Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-rdxmf Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-24T03:46:19.192Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Diet effects on urine composition of cattle and N2O emissions

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  06 June 2013

J. Dijkstra ,
O. Oenema ,
J. W. van Groenigen ,
J. W. Spek ,
A. M. van Vuuren  and
A. Bannink
J. Dijkstra*
Affiliation:
Animal Nutrition Group, Wageningen University, PO Box 338, 6700 AH Wageningen, The Netherlands
O. Oenema
Affiliation:
Alterra, Wageningen UR, PO Box 47, 6700 AA Wageningen, The Netherlands Department of Soil Quality, Wageningen University, PO Box 47, 6700 AA Wageningen, The Netherlands
J. W. van Groenigen
Affiliation:
Department of Soil Quality, Wageningen University, PO Box 47, 6700 AA Wageningen, The Netherlands
J. W. Spek
Affiliation:
Animal Nutrition Group, Wageningen University, PO Box 338, 6700 AH Wageningen, The Netherlands Wageningen UR Livestock Research, PO Box 65, 8200 AB Lelystad, The Netherlands
A. M. van Vuuren
Affiliation:
Wageningen UR Livestock Research, PO Box 65, 8200 AB Lelystad, The Netherlands
A. Bannink
Affiliation:
Wageningen UR Livestock Research, PO Box 65, 8200 AB Lelystad, The Netherlands
*
†E-mail: [email protected]
Get access

Abstract

Ruminant production contributes to emissions of nitrogen (N) to the environment, principally ammonia (NH3), nitrous oxide (N2O) and di-nitrogen (N2) to air, nitrate (NO3−) to groundwater and particulate N to surface waters. Variation in dietary N intake will particularly affect excretion of urinary N, which is much more vulnerable to losses than is faecal N. Our objective is to review dietary effects on the level and form of N excreted in cattle urine, as well as its consequences for emissions of N2O. The quantity of N excreted in urine varies widely. Urinary N excretion, in particular that of urea N, is decreased upon reduction of dietary N intake or an increase in the supply of energy to the rumen microorganisms and to the host animal itself. Most of the N in urine (from 50% to well over 90%) is present in the form of urea. Other nitrogenous components include purine derivatives (PD), hippuric acid, creatine and creatinine. Excretion of PD is related to rumen microbial protein synthesis, and that of hippuric acid to dietary concentration of degradable phenolic acids. The N concentration of cattle urine ranges from 3 to 20 g/l. High-dietary mineral levels increase urine volume and lead to reduced urinary N concentration as well as reduced urea concentration in plasma and milk. In lactating dairy cattle, variation in urine volume affects the relationship between milk urea and urinary N excretion, which hampers the use of milk urea as an accurate indicator of urinary N excretion. Following its deposition in pastures or in animal houses, ubiquitous microorganisms in soil and waters transform urinary N components into ammonium (NH4+), and thereafter into NO3− and ultimately in N2 accompanied with the release of N2O. Urinary hippuric acid, creatine and creatinine decompose more slowly than urea. Hippuric acid may act as a natural inhibitor of N2O emissions, but inhibition conditions have not been defined properly yet. Environmental and soil conditions at the site of urine deposition or manure application strongly influence N2O release. Major dietary strategies to mitigating N2O emission from cattle operations include reducing dietary N content or increasing energy content, and increasing dietary mineral content to increase urine volume. For further reduction of N2O emission, an integrated animal nutrition and excreta management approach is required.

Keywords

nitrogenurinecattlenitrous oxidemitigation
Type
Full Paper
Information
animal , Volume 7 , Issue s2: Greenhouse Gases & Animal Agriculture Conference (GGAA 2013), 23rd ‐ 26th June 2013, Dublin, Ireland , June 2013 , pp. 292 - 302
Copyright
Copyright © The Animal Consortium 2013 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Bannink, A, Valk, H, Van Vuuren, AM 1999. Intake and excretion of sodium, potassium, and nitrogen and the effects on urine production by lactating dairy cows. Journal of Dairy Science 82, 1008–1018.Google Scholar
Bannink, A, Van Schijndel, MW, Dijkstra, J 2011. A model of enteric fermentation in dairy cows to estimate methane emission for the Dutch National Inventory Report using the IPCC Tier 3 approach. Animal Feed Science and Technology 166–167, 603–618.Google Scholar
Bertram, JE, Clough, TJ, Condron, LM, Sherlock, RR, O'Callaghan, M 2010. Hippuric acid effect on N2O emissions from cow urine patches at a range of soil temperatures. 19th World Congress of Soil Science. Soil Solutions for a Changing World. 1–6 August 2010, Brisbane, Australia. Brisbane, Australia. Published on DVD.Google Scholar
Bertram, JE, Clough, TJ, Sherlock, RR, Condron, LM, O'Callaghan, M, Wells, NS, Ray, JL 2009. Hippuric acid and benzoic acid inhibition of urine derived N2O emissions from soil. Global Change Biology 15, 2067–2077.Google Scholar
Bristow, AW, Whitehead, DC, Cockburn, JE 1992. Nitrogenous constituents in the urine of cattle, sheep, and goats. Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture 59, 387–394.Google Scholar
Brun-Lafleur, L, Delaby, L, Husson, F, Faverdin, P 2010. Predicting energy × protein interaction on milk yield and milk composition in dairy cows. Journal of Dairy Science 93, 4128–4143.Google Scholar
Bussink, DW, Oenema, O 1998. Ammonia volatilization from dairy farming systems in temperate areas: a review. Nutrient Cycling in Agroecosystems 51, 19–33.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Calsamiglia, S, Ferret, A, Reynolds, CK, Kristensen, NB, van Vuuren, AM 2010. Strategies for optimizing nitrogen use by ruminants. Animal 4, 1184–1196.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Cant, JP 2005. Integration of data in feed evaluation systems. In Quantitative aspects of ruminant digestion and metabolism, 2nd edition (ed. J Dijkstra, JM Forbes and J France), pp. 707–725. CAB International, Wallingford, UK.Google Scholar
Capper, JL 2011. The environmental impact of beef production in the United States: 1977 compared with 2007. Journal of Animal Science 89, 4249–4261.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Castillo, AR, Kebreab, E, Beever, DE, France, J 2000. A review of efficiency of nitrogen utilisation in lactating dairy cows and its relationship with environmental pollution. Journal of Animal and Feed Sciences 9, 1–32.Google Scholar
Ciszuk, P, Gebregziabher, T 1994. Milk urea as an estimate of urine nitrogen of dairy cows and goats. Acta Agriculturae Scandinavica, Section A – Animal Science 44, 87–95.Google Scholar
Clough, TJ, Ray, JL, Bucktought, LE, Calder, J, Baird, D, O'Callaghan, M, Sherlock, RR, Condron, LM 2009. The mitigation potential of hippuric acid on N2O emissions from urine patches: an in situ determination of its effect. Soil Biology and Biochemistry 41, 2222–2229.Google Scholar
De Campeneere, S, De Brabander, DL, Vanacker, JM 2006. Milk urea concentration as affected by the roughage type offered to dairy cattle. Livestock Science 103, 30–39.Google Scholar
De Klein, CAM, Eckard, RJ, van der Weerden, TJ 2010. Nitrous oxide emissions from the nitrogen cycle in livestock agriculture: estimation and mitigation. In Nitrous oxide and climate change (ed. K Smith), pp. 107–142. Earthscan, London.Google Scholar
Dijkstra, J, Oenema, O, Bannink, A 2011. Dietary strategies to reducing N excretion from cattle: implications for methane emissions. Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability 3, 414–422.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dijkstra, J, France, J, Ellis, JL, Strathe, AB, Kebreab, E, Bannink, A 2013. Production efficiency of ruminants: feed, nitrogen and methane. In Sustainable animal agriculture (ed. E Kebreab). CAB International, Wallingford, UK (in press).Google Scholar
Dijkstra, J, Kebreab, E, Mills, JAN, Pellikaan, WF, López, S, Bannink, A, France, J 2007. From nutrient requirement to animal response: predicting the profile of nutrients available for absorption in dairy cattle. Animal 1, 99–111.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dijkstra, J, Ellis, JL, Kebreab, E, Strathe, AB, López, S, France, J, Bannink, A 2012. Ruminal pH regulation and nutritional consequences of low pH. Animal Feed Science and Technology 172, 22–33.Google Scholar
Dijkstra, J, Kebreab, E, Bannink, A, Crompton, LA, López, S, Abrahamse, PA, Chilibroste, P, Mills, JAN, France, J 2008. Comparison of energy evaluation systems and a mechanistic model for milk production by dairy cattle offered fresh grass-based diets. Animal Feed Science and Technology 143, 203–219.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Doepel, L, Pacheco, D, Kennelly, JJ, Hanigan, MD, López, IF, Lapierre, H 2004. Milk protein synthesis as a function of amino acid supply. Journal of Dairy Science 87, 1279–1297.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Ellis, JL, Dijkstra, J, France, J, Parsons, AJ, Edwards, GR, Rasmussen, S, Kebreab, E, Bannink, A 2012. Effect of high-sugar grasses on methane emissions simulated using a dynamic model. Journal of Dairy Science 95, 272–285.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Eriksson, L, Valtonen, M 1982. Renal urea handling in goats fed high and low protein diets. Journal of Dairy Science 65, 385–389.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
FAO 2011. World livestock 2011 – livestock in food security. FAO, Rome.Google Scholar
Firkins, JL, Reynolds, C 2005. Whole-animal nitrogen balance in cattle. In Nitrogen and phosphorus nutrition of cattle (ed. E Pfeffer and AN Hristov), pp. 167–186. CAB International, Wallingford, UK.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Fujihara, T, Shem, MN 2011. Metabolism of microbial nitrogen in ruminants with special reference to nucleic acids. Animal Science Journal 82, 198–208.Google Scholar
Gonda, HL, Lindberg, JE 1994. Evaluation of dietary nitrogen utilization in dairy cows based on urea concentrations in blood, urine and milk, and on urinary concentration of purine derivatives. Acta Agriculturae Scandinavica, Section A – Animal Science 44, 236–245.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Haque, MN, Rulquin, H, Andrade, A, Faverdin, P, Peyraud, JL, Lemosquet, S 2012. Milk protein synthesis in response to the provision of an “ideal” amino acid profile at 2 levels of metabolizable protein supply in dairy cows. Journal of Dairy Science 95, 5876–5887.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Huhtanen, P, Nousiainen, JI, Rinne, M, Kytölä, K, Khalili, H 2008. Utilization and partition of dietary N in dairy cows fed grass silage-based diets. Journal of Dairy Science 92, 3222–3232.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hume, DA, Whitelaw, CBA, Archibald, AL 2011. The future of animal production: improving productivity and sustainability. Journal of Agricultural Science 149, 9–16.Google Scholar
Kebreab, E, Strathe, AB, Dijkstra, J, Mills, JAN, Reynolds, CK, Crompton, LA, Yan, T, France, J 2010. Energy and protein interactions and their effect on nitrogen excretion in dairy cows. In 3rd EAAP international symposium on energy and protein metabolism and nutrition (ed. GM Crovetto), pp. 417–425. Wageningen Academic Publishers, Wageningen, The Netherlands.Google Scholar
Kehraus, S, Südekum, K-H, Pfeffer, E 2006. Einflussfactoren auf die ausscheidung N-haltiger verbindungen im harn von wiederkäuern. Übersichten Tierernährung 34, 125–164.Google Scholar
Kool, DM, Hoffland, E, Hummelink, EWJ, van Groenigen, JW 2006a. Increased hippuric acid content of urine can reduce soil N2O fluxes. Soil Biology and Biochemistry 38, 1021–1027.Google Scholar
Kool, DM, Hoffland, E, Abrahamse, PA, van Groenigen, JW 2006b. What artificial urine composition is adequate for simulating soil N2O fluxes and mineral N dynamics? Soil Biology and Biochemistry 38, 1757–1763.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kreula, M, Rauramaa, A, Ettala, T 1978. The effect of feeding on the hippuric acid content of cows urine. Journal of the Scientific Agricultural Society of Finland 50, 372–377.Google Scholar
Lantinga, EA, Keuning, JA, Groenwold, J, Deenen, PJAG 1987. Distribution of excreted nitrogen by grazing cattle and its effect on sward quality, herbage production and utilization. In Animal manure on grassland and fodder crops: fertilizer or waste? (ed. HG van der Meer, RJ Unwin, TA van Dijk and GC Emnik), pp. 103–117. Martinus Nijhoff, Dordrecht, The Netherlands.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lapierre, H, Berthiaume, R, Raggio, G, Thivierge, MC, Doepel, L, Pacheco, D, Dubreuil, P, Lobley, GE 2005. The route of absorbed nitrogen into milk protein. Animal Science 80, 11–22.Google Scholar
Law, RA, Young, FJ, Patterson, DC, Kilpatrick, DJ, Wylie, ARG, Mayne, CS 2009. Effect of dietary protein content on animal production and blood metabolites of dairy cows during lactation. Journal of Dairy Science 92, 1001–1012.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Lesschen, JP, Velthof, GL, de Vries, W, Kros, J 2011. Differentiation of nitrous oxide emission factors for agricultural soils. Environmental Pollution 159, 3215–3222.Google Scholar
Luo, J, Ledgard, SF, De Klein, CAM, Lindsey, SB, Kear, M 2008. Effects of dairy farming intensification on nitrous oxide emissions. Plant and Soil 309, 227–237.Google Scholar
Marini, JC, Van Amburgh, ME 2003. Nitrogen metabolism and recycling in Holstein heifers. Journal of Animal Science 81, 545–552.Google Scholar
Martin, AK 1970. The urinary aromatic acids excreted by sheep given S24 perennial ryegrass cut at six stages of maturity. British Journal of Nutrition 24, 943–959.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Martin, AK 1982. The origin of urinary aromatic compounds excreted by ruminants. 1. The metabolism of quinic, cyclohexanecarboxylic and non-phenolic aromatic acids to benzoic acid. British Journal of Nutrition 47, 139–154.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Monaghan, RD, Barraclough, D 1992. Some chemical and physical factors affecting the rate and dynamics of nitrification in urine-affected soil. Plant and Soil 143, 11–18.Google Scholar
Mosier, A, Kroeze, C, Nevison, C, Oenema, O, Seitzinger, S, van Cleemput, O 1998. Closing the global N2O budget: nitrous oxide emissions through the agricultural nitrogen cycle. Nutrient Cycling in Agroecosystems 52, 225–248.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Oenema, O, Bannink, A, Sommer, SG, van Groenigen, JW, Velthof, GL 2008. Gaseous nitrogen emissions from livestock farming systems. In Nitrogen in the environment sources, problems, and management (ed. JL Hatfield and RF Follett), pp. 395–441. Elsevier, London.Google Scholar
Raggio, G, Lobley, GE, Lemosquet, S, Rulquin, H, Lapierre, H 2006. Effect of casein and propionate supply on whole body protein metabolism in lactating dairy cows. Canadian Journal of Animal Science 86, 81–89.Google Scholar
Ravishankara, AR, Daniel, JS, Portmann, RW 2009. Nitrous oxide (N2O): the dominant ozone-depleting substance emitted in the 21st century. Science 326, 123–125.Google Scholar
Rom, HB, Henriksen, K 2000. Nitrogen loss from cattle housed on deep litter. In Husdyrgødning og kompost (ed. SG Sommer and J Eriksen), pp. 5–13. Forskningscenter for Økologisk Jordbrug, Tjele, Denmark.Google Scholar
Spek, JW, Dijkstra, J, van Duinkerken, G, Bannink, A 2013. A review of factors influencing milk urea concentration and its relationship with urinary urea excretion in lactating dairy cattle. Journal of Agricultural Science 151, 412–428.Google Scholar
Spek, JW, Bannink, A, Gort, G, Hendriks, WH, Dijkstra, J 2012. Effect of sodium chloride intake on urine volume, urinary urea excretion, and milk urea concentration in lactating dairy cattle. Journal of Dairy Science 95, 7288–7298.Google Scholar
Steiger Burgos, M, Senn, M, Sutter, F, Kreuzer, M, Langhans, W 2001. Effect of water restriction on feeding and metabolism in dairy cows. American Journal of Physiology–Regulatory Integrative and Comparative Physiology 280, R418–R427.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Tamminga, S 1992. Nutrition management of dairy cows as a contribution to pollution control. Journal of Dairy Science 75, 345–357.Google Scholar
Tas, BM, Susenbeth, A 2007. Urinary purine derivatives excretion as an indicator of in vivo microbial N flow in cattle: a review. Livestock Science 111, 181–192.Google Scholar
Ussiri, D, Lal, R 2013. Soil emission of nitrous oxide and its mitigation. Springer, Dordrecht, 378pp.Google Scholar
Van Duinkerken, G, Blok, MC, Bannink, A, Cone, JW, Dijkstra, J, Van Vuuren, AM, Tamminga, S 2011. Update of the Dutch protein evaluation system for ruminants: the DVE/OEB2010 system. Journal of Agricultural Science 149, 351–367.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
VandeHaar, MJ, St-Pierre, NR 2006. Major advances in nutrition: relevance to the sustainability of the dairy industry. Journal of Dairy Science 89, 1280–1291.Google Scholar
Van Groenigen, JW, Palermo, V, Kool, DM, Kuikman, PJ 2006. Inhibition of denitrification and N2O emission by urine-derived benzoic and hippuric acid. Soil Biology and Biochemistry 38, 2499–2502.Google Scholar
Van Groenigen, JW, Velthof, GL, Van der Bolt, FJE, Vos, A, Kuikman, PJ 2005. Seasonal variation in N2O emissions from urine patches: effects of urine concentration, soil compaction and dung. Plant and Soil 273, 15–27.Google Scholar
Van Vuuren, AM, Smits, MCJ 1997. Effect of nitrogen and sodium chloride intake on production and composition of urine in dairy cows. In Gaseous nitrogen emissions from grasslands (ed. SC Jarvis and BF Pain), pp. 195–199. CAB International, Wallingford, UK.Google Scholar
Velthof, GL, Kuikman, PJ, Oenema, O 2003. Nitrous oxide emission from animal manures applied to soil under controlled conditions. Biology and Fertility of Soil 37, 221–230.Google Scholar
Verbic, J, Chen, XB, Macleod, NA, Ørskov, ER 1990. Excretion of purine derivatives by ruminants – effect of microbial nucleic acid Infusion on purine derivative excretion by steers. Journal of Agricultural Science 114, 243–248.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Weeth, HJ, Lesperance, AL 1965. Renal function of cattle under various water and salt loads. Journal of Animal Science 24, 441–447.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Weiss, WP, Willett, LB, St-Pierre, NR, Borger, DC, McKelvey, TR, Wyatt, DJ 2009. Varying forage type, metabolizable protein concentration, and carbohydrate source affects manure excretion, manure ammonia, and nitrogen metabolism of dairy cows. Journal of Dairy Science 92, 5607–5619.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Whitehead, DC, Lockyer, DR, Raistrick, N 1989. Volatilization of ammonia from urea applied to soil: influence of hippuric acid and other constituents of livestock urine. Soil Biology & Biochemistry 21, 803–808.Google Scholar
Wilson, P 2011. Decomposing variation in dairy profitability: the impact of output, inputs, prices, labour and management. Journal of Agricultural Science 149, 507–517.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Wrage, N, Velthof, GL, van Beusichem, ML, Oenema, O 2001. Role of nitrifier denitrification in the production of nitrous oxide. Soil Biology and Biochemistry 33, 1723–1732.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Yan, T, Frost, JP, Keady, TWJ, Agnew, RE, Mayne, CS 2007. Prediction of nitrogen excretion in feces and urine of beef cattle offered diets containing grass silage. Journal of Animal Science 85, 1982–1989.Google Scholar