Abstract
In dairy production systems, nitrogen flows through both the forage crops and the dairy cows. Forage crops use nitrogen mineralized from manure for plant growth. Harvested crops are then fed to dairy cows that, in turn, use the nitrogen for their growth and milk production. When the cows excrete a portion of the consumed nitrogen as manure the cycle is renewed. This 5-page fact sheet focuses on the forage production aspect of the nitrogen cycle at a dairy farm. Written by Rebecca Hellmuth and George Hochmuth, and published by the UF Department of Soil and Water Science, March 2015. (Image credit: R. Hellmuth)
SL427/SS640: Managing Nitrogen Inputs and Outputs on a Dairy Farm (ufl.edu)
References
Camberato, J. 2004. "Land Application of Dairy Manure." In Confined Animal Manure Managers Certification Program Manual: Dairy Version 1. Clemson, SC: Clemson University Cooperative Extension Service. http://www.clemson.edu/extension/livestock/camm/camm_files/dairy/dch5a_03.pdf.
Mylavarapu, R., D. Wright, G. Kidder, and C. G. Chambliss. 2013. UF/IFAS Standardized Fertilizer Recommendations for Agronomic Crops. SL129. Gainesville, FL: University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Services. https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ss163.
Mylavarapu, R., W. d'Angelo, and N. Wilkinson. 2013. Livestock Waste Testing Form. SL397. Gainesville, FL: University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Services. https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ss599.
Peters, J., S. Combs, B. Hoskins, J. Jarman, J. Kovar, M. Watson, A. Wolf, and N. Wolf. 2003. Recommended Methods of Manure Analysis A3769. Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System, Cooperative Extension Publishing Operations.
VanHorn, H., A. Wilkie, W. Powers, and R. Nordstedt. 1994. "Components of Dairy Manure Management-Systems. J. Dairy Sci. 77:2008-2030 https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.S0022-0302(94)77147-2