Summary
This review synthesises evidence on nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) in European livestock systems, examining the chain from feed production through animal nutrition to plant-available nitrogen cycling. Drawing on research from multiple European agricultural contexts, the paper appears to identify management practices and system-level interventions that can improve NUE whilst reducing environmental losses. The work suggests that optimising NUE requires integrated consideration of feed sourcing, animal management, manure handling, and soil–crop interactions across livestock-based farming systems.
UK applicability
Findings are directly applicable to UK livestock farming, given the UK's participation in European agricultural research networks and similar climatic and soil conditions to many European systems studied. The review's recommendations on nitrogen management in mixed and livestock-intensive systems are relevant to UK policy on nutrient pollution, ammonia emissions, and sustainable intensification.
Key measures
Nitrogen use efficiency metrics, nitrogen losses (ammonia, nitrate, nitrous oxide), feed conversion ratios, soil nitrogen balances, plant uptake efficiency
Outcomes reported
The study examines nitrogen use efficiency across European livestock systems, tracing pathways from feed production through animal metabolism to plant growth and nutrient cycling. It likely synthesises current practices and identifies optimisation opportunities to reduce nitrogen losses whilst maintaining productivity.
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