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Nitrogen Loss From a High-Fertility, Rotational Pasture Program¹

ABSTRACT

A beef cattle-pasturing system involving four rotationally grazed summer pastures (SG) and four pastures used rotationally for winter grazing/feeding (WGF) was studied on sloping upland watersheds in Ohio to determine effects of livestock management on N levels in water. Both summer and winter areas annually received 224 kg N/ha as NH₄NO₃ fertilizer. Surface runoff was collected automatically during runoff events, and subsurface flow was sampled from spring developments on a weekly basis. Although seasonal N concentration and transport in surface runoff tended to be greater in the area occupied by the cattle, N concentration and transport in runoff from the two areas were quite similar and did not significantly impair water quality, based on U.S. Public Health Standards. The NO₃-N concentration in the subsurface flow from the WGF area was higher than in the subsurface flow from the SG area. The NO₃-N concentration in the subsurface flow from both areas increased progressively throughout the study period, and reached levels as high as 18 mg/L. The subsurface flow provided the main pathway for N transport, with the surface transport being approximately 20 and 14% of the total N transport from the SG and WGF areas, respectively. The amount of sediment-N transported was very small because of low soil loss.

Key Words: water pollution • winter grazing • grazing systems • nonpoint source pollution • agricultural practices • nitrate transport

¹ Contribution from the USDA-ARS, North Appalachian Experimental Watershed, Coshocton, OH 43812, in cooperation with the Ohio Agricultural Research & Development Center, Wooster, OH 44691.

² Soil Scientist, USDA-ARS, North Appalachian Exp. Watershed, Coshocton; Professor of Agronomy, Ohio Agric. Res. & Dev. Center; and Soil Scientist, USDA-ARS, North Appalachian Exp. Watershed, respectively.

Received for publication August 23, 1982.

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