Abstract

Milk production and urinary nitrogen (N) concentration were measured in late lactation dairy cows grazing a perennial ryegrass- white clover pasture, pure plantain and an area that is comprised of 50% perennial ryegrass-white clover and 50% pure plantain by ground area (50-50 pasture-plantain), (n=12). Milksolids production was greater (P=0.01) for cows grazing plantain (1.67 kg MS/cow/d) than those grazing pasture (1.50 kg MS/cow/d), with cows grazing 50-50 pasture-plantain intermediate (1.60 kg MS/cow/d). Urine-N concentration was 56% lower (P<0.001) for plantain (2.4 g N/L) and 33% lower for 50-50 pasture-plantain (3.6 g N/L) than pasture (5.4 g N/L). Plantain may offer environmental benefits to dairy systems by reducing the urinary N concentration deposited on the soil from grazing cows in late lactation.

LA, Box, GR Edwards, and RH Bryant

Proceedings of the New Zealand Society of Animal Production, Volume 76, Adelaide, 18-21, 2016