOIR ,
K. C. CAMERON ,
H. J. DI  and
U. FERTSAK
J. L. MOIR*
Affiliation:
Department of Soil and Physical Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Lincoln University, Christchurch, New Zealand
K. C. CAMERON
Affiliation:
Department of Soil and Physical Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Lincoln University, Christchurch, New Zealand
H. J. DI
Affiliation:
Department of Soil and Physical Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Lincoln University, Christchurch, New Zealand
U. FERTSAK
Affiliation:
Institute of Hydraulics and Rural Water Management, University of Natural Resources and Applied Life Sciences (BOKU), Vienna, Austria
*
*To whom all correspondence should be addressed. Email: [email protected]
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Summary

Accurate field data on the paddock area affected by cow urine depositions are critical to the estimation and modelling of nitrogen (N) losses and N management in grazed pasture systems. A new technique using survey-grade global positioning system (GPS) technology was developed to precisely measure the paddock spatial area coverage, diversity and distribution of dairy cattle urine patches in grazed paddocks over time. A 4-year study was conducted on the Lincoln University Dairy Farm (LUDF), Canterbury, New Zealand, from 2003 to 2007. Twelve field plots, each 100 m2 in area, were established on typical grazing areas of the farm. All urine and dung deposits within the plots were visually identified, the pasture response area (radius) measured and position marked with survey-grade GPS. The plots were grazed as part of the normal grazing rotation of the farm and urine and dung deposits measured at 12-week intervals. The data were collated using spatial (GIS) software and an assessment of annual urine patch coverage and spatial distribution was made. Grazing intensities ranged from 17 645 to 30 295 cow grazing h/ha/yr. Mean annual areas of urine patches ranged from 0·34 to 0·40 m2 (4-year mean 0·37±0·009 m2), with small but significant variation between years and seasons. Mean annual urine patch numbers were 6240±124 patches/ha/yr. The mean proportional area coverage for a single sampling event or season was 0·058 and the mean proportional annual urine patch coverage was 0·232±0·0071. There was a strong linear relationship between annual cow grazing h/ha and urine patch numbers/ha (R2=0·69) and also annual urine patch area coverage (R2=0·77). Within the stocking densities observed in this study, an annual increase of 10 000 cow grazing h/ha increased urine patch numbers by 1800 urine patches/ha/yr and annual urine patch area coverage by 0·07. This study presents new quantitative data on urine patch size, numbers and the spatial coverage of patches on a temporal basis.

Type
Crops and Soils
Information
The Journal of Agricultural Science , Volume 149 , Issue 4 , August 2011 , pp. 473 - 485
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 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

Aland, A., Lidfors, L. & Ekesbo, I. (2002). Diurnal distribution of dairy cow defecation and urination. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 78, 43–54.Google Scholar
Assefa, B. & Chen, Y. (2008). Simulation of the lateral movement of NO3-N in soils following liquid manure injection. Canadian Biosystems Engineering 50, 17–26.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 grasslands. Plant and Soil 76, 23–33.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Di, H. J. & Cameron, K. C. (2000). Calculating nitrogen leaching losses and critical nitrogen application rates in dairy pasture systems using a semi-empirical model. New Zealand Journal of Agricultural Research 43, 139–147.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Di, H. J. & Cameron, K. C. (2002 a). Nitrate leaching in temperate agroecosystems: sources, factors and mitigating strategies. Nutrient Cycling in Agroecosystems 64, 237–256.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Di, H. J. & Cameron, K. C. (2002 b). The use of a nitrification inhibitor, dicyandiamide (DCD), to decrease nitrate leaching and nitrous oxide emissions in a simulated grazed and irrigated grassland. Soil Use and Management 18, 395–403.Google Scholar
Di, H. J. & Cameron, K. C. (2003). Mitigation of nitrous oxide emissions in spray-irrigated grazed grassland by treating the soil with dicyandiamide, a nitrification inhibitor. Soil Use and Management 19, 284–290.Google Scholar
Di, H. J. & Cameron, K. C. (2004). Treating grazed pasture soil with a nitrification inhibitor, eco-nTM, to decrease nitrate leaching in a deep sandy soil under spray irrigation – a lysimeter study. New Zealand Journal of Agricultural Research 47, 351–361.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Di, H. J. & Cameron, K. C. (2005). Reducing environmental impacts of agriculture by using a fine particle suspension nitrification inhibitor to decrease nitrate leaching from grazed pastures. Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment 109, 202–212.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Di, H. J. & Cameron, K. C. (2007). Nitrate leaching losses and pasture yields as affected by different rates of animal urine nitrogen returns and application of a nitrification inhibitor – a lysimeter study. Nutrient Cycling in Agroecosystems 79, 281–290.Google Scholar
Di, H. J. & Cameron, K. C. (2008). Sources of nitrous oxide from 15N-labelled animal urine and urea fertiliser with and without a nitrification inhibitor, dicyandiamide (DCD). Australian Journal of Soil Research 46, 76–82.Google Scholar
Di, H. J., Cameron, K. C., Moore, S. & Smith, N. P. (1998). Nitrate leaching from dairy shed effluent and ammonium fertiliser applied to a free-draining pasture soil under spray or flood irrigation. New Zealand Journal of Agricultural Research 41, 263–270.Google Scholar
Doak, B. W. (1952). Some chemical changes in the nitrogenous constituents of urine when voided on pasture. Journal of Agricultural Science, Cambridge 42, 162–171.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
During, C. & McNaught, K. J. (1961). Effects of cow urine on growth of pasture and uptake of nutrients. New Zealand Journal of Agricultural Research 4, 591–605.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
ESRI (1996). Arc View GIS (Version 3.2a). Redlands, CA: Environmental System Research Institute, Inc.Google Scholar
ESRI (2002). ArcGIS (Version 8.0). Redlands, CA: Environmental Systems Research Institute, Inc.Google Scholar
Frame, J. (1971). Fundamentals of grassland management. 10. The grazing animal. Scottish Agriculture 50, 28–44.Google Scholar
Fraser, P. M., Cameron, K. C. & Sherlock, R. R. (1994). Lysimeter study of the fate of nitrogen in animal urine returns to irrigated pasture. European Journal of Soil Science 45, 439–447.Google Scholar
Haynes, R. J. & Williams, P. H. (1992). Changes in soil solution composition and pH in urine-affected areas of pasture. Journal of Soil Science 43, 323–334.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Haynes, R. J. & Williams, P. H. (1993). Nutrient cycling and soil fertility in the grazed pasture ecosystem. Advances in Agronomy 49, 120–199.Google Scholar
Jarvis, S. C., Scholefield, D. & Pain, B. (1995). Nitrogen cycling in grazing systems. In Nitrogen Fertilization in the Environment (Ed. Bacon, P. E.), pp. 381–420. New York: Marcel Dekker.Google Scholar
Jenness, J. (2004). Nearest Features (nearfeat.avx) Extension for ArcView 3.x, v. 3.7a. Flagstaff, AZ: Jenness Enterprises.Google Scholar
Keuning, J. A. (1980). Urine scorch in grassland. In The Role of Nitrogen in Intensive Grassland Productivity. Proceedings of an International Symposium of the European Grassland Federation (Eds Prins, W. H. & Arnold, G. H.), p. 163. The Netherlands: Wageningen University.Google Scholar
Ledgard, S. F. (2001). Nitrogen cycling in low input legume-based agriculture, with emphasis on legume/grass pastures. Plant and Soil 228, 43–59.Google Scholar
Ledgard, S. F., Penno, J. W. & Sprosen, M. S. (1999). Nitrogen inputs and losses from clover/grass pastures grazed by dairy cows, as affected by nitrogen fertilizer application. Journal of Agricultural Science, Cambridge 132, 215–225.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ledgard, S. F., Steele, K. W. & Saunders, W. M. H. (1982). Effects of cow urine and its major constituents on pasture properties. New Zealand Journal of Agricultural Research 25, 61–68.Google Scholar
Lotero, J., Woodhouse, W. W. & Petersen, R. G. (1966). Local effect on fertility of urine voided by grazing cattle. Agronomy Journal 58, 262–265.Google Scholar
MacLusky, D. S. (1960). Some estimates of the areas of pasture fouled by the excreta of dairy cows. Journal of the British Grassland Society 15, 181–188.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Moir, J. L., Cameron, K. C. & Di, H. J. (2007). Effects of the nitrification inhibitor dicyandiamide on soil mineral N, pasture yield, nutrient uptake and pasture quality in a grazed pasture system. Soil Use and Management 23, 111–120.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Moir, J. L., Fertsak, U., Cameron, K. C. & Di, H. J. (2006). The spatial distribution and area coverage of urine depositions in grazed dairy or sheep and beef pastures in New Zealand. In Proceedings of the 18th World Congress of Soil Science: Frontiers of Soil Science. Technology and the Information Age, pp. 260–263 (CD-ROM), Session 160, Commission 3.5. Philadelphia, PA: International Union of Soil Sciences.Google Scholar
Norman, M. J. T. & Green, J. O. (1958). The local influence of cattle dung and urine upon the yield and botanical composition of permanent pasture. Journal of the British Grassland Society 13, 39–45.Google Scholar
Oudshoorn, F. W., Kristensen, T. & Nadimi, E. S. (2008). Dairy cow defecation and urination frequency and spatial distribution in relation to time-limited grazing. Livestock Science 113, 62–73.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Pakrou, N. & Dillon, P. J. (2004). Leaching losses of N under grazed irrigated and non-irrigated pastures. Journal of Agricultural Science, Cambridge 142, 503–516.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Petersen, R. G., Lucas, H. L. & Woodhouse, W. W. (1956). The distribution of excreta by freely grazing cattle and its effect on pasture fertility: I. Excretal distribution. Agronomy Journal 48, 440–444.Google Scholar
Pleasants, A. B., Shorten, P. R. & Wake, G. C. (2007). The distribution of urine deposited on a pasture from grazing animals. Journal of Agricultural Science, Cambridge 145, 81–86.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Richards, I. R. & Wolton, K. M. (1975). A note on urine scorch caused by grazing animals. Journal of the British Grassland Society 30, 187–188.Google Scholar
Richards, I. R. & Wolton, K. M. (1976). The spatial distribution of excreta under intensive cattle grazing. Journal of the British Grassland Society 31, 89–92.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Robertson, B. T. (1972). Potash – a nutrient of growing importance. New Zealand Fertilizer Journal 40, 16–18.Google Scholar
Saarijärvi, K. & Virkajärvi, P. (2009). Nitrogen dynamics of cattle dung and urine patches on intensively managed boreal pasture. Journal of Agricultural Science, Cambridge 147, 479–491.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Silva, R. G., Cameron, K. C., Di, H. J. & Hendry, T. (1999). A lysimeter study of the impact of cow urine, dairy shed effluent, and nitrogen fertiliser on nitrate leaching. Australian Journal of Soil Research 37, 357–369.Google Scholar
Steele, K. W. (1982). Nitrogen in grassland soils. In Nitrogen Fertilisers in New Zealand Agriculture (Ed. Lynch, P. B.), pp. 29–44. Auckland: Ray Richards Publisher.Google Scholar
Tinker, P. B. & Nye, P. H. (2000). Solute Movement in the Rhizosphere. Oxford: Oxford University Press.Google Scholar
Trimble (2003). Trimble Geomatics Office (Version 1.62). Sunnyvale, CA: Trimble Navigation Limited.Google Scholar
Van Bysterveldt, A., Moir, J. L. & Metherell, A. (2006). Nutrient management on the Lincoln University dairy farm. Primary Industry Management 9, 17–22.Google Scholar
White, S. L., Sheffield, R. E., Washburn, S. P., King, L. D. & Green, J. T. (2001). Spatial and time distribution of dairy cattle excreta in an intensive pasture system. Journal of Environmental Quality 30, 2180–2187.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Whitehead, D. C. (1970). The Role of Nitrogen in Grassland Productivity: A Review of Information from Temperate Regions. Commonwealth Bureaux of Pastures and Field Crops: Bulletin 48. Farnham: Commonwealth Agricultural Bureaux.Google Scholar
Whitehead, D. C. (2000). Nutrient Elements in Grassland –Soil–Plant–Animal Relationships. Wallingford, Oxon: CABI Publishing.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wilkinson, S. R. & Lowrey, R. W. (1973). Cycling of mineral nutrients in pasture ecosystems. In Chemistry and Biochemistry of Herbage (Eds Butler, G. W. & Bailey, R. W.), pp. 247–315. New York: Academic Press.Google Scholar
Williams, P. H. (1988). The fate of potassium in grazed dairy pastures. Ph.D. Thesis, Massey University.Google Scholar
Williams, P. H., Gregg, P. E. & Hedley, M. J. (1990). Use of potassium bromide solutions to simulate dairy cow urine flow and retention in pasture soils. New Zealand Journal of Agricultural Research 33, 489–495.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Williams, P. H. & Haynes, R. J. (1994). Comparison of initial wetting pattern, nutrient concentrations in soil solution and the fate of 15N-labelled urine in sheep and cattle urine patch areas of pasture soil. Plant and Soil 162, 49–59.CrossRefGoogle Scholar