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The effect of sodium fertilisation of pasture on herbage production and the performance of lactating dairy cows

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  24 November 2017

A. Cushnahan  and
F.J. Gordon
A. Cushnahan
Affiliation:
Agricultural Research Institute of Northern Ireland, Hillsborough, Co. Down, BT26 6DR
F.J. Gordon
Affiliation:
Agricultural Research Institute of Northern Ireland, Hillsborough, Co. Down, BT26 6DR
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Extract

Recent work by Chiy and Phillips (1991, 1992) has shown that the application of sodium (Na) fertiliser can produce improvements in pasture growth, pasture composition and the performance of grazing dairy cattle. However other studies have shown much smaller or zero effects in terms of pasture production following Na application (Smith et al., 1983; O'Connor et al., 1989). The objective of the present series of studies was to examine the milk production response to Na fertilisation of pasture under a differing set of soil and climatic conditions and to establish if there was an optimum level of Na input. In addition it was important to pursue the mechanisms of any animal production responses recorded. A series of studies were therefore undertaken to examine: (a) the influence of Na fertilisation of pasture on dairy cattle performance in comparison with any effects obtained through dietary Na supplementation, and (b) the effects of Na on herbage production, composition and digestibility.

Type
Milk Production
Information
Proceedings of the British Society of Animal Production (1972) , Volume 1993: Winter meeting , March 1993 , pp. 41
Copyright
Copyright © The British Society of Animal Production 1993

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References

Chiy, P.C. and Phillips, C.J.C. (1991). Grass and Forage Science, 46, 325–331.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Chiy, P.C. and Phillips, C.J.C. (1992). Animal Production, 54, 464–465A.Google Scholar
O'Connor, M.B., Addison, B. and Miller, A.D. (1989). Proceedings of the New Zealand Grassland Association, 50, 83–87.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Smith, G. S., Young, P.W. and O'Connor, M.B. (1983). Proceedings of the New Zealand Grassland Association, 44, 179–183.CrossRefGoogle Scholar