Dairy NZ general manager new systems and competitiveness David McCall said the collaboration would encourage farmers to take up using the variety, called tonic, sold under the brand name Ecotain and developed by seed company Agricom. Early on in the seven-year project, researchers had looked at different herb and grass species to see if there were any benefits for reducing leaching. This particular plantain variety has been shown to have a number of benefits. There was lower nitrogen content in the plant itself, so cows put out less surplus nitrogen after digesting it. The herb also had a diuretic effect, which made the animal urinate more in volume and more often, spreading nitrogen around further. This gave more plants a chance to take up the nitrogen.
Farming project tinkers with cows diet to reduce dairy s environmental footprint msn.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from msn.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Monday, 14 December 2020, 10:33 am
Fonterra and Nestlé are teaming up with DairyNZ to
expand a promising plantain trial to help improve waterways
and reduce on-farm greenhouse gas (GHG)
emissions.
Incorporating certain varieties of plantain
into a cow’s diet has been shown to reduce the nitrogen
concentration in their urine, which can leach through soil
into groundwater.
To test the benefits in local
pastures, DairyNZ has been leading the Tararua Plantain
Project in the lower North Island, where farmers have been
growing the leafy herb for their cows. The Ministry for
Primary Industries is also involved as a key
contributor.
Now, Fonterra and Nestlé are helping
Fonterra, Nestlé and DairyNZ to work together on tackling nitrogen leaching
Incorporating certain varieties of plantain into a cow’s diet has been shown to reduce the nitrogen concentration in their urine, which can leach through soil into groundwater. Pic: Fonterra Fonterra and Nestlé are teaming up with DairyNZ to expand a plantain trial to help improve waterways and reduce on-farm greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
Incorporating certain varieties of plantain into a cow’s diet has been shown to reduce the nitrogen concentration in their urine, which can leach through soil into groundwater.
To test the benefits in local pastures, DairyNZ has been leading the Tararua Plantain Project in the lower North Island, where farmers have been growing the leafy herb for their cows. The Ministry for Primary Industries is also involved as a key contributor.
Business Scoop » Fonterra, Nestlé And DairyNZ Join Forces To Tackle Nitrogen Leaching scoop.co.nz - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from scoop.co.nz Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.