Abstract
Livestock production systems are an essential agribusiness activity in Brazil, but a critical challenge of Brazilian farmers is to maintain the equilibrium of the ecosystem, using herbage resources efficiently with a minimum impact on the environment. Nitrogen (N) fertilization and the inclusion of forage legumes into tropical grass pastures are management strategies which increase the productivity and nutritive value of pastures and may also affect methane (CH4) production by ruminants. The objective of this study was to examine the effects of either fertilizing palisade grass pastures with N or including the forage peanut (Arachis pintoi) into grass pastures on enteric CH4 emission, microbial protein production in the rumen via purine derivatives in the urine, and N balance. Twenty-one nonlactating crossbred dairy heifers were used in a completely randomized design with 3 treatments. The treatments consisted of pastures of palisade grass without N fertilization (control), fertilized with urea (fertilized), and palisade grass mixed with forage peanut (mixed). Seven animals (replications) were used to evaluate dry matter intake, digestibility, CH4 emission, urea, purine derivatives, and volume of urine, and N ingestion and excretion. Four paddocks (replications) were used to measure herbage mass; morphological, botanical, and chemical composition of herbage; and herbage allowance. The CH4 emissions were determined using the sulfur hexafluoride (SF6) tracer gas technique. The efficiency of N utilization (ENU) was calculated using the N balance data. Crude protein (CP) concentration of herbage increased with fertilization or legumes inclusion (P < 0.0001) while neutral detergent fiber (NDF) concentration decreased (P = 0.0355). The leaf allowance was higher in the fertilized treatment (P = 0.0294). Only uric acid excretion increased with N fertilization (P = 0.0204). The ENU was not affected by fertilized or mixed compared to control and averaged 55% (P = 0.8945). The enteric CH4 production was similar between treatments and averaged 129 g/d (P = 0.3989). We concluded that the changes in chemical composition of herbage provided by N fertilization or the inclusion of the legume showed no reduction in enteric CH4 emissions, but the ENU was more significant than previous studies with palisade grass, suggesting that different management strategies might alter the ENU under grazing conditions.
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Claims 10
Claim · model-written summary
Nitrogen fertilization increased herbage crude protein concentration.
- Taxon
- palisade grass
Urochloa brizanthae1 - Treatment
- fertilized with ureae1
- Outcome
- Crude protein (CP) concentration of herbagee0
- Direction
- increasede0
- Comparator
- controle1
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Crude protein (CP) concentration of herbage increased with fertilization or legumes inclusion (P < 0.0001) while neutral detergent fiber (NDF) concentration decreased (P = 0.0355).”
e1“palisade grass without N fertilization (control), fertilized with urea (fertilized)”
Claim · model-written summary
Forage peanut inclusion increased herbage crude protein concentration.
- Taxon
- palisade grassUrochloa brizanthae1
- Treatment
- mixed with forage peanute1
- Interactor
- forage peanute1other
- Outcome
- Crude protein (CP) concentration of herbagee0
- Direction
- increasede0
- Comparator
- controle2
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Crude protein (CP) concentration of herbage increased with fertilization or legumes inclusion (P < 0.0001) while neutral detergent fiber (NDF) concentration decreased (P = 0.0355).”
e1“palisade grass mixed with forage peanut (mixed)”
e2“palisade grass without N fertilization (control)”
Claim · model-written summary
Nitrogen fertilization decreased herbage neutral detergent fiber concentration.
- Taxon
- palisade grassUrochloa brizanthae1
- Treatment
- fertilized with ureae1
- Outcome
- neutral detergent fiber (NDF) concentratione0
- Direction
- decreasede0
- Comparator
- controle1
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Crude protein (CP) concentration of herbage increased with fertilization or legumes inclusion (P < 0.0001) while neutral detergent fiber (NDF) concentration decreased (P = 0.0355).”
e1“palisade grass without N fertilization (control), fertilized with urea (fertilized)”
Claim · model-written summary
Forage peanut inclusion decreased herbage neutral detergent fiber concentration.
- Taxon
- palisade grassUrochloa brizanthae1
- Treatment
- mixed with forage peanute1
- Interactor
- forage peanute1other
- Outcome
- neutral detergent fiber (NDF) concentratione0
- Direction
- decreasede0
- Comparator
- controle2
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Crude protein (CP) concentration of herbage increased with fertilization or legumes inclusion (P < 0.0001) while neutral detergent fiber (NDF) concentration decreased (P = 0.0355).”
e1“palisade grass mixed with forage peanut (mixed)”
e2“palisade grass without N fertilization (control)”
Claim · model-written summary
Leaf allowance was higher with fertilization.
- Taxon
- palisade grassUrochloa brizanthat0
- Treatment
- fertilized treatmente0
- Outcome
- leaf allowancee0
- Direction
- highere0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“The leaf allowance was higher in the fertilized treatment (P = 0.0294).”
t0“palisade grass”
Claim · model-written summary
Nitrogen fertilization increased heifer uric acid excretion.
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
e0“Only uric acid excretion increased with N fertilization (P = 0.0204).”
t0“dairy heifers”
Claim · model-written summary
Nitrogen utilization efficiency was not affected by fertilization and averaged 55% across treatments.
Verbatim
e0“The ENU was not affected by fertilized or mixed compared to control and averaged 55% (P = 0.8945).”
t0“dairy heifers”
Claim · model-written summary
Nitrogen utilization efficiency was not affected by mixed pasture and averaged 55% across treatments.
Verbatim
e0“The ENU was not affected by fertilized or mixed compared to control and averaged 55% (P = 0.8945).”
t0“dairy heifers”
Claim · model-written summary
Enteric methane production was similar between treatments and averaged 129 g/d.
Verbatim
e0“The enteric CH4 production was similar between treatments and averaged 129 g/d (P = 0.3989).”
t0“dairy heifers”
Claim · model-written summary
The authors report nitrogen utilization efficiency exceeding previous palisade grass studies and suggest management may alter it under grazing.
Verbatim
e0“the ENU was more significant than previous studies with palisade grass, suggesting that different management strategies might alter the ENU under grazing conditions.”
t0“dairy heifers”
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nitrogen · quality: protein · Urochloa brizantha (palisade grass)Results agree
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See all 5 papers →Claims are grouped by organism, treatment and what was measured or targeted. A paper counts as positive when any of its claims in the group is positive.