Nitrate leaching was measured on orchardgrass (Dactyls glomerata) or ryegrass (Lolium perrene) dairy farm pastures that were either fertilized with nitrogen or inter-seeded with alfalfa (Medicago sativa) or white clover (Trifolium repens). Nitrate leaching varied by year, forage species, and seeding/fertilizer treatment. Pastures with inter-seeded legumes had higher levels of nitrate leaching in the year with lower precipitation; whereas the opposite was true in the fertilized pasture since fertilizer application was reduced in this year. Orchardgrass pastures leached less nitrate than ryegrass pastures and pastures inter-seeded with white clover leached less nitrate than those inter-seeded with alfalfa. The authors of this study suggest that planting dairy farm pastures with forage species and legumes, that are suited to the local climate, may limit nitrate leaching and maintain animal productivity under management intensive grazing when compared to nitrogen fertilizers.
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