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Nitrogen Loss From a High‐Fertility, Rotational Pasture Program
Author(s) -
Owens L. B.,
Van Keuren R. W.,
Edwards W. M.
Publication year - 1983
Publication title -
journal of environmental quality
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.888
H-Index - 171
eISSN - 1537-2537
pISSN - 0047-2425
DOI - 10.2134/jeq1983.00472425001200030010x
Subject(s) - surface runoff , pasture , hydrology (agriculture) , subsurface flow , environmental science , water quality , grazing , surface water , livestock , watershed , zoology , agronomy , geography , environmental engineering , groundwater , forestry , ecology , geology , biology , geotechnical engineering , machine learning , computer science
A beef cattle‐pasturing system involving four rotationally grazed summer pastures (SG) and four pastures used rotationally for winter grazing/feeding (WGF) was studied on sloping upland watersheds in Ohio to determine effects of livestock management on N levels in water. Both summer and winter areas annually received 224 kg N/ha as NH 4 NO 3 fertilizer. Surface runoff was collected automatically during runoff events, and subsurface flow was sampled from spring developments on a weekly basis. Although seasonal N concentration and transport in surface runoff tended to be greater in the area occupied by the cattle, N concentration and transport in runoff from the two areas were quite similar and did not significantly impair water quality, based on U.S. Public Health Standards. The NO 3 ‐N concentration in the subsurface flow from the WGF area was higher than in the subsurface flow from the SG area. The NO 3 ‐N concentration in the subsurface flow from both areas increased progressively throughout the study period, and reached levels as high as 18 mg/L. The subsurface flow provided the main pathway for N transport, with the surface transport being approximately 20 and 14% of the total N transport from the SG and WGF areas, respectively. The amount of sediment‐N transported was very small because of low soil loss.