Nitrogen Runoff and Leaching Losses in Beef Production Systems Under Two Different Stocking Rates in Southern Chile

Alfaro, Marta; Salaza, Francisco; Iraira, Sergio; Teuber, Nolberto; Ramírez, Luis

doi:10.4067/s0717-66432005000200008

Cited by 8 publications

(14 citation statements)

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“…Results also showed that the main pathway of water movement was leaching through the soil, accounting for 99% of the total volume of drainage water collected (p < 0.05), and that the immediate stocking rate and slope tested did not affect the proportion of water loss due to leaching or runoff (p > 0.05). This data are in agreement with Alfaro et al (2005Alfaro et al ( , 2009) for a study carried out in the same area with beef cattle (6% field slope) and with Ledgard et al (1999) for grazing cow systems on a similar soil type in New Zealand.…”

Section: Methodssupporting

confidence: 82%

Effect of the Stocking Rate and Land Slope on Nitrogen Losses to Water on a Grazed Pasture of Southern Chile

Salazar¹,

Alfaro²,

Ledgard

et al. 2011

J. Soil Sci. Plant Nutr.

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Most of the studies on nitrogen (N) leaching have been carried out on cut grass, and there is a lack of information on beef grazed grasslands. The objective of this study was to quantify N runoff and leaching losses in beef production systems with two different immediate stocking rates (63 and 191 Holstein Friesian steers ha -1 day -1 ) and two land slopes (4 and 12%). Runoff and leachate samples were analyzed from 2004 to 2006 for total N, nitrate and ammonium. No significant differences for the total N losses were found between treatments (p > 0.05), which were low ranging from 0.9 to 26.8 kg N ha -1 yr -1 . The main pathway for the losses was leaching, which contributed >99% of the total N lost. The main form of N leaching was nitrate-N (>84%). Nitrate-N concentration in runoff samples was high, averaging 14 to 31 mg L -1 . We suggest that these low N losses could be related the low N fertiliser inputs in the pasture and to the N adsorption properties of volcanic soils and, so that further research is required on this subject.

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Section: Methodssupporting

confidence: 82%

Effect of the Stocking Rate and Land Slope on Nitrogen Losses to Water on a Grazed Pasture of Southern Chile

Salazar¹,

Alfaro²,

Ledgard

et al. 2011

J. Soil Sci. Plant Nutr.

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“…Results in both seasons showed that run‐off represented only 1% of the total drainage, with leaching being the main pathway for water movement, in agreement with Alfaro et al. (2005).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 78%

“…Results in both seasons showed that run-off represented only 1% of the total drainage, with leaching being the main pathway for water movement, in agreement with Alfaro et al (2005). The low bulk density of the surface layer maintained a high rate of infiltration with surface run-off occurring only during the heaviest rainfall events.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 71%

Phosphorus losses in surface run‐off from grazed permanent pastures on a volcanic soil from Chile

Alfaro

Salazar

2007

Soil Use and Management

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Reactive (RP) and organic phosphorus (OP) losses from grazed paddocks were determined on a volcanic soil during 2004 and 2005. Paddocks were grazed by Holstein Friesian steers (3.5 steers ha−1) and received N (67.5 kg ha−1) and P fertilizer (30 kg P ha−1). Total losses ranged between 4 and 15 g P ha−1 year−1 and were greatly affected by incidental P losses associated with spring P fertilizer application. Reactive P constituted 90% of the total losses on average. Due to the high water infiltration capacity of the soil, run‐off was <1% of total drainage, therefore, phosphorus losses in run‐off were small.

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“…Another factor that affects leaching is the stocking rates used (Ledgard et al, 1999), but not in our case, due to the stocking rate was used was the same in both grazing systems. Alfaro et al (2005bAlfaro et al ( , 2006Alfaro et al ( , 2007 indicate that the amount of OM, soil type and fertilizer application rate influence the volume of N leached; also N mineralization rate from urea could affect the amount of N leaching losses (Cartes et al, 2009).…”

Section: Nitrogen Lossesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, the importance of the different N processes in livestock farms has been reported. Alfaro et al (2005bAlfaro et al ( , 2007Alfaro et al ( , 2009) obtained good results estimating N budgets to determine the soil fertility conditions, the nutrient use efficiency and the potential environmental impact of the grazing activity.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Nitrogen Soil Budgets in Contrasting Dairy Grazing Systems of Southern Chile, a Short-Term Study

Núñez

Demanet

Alfaro³

et al. 2010

R.C. Suelo Nutr. Veg.

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In recent years, the intensification of livestock production in Southern Chile has resulted in a high potential for environmental damage through nitrogen (N) losses, creating the need for the evaluation of N flows from these systems. The aim of the research was to determine N budgets and N use efficiency in two grazing systems in Southern Chile. For this, inputs and outputs were measured during one year on two grazing systems (heavy grazing, HG; and light grazing, LG). Also, a control treatment with no grazing (C) was considered. The annual N soil budget was determined by the difference between all N inputs (Σ inputs) and all N outputs (Σ outputs). The results of the experiment indicate that HG treatments received the biggest N input (427, 359 and 288 kg N ha -1 yr -1 for HG, LG and C treatment, respectively), however this treatment also had the biggest N losses (406 kg N ha -1 yr -1 ), with a nitrogen recovery efficiency from fertilizer of 71%. In addition, herbage dry matter yield (DM) was greater in the HG than in the LG and C treatments (10.4; 8.1 and 7.1 t N ha -1 yr -1 , respectively). Also, N concentration in the forage was higher in this treatment (2.9%) than in the LG (2.7%) and C (2.5%) treatments. The results indicate that HG increases N use efficiency in pastures in Southern Chile, increasing the herbage production and quality, but also increasing the potential for N losses to the wider environment. Farmers should consider this when choosing the appropriate grazing system.

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Nitrogen Runoff and Leaching Losses in Beef Production Systems Under Two Different Stocking Rates in Southern Chile

Cited by 8 publications

References 0 publications

Effect of the Stocking Rate and Land Slope on Nitrogen Losses to Water on a Grazed Pasture of Southern Chile

Effect of the Stocking Rate and Land Slope on Nitrogen Losses to Water on a Grazed Pasture of Southern Chile

Phosphorus losses in surface run‐off from grazed permanent pastures on a volcanic soil from Chile

Nitrogen Soil Budgets in Contrasting Dairy Grazing Systems of Southern Chile, a Short-Term Study

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