Summary
This study examined nutrient balance and efficiency in 67 dairy farms in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, representing three production intensities: confined (3 farms), semi-confined (7 farms), and pasture-based (57 farms). Nitrogen and phosphorus flows were tracked at the whole-farm level to identify how production system type affects nutrient cycling efficiency and environmental–economic performance. The findings suggest that feed represents the dominant nutrient input across all systems, with implications for optimising nutrient conversion to milk and reducing environmental losses.
UK applicability
The findings may have limited direct applicability to UK dairy systems, which differ substantially in climate, forage availability, farm scale, and regulatory context. However, the methodological approach to nutrient balance accounting could inform UK farm assessments, particularly for comparative analysis of UK pasture-based versus indoor systems.
Key measures
Nitrogen and phosphorus input–output balances; nutrient conversion efficiency to milk; system-level nutrient balances across confined, semi-confined, and pasture-based farms
Outcomes reported
The study measured nitrogen and phosphorus input–output balances and nutrient use efficiency across three dairy production systems (confined, semi-confined, and pasture-based) operating in a Brazilian watershed. Nutrient flows were tracked from feed and fertiliser inputs to milk and meat outputs over a one-year period.
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