Optimizing nitrogen use efficiency in European livestock systems: From feed to plant growth
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Date
2025
Publication Type
Book Chapter
ETH Bibliography
yes
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Abstract
Nitrogen (N) is a crucial nutrient for agriculture. Its unlimited provision by the Haber-Bosch process has led to high N surplus in agriculture, causing severe negative environmental externalities. The reduction of N losses in livestock systems and consequent enhancement of their nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) represents a key lever to substantially reduce the N surplus to meet European environmental policy targets. This review evaluates the potentials to improve the NUE of European cattle and pig livestock systems from feed to plant N use along the whole livestock system cascade. It discusses options to improve feed NUE and the current measures to reduce N losses at housing, manure storage and application as well as crop N recovery. The findings are synthesized at the overall livestock system level using exemplary case-study farms from selected European regions, to highlight potentials for livestock system NUE improvements in the context of the current and future European legislations. All case-study farms have already implemented measures for N loss mitigation, and their livestock system NUE reaches values between 55 % and 75 %. With the implementation of additional measures such as liquid manure acidification, low emission technologies and best field management, livestock system NUE can reach values between 75 % and 85 %. In order to achieve such high livestock system NUE and meet environmental goals, a scaled implementation of best available technologies is essential, and has to go hand in hand with a legislative harmonization and a targeted development of additional reduction measures and auxiliary tools for farmers.
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Publication status
published
Editor
Book title
Advances in Agronomy
Journal / series
Volume
191
Pages / Article No.
277 - 362
Publisher
Elsevier
Event
Edition / version
Methods
Software
Geographic location
Date collected
Date created
Subject
Cattle; Feed; Fertilizer; Legislation; Livestock housing; Manure; Mineral fertilizer equivalent; Nitrogen use efficiency; Pig; Slurry
Organisational unit
03427 - Frossard, Emmanuel (emeritus) / Frossard, Emmanuel (emeritus)