Manipulating cow diets to reduce nutrient wastage to the environment

Abstract

Increasing production will tend to increase the levels of waste products produced, which is consequently a direct obstacle to achieving industry growth targets. Nitrogen is an important component of waste products from dairy farms with ammonia and nitrous oxide released into the atmosphere and nitrate leached to groundwater being of particular concern. Problems with urinary N are particularly acute in New Zealand because of its concentration within urine patches. This paper looks at how the diet of dairy cows can be manipulated to reduce nutrient wastage to the environment.