A mechanical hoof for simulating animal treading under controlled conditions

Di, Hongjie; Cameron, K. C.; Milne, J. A.; Drewry, John; Smith, N. P.; Hendry, T.; Moore, S.; Reijnen, B.P.A.

doi:10.1080/00288233.2001.9513465

Cited by 75 publications

(56 citation statements)

References 17 publications

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“…This agrees with the results reported by da Silva et al (2003). The effects of livestock trampling are greater when surface cover declines (Greene et al, 1994) and when soil WC increases (Di et al, 2001). During the second grazing (HR and FM), the forage source comprised weeds, volunteer wheat re-growth and some wheat stubble.…”

Section: Grazing Strategies and Tillage System Effects On Soil Physicmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The depth of trampling-induced soil compaction ranges from 2.5 to 20 cm depth (Hamza and Anderson, 2005) affecting soil physical properties and crop growth, particularly under wet soil condition (Di et al, 2001). The magnitude of trampling effects is related to the pressure exerted on the soil, which is a function of animal mass and foot size, grazing intensity, soil characteristics (texture, organic matter (OM), soil water content (WC)), and soil residue cover.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Crop residue grazing and tillage systems effects on soil physical properties and corn (Zea mays L.) performance

Agostini

Studdert²,

Martino³

et al. 2012

J. Soil Sci. Plant Nutr.

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Crop-livestock systems under no till (NT) could negatively affect soil physical properties and crop performance, due to the additive effects of reduced soil cover and cattle trampling due to livestock grazing, and the absence of tillage. We evaluated the effects of four grazing strategies and of a shallow tillage (ST) on soil physical properties and corn (Zea mays L.) performance for a mollisol after 15 years under crop-livestock systems under NT in Argentina. Grazing strategies evaluated were: closure (C), one grazing (OG), high stocking rate (HR) and farmer's management (FM), and the tillage systems were: NT and ST. Bulk density (BD), penetration resistance (PR), hydraulic conductivity (k s ), plant population, surface root distribution, aboveground dry matter accumulation, aboveground total N (TN) accumulation and corn yield were evaluated. High stocking rate and FM increased RP. On the other hand, ST decreased PR and BD and increased k s . Corn yield was higher under ST than under NT, and under HR than under the other grazing strategies. Total N accumulation was higher under HR than under the rest of grazing strategies. Rational grazing management and use of tillage systems on resilient soils could have prevented soil physical properties be affected beyond critical thresholds.

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Section: Grazing Strategies and Tillage System Effects On Soil Physicmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Crop residue grazing and tillage systems effects on soil physical properties and corn (Zea mays L.) performance

Agostini

Studdert²,

Martino³

et al. 2012

J. Soil Sci. Plant Nutr.

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“…At this time, all the plots were mown to a height of about 10 cm. Treading was then simulated using a mechanical cow hoof that applied a pressure of 220 kPa to the soil surface, representing the treading impact of an adult Friesian cow (Di et al 2001). The soil was trodden by placing the mechanical hoof on the soil surface, then pneumatically pressing the hoof in to the soil.…”

Section: Simulated Grazingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of tillage, simulated cattle grazing and soil moisture on N2O emissions from a winter forage crop

et al. 2008

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Nitrous oxide (N 2 O) emissions to the atmosphere from grazed pasture can be high, especially from urine-affected areas. When pastoral soils are damaged by animal treading, N 2 O emissions may increase. In New Zealand, autumn-sown winter forage crops are often grown as a break-crop prior to resowing pasture. When these crops are grazed in situ over winter (as is common in New Zealand) there is high risk of soil damage from animal treading as soil moisture contents are often high at this time of year. Moreover, the risk of soil damage during grazing increases when intensive tillage practices are used to establish these forage crops. Consequently, winter grazed forage crops may be an important source of N 2 O emissions from intensive pastoral farming systems, and these emissions may be affected by the type of tillage used to establish them. We conducted a replicated field experiment to measure the effects of simulated cattle grazing (mowing followed by simulated treading and the application of synthetic urine) at three soil moisture contents (< field capacity, field capacity and > field capacity) on measured N 2 O emissions from soil under an autumn (March) sown winter forage crop (triticale) established with three levels of tillage intensity: (a) intensive, IT, (b) minimum, MT, or (c) no tillage, NT. In all treatments, bulk density in the top 7.5 cm of the soil was unaffected by treading when simulated grazing occurred at < field capacity. It was increased in the IT plots by 13 and 15% when treading occurred at field capacity and > field capacity, and by 10% in the MT plots trodden at > field capacity. Treading did not significantly increase the bulk density in the NT plots. Emissions of N 2 O from the tillage treatments decreased in the order IT > MT > NT. N 2 O emissions were greatest from plots that were trodden at > field capacity and least from plots trodden at < field capacity. Simulated treading and urine application increased N 2 O emission 2 to 6-fold from plots that had no treading but did receive urine. Urine-amended plots had much greater emissions than plots that had no urine. Overall, the greatest emission of 14.4 kg N ha −1 over 90 days (1.8% of the total urine N applied) was measured from urine-amended IT plots that were trodden at > field capacity. The N 2 O emission from urine-amended NT plots that were trodden at < field capacity was 2.0 kg ha −1 over 90 days (0.25% of the total urine N applied).Decreasing the intensity of tillage used to establish crops and restricting grazing when soils are wet are two of the most effective ways to minimise the risk of high N 2 O emissions from grazed winter forage crops.

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“…All the harvested herbage was removed and dry matter yield recorded. Following each herbage cut, a specially designed mechanical cow hoof was used to simulate cow treading on the lysimeters (Di et al 2001). The mechanical hoof is made of stainless steel with the same shape and size as an adult Friesian cow hoof.…”

Section: Lysimeter Treatmentsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Treating grazed pasture soil with a nitrification inhibitor, eco‐n™, to decrease nitrate leaching in a deep sandy soil under spray irrigation—a lysimeter study

Cameron

2004

New Zealand Journal of Agricultural Research

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In grazed dairy pasture systems, a major source of nitrate leached is the nitrogen (N) returned in the urine from the grazing animal. The objective of this study was to use undisturbed soil monolith lysimeters to quantify the effectiveness of treating a grazed pasture soil with a nitrification inhibitor, trade name eco-n™ (active ingredientdicyandiamide, DCD), in decreasing NO 3 -leaching losses from a deep sandy Templeton soil (Udic Haplustept) with a mixture of perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne) and white clover (Trifolium repens) pasture. Simulated rainfall was applied in the winter to supplement the natural rainfall to the 75th percentile of local rainfall records, and spray irrigation was applied in the summer. The treatment of the soil with eco-n decreased NO 3 --N leaching from 85 to 20-22 kg N ha -1 yr -1 (equivalent to 74-76% reduction) for the dairy cow urine N applied in the autumn at the rate of 1000 kg N ha -1 . This reduced annual average NO 3 --N concentration under the urine patch from 25 to 7 mg N litre -1 . The eco-n treatment also reduced Ca 2+ leaching by 38-56% and Mg leaching by 21-42%. Ammonia volatilisation was not affected by the eco-n treatment. In addition, the eco-n treatment increased herbage dry matter yield in the urine patch areas by 33%, from 15.9 t ha -1 yr -1 without eco-n to 18.2t ha -1 yr -1 in the single eco-n application in May and to 21.1 t ha -1 yr eficial to the environment by reducing NO 3 -leaching but also has economic benefits by increasing nutrient use efficiency and pasture production.

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A mechanical hoof for simulating animal treading under controlled conditions

Cited by 75 publications

References 17 publications

Crop residue grazing and tillage systems effects on soil physical properties and corn (Zea mays L.) performance

Crop residue grazing and tillage systems effects on soil physical properties and corn (Zea mays L.) performance

Effects of tillage, simulated cattle grazing and soil moisture on N2O emissions from a winter forage crop

Treating grazed pasture soil with a nitrification inhibitor, eco‐n™, to decrease nitrate leaching in a deep sandy soil under spray irrigation—a lysimeter study

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