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Published (Version of record)CC BY V4.0, Open Access
Published (Version of record)CC BY V4.0, Open
Journal article
An integrated assessment of nitrogen source, transformation and fate within an intensive dairy system to inform management change
PLoS ONE, Vol.14(7), pp.1-22
23/07/2019
PMCID: PMC6650055
PMID: 31335897
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Abstract
From an environmental perspective optimised dairy systems, which follow current regulations, still have low nitrogen (N) use efficiency, high N surplus (kg N ha-1) and enable ad-hoc delivery of direct and indirect reactive N losses to water and the atmosphere. The objective of the present study was to divide an intensive dairy farm into N attenuation capacity areas based on this ad-hoc delivery. Historical and current spatial and temporal multi-level datasets (stable isotope and dissolved gas) were combined and interpreted. Results showed that the farm had four distinct attenuation areas: high N attenuation: characterised by ammonium-N (NH4+-N) below 0.23 mg NH4+-N l-1 and nitrate (NO3--N) below 5.65 mg NO3--N l-1 in surface, drainage and groundwater, located on imperfectly to moderately-well drained soils with high denitrification potential and low nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions (av. 0.0032 mg N2O-N l-1); moderate N attenuation: characterised by low NO3--N concentration in drainage water but high N2O production (0.0317 mg N2O-N l-1) and denitrification potential lower than group 1 (av. δ15N-NO3-: 16.4‰, av. δ18O-NO3-: 9.2‰), on well to moderately drained soils; low N attenuation—area 1: characterised by high NO3--N (av. 6.90 mg NO3--N l-1) in drainage water from well to moderately-well drained soils, with low denitrification potential (av. δ15N-NO3-: 9.5‰, av. δ18O-NO3-: 5.9‰) and high N2O emissions (0.0319 mg N2O l-1); and low N attenuation—area 2: characterised by high NH4+-N (av. 3.93 mg NH4+-N l-1 and high N2O emissions (av. 0.0521 mg N2O l-1) from well to imperfectly drained soil. N loads on site should be moved away from low attenuation areas and emissions to air and water should be assessed
Details
- Title
- An integrated assessment of nitrogen source, transformation and fate within an intensive dairy system to inform management change
- Creators
- Elisa Clagnan - Environment Research Centre, TeagascSteven F Thornton - University of SheffieldStephen A Rolfe - University of SheffieldNaomi S Wells - Southern Cross UniversityKay Knoeller - Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZJohn Murphy - Teagasc - The Agriculture and Food Development AuthorityPatrick Tuohy - Teagasc - The Agriculture and Food Development AuthorityKaren Daly - Teagasc - The Agriculture and Food Development AuthorityMark G Healy - Ollscoil na Gaillimhe – University of GalwayGolnaz Ezzati - Teagasc - The Agriculture and Food Development AuthorityJulia von Chamier - Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZOwen Fenton - Teagasc - The Agriculture and Food Development Authority
- Publication Details
- PLoS ONE, Vol.14(7), pp.1-22
- Publisher
- Public Library of Science; San Francisco, CA USA
- Grant note
- Funding: S.F.T., S.A.R., K.K., K.D., M.G.H., G.E., J.v.C. and O.F. gratefully acknowledge the financial support from the European Commission Union through Marie Skłodowska-Curie scholarship provided in the framework of the INSPIRATION Innovative Training Network. E.C., J.M. and P.T. acknowledge funding under the Teagasc Walsh Fellowship Programme.
- Identifiers
- 991012925659902368
- Copyright
- © 2019 Clagnan et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
- Academic Unit
- School of Environment, Science and Engineering; Faculty of Science and Engineering; Centre for Coastal Biogeochemistry; Science
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Journal article