Nutrient flows in lowland dairy farms in the Italian Alps (original) (raw)
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Nitrogen balances at the crop and farm-gate scale in livestock farms in Italy
Agriculture Ecosystems & Environment, 2007
Nutrient balances are often used to represent nutrient flows and to produce sustainability indicators. A soil surface nutrient budget (at the crop scale) and a farm-gate budget (at the farm scale) were calculated over 41 commercial Italian livestock farms. The objectives were to estimate the N use efficiency of the main farm types using the two balances independently, and to assess and discuss the relationship between the two different budget methods. The N surpluses calculated as a farm-gate balance (FGBS) or at the soil surface scale (CBS) ranked livestock farms in a similar manner. The suckling cow farms (SC) showed the best sustainability, BB (beef breeding) and DC (dairy cow) farms were intermediate, while PB (pig breeding) farms were the worst due to their weaker link between breeding activities and farm crops. The CBS was mainly influenced by the manure input, while the FGBS was mainly influenced by the purchased animal feeding in the PB, BB and DC farms, and by the mineral fertiliser in the SC farms. Other information can be derived from a combination of the N flow quantified in the farm-gate balance and the crop balance; two examples are given concerning an estimation of gaseous losses and of animal N excreta for the different animal categories. It has been concluded that even though N balances cannot be directly used to estimate the actual environmental impact of different farming systems, they remain reliable indicators to help discriminate between different farm types. #
Italian Journal of Animal Science, 2010
This survey was aimed to evaluate the characteristics of dairy farms in the North-Eastern part of Po valley in terms of ration composition, milk yield and N and P excretions. Eightynine farms, with Italian Holstein Friesian cows, were selected in order to cover different situations in term of farm size and milk yield (MY). MY and quality were obtained from the national database of functional controls. Each farm was visited in order to collect information about ingredients and chemical composition of rations used. Farms were classified in four groups differing for dietary crude protein density (L CP <15.3% DM; H CP �15.3% DM) and for MY (L MY <30 kg/d; H MY �30 kg/d). N and P excretions were quantified by following a mass balance approach. Dietary crude protein content (CP) was not correlated to milk yield (MY) and quality. The estimated amounts of N excreted, discounted for 28% of N losses in atmosphere, were 78.5, 78.2, 87.2 and 89.1 kg/cow/year, and P excreted were 20.2, 18.6, 18.7 and 19.8 kg/cow/year for the L CP L MY , L CP H MY , H CP L MY , H CP H MY groups, respectively. On corn silage and cereals based rations, a dietary CP of 14.3% DM can support 31 kg MY/cow/day.
NPK farm-gate nutrient balances in dairy farms from Northwest Portugal
European Journal of Agronomy, 2008
Farm-gate nutrient balances (N, P and K) were analysed in three groups of dairy farms from NW Portugal -medium, intensive and very intensive farms -during 3 consecutive years, 2003, 2004 and 2005. Results showed that the N surplus per hectare with values between 200 and 850 kg N ha −1 was positively correlated with the milk production per ha and the stocking rate of the farm, whereas the P and K surpluses showed fewer variations between groups. In all farms the main inputs were the mineral fertilizers and the feed concentrates whereas milk was the main output. Farmers involved in the study were advised in terms of nutrient management and significant decreases in the nutrient surpluses were observed during the 3 years study, mainly due to a decrease of the inputs, namely fertilizers. We conclude that advisory campaigns among farmers are efficient to reduce the nutrient surpluses. The N losses via NH 3 emissions at farm scale were also estimated accordingly to IPCC emission factors and it appeared that such losses were significant and had to be considered together with the nutrient surpluses when strategies to enhance nutrient management are defined. On average, higher N surplus per hectare were observed in the studied dairy farms from NW Portugal relatively to other European regions, but NW Portugal present lower N surplus per production unit (kg milk) as well as higher N efficiency. Nevertheless, a target limit of 450 kg N ha −1 for N surplus should be easily reached as a first step by most of the farms of NW Portugal by improving nutrient management at farm scale. However, more efforts will be necessary to reduce NPK surplus and NH 3 emissions to the mean values in a per hectare basis found in other European dairy regions with less intensive systems.
Italian Journal of Animal Science, 2010
Intensification of milk production occurs even in areas traditionally characterized by low-intensive farming systems like mountain areas, leading to environmental concern. The aim of this study was to analyze management and feeding systems in a sample of 31 dairy farms in a mountain area of Lombardy (Valtellina) and their effects on milk production and environmental sustainability. In 2006 daily milk sold was 17.5±5.6 kg/cow on average and daily DMI was 19.4±1.3 kg/cow, with a high forages content (65.8±9.2% DM). Rations were quite energetically balanced (+0.09±17.6 MJ/d of ME). Rations higher in starch and lower in NDF resulted in higher milk yields but significantly compromised farm self-sufficiency (which was 62.9±16.8% DM on average). Average Metabolizable Protein balance was negative (-280±203 g/d of MP), mainly due to the low CP content of diets (13.5±1.5% DM). When CP content increased, N manure and N excreted in urine increased (P<0.05 and P<0.01 respectively), probably due to insufficient energy intake which is partly caused by the scarce quality of forages. An improvement in forages quality could increase ME and MP contents of diets without compromising farm self-sufficiency.
A survey of dairy cattle management, crop planning, and forages cost of production in Northern Italy
Italian Journal of Animal Science, 2019
A survey regarding crop enterprise management, forages cost of production, dairy cattle management including reproductive management, housing, heat abatement, body condition scoring, nutrition, grouping strategies, and income over feed cost performance, was carried out from December 2016 to January 2018 on 50 dairy farms by the Department of Animal Science, Food and Nutrition of Universit a Cattolica del Sacro Cuore (Piacenza, Italy). A total of 41 herds (82%) completed the survey. Average herd size was 327 ± 162 lactating cows with the average land size of 160 ± 94 ha per farm. Herds were located in the provinces of Cremona (17), Brescia (8), Mantova (7), Piacenza (5), Cuneo (4), Bergamo (3), Lodi (3), Torino (2), and Venezia (1). These farms sold 32.8 ± 2.01 kg of milk/day per cow, had an annual culling rate of 34.0 ± 4.00%, a calving interval of 14.16 ± 0.58 months., and a 21-days pregnancy rate of 17.05 ± 2.58%. Implementing effective management strategies to contrast the damage caused by Ostrinia nubilalis, Diabrotica spp. and Myocastor coypus were identified as the main crop enterprise challenges. Main forages cultivated were alfalfa and corn silage second seeding with a total cost of production of (e/ha) 1968 ± 362 and 2,581 ± 221, with an average yield of 9.61 ± 1.24 and 17.22 ± 2.46 ton of DM per hectare, respectively. Results of this study can provide useful benchmark or reference for dairy management practices, crops and dairy performances, forages production costs on very well-managed North Italian dairy farms at the present time. HIGHLIGHTS benchmarks for dairy farms management practices, economic and reproductive performance cost of production of forages in northern Italy ARTICLE HISTORY
Nitrogen excretion in dairy cow, beef and veal cattle, pig, and rabbit farms in Northern Italy
Italian Journal of Animal Science, 2010
Reference values for N excretion of different livestock production systems are required for the application of the Nitrate Directive (91/676/EC). A survey aimed to estimate N excretion from on-farm measurements of feed consumption and performance of dairy cows (104 herds, 9,984 cows), growing cattle (40 farms, 40,157 young bulls), veal calves (34 farms, 49,206 calves), growing pigs (39 farms, 161,278 pigs) and rabbits (54 farms, 65,664 reproducing does) was conducted in Veneto from 2002 to 2003. N excretion was computed as the difference between N consumption and N retained in animal products. Dairy cow yielded 8,366 ± 1,646 kg/year of milk, consumed 6,600 ± 928 kg/year of DM, containing 2.45 ± 0.2 % DM of N, and excreted 116 ± 25 kg of N/year. No significant correlation was found between milk yield and N excretion, but the correlation between dietary N concentration and N excretion was significant (r=0.66). For growing cattle, the following mean values were achieved: daily gain 1.25 ± 0.19 kg/d; feed conversion ratio 6.9 ± 0.9 kg of DM/kg, rounds/year 1.66 ± 0.38. Nitrogen consumed, retained and excreted were, respectively, 68.7 ± 5.4, 11.4 ± 1.9 and 57.3 ± 4.9 kg/place/year. For veal calves, N consumed was 24.1 ± 1.9 kg/place/year, 12.1 ± 0.8 kg of which were retained in the body and 12.0 ± 1.5 kg were excreted. For heavy pig production, N consumed, per place and per year, averaged 19.0 ± 1.9 kg, N retained was 5.2 ± 0.5 kg and N excreted was 13.8 ± 0.4 kg. In the close-cycle rabbit farms, the doe and the relative growing rabbits (43 sold per year) consumed 11.2 ± 2.2 kg, retained 3.8 ± 0.7 kg and excreted 7.4 ± 1.5 kg N/doe/year. Nitrogen excretion estimated in this work can be considered as representative of some of the main animal production systems of the North-East of Italy. These values should not be considered as fixed, otherwise the implementation of the various strategies to reduce N excretion would not be possible. They should be considered as guidelines in the assistance both to public institutions and private enterprises in the evaluation of N excretion at farm level, favouring a more accurate quantification of the excretions, an increase of N retention efficiency and a better knowledge of the requirements of agricultural land. Moreover, a major extension of the agricultural land to be fertilised with manure should be promoted.
Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment, 1997
A quantitative knowledge of P cycling in dairy farms during a production cycle is the basis for optimizing fertilizer P management, because utilization of P by farm animals and its transfer to barn products are incomplete; animal manure represents a valuable source of P to sustain crop requirements. The nutrient content of manure is always difficult to determine precisely, because of the variability and fluctuation in daily water content and composition. Estimates of the P content of each material that moves to, from and within a dairy farm located in Lombardy were determined for one year by collecting farm data, sampling and analyzing farm materials (feeds, beddings, milk, hays and silage, etc.) and estimating through model calculation P retained in animals and in farm wastes. Two subcycles were investigated: the barn subcycle and the soil-crop subcycle, connected together by wastes, grasses and corn silage. The overall P balance in the farm studied with total stocking of 1.1 t of liveweight/ha, indicated a high manure potential for crop-needs that excludes use of inorganic P fertilizers, Moreover, detailed analysis of the various P pools has shown the relative contribution of each component to P cycling at the farm.
Original scientific paper SUMMARY Alpine dairy farming is shifted from an extensive activity based on pasture and low genetic merit cow to an intensive system with specialized breeds and increasing level of concentrate as a supplement in the diet. As a main consequence, a lower echo-compatibility could determine adverse externalities on environment and quality of dairy products. Considering 18 dairy farming located in the mountain area of Veneto Region (Italy), the Environmental Summarizing Indicator (ESI) was estimated by using agronomic and dairying variables. Results indicated that variability of ESI was manly due to productive performance of dairy cows probably because there was a lack of information in the assessment of pasture characteristics. However, higher level of ESI were closely related to the increase of N-phile species and/or less attractive vegetation for grazing cows, even if the indicator seems to explain only a limited part of the variability of the phenomenon. The increase of ESI values seemed to lead to a loss of nutritive value of milk because of the incidence of health favourable fatty acids was reduced.
2013
The environmental impact of 12 dairy farms in Denmark, Germany and Italy was evaluated using an LCA approach and the most important parameters influencing their environmental sustainability were identified. The farms represent different production methods (organic vs. conventional), summer feeding systems (confinement vs. pasture) and annual production levels (6275e10,964 kg ECM cow À1 ). There was large variability in stocking rates (1.1e11.0 LU ha À1 ) among farms, which has a major impact on the production per unit area of farmland, on feed self-sufficiency and on farm surplus of nitrogen. The proportion of grassland on farmland used for forage production or pasture varied from 0 to 100%. The lowest global warming potential (GWP), acidification, eutrophication and non-renewable energy use were achieved by the German pasture-based system, followed by the Danish organic dairy system and the very intensive Italian farming system with very similar environmental impact values. However, a sensitivity analysis showed that when emissions relating to direct land use change of soybean production were included in the assessment, the GWP changed considerably for the conventional farms due to the inclusion of conventional soymeal in the feed concentrate. There were strong and positive correlations between the four impact categories, and overall the results indicate that improving greenhouse gas emissions would improve the general environmental sustainability of the dairy farm. The land occupation was lowest in the farms with the highest stocking rate. The organic Danish farms had the lowest impact on biodiversity loss, which in general was positively influenced by the share of grassland in the system. A high proportion of grassland also had a significant positive effect on GWP, acidification and energy use. The other feature that mainly improved the environmental impact was the feed efficiency of the dairy cows, which was negatively correlated with GWP, acidification and eutrophication. We found no relation between the environmental impact and the milk production per cow or the stocking rate at the farm. However, due to the limited number of observations (only 12 farms were assessed), the results of the correlation analyses should be handled with care. There was also large variation in the relative contributions from on-and off-farm activities among farms and for the different impact categories, showing the importance of a holistic approach and the difficulties in evaluating a farming system both in a product and area-based perspective.