Dairy Cows Grazing Plantain-Based Pastures Have Increased Urine Patches and Reduced Urine N Concentration That Potentially Decreases N Leaching from a Pastoral System

Simple Summary Incorporating forage plantain into the diet of grazing dairy cows has the potential to reduce nitrogen (N) losses from pastoral systems. One of the key mechanisms for reduced N loss from plantain-fed cows is through increased urine volume and diluted urine N concentration, which increases the % of urine N used for plant growth. The aim of this study was to determine whether lower proportions of plantain in the diet would be effective in achieving changes in urination. The results showed that compared to cows grazing traditional perennial ryegrass and white clover pastures, cows with 25% plantain in their apparent dietary intake increased urine volume and urination frequency and reduced urine N% in the morning. When dietary plantain was less than 20%, there was only a small effect on increased urine volume, though morning urine N% was reduced. Ensuring more than 20% plantain in the diet has the potential to reduce N leaching risk via reduced urinary N load from grazing dairy cows. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of grazing plantain-based pastures on urine volume, urination frequency, and urinary nitrogen (UN) concentration of dairy cows under a typical pastoral dairy practice offering approximately 25% supplemented feeds. The experiment was a completely randomised design with three pasture treatments (perennial ryegrass-white clover (RGWC); RGWC + low plantain rate (PLL); and RGWC + high plantain rate (PLH)), five replicate plots, and repeated in two sequential grazing periods. Forty-five lactating Friesian x Jersey cows were randomly assigned into three groups of 15 animals each to graze over six days in adaptation paddocks and three days in experimental plots. Urine flow sensors were used to measure urine volume and urinary frequency, while spot urine sampling was conducted to determine nitrogen (N) concentration in cow urine. The results showed that including 25% plantain in the diet (PLH) increased daily urine volume by 44% and the daily number of urinations by 28%, compared to grazing the RGWC pasture. In addition, N concentration in cow urine was decreased by 18 and 29% when the diet contained 18% and 25% plantain, respectively. In conclusion, under a typical dairy farm practice, incorporating plantain into the RGWC pasture with the proportion of 25% plantain in the diet can increase the number of urine patches and reduce the concentration of N in the urine, thereby providing the opportunity to decrease N leaching from pastoral systems.

Automated summary

Incorporating forage plantain into the diet of grazing dairy cows can reduce nitrogen losses from pastoral systems. Increasing plantain proportion in the diet leads to increased urine volume and diluted urine N concentration, which can be beneficial for plant growth. This study found that including 25% plantain in the diet increased urine volume and urination frequency, while reducing urine N% in the morning. Ensuring a minimum of 20% plantain in the diet can help reduce N leaching risk from grazing dairy cows.