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Nitrogen balance from dairy farms (2002)

  Denmark
2002

 

The Danish aquatic environment plan focuses on reducing nitrogen discharge to the aquatic environment. Farming is one of the major contributors to this discharge, which is why it is useful to have an overview of the nitrogen balance and emissions in Danish farming. The data presented here refers to the Nitrogen use and losses in different types of Danish dairy farms in 2002. The different farm types are set according to soil type and major enterprise and they can be seen here. For process description, data collection and treatment etc. please look at the processes for each farm type (Here). For more details on the Nitrogen balance method see here.

The Nitrogen balance data is presented in three tables:

Table 1. Characteristics of area, land use and production levels of full time mixed dairy farms in Denmark year 2002

Table 2. Farm gate N-turnover and -loss at mixed dairy farms in Denmark year 2002

Table 3. Field level N-turnover at mixed dairy farms in Denmark year 2002

 

Table 1. Characteristics of area, land use and production levels of full time mixed dairy farms in Denmark year 2002 (average by farm type)

Soil type1)

Sandy loam

Sand

Farmtype [LSU2) ha-1]

<1.4

1.4-2.3

>2.3

Org.

<1.4

1.4-2.3

>2.3
Org.
Suckler
Representativity

 

 
 
 
Number of farms in data set
 21 29 11 14
93
212
13
133
109
Area represented by farm type [1000ha] 31 35 9 5
166
260
11
65
227
% of Danish milk Production
3
7
2
1
17
47
3
8
0
Herd data
Dairy per farm [cows farm-1]
45
70
83
78
59
79
94
90
0
LSU per farm [LSU farm-1]
74
109
122
119
96
124
152
138
23
Stocking rate [LSU ha-1]
0.9
1.7
2.4
1.2
1.0
1.7
2.6
1.2
0.6
Feed uptake, 100 SFU LSU-1 y-1
49
50
47
45
49
49
47
45
40
N uptake , kg N LSU-1 y-1
144
147
135
131
144
144
139
132
137
N-efficiency, herd3)
22.3%
20.4%
19.7%
20.3%
20.3%
20.0%
20.6%
19.8%
16.0%
Area
Total farm area [ha farm-1]
81
63
50
102
96
74
58
117
39
Crop rotation [% of farm area]
Permanent grass
8
6
6
9
11
10
8
11
21
Set-aside
7
6
6
0
7
6
9
0
6
Cereal for harvest
47
29
26
23
38
16
8
15
47
Maize/whole crop silage
15
32
44
27
19
39
61
26
4
Grass/clover in rotation
15
22
9
40
21
26
13
47
15
Production
Cereal yield [100kg ha-1]
58
61
58
38
49
50
41
41
46
Milk yield [kg ECM cow-1 yr-1]
7861
7911
7174
6908
7764
7764
7581
6958
0
1) Sandy loam > 10% clay, Sand < 10% clay
2) Livestock units (LSU), DK definition: 1 LSU = 100 kg total N in manure ex. storage, 0.85 LSU=1 dairy cow on 8,500 l milk year-1
3) N-efficiency = output of animals and livestock products/input of feed  

 

Table 2. Farm gate N-turnover and -loss at mixed dairy farms in Denmark year 2002 (kg N ha-1 year-1)

Soil type

Sandy loam

Sand

Farm type (LSU ha-1)

<1.4

1.4-2.3

>2.3

Org.

<1.4

1.4-2.3

>2.3
Org.
Suckler
Inputs        

 

     
 
Mineral fertiliser
78
56
24
0
74
57
36
0
91

Organic fert. & live stock1)
5
2
-26
7
12
1
-51
8
15
Supplement feed
45
137
224
33
45
110
237
25
18
Straw for bedding1)
0
6
12
8
0
7
13
6
0
Biological N-fixation
20
25
13
71
23
31
23
75
15
Deposition and precipitation
16
16
16
16
16
16
16
16
16
Total input
166
242
264
134
170
222
274
130
155
 
Outputs
Milk
-23
-46
-62
-26
-25
-44
-65
-27
0
Meat
-9
-11
-10
-5
-7
-9
-16
-5
-16
Cash crops
-26
-12
-12
-4
-13
-3
0
-2
-24
Total output
-58
-69
-84
-35
-45
-55
-81
-33
-40
 
Farm gate N-balance
108
172
180
99
124
167
193
97
114
N loss, stable and storage2)
-11
-23
-31
-14
-12
-21
-33
-14
-8

 

Field N balance
96
147
147
84
112
145
158
82
106
Field N-efficiency3)
55%
49%
45%
60%
51%
49%
45%
62%
47%
 
N loss, field
Fertilisation, manure spreading2)
-12
-20
-23
-12
-13
-19
-23
-12
-9
Crops2)
-4
-4
-4
-2
-4
-4
-4
-2
-3
Denitrification2)
-28
-29
-31
-29
-12
-15
-16
-12
-10
Soil-N change
5
19
15
16
22
36
36
35
8
Leaching4)
-48
-76
-75
-26
-62
-72
-82
-23
-76
1) Net import = import-export of manure, straw and living animals
2) Calculated standard ammonia emission and denitrification
3) N-efficiency = 100*output/input
4) Leaching = field N balance - N aerial loss (fertilization+crops+denitrification) +/- soil-N changes

 

Table 3. Field level N-turnover at mixed dairy farms in Denmark year 2002 (kg N ha-1 year-1)

Soil type

Sandy loam

Sand

Farm type (LSU ha-1)

<1.4

1.4-2.3

>2.3

Org.

<1.4

1.4-2.3

>2.3
Org.
Suckler
Inputs
Mineral fertiliser
78
56
24
0
74
57
36
0
91
Imported organic fertiliser
4
0
0
18
10
0
0
21
13
Manure from own herd1)
95
190
216
107
106
179
213
104
68
Biological N-fixation
20
25
13
71
23
31
23
75
15
Deposition and precipitation
16
16
16
16
16
16
16
16
16
Total input
213
287
269
211
230
283
288
217
202
 
Outputs
Cash crops
-4
-2
-7
0
-1
0
0
0
-2
Grain
-22
-9
-5
-3
-12
-2
0
-1
-23
Grain for feed2)
-21
-19
-18
-11
-18
-10
-5
-8
-13
Straw harvested
-9
-5
-5
-3
-6
-2
-1
-2
-7
Straw mulched3) (Not in output)
-3
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
Roughage for feed2)
-63
-102
-87
-110
-80
-122
-123
-122
-50
Total output
-117
-140
-122
-127
-118
-139
-130
-134
-95
 
Field N balance
96
147
147
84
112
145
158
82
106
Field N-efficiency4)
55%
49%
45%
60%
51%
49%
45%
62%
47%

1) After deduction of ammonia loss in stables, storage and sold manure, see farm gate balance
2) Feed used in own herd
3) Straw left on field, not included in balance but used in soil-N modeling
4) N-efficiency = 100*output/input

 

Administrative information

Data URL: http://www.lcafood.dk/processes/agriculture/N_balance_dairyfarms.html
Version no.: 1.00
Author: Ib Sillebak Kristensen, Danish Institute of Agricultural Science.
Data responsible: Ib Sillebak Kristensen, DIAS

Contact:

Data entry: Transformed into this format by Rikke Frederiksen, DIAS
Data completed: HTML format: November 2004.