Summary
This study examined three-way interactions between soil, pasture, and livestock that regulate nitrous oxide emissions in temperate grazing systems. By analysing how soil properties, herbage type (including high sugar grass monoculture), and cattle diet influence N₂O fluxes, the authors demonstrated that system-level feedback mechanisms—particularly between matched pasture-animal pairs—significantly affect greenhouse gas outputs. The findings underscore the importance of evaluating environmental impacts using a systems approach rather than isolated components.
UK applicability
Directly applicable to UK grazing systems, particularly as high sugar grass varieties are widely adopted in temperate pastoral regions. The findings suggest that pasture-animal diet matching may amplify emissions in some circumstances, informing UK farm management practices and climate mitigation strategies for grassland-based livestock production.
Key measures
Nitrous oxide (N₂O) emissions from soil; soil microbial community composition; pasture botanical composition and nutritional quality; cattle excreta characteristics
Outcomes reported
The study measured nitrous oxide emissions from soil under different pasture types and animal feed regimes, examining interactions between soil properties, herbage composition, and cattle excreta. Key finding was that soil under high sugar grass monoculture receiving excreta from cattle fed the same grass produced higher emissions.
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