Summary
This field-based study elucidates the complex interactions between soil, pasture, and animal nutrition that regulate nitrous oxide emissions from temperate grazing systems. The research found that soil under high sugar grass monoculture recorded elevated N₂O emissions when receiving excreta from cattle fed the same grass, highlighting feedback mechanisms within the farming system. The findings underscore the necessity of evaluating environmental impacts of grazing systems at a whole-farm scale rather than component level.
UK applicability
These findings are directly applicable to UK temperate grazing systems, where high sugar grass monocultures are increasingly common. The results suggest that pasture composition and associated animal nutrition have measurable effects on greenhouse gas emissions, relevant to UK agricultural policy on climate change mitigation and sustainable intensification.
Key measures
Nitrous oxide emissions; soil properties; pasture botanical composition; cattle excreta composition; microbial community responses
Outcomes reported
The study examined nitrous oxide (N₂O) emissions from temperate grazing soils, investigating three-way interactions between soil characteristics, pasture composition, and animal diet. It measured how excreta from cattle fed high sugar grass affected N₂O emissions when applied to soils under the same grass monoculture.
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