Effects of tanniferous sainfoin and Acacia mearnsii extract on urinary N excretion and ammonia volatilization from the slurry of dairy cows

Abstract

This study examined whether the effects of the tanniferous extract of Acacia mearnsii on N partitioning in dairy cows and ammonia (NH3) volatilization from their excreta are additive to that of the tanniferous legume sainfoin (Onobrychis viciifolia) and remain consistent when supplemented to different silage types with varying crude protein (CP) content. In a 6 × 6 Latin Square arrangement, six multiparous Holstein cows (milk yield: 36.6 ± 3.9 kg/d; 70 ± 13 d in milk) were assigned randomly to six treatments. The experiment included a 14-d adaptation and a 7-d data collection period, where intake, milk yield, and composition were recorded daily and excreta were collected. Cows had ad libitum access to one of six total mixed rations containing (dry matter [DM] basis) 750 g/kg DM silage. The silages were rich in either sainfoin (180 g/kg CP of DM), ryegrass (118 g/kg CP) or clover (220 g/kg CP). Each silage was supplemented with 20 g/kg DM of Acacia mearnsii extract or straw meal. The effects on N partitioning, ruminal volatile fatty acids (VFA) and microbiota, and NH3 volatilization from slurry reconstituted from fresh urine and feces were determined. The sainfoin-based diet reduced the apparent digestibility of organic matter, acid detergent fiber, and N compared with the ryegrass- and clover-based diets (P < 0.001). Acacia reduced the DM intake (P < 0.05) and apparent digestibility of organic matter and N across all silage types (P < 0.01). The digestibility of neutral detergent fiber was reduced with sainfoin, and ryegrass with Acacia (Silage × Acacia interaction P < 0.05). Acacia reduced the ruminal acetate proportion (P < 0.05) but did not affect ruminal propionate and n-butyrate or the microbiota composition. With ryegrass, the rumen fluid had lower acetate (P < 0.001) and greater n-butyrate proportions (P < 0.01) compared to sainfoin and clover, lower propionate proportions as compared with sainfoin (P < 0.05), and the lowest blood urea N concentration (P < 0.001). Acacia reduced energy-corrected milk yield (P < 0.05). Milk protein content was reduced with the sainfoin diet (P < 0.05). Sainfoin (compared to clover) and Acacia supplementation shifted the N excretion from urine to feces and decreased urinary urea N excretion and NH3 volatilization from the slurry (P < 0.05). The effects of the two tannin sources were widely additive in mitigating urinary urea N and NH3 volatilization. The results illustrate that combinatory N-abatement measures based on different CT sources are efficient, but supplementing Acacia resulted in decreasing dry matter intake and milk production, while sainfoin supplementation resulted in lower organic matter digestibility.