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Feed management practices to reduce manure phosphorus excretion in dairy cattle

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 September 2013

E. Kebreab ,
A. V. Hansen  and
A. B. Leytem
E. Kebreab*
Affiliation:
Department of Animal Science, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA
A. V. Hansen
Affiliation:
Department of Animal Science, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA
A. B. Leytem
Affiliation:
USDA-ARS, Kimberly, ID 83341, USA
*
†E-mail: ekebreab@ucdavis.edu
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Abstract

Phosphorus (P) is an essential mineral that needs to be supplied in sufficient quantities for maintenance and growth and milk production in dairy cattle. However, over 60% of the P consumed can be excreted in faeces with a potential to cause environmental pollution. Concern over higher levels of P in intensively managed livestock systems has led to legislation such as the Water Framework Directive in the European Union. In this manuscript, several methods of reducing P pollution are discussed. A major source of environmental P pollution has been overfeeding P mainly due to addition of ‘safety margin’ over the animal's requirement and concerns related to fertility. Matching the animal's requirement and feeding in groups so that animals at the same physiological status are fed according to their requirement has a potential to reduce P excretion significantly. P can also be reduced by matching available P with the metabolizable energy content of the diet because more P can be incorporated into milk when P is utilized by rumen microbes, which are limited by energy. Plants contain phytate bound P that need to be broken up before they can be absorbed by the animal. Although ruminants can digest phytate, use of phytase enzyme could help either directly by acting on phytate P or improvement of feed digestibility. Pasture management can lead to improved nutrient cycling, particularly if the soil is deficient in P. However, overfertilizing pasture could result is higher runoff of dissolved reactive P. Management practices that leave adequate forage residue on the surface such as rotational grazing will improve infiltration and decrease runoff, reducing nutrient losses.

Keywords

Phosphorusdairy cattlenutrient pollution
Type
Full Paper
Information
Advances in Animal Biosciences , Volume 4 , Special Issue s1: Proceedings of the Dairy Solutions Symposium, 20th – 21st June 2012, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland , September 2013 , pp. 37 - 41
Copyright
Copyright © The Animal Consortium 2013 

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