Use Of Maize Silage Research Articles

Factors correlated of farmers, use of maize silage as animal fodder in a village in Fayoum Governorate

Factors correlated of farmers, use of maize silage as animal fodder in a village in Fayoum Governorate

Feeding, Muscle and Packaging Effects on Meat Quality and Consumer Acceptability of Avileña-Negra Ibérica Beef.

In order to achieve an attractive and differentiated product for the consumer and to optimize and to maximize profitability for the farmers within the EU Protected Geographical Indication “Carne de Ávila”, 24 yearling males of Avileña-Negra Ibérica breed were used to evaluate the effect of 2 feeding systems, concentrate (CON) and maize silage (SIL), and 2 packaging systems, vacuum (VAC) and modified atmosphere (MAP), on fatty acid composition, proximate analysis, water holding capacity and consumer acceptability of meat in 2 muscles: Longissimus thoracis (LT) and Semitendinosus (ST). Animals fed with concentrate showed higher carcass weight. However, feeding did not affect the proximate analysis of the meat. The use of maize silage improved the amount of conjugated linoleic acid and n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) and the relation n-6 PUFA/n-3 PUFA. In LT muscle, feeding influenced texture, samples from SIL being more tender. The VAC packaging showed higher cooking losses than MAP in both muscles. Aging increased tenderness and cooking losses but decreased thawing losses. LT samples from SIL feeding were better accepted by consumers and VAC packaging showed higher scores than MAP. We can conclude that the use of maize silage could be an alternative feeding for this type of animals improving some aspects of the quality of the meat.

Screening LCA of French organic amendments and fertilisers

In France, agricultural recycling of organic waste is widespread, but LCIs of organic waste treatments are scarce. This work presents LCIs of the most relevant organic waste treatments yielding residual organic amendments and fertilisers, and organic residue–based industrial processes yielding commercial organic amendments and fertilisers, in France. It also presents the results from a screening LCA performed on these LCIs. LCIs were built from mainly secondary data sources. Four functional units were retained: 1 t fresh mass of final product and 1 t of N, P, or K in fresh mass. Economic allocation was applied, following the French Environment and Energy Management Agency position. The International Reference Life Cycle Data System 2011 suit for impact assessment was retained, and all impacts were expressed as single scores to facilitate comparisons. Organic wastes considered were liquid and solid manures, agro-industrial residues, sewage sludge, green wastes and harvest residues, and biowaste. Treatment steps modelled were stocking, shredding, sieving, and mixing of substrates; anaerobic and aerobic treatments; thickening, dewatering, drying, and pelletising; various biological and physicochemical treatments of phase-separated liquid fractions; and the industrial production of organic amendments and fertilisers. Comparisons were performed among products classified as amendments or fertilisers. LCIs of typical treatment routes are presented, complemented with screening life cycle impact assessment results. Dried sludge and treated solid fractions of agricultural digestates present consistently higher impacts than any other amendment, mainly due to their associated energy use, relatively low N contents, and the use of maize silage as input. These items contribute in average > 50% of the aggregated impacts. Untreated manure and slurry feature the lowest relative impacts for all functional units. Compost-based commercial organic amendments have similar impacts to other composts per t of fresh mass, but slightly lower per t of nutrients or C, due to the inclusion of additional nutrient-rich inputs. Regarding fertilisers, the impact intensity of commercial organo-mineral fertilisers and treated liquid fractions of slurry and agricultural digestate is within similar orders of magnitude. Manure-based digestates feature relatively low impacts per all functional units. Only some digestates and untreated poultry manure feature impacts similar to those of N mineral fertilisers. Energy provision and direct emissions are the main contributors to impacts in organic waste treatments. Modelling choices such as the allocation of impacts to agricultural by-products heavily influence specific impact categories, mainly climate change. Overall, these results represent a needed contribution to background data used in agricultural LCA.

Energy Crops in Regional Biogas Systems: An Integrative Spatial LCA to Assess the Influence of Crop Mix and Location on Cultivation GHG Emissions

Anaerobic digestion producing biogas is an important decentralized renewable energy technology used to mitigate climate change. It is dependent on local and regional feedstocks, which determine its sustainability. This has led to discussions on how to alter feedstock for biogas plants without compromising their GHG (Greenhouse gas) saving, one particular issue being the use of Maize silage (MS) as the dominant feedstock. To support this discussion, this paper presents an integrated life cycle assessment of energy crop cultivation for 425 biogas catchments in the region of Central Germany (CG). The simulations for the CG region showed that MS as an effective crop to mitigate GHG emissions per kilowatt hour (GHGculti) was context dependent. In some cases, GHGculti reductions were supported due to higher yields, and in other cases, this led to increased GHGculti. We show that the often-proposed strategy of substituting one crop for another needs to be adapted for strategies which take into account the crop mixtures fed into biogas plants and how they perform altogether, under the specific regional and locational conditions. Only in this way can the trade-offs for lower GHGculti be identified and managed.

The Relationship of Dairy Farm Eco-Efficiency with Intensification and Self-Sufficiency. Evidence from the French Dairy Sector Using Life Cycle Analysis, Data Envelopment Analysis and Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling.

We aimed at quantifying the extent to which agricultural management practices linked to animal production and land use affect environmental outcomes at a larger scale. Two practices closely linked to farm environmental performance at a larger scale are farming intensity, often resulting in greater off-farm environmental impacts (land, non-renewable energy use etc.) associated with the production of imported inputs (e.g. concentrates, fertilizer); and the degree of self-sufficiency, i.e. the farm’s capacity to produce goods from its own resources, with higher control over nutrient recycling and thus minimization of losses to the environment, often resulting in greater on-farm impacts (eutrophication, acidification etc.). We explored the relationship of these practices with farm environmental performance for 185 French specialized dairy farms. We used Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling to build, and relate, latent variables of environmental performance, intensification and self-sufficiency. Proxy indicators reflected the latent variables for intensification (milk yield/cow, use of maize silage etc.) and self-sufficiency (home-grown feed/total feed use, on-farm energy/total energy use etc.). Environmental performance was represented by an aggregate ‘eco-efficiency’ score per farm derived from a Data Envelopment Analysis model fed with LCA and farm output data. The dataset was split into two spatially heterogeneous (bio-physical conditions, production patterns) regions. For both regions, eco-efficiency was significantly negatively related with milk yield/cow and the use of maize silage and imported concentrates. However, these results might not necessarily hold for intensive yet more self-sufficient farms. This requires further investigation with latent variables for intensification and self-sufficiency that do not largely overlap- a modelling challenge that occurred here. We conclude that the environmental ‘sustainability’ of intensive dairy farming depends on particular farming systems and circumstances, although we note that more self-sufficient farms may be preferable when they may benefit from relatively low land prices and agri-environment schemes aimed at maintaining grasslands.

THE ECONOMIC ANALYSIS OF THE USE OF NONTRADITIONAL FEED IN THE DIET OF DAIRY ANIMALS IN FAYOUM GOVERNORATE

This research aims to study the economic impact of using traditional diets and non-traditional diets containing rice straw treated with ammonia and maize silage to feed dairy cattle, on dairy production. The study results showed that: - The total additional economic returns achieved as a result of the use of rice straw treated with ammonia amounted to 2602.9, and 2020.4 pounds, and as a result of the use of maize silage amounted to 3501.7, 2009.0 pounds during the season for the buffaloes and cows, respectively. - the ratio of total return value to total feeding costs after using rice straw treated with ammonia is greater compared to that used traditional feed, where amounted to about 2.29, 2.32 with an increase of about 0.84, 1.02 pounds per head of buffalo and cattle respectively, and it amounted to about 2.60, 2.24 after the use of maize silage, with an increase of about 1.15, 0.94 pounds per head of buffalo and cattle respectively. - The estimated production function for buffalo indicate that the production elasticity is about 1.41, which means the existence of increasing return to scale. The production function is statistically significant at 1%, with R2 equal to 0.86. - The optimum production that minimize the cost and maximize the profit per head of buffalo during the season is estimated to be about 2.746, 3.627 tons in the case of using traditional diet, while in the case of using rice straw treated with ammonia it is about 2.765, 3.955 tons, and in the case of using maize silage is about 1.843, 3.609 tons. - The optimum production that minimize the cost and maximize the profit per head of cow during the season is also estimated to be about 1.477, 1.977 tons in the case of using traditional diet, while in the case of using rice straw treated with ammonia is about 1.077, 1.893 tons, and in the case of using maize silage is about 1.230, 2.016 tons. - The total estimated economic impact in the case of using rice straw treated with ammonia diet, is expected to increase milk production in the country by 465.07, 233.51 thousand tons for buffalo, cows, respectively. In the case of of using maize silage diet, the expected increase in milk production is around 682.71, 293.09 thousand tons for buffalo, cows, respectively. At the level of Fayoum governorate, the increase is about 26.02, 11.22 thousand tons for buffalo, cows, respectively, in the case of using diet containing rice straw treated with ammonia, while in the case of using diet containing maize silage, the expected increase is around 38.2, 14.09 thousand tons for buffalo, cows, respectively. In light of the previous findings, the study recommends the following: - There is a need for efforts from the extension and research institutions and media channels to encourage adoption of the use of non-traditional feed at the national level. - Raising awareness of farmers and breeders about the importance of non-traditional feeds in reducing feeding costs and increasing economic returns, in addition to increasing the national output of milk. - There is a need to expand the use of rice straw treated with ammonia and maize silage, which leads to the reduction of area allocated for clover and increase area for wheat production, thereby reducing its imports. - The study recommends expanding non-traditional feed mills in countryside of Egy

Economic and environmental implications of wheat-crop sequences on organic dairy-farm simulations

The market for high-quality organic bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is increasing in New England, USA, providing opportunities for organic dairy farmers to grow this alternative cash crop. Our objective was to determine the sustainability of eight 3-year crop sequences compared with a perennial forage baseline in long-term (25-year), well-managed, medium-sized organic dairy farm simulations. Systems included wheat (spring or winter) preceded by maize (Zea mays L.) silage, a 1-year-old perennial forage grass, or soybean as well as maize silage followed by maize silage or soybean. Farm net return was highest for the entirely grass-based system (US$742.15 cow–1). Higher winter wheat yields for soybean–wheat–grass resulted in 7% more income from feed sales ($1027) than spring wheat. Soybean followed by wheat reduced soil nutrient accumulation by 0.8 kg ha–1 year–1 for phosphorus runoff and leachate losses and for potassium accumulation (–17%); there was also a 4% reduction in water footprint (kg kg–1 fat- and protein-corrected milk). Growing winter wheat provides long-term environmental and economic benefits, although for spring wheat, much of this benefit is lost. Use of maize silage in place of grass, winter or spring wheat, or soybean was less profitable. Most cropping system scenarios were less economically favourable than producing and feeding exclusively grass silage. However, inclusion of soybean increased economic benefits.

Environmental impacts of different dairy farming systems in the Po Valley

An environmental Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) was performed to compare four typical milk production systems of the Po Valley: drinking milk (A); Parmigiano-Reggiano more intensive (B); Parmigiano-Reggiano less intensive (C) and Grana Padano (D). The input and output data were collected directly from the farmers by way of questionnaires.The results indicated that the total GHG emissions from the analysed farms, with biological allocation, were: 1.47, 1.35, 1.49 and 1.50 kg CO2 eq. kg−1 FPCM (Fat Protein Corrected Milk) for farm A, B, C and D respectively. Excluding Land Use Change (LUC) emissions and Soil Organic Carbon (SOC) sequestration, total GHG emissions were reduced to 1.02, 1.11, 1.26 and 1.20 kg CO2 eq. kg−1 FPCM for farm A, B, C and D respectively. These reductions were mostly due to the GHG emissions associated to the LUC from imported soybean meal, while the contribution of SOC sequestration to the total GHG emissions was found to be negligible.When LUC emissions from imported soybean meal were not included in the analysis, lower GHG emissions were associated to higher milk yield, feed self-sufficiency and feed efficiency. However, when LUC emissions were included in the analysis, the highest level of these parameters did not always lead to a reduction of the total GHG emissions because the higher use of maize silage was associated with an increase in the use of imported soymeal.The results of this LCA also indicated that marine eutrophication, freshwater eutrophication, non-renewable energy use, land occupation and total biodiversity loss decreased as the level of intensification of the production system increased. Conversely, local biodiversity loss, instead, increased if the milk yield per cow increased. We can conclude that, in the specific context analysed, the increase in productivity may lead to a trade-off between global impacts (such as GHG emissions) and local impacts (e.g. local biodiversity and eutrophication).

The true cost of maize silage

The New Zealand dairy industry has increased significantly in size in over the last two decades. One of the drivers that has made this intensification possible is the use of maize silage as a feed supplement. Growing maize on farm imposes production and opportunity costs on the farm business. Opportunity cost was calculated using data from DairyNZ as the profit foregone due to not milking from the maize-growing hectares. Opportunity cost was added to Pioneer's calculated cost of maize silage production to represent the cost that is incurred for each hectare of maize silage that is planted on farm. The true cost of maize silage grown on farm at differing milksolid (MS) payout levels and farm systems was estimated. The findings indicate the economic appropriateness of growing maize silage on farm depends upon the farm system, the value of MS and the cost to purchase maize silage in a given year. Keywords: Maize, milksolid payout, opportunity cost

Assuring the sustainable production of biogas from anaerobic mono-digestion

Abstract This study aims to analyse the potential environmental benefits and impacts associated to the anaerobic mono-digestion of two different substrates (pig slurry and maize silage). The Life Cycle Assessment methodology was applied in two full-scale Italian biogas plants (Plant A - pig slurry and Plant B - maize silage) in order to calculate the environmental profile of both systems with the aim of identifying the most suitable alternative from an environmental point of view. The study also includes credits due to avoided processes such as electricity production from the grid and mineral fertilisation as well as the conventional management of pig slurry regarding Plant A. The main outcomes show the importance of the feedstock composition on the environmental performance of these systems. While the assessment of Plant A ended up in environmental benefits in all impact categories as a consequence of credits related to replaced processes, its capacity for bioenergy production was limited. On the contrary, the use of maize silage as substrate provided a larger production capacity but it was also associated to negative environmental impacts. In this system, the cultivation of maize showed up as the largest responsible of the environmental impacts, specifically due to diesel fuel consumption in agricultural activities as well as on-site emissions linked to the application of fertilisers. A sensitivity analysis proved that the environmental profile of these bioenergy systems could be improved through surplus heat use as well as technological improvements such as the replacement of the traditional dehumidification unit by a chiller.

Opportunities for reducing environmental emissions from forage-based dairy farms

Modern dairy production is inevitably associated with impacts to the environment and the challenge for the industry today is to increase production to meet growing global demand while minimising emissions to the environment. Negative environmental impacts include gaseous emissions to the atmosphere, of ammonia from livestock manure and fertiliser use, of methane from enteric fermentation and manure management, and of nitrous oxide from nitrogen applications to soils and from manure management. Emissions to water include nitrate, ammonium, phosphorus, sediment, pathogens and organic matter, deriving from nutrient applications to forage crops and/or the management of grazing livestock. This paper reviews the sources and impacts of such emissions in the context of a forage-based dairy farm and considers a number of potential mitigation strategies, giving some examples using the farm-scale model SIMSDAIRY. Most of the mitigation measures discussed are associated with systemic improvements in the efficiency of production in dairy systems. Important examples of mitigations include: improvements to dairy herd fertility, that can reduce methane and ammonia emissions by up to 24 and 17%, respectively; diet modification such as the use of high sugar grasses for grazing, which are associated with reductions in cattle N excretion of up to 20% (and therefore lower N losses to the environment) and potentially lower methane emissions, or reducing the crude protein content of the dairy cow diet through use of maize silage to reduce N excretion and methane emissions; the use of nitrification inhibitors with fertiliser and slurry applications to reduce nitrous oxide emissions and nitrate leaching by up to 50%. Much can also be achieved through attention to the quantity, timing and method of application of nutrients to forage crops and utilising advances made through genetic improvements.

Use of maize silage to improve pasture persistence in dairy farm systems: a review

Maize is a drought tolerant crop that produces high dry matter yields. Growing maize silage as part of a pasture renewal programme can help improve pasture persistence by reducing the level of weeds, insect pests and carryover ryegrass seed. Feeding maize silage to dairy cows results in pasture substitution. This decreases grazing pressure and can be used to manipulate farm pasture cover levels reducing overgrazing. The combination of maize silage and a well-designed stand-off pad with feeding bins allows farmers to keep cows off wet pastures reducing pugging damage and subsequent losses in pasture production without compromising milk production or animal welfare. Maize hybrid selection is critical to ensure timely regrassing. Crop simulation models such as CERES-maize may be useful to determine the best maize hybrid maturity x planting date combinations required to maximise silage yield and meet desired silage harvest and regrassing dates. Best-practice maize silage management including seed bed preparation, weed control and insecticide-treated maize seed will help farmers achieve high yields of silage and assist in the subsequent establishment of high yielding and persistent pastures. Keywords: pasture persistence, maize silage, feed pad

Milk quality as affected by feeding regimens in a country with climatic variation

To investigate the influence of climatic conditions and season on milk composition, bulk tank milk was sampled on 5 occasions during a period of 15 mo from 20 Swedish dairy farms. These farms included 5 organic and 5 conventional farms in central Sweden and 7 traditional conventional farms and 3 conventional farms growing maize for silage in southern Sweden. Feed data and milk yield were recorded and milk was analyzed for content of fatty acids, carotenoids, and tocopherol. Differences between milk from the 2 regions and between summer and winter seasons were shown. Milk from central Sweden differed from milk from southern Sweden in that it had a higher content of carotenoids, tocopherol, short-chain fatty acids (C4–C14), C18:0, and C18:3 n-3 and a lower content of C16. Summer milk samples had a lower fat content and contained higher amounts of C18:1 cis-9 and conjugated linoleic acid cis-9,trans-11, and lower amounts of C4 to C16 compared with winter milk. Differences between farm types from central Sweden were lower content of conjugated linoleic acid cis-9,trans-11 and higher content of C18:3 n-3 in organic milk compared with conventional milk. In southern Sweden the use of maize silage caused lower milk content of carotenoids and C18:3 n-3 when compared with traditional feeding. Differences in milk composition could be related to climatic differences because legumes are more dominating in the leys of central Sweden and maize growing is limited to southern Sweden.

Evaluation of fungal contamination and mycotoxin production in maize silage

Agricultural activities involve daily use of maize silage as feed for livestock, which can be contaminated by mycotoxigenic molds. To evaluate fungal contamination, and the production of mycotoxins in maize silage we propose a multi-disciplinary approach utilizing PCR methods with genes of the aflatoxin ( ver-1, omt-1 and apa-2), fumonisin ( FUM1) and trichothecene ( TRI6) biosynthesis pathways. To detect Aspergillus fumigatus, a 26S/intergenic spacer region of the rDNA complex was amplified. These specific PCR assays allowed three major groups of toxigenic fungi-like aflatoxin-producing Aspergilli, fumonisin and trichothecene-producing Fusaria, and the ubiquitous mold A. fumigatus, to be targeted. A multimycotoxin method is also proposed to simultaneously quantify seven mycotoxins ( i.e., aflatoxin B 1, citrinin, deoxynivalenol, fumonisin B 1, gliotoxin, ochratoxin A, zearalenone) in maize silage by high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (HPLC–MS). These microbiological and analytical tools revealed three potentially toxigenic groups of fungi and A. fumigatus grown from mature maize silage (11 month old) that was collected in Normandy (France) and the mycotoxins aflatoxin B 1 (7.0–51.3 μg/kg), citrinin (10.1–14.2 μg/kg), deoxynivalenol (128.0–181.0 μg/kg) and gliotoxin (6.6–11.9 μg/kg). Results indicate that the combination of PCR and HPLC–MS can be used to assess fungal quality of maize silages.

Use of maize silage in beef cattle feeding during the finishing period

The research investigated the use of maize silage (MS) in beef cattle diets during the finishing period by monitoring a sample of 406 commercial farms located in the Po Valley. Farms were selected in order to cover the most diverse rearing situations, in terms of farm size and cattle genotype, in which MS was fed to beef cattle during the finishing period. Each farm was visited to collect information about the feeding regimen and representative samples of total mixed ration (TMR) and MS were collected for chemical and physical analysis. Two specific classification factors of the farm population were created for statistical analysis of experimental data. The former considered the quantity of MS included in the TMR and the latter was based on the content of long particles of MS (>13 mm). Regardless of chop length, the quality of MS population was satisfactory both by a nutritional and a preservation standpoint, as indicated by the dry matter (DM) (350 ± 38 g/kg of fresh weight) and the high starch content (310 ± 28 g/kg DM) and lactic acid concentration (49 ± 12 g/kg DM). Physical analysis of MS samples showed a wide range of particle size, as result of the different chopping lengths during harvest. The average content of long particles retained by a 13-mm screen was 143 ± 73 g/kg of fresh weight. On average, MS accounted for 33.4% to the total dietary DM but a large standard deviation (11.4%) was observed across farms. The decision about the amount of MS to be included in the TMR has shown to be independent on both chemical composition and particle size of the roughage. In diets with a high quantity of MS the risk of occurrence of rumen acidosis due to the additional starch brought by this silage is balanced either by a significant reduction in the amount of other starch sources or by the higher NDF content and the coarser size of the dietary particles which should promote a prolonged rumination. The analysis of TMR particle size showed that in more than 30% of the farms MS was damaged during diet preparation with a loss of long particles. A logistic analysis demonstrated that the relative risk of MS damage was significantly increased either by a larger inclusion of the roughage in the TMR or by the use of silage with coarse particles.

Effect of the use of maize-silage with low aerobic stability on the performance of lactating dairy cows.

Effect of the use of maize-silage with low aerobic stability on the performance of lactating dairy cows.

Maize silage for dairy cows

This paper reviews the use of maize silage in pastoral dairying systems in New Zealand. The evolution of dairying systems to make profitable use of maize silage and other supplementary feeds has occurred during the last decade in conjunction with an increased use of maize silage. When used within recommended levels of feeding, maize silage provides a low cost source of starch and fibre which complements pasture well for much of the year. Balancing dietary deficiencies in protein, minerals, and in some cases fibre, will optimise milksolids production at high levels of maize silage supplementation. Targets for good quality maize silage include a dry matter content of 28-35%, an energy content of 10.8 MJME/ kgDM, a protein content of 7-8%, and a pH of 3.8 to 4.5. Opportunities for further productivity gains exist through further intensification of dairying systems using high-yielding crops. Keywords: dairy cow, feed quality, maize silage, nutrition

Veal colour and other meat quality characteristics in calves fattened on maize silage and concentrate

Abstract. Male Holstein (15) and female crossbred (15) calves, weaned from milk replacer at the end of experimental week 8, were fattened on a maize silage and concentrate diet (MSC). As a control 14 male Holstein calves were conventionally fattened on milk replacer only. The control calves reached the target slaughter weight of about 135 kg after 24.5 weeks and the MSC males after 28 weeks. The female MSC calves were slaughtered at the same age producing carcasses of 120 kg on average. MSC males were inferior to control calves in conformation, and MSC females showed the highest fat cover scores. Four MSC males expressed DFD (ultimate pH > 5.9 in M. longissimus dorsi (M.l.d.)) and were excluded from further Statistical analyses. The MSC calves had a significantly higher iron and pigment content in M.l.d., resulting in a darker (L*) and redder (a*) colour 24 h as well as 14 days after slaughter. Early visual judgement and instrumental measurements in the M. rectus abdominis (M.r.a.) 45 min and 24 h post mortem, using a colour scale and a Minolta Chroma-Meter, respectively, already showed significantly darker meat with increased redness for MSC calves. However, linear correlations with M.l.d. colour traits were rather low except for redness in M.r.a. 45 min p.m. and aged M.l.d. Haemoglobin concentration in blood, as assessed by a rapid method 3 d before slaughter, was overall on a relatively high level and showed no significant treatment effect and only weak or no correlation to colour traits. Apart from colour, meat quality of the MSC calves was either superior (shear force, collagen solubility, intramuscular fat, sensory tenderness, juiciness and acceptance) or equivalent (cooking loss, flavour intensity) to control. Therefore, the use of maize silage and concentrate in veal produetion seems promising, provided a pink veal colour would be accepted by trade and consumers.

Performance of ewes given maize silage during late pregnancy and lactation

Maize silage is a popular feed for dairy and beef cattle in the United Kingdom, but its popularity for sheep production has never been great. Several reasons for the lack of interest in maize silage for ewes and lambs have been cited; the growth of an annual crop for silage on holdings with a predominance of long-term leys, the low requirement of ewes and lambs for conserved feed, the possibility of low voluntary DM intakes and the risk of a high degree of selection of dietary components of the diet (Brown and Thomas, 1989). The research reported here examines the use of maize silage for ewes in late pregnancy and early lactation.

Mitigation of nitrous oxide emission from dairy farming systems

Dairy farming systems are a major source of nitrous oxide (N 2O) emission. The aim of our study was to explore the possibilities to reduce N 2O emissions from intensively managed dairy farming systems using a system analysis and literature data. Intensively managed grasslands are the dominant source of N 2O emission in dairy farming systems. There are several measures to mitigate N 2O emission from these grasslands, categorized in three broad groups: improved N fertilizer management, improved grassland management and improved management of livestock production. A reduction of N 2O emission from intensively managed dairy farming systems up to 70% may be achieved through implementation of a package of measures to improve nitrogen (N) management, including refined N fertilizer application, reduction of NH 3 volatilization, restricted grazing, use of maize silage, and the use of clover as an alternative for N fertilizer.