Nutrient excretion from cattle grazing nitrogen-fertilized grass or grass-legume pastures

Nutrient cycling via livestock excreta is an important grassland ecosystem service. This study was conducted in 2016 and 2017 and determined nutrient excretion from cattle grazing three systems: (a) N-fertilized bahiagrass (Paspalum notatum Flugge) overseeded with rye (Secale cereale L.) and oat (Avena sativa L.) during winter (Grass+N), (b) unfertilized bahiagrass overseeded with rye-oat-clover (Trifolium sp.) mixture (Grass+clover), and (c) rhizoma peanut (Arachis glabrata Benth.)-bahiagrass mixture overseeded with a rye-oat-clover mixture (Grass+CL+RP). Urinary volume excreted in the warm season ranged from 122 to 182 L ha(-1)d(-1), more than double that in the cool season (56-70 L ha(-1) d(-1)). Urinary N concentration during the warm season was greater in Grass+CL+RP compared with Grass+N (4.4 vs. 3.1 g kg(-1), respectively). In addition, fecal dry matter and organic matter output was greater for Grass+N than for steers grazing Grass+CL+RP during the warm season (3.8 and 3.2 vs. 2.8 and 2.2 kg hd(-1) d(-1), respectively). Total annual feces excretion concentrations of P, K, Mg, and N were greater in the Grass+N than in Grass+CL+RP system. The introduction of legumes increased the proportion of N returning via urine. However, when summed across seasons, total N excretion (feces and urine) was greater in Grass+N than in Grass+CL+RP (89 vs. 71 kg ha(-1) yr(-1)), mainly due to the greater stocking rate in the former. Grass-legume systems receiving 34 kg N ha(-1) yr(-1) recycled 80% of the N recycled in the grass system receiving 224 kg N ha(-1) yr(-1), indicating the potential of forage legumes to add N to grasslands.

Automated summary

Livestock excreta play an important role in nutrient cycling in grassland ecosystems. This study found that nutrient excretion from cattle varied among different pasture systems, and the introduction of clover increased the proportion of nitrogen returned through urine.