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Urine patch area coverage of an intensively stocked dairy pasture
Urine patch area coverage of an intensively stocked dairy pasture
Moir, James L. Cameron, Keith C. Di, Hong J. Fertsak, Ulrike
Moir, James L.
Cameron, Keith C.
Di, Hong J.
Fertsak, Ulrike
Date
2010-08
Type
Conference Contribution - published
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Fields of Research
ANZSRC::0703 Crop and Pasture Production , ANZSRC::0701 Agriculture, Land and Farm Management
Abstract
The urine patch of the grazing cow has been identified as the key source of N loss from pasture-based dairy
systems. Although critical to N modelling, quantitative data on the annual area coverage of urine patches in
pastures is scarce. A new technique using survey-grade global positioning system (GPS) technology was
developed to measure the paddock area coverage of dairy cattle urine and dung patches. A four year study
was conducted on an intensively stocked (4.3 cows/ha) dairy farm in Canterbury, New Zealand. Twelve field
plots on typical grazed pasture were monitored over a four year period, sampling at 12 week intervals. Urine
and dung deposits within the plots were visually identified, the pasture response area (radius) measured and
position marked with survey-grade GPS. Spatial geographic information system (GIS) software was used to
analyse the data. The mean urine patch pasture response area was 0.35 m². It was calculated that the mean
area covered by urine patches on an annual basis was 23.1 ± 2.2 % for the given stocking density and grazing
management regime.
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© 2010 19th World Congress of Soil Science, Soil Solutions for a Changing World. Archived with publisher permission.