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Tools for evaluating and regulating nitrogen impacts in livestock farming systems

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  25 September 2014

C. Bockstaller ,
F. Vertès ,
J.-L. Fiorelli ,
P. Rochette  and
H. F. M. Aarts
C. Bockstaller*
Affiliation:
INRA, Research Unit 1121 Agronomy and Environment (LAE), F-68021Colmar, France
F. Vertès
Affiliation:
INRA, Research Unit 1069 Agro Soil and Hydrosystem Spatialisation (SAS), F-35042 Rennes Cedex, France
J.-L. Fiorelli
Affiliation:
INRA, Research Unit 0055 Mirecourt Agro-Systems, Territories, Resources (ASTER), F-88500 Mirecourt, France
P. Rochette
Affiliation:
Agriculture and AgriFood Canada, Quebec City, G1V 2J3Canada
H. F. M. Aarts
Affiliation:
Plant Research International, WUR, Agrosysteemkunde, Wageningen, The Netherlands
*
† E-mail: christian.bockstaller@colmar.inra.fr
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Abstract

This article describes several indicators and methods for estimating nitrogen flows and balance sheets. It reviews their strengths and weaknesses according to user types and their objectives. The nitrogen balance sheets, based on the difference between inputs and outputs are by far the most-often used estimator of nitrogen management on livestock farms. Among those, the soil surface balance helps in guiding the fertilisation and the farmgate balance is logically higher. The indicators of practices are easy to use but are poor predictors of nitrogen losses, whereas the indicators of emissions allow for estimating nitrogen losses using either direct measurements or models thereby providing a dynamic assessment of these flows. The coupling of balance sheets and indicators of emissions offers a certain potential for improvement of diagnosis and support of decision making. Finally, the indicators of impacts, including the life cycle analyses are currently the most popular for qualifying the impacts of animal production.

Keywords

indicatormodeldiagnosisnitrogen balancelife cycle analysis
Type
Full Paper
Information
Advances in Animal Biosciences , Volume 5 , Issue s1: Nitrogen flows in livestock farming systems: Reduce losses, restore balance , October 2014 , pp. 49 - 54
Copyright
© The Animal Consortium 2014 

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