OpenFields

Optimising nutrient budgets for livestock systems based on alternative forage crops.

A research project designed to provide a scientific basis to facilitate the best practice for the sustainable integration of alternative forages within livestock production systems in the UK.

Year of Publication2007

his paper demonstrates the potential benefits and limitations of integrating a range of forages, including high-protein leguminous crops and catch crops, into livestock production systems. The findings have shown the potential to use home-grown forages to build soil fertility, improve nutrient efficiency in livestock, optimise nutrient requirements and thus, maximise nutrient capture and retention; resulting in a win-win scenario for sustainable production and the environment. The work has also emphasised the need for future studies to build on these findings and further our understanding of where, in the plant-animal-soilcycle, we can further improve the sustainability of our livestock systems in the UK through the use of these and other novel home-grown traceable feedstuffs.

This item is categorised as follows

• Subject Collection > Livestock & dairy > Beef production
• Subject Collection > Livestock & dairy > Dairy production
• Subject Collection > Livestock & dairy > Forage crops & other feed
• Subject Collection > Livestock & dairy
• Subject Collection > Livestock & dairy > Sheep production

Additional keywords/tags

natural resource usenutritionsustainable productionlivestock farminganimal productiondefra project code ls 3642farming