Koeien & Kansen is een samenwerkingsverband van 16 melkveehouders,

proefbedrijf De Marke, Wageningen UR en adviesdiensten. De resultaten vindt u op: www.koeienenkansen.nl

Nutrient management in dairy farming; the Dutch case

Koos Verloop, Frans Aarts

Dairy farming in the Netherlands

Production and farm size

Farm '00-'01 '02-'03 '04-'05 '06-'07 '08-'09 '10-'11

Milk production (Mg yr-1)

573 614 626 669 701 791

Size (ha)

44 47 49 52 53 56

Production intensity

(Mg milk ha-1)13 13.1 12.7 12.9 13.2 14.1

Grassland area (%)

83 83 82 85 84 85

Milking cows 77 81 82 84 89 99

Milk production cow

(Mg yr-1)7.4 7.6 7.6 7.9 7.9 8

2015?

Nutrient management; background

The society demands a clean environment

Environmental standards referring to N and P in the environment are a challenge for dairy farms

Can dairy farmers improve their farm management to meet N and P standards?

Environmental standards, a problem?

Since 50-ies

Strong increase in dairy production

High N en P inputs with feeds and fertilizers

High surpluses

Losses to the environment

Surplus

N: 470

P: 32

Farm

N: 568

P: 49

N: 81

P: 17

N, P: kg per ha

Research Cows & Opportunities;how to meet EU directed regulation

Nitrate directive

European water framework

NEC

Research of Cows and Opportunities;task

Experimental farm De Marke Explore possibilities to produce 12,000 kg milk/ha

without violating environmental targets

Cow and opportunities Test regulation

Improve mineral management on commercial farms to meet environmental targets

DM

Clay

Peat

Sand

loess

Experimental farm and pilot farmers

Targets of experimental farm De Marke

Common practice‘80-s

Target

Nitrogen  Input 568 195Output 81 70Surplus 487 125Efficiency 14 36Phosphorus  Input 49 13Output 17 13Surplus 32 0Efficiency 35 100

The N and P cycle as a frame for research...

Inputs and outputs via the farm gate

Partial transfer between sub systems of the farm

Losses

Herd

Manure

Soil

Crops

Abatement of losses...

Vee

Mest

Bodem

Gewas

StrategiesFinding and plugging leaks

Adjusting inputs

To function on a lower level of nutrient throughflow

Resulting inA higher farm nutrient use

efficiency

Lower emissions

Measures: integrated approach

Herd

Crops Manure

Soil

- Low emission floor- Closed manure

storage- Restricte young stock- Optimized

productivity per cow

- Low emission floor- Closed manure

storage- Restricte young stock- Optimized

productivity per cow

- Crop rotation- Undersow catch

crops- Homegrown

concentrates

- Crop rotation- Undersow catch

crops- Homegrown

concentrates

- N, P to requirements- Processing silage to

improve its utilization by cattle

- N, P to requirements- Processing silage to

improve its utilization by cattle

- Optimal distribution over parcels

- Optimal timing- Synlocation in maize- Restricted grazing- Anaerobic digestion- Separation- Refinery

- Optimal distribution over parcels

- Optimal timing- Synlocation in maize- Restricted grazing- Anaerobic digestion- Separation- Refinery

Utilization of manure-N a key factor for efficient nutrient use on the farm

The higher the utilization of manure-N the fewer additional mineral N is required for crop production

How can we enhance the N fertilizer value of manure?

Manure-N Fertilizer-NManure-N Fertilizer-N

Grazing and nitrate leaching

Adverse effects of grazing Higher nitrate leaching

Lower grass yields

Less collected farm slurry

Solution: rotational grazing Small parcels (1 ha)

Start at 1700 kg DM ha-1

Finish in 4-5 days

Restricted grazing 120 days a year

6 hours a day

Crop rotation

Three years grass/clover Two years maize One year cereals

Crop rotation grass>> maize

Mineralization in 1st year maize is higher than crop uptake capacity

No fertilizer N in 1st year maize

Gain: 90 kg N ha-1 yr-1 (not leached but available for other crops)

Month

Uptake 1st year maize

min

eral

izat

ion

Without manureWith manure

Plo

ughi

ng g

rass

od

Catch crop after harvesting of maize

N mineralization in winter ishigher than 50 kg ha-1

A catch crop in winter is necessary to restrict nitrate leaching

The gain is at least 50 kg N ha-1 (not leached but available for next crop)

Fertilizer N supply can be reduced with 50 kg N

month

Uptake maize

min

eral

izat

ion

Uptake catch crop sown after harvestUptake undersown catch crop

Slurry injection

Row application of manure

Application of manure in the row of maize

Increasingly adopted by common practice

Slurry separation

slurry

Solid fraction liquid fraction

Anaerobic digestion of slurry

First generation

Second generation

The future

Efficient nutrient management in common practice through implementation of ANCA, a tool to give insights in nutrient flows

Adopted by farmers

Adopted by the dairy sector

Adopted by the government as alternative regulatory instrument?

Maximum utilization of manure Crop production based on organic fertilizer

Dairy production free of mineral fertilizer

Improve roughage production Feed the new 15% of cows

Through efficient and maximum crop production

Koeien & Kansen is een samenwerkingsverband van 16 melkveehouders,

proefbedrijf De Marke, Wageningen UR en adviesdiensten. De resultaten vindt u op: www.koeienenkansen.nl

Thank you!

Koos Verloop, Frans Aarts