Oct, 2011
Spatial Distribution of Cattle Dung Excretion and Dung Nutrients on a Sloping Pasture
Japanese Journal of Grassland Science
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- Volume
- 57
- Number
- 3
- First page
- 129
- Last page
- 135
- Language
- Japanese
- Publishing type
- Research paper (scientific journal)
- DOI
- 10.14941/grass.57.129
- Publisher
- Japanese Society of Grassland Science
In this study, we aimed to determine the spatial distribution of dung excretion and dung nutrients of grazing cattle on a sloping pasture. Therefore, we investigated dung excretions in each 10m square mesh on the sloping pasture (1.5ha) and calculated dung nutrients according to the number of the dung excretions and dung nutrient content. The distribution of monthly dung excretions was negatively correlated with the slope and positively correlated with the relative altitude. The amount of monthly dung excretions around the fence, salt rack, and shelter woods tended to be larger than that in the mesh in which grazing facilities were not included. By using an intersecting straight line model, in which the point of intersection was at 10.6°, we found large amounts of annual dung excretions in the mesh with a gentle slope. The annual dung excretions in meshes with slopes of 10.6° or less was explained by relative altitude and fence in a multiple regression analysis (R^2=0.681). The maximum annual values of N, P_2O_5, and K_2O in dung excretions in each mesh were 254, 246, and 145kg/ha, respectively. The percentages of areas in which dung supplied excess N, P_2O_5, and K_2O as compared to the fertilizer levels (120, 90, and 30kg/ha of N, P_2O_5, and K_2O, respectively) were 2%, 2%, and 5%, respectively. Further, the percentages of areas in which the dung supplied more than 25% of the fertilizer N, P_2O_5, and K_2O levels were 14%, 19%, and 46%, respectively. These results indicate that the use of fertilizers in areas with gentle slope, those at relatively high altitude and those around fence, salt rack and shelter woods can be reduced, because these areas are supplied by nutrients from large amounts of dung excretions.
- Link information
- ID information
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- DOI : 10.14941/grass.57.129
- ISSN : 0447-5933
- CiNii Articles ID : 110008897959
- CiNii Books ID : AN00194108