Nitrogen balance and nitrate residues in pastures grazed by dairy cows and fertilised with mineral fertiliser, pig slurry or cattle compost
2007
Dufrasne, Isabelle | Meura, Stéphane | Cabaraux, Jean-François | Istasse, Louis | Hornick, Jean-Luc
English. peer reviewed
Show more [+] Less [-]English. A code of good practices was established by each European member state according to the nitrate directive. In Belgium, the nitrogen (N) inputs from slurry or compost are limited to 230 kg N/ha in pastures. Larger amounts can be applied when a program of additional measurements, including soil nitrates analysis, is followed by the farmer. This trial aims to measure nitrogen balance and soil nitrates in pastures fertilised with mineral nitrogen fertiliser (min N), pig slurry (S) or cattle compost (C). The pastures were grazed by dairy cows and the fertilisation allowed similar efficient N levels. N inputs by fertilisation were different at 169, 170 and 102 kg N/ha in C, S and min N plots respectively. The use of pig slurry and cattle compost as compared with mineral N fertiliser increased N balance and reduced apparent N efficiency. The nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus nutrition indexes, the number of grazing days and the milk yields per ha were not different. The soil nitrate contents were not increased by use of slurry or compost. The overall low nitrate contents suggested a low nitrate leaching with the three types of fertilisation.
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