@conference {60972,
	title = {Feeding birdsfoot trefoil (Lotus corniculatus) reduces the environmental impacts of dairy farming},
	booktitle = {Proceedings of the New Zealand Society of Animal Production},
	volume = {69},
	year = {2009},
	month = {Jun},
	pages = {179-183},
	publisher = {New Zealand Society of Animal Production},
	organization = {New Zealand Society of Animal Production},
	address = {Christchurch},
	abstract = {An indoor feeding experiment using 16 late lactation Friesian dairy cows measured effects of increased proportions of birdsfoot trefoil (Lotus corniculatus; Lotus) in the diet on the partitioning of nitrogen (N) between milk, faeces and urine. Cows were housed in metabolism stalls for 12 days and fed diets containing 0\%, 15\%, 29\% or 45\% Lotus (\% Lotus dry matter (DM) per DM intake (DMI)) with the remainder perennial ryegrass pasture. Increasing the proportion of Lotus in the diet did not affect DMI but increased milk (P <0.001) and milksolids yields (P <0.01). The percentage of N intake partitioned to milk increased from 16\% (0\% Lotus) to 21\% (45\% Lotus) (P <0.01) with an increasing proportion of Lotus in the diet. The percentage of N intake excreted as faecal N also increased from 29\% (0\% Lotus) to 38\% (45\% Lotus) (P <0.001) while the percentage excreted as urinary N was reduced from 49\% (0\% Lotus) to 34\% (45\% Lotus) (P <0.01). Partitioning of N towards faeces has a favourable environmental impact since faecal N is largely retained in soils whereas urinary N is subject to volatilisation as ammonia, losses as nitrous oxides (a greenhouse gas) and leaching into groundwater. },
	issn = {1176-5283},
	author = {Woodward SL and Waghorn GC and Watkins KA and Bryant MA}
}
