Rangeland Ecology & Management

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Economic and environmental impacts of pasture nutrient management
Author
Osei, E.
Gassman, P. W.
Hauck, L. M.
Neitsch, S.
Jones, R. D.
McNitt, J.
Jones, H.
Publisher
Society for Range Management
Publication Year
2003-05-01
Body

Highly intensive stocking of dairy cattle on continuously grazed pasture coupled with liberal applications of commercial fertilizer can lead to increased losses of agricultural nutrients, which is a concern for water quality of receiving lakes and surface water resources. Integrated economic-environmental model simulations performed for the Lake Fork Reservoir Watershed in northeast Texas indicate that appropriate pasture nutrient management including stocking density adjustments and more efficient commercial fertilizer use could lead to significant reductions in nutrient losses. Soluble and organic P losses were predicted to decline by 54 and 13% relative to baseline conditions when manure P was assumed totally plant available (Low P scenario). The soluble and organic P loss reductions declined to 33 and 7% when only inorganic P was assumed plant available (High P scenario). Simulation of an N-based manure management plan resulted in the smallest predicted soluble and organic P loss reductions of 18 and 3%. Nitrogen loss predictions ranged from a 7% decline to a 1% increase for the 3 scenarios as compared to the baseline. The High P and Low P scenarios resulted in estimated aggregate profit reductions of 6 and 18% relative to the baseline. These profit declines occurred because the dairies had to acquire additional pasture land to accommodate the expanded area required for the P-based scenarios. In contrast, the N-based stocking density and nutrient management scenario resulted in an aggregate profit increase of 3% across all dairies. Variations in economic impacts were also predicted across farm sizes. The Journal of Range Management archives are made available by the Society for Range Management and the University of Arizona Libraries. Contact lbry-journals@email.arizona.edu for further information. Migrated from OJS platform August 2020

Language
en
Resource Type
Text
Document Type
Journal Issue/Article
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
10.2307/4003810
Additional Information
Osei, E., Gassman, P. W., Hauck, L. M., Neitsch, S., Jones, R. D., McNitt, J., & Jones, H. (2003). Economic and environmental impacts of pasture nutrient management. Journal of Range Management, 56(3), 218-226.
IISN
0022-409X
OAI Identifier
oai:repository.arizona.edu:10150/643430
Journal Volume
56
Journal Number
3
Journal Pages
218-226
Journal Name
Journal of Range Management
Keywords
farm size
dairy cows
soil nutrient balance
nutrient management
dairy farm management
agricultural runoff
pollution control
simulation models
costs and returns
production costs
fertilizer application
stocking rate
nitrogen
phosphorus
application rates
Texas
grazing
stocking density
manure
nutrient losses
nitrogen
phosphorus
economics