An Environmental Assessment of Cattle Manure and Urea Fertilizer Treatments for Corn Production in the Northern Great Plains

Highlights The Integrated Farm System Model appropriately represented average emission rates measured in corn production. Compared to the use of feedlot manure, application bedded pack manure generally increased N and P losses. inorganic fertilizer use, cattle soluble loss while reducing GHG emission. Production environmental differences among production systems were similar under recent future climates. Abstract . Nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), carbon (C) emissions from livestock have become important regional, national, international concerns. Our objective was process-level simulation explore treatments a system used feed finishing Northern Great Plains region U.S. analysis included model assessment, compare climate, comparisons using projected midcentury climate. evaluated representing performance nutrient losses without bedding, with urea, no fertilization treatments. Two-year field experiments conducted near Clay Center, Nebraska; Brookings, South Dakota; Fargo, North Dakota provided observed data following these Means simulated methane, ammonia, nitrous oxide those field-applied or urea fertilizer. Simulation over 25 years climate showed greater runoff compared fertilizers, but life-cycle fossil energy greenhouse gas decreased. by retaining more removed housing facility through because large portion stover cornfield for as bedding material. indicated trend toward small increase grain Dakotas decrease irrigated Nebraska. Climate affected three similarly, so impact obtained Keywords: change, Greenhouse gas, Model, Nutrient