Summary
This multi-country field study demonstrates that adequate vegetative cover in grazed pastures substantially reduces nitrous oxide emissions from cattle urine during the rainy season. Degraded pastures with low vegetative cover showed cumulative N₂O emissions 73% higher than non-degraded pastures (3.31 versus 1.91 kg N₂O-N ha⁻¹), with emission factors more than double (0.42% versus 0.18%). The findings suggest that improved pasture management to maintain adequate vegetation offers a practical mitigation strategy for reducing greenhouse gas losses from grazing systems in tropical and subtropical regions.
UK applicability
Whilst the study was conducted in Latin America and the Caribbean under rainy season tropical/subtropical conditions, the underlying mechanisms relating vegetative cover to N₂O emissions from urine-N may be partially applicable to UK grassland systems. However, UK pasture degradation patterns and rainfall seasonality differ substantially; direct extrapolation of emission factors would require UK-specific validation under temperate maritime conditions.
Key measures
Cumulative N₂O emissions (kg N₂O-N ha⁻¹), urine-N emission factors (%), soil gas samples analysed via closed static chambers and gas chromatography
Outcomes reported
The study quantified soil nitrous oxide (N₂O) emissions from simulated cattle urine patches on paired degraded and non-degraded pastures across five Latin American and Caribbean countries. Regional rainy season cumulative N₂O emissions and emission factors were measured and compared between low and adequate vegetative cover pastures.
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