Effect of Slow-Release Urea Administration on Production Performance, Health Status, Diet Digestibility, and Environmental Sustainability in Lactating Dairy Cows

Grossi, Silvia; Compiani, R.; Rossi, Luciana; Dell’Anno, Matteo; Rossi, C.A. Sgoifo

doi:10.3390/ani11082405

Cited by 10 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 37 publications

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“…Moreover, several studies reported that the lower dose of SRU actually resulted in better growth performance of yak fed diet supplemented with 1% than with 2% of SRU [8] or the higher fibre digestibility of a high-grain diet with 0.5% and 1% SRU than 1.75% SRU supplementation in Rusitec [9]. For lactating dairy cows, Grossi et al reported that inclusion of 1.33% SRU to partly replacing feed protein in dairy cow diet improved feed intake, milk yield and production efficiency as well as reduced methane production and carbon footprint due to SRU feeding [11]. In a metaanalysis, Salami et al found that supplementation of dairy cow diets with SRU was beneficial to improve feed efficiency and to decrease carbon footprint and manure nitrogen excretion but limited effect on milk production [12].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effect of commercial slow-release urea product on in vitro rumen fermentation and ruminal microbial community using RUSITEC technique

Guo

Xiao²,

Jin

et al. 2022

J Animal Sci Biotechnol

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Background The objectives of this study were to determine the effect of commercial slow-release urea (SRU) on in vitro fermentation characteristics, nutrient digestibility, gas production, microbial protein synthesis and bacterial community using a rumen simulation technique (RUSITEC). The experiment was a completely randomized design with four treatments and four replications of each treatment. Treatments were: control diet (no SRU addition), control diet plus 0.28% SRU (U28), or plus 0.56% SRU (U56), and control diet that was modified substituting a part of soybean meal equivalent to 0.35% SRU (MU35; dry matter [DM] basis). The experiment consisted of 8 d of adaptation and 7 d of data and sample collection. Rumen inoculum was obtained from three ruminally fistulated Angus cows fed the same diet to the substrate incubated. Results Digestibility of DM, organic matter (OM), crude protein (CP), fibre and starch was not affected, but daily production of gas (P < 0.07) and methane (P < 0.05) was quadratically increased with increasing SRU supplementation. The increase of SRU addition did not affect fermentation pH and total volatile fatty acid (VFA) production, whereas linearly (P < 0.01) decreased proportion of propionate, and linearly (P < 0.01) increased acetate to propionate ratio and ammonia nitrogen (N) concentration. The microbial N efficiency was also linearly (P < 0.03) improved with increasing supplementation of SRU. In comparison with control diet, the dietary substitution of SRU for part of soybean meal increased (P < 0.05) the digestibility of DM, OM and CP and decreased (P < 0.02) the total gas production. The total VFA production and acetate to propionate ratio did not differ between control and MU35, whereas the proportion of butyrate was lower (P < 0.05) and that of branched-chain VFA was greater (P < 0.05) with MU35 than control diet. Total and liquid-associated microbial N production as well as ammonia N concentration were greater (P < 0.03) with MU35 than control diet. Observed operational taxonomic units (OTUs), Shannon diversity index, and beta diversity of the microbial community did not differ among treatments. Taxonomic analysis revealed no effect of adding SRU on the relative abundance of bacteria at the phylum level, while at the genus level, the beneficial impact of SRU on relative abundance of Rikenellaceae and Prevotellaceae in feed particle-associated bacteria, and the abundance of Roseburia in liquid associate bacteria was greater (P < 0.05) with MU35. Conclusions Supplementation of a dairy cow diet with SRU showed potential of increase in ammonia N concentration and microbial protein production, and change fermentation pattern to more acetate production. Adding SRU in dairy cow diet also showed beneficial effect on improving digestibility of OM and fibre. The results suggest that SRU can partially substitute soybean meal in dairy cow diet to increase microbial protein production without impairing rumen fermentation.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effect of commercial slow-release urea product on in vitro rumen fermentation and ruminal microbial community using RUSITEC technique

Guo

Xiao²,

Jin

et al. 2022

J Animal Sci Biotechnol

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“…Heat stress can reduce rumen microorganisms' degradation and reproduction ability by changing rumen tissue morphology, rumen temperature, pH, and osmotic pressure, which is not conducive to nutrient digestion and absorption, and thus reduce the production performance and feed conversion rate of animals [21]. Animal studies demonstrate that replacing SM with SRU can be a strategy to enhance dairy cows' sustainability due to improved production efficiency [18]. Supplementing ruminant diets with SRU can increase the consistency of the link between rumen energy and protein availability and enhance microbial protein synthesis, thus improving its conversion efficiency into milk [22].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…According to the experimental method described by Grossi [18], the correlation coefficient between the predicted value and the measured value reached 0.880. Therefore, the prediction was made according to the following formula: CH 4 (g/d) = 2.54 + 19.14 × DMI where:…”

Section: Environmental Impact: Predicted Enteric Methane Productionmentioning

confidence: 96%

Effect of Slow-Release Urea Partial Replacement of Soybean Meal on Lactation Performance, Heat Shock Signal Molecules, and Rumen Fermentation in Heat-Stressed Mid-Lactation Dairy Cows

Jiang,

Zhang,

Wang

et al. 2023

Animals

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This study aimed to assess the effects of partially substituting soybean meal in the diet with slow-release urea (SRU) on the lactation performance, heat shock signal molecules, and environmental sustainability of heat-stressed lactating cows in the middle stage of lactation. In this study, 30 healthy Holstein lactating dairy cattle with a similar milk yield of 22.8 ± 3.3 kg, days in milk of 191.14 ± 27.24 days, and 2.2 ± 1.5 parity were selected and randomly allocated into two groups. The constituents of the two treatments were (1) basic diet plus 500 g soybean meal (SM) for the SM group and (2) basic diet plus 100 g slow-release urea and 400 g corn silage for the SRU group. The average temperature humidity index (THI) during the experiment was 84.47, with an average THI of >78 from day 1 to day 28, indicating the cow experienced moderate heat stress conditions. Compared with the SM group, the SRU group showed decreasing body temperature and respiratory rate trends at 20:00 (p < 0.1). The substitution of SM with SRU resulted in an increasing trend in milk yield, with a significant increase of 7.36% compared to the SM group (p < 0.1). Compared to the SM group, AST, ALT, and γ-GT content levels were significantly increased (p < 0.05). Notably, the levels of HSP-70 and HSP-90α were significantly reduced (p < 0.05). The SRU group showed significantly increased acetate and isovalerate concentrations compared with the SM group (p < 0.05). The prediction results indicate that the SRU group exhibits a significant decrease in methane (CH4) emissions when producing 1 L of milk compared to the SM group (p < 0.05). In summary, dietary supplementation with SRU tended to increase the milk yield and rumen fermentation and reduce plasma heat shock molecules in mid-lactation, heat-stressed dairy cows. In the hot summer, using SRU instead of some soybean meal in the diet alleviates the heat stress of dairy cows and reduces the production of CH4.

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“…Environmental factors present increasingly complex challenges to the dairy sector. Global climate change, soil degradation, and competition for finite land resources have wide-ranging implications for agriculture as a whole [23][24][25]. Assessing and mitigating the specific carbon and water footprints associated with dairy production represents an area of increasing importance [26].…”

Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

Technical Efficiency, Economic Sustainability, and Environmental Implications of Dairy Farms in Pakistan

Razzaq,

Qin,

Anwar

et al. 2024

Pol. J. Environ. Stud.

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Dairy production is a significant contributor to food security; however, it also causes environmental problems such as greenhouse gas emissions, water pollution, and land degradation. Pakistan, a country highly vulnerable to climate change, relies heavily on its dairy sector. This sector largely consists of small farms where sustainability practices may be limited. Understanding the economic and environmental impacts of these practices on Pakistan's rural and peri-urban dairy farms is critical, yet research in this area remains scarce. This study analyzes the economic and environmental sustainability of Pakistani dairy production in rural and peri-urban areas, considering farm structure, market factors, technical efficiency, and associated policy challenges. Data from 100 farms near Lahore were analyzed using farm budgeting, Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA), and truncated regression. Results indicate that Pakistani dairy production faces limited profitability, driven largely by feed costs. Rural farms showed higher profit margins, often due to lower input costs, but were generally less technically efficient. This low efficiency carries potential environmental consequences. Truncated regression revealed that education, experience, and family size have a significant influence on technical efficiency. Findings suggest the need for targeted interventions, such as extension services tailored to the needs of rural and peri-urban farmers, promoting improved feed practices, and supporting the adoption of sustainable technologies, to enhance the economic viability and environmental sustainability of Pakistan's dairy sector.

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Effect of Slow-Release Urea Administration on Production Performance, Health Status, Diet Digestibility, and Environmental Sustainability in Lactating Dairy Cows

Cited by 10 publications

References 37 publications

Effect of commercial slow-release urea product on in vitro rumen fermentation and ruminal microbial community using RUSITEC technique

Effect of commercial slow-release urea product on in vitro rumen fermentation and ruminal microbial community using RUSITEC technique

Effect of Slow-Release Urea Partial Replacement of Soybean Meal on Lactation Performance, Heat Shock Signal Molecules, and Rumen Fermentation in Heat-Stressed Mid-Lactation Dairy Cows

Technical Efficiency, Economic Sustainability, and Environmental Implications of Dairy Farms in Pakistan

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