relation: https://orgprints.org/id/eprint/56647/
title: Optimizing nitrogen use efficiency in European livestock systems: From feed to plant growth
creator: Epper, Carole A.
creator: Zavattaro, Laura
creator: Velhof, Gerard L.
creator: Thuriès, Laurent
creator: Steinsberger, Thomas
creator: Sorensen, Peter
creator: Richards, Karl
creator: Oberson, Astrid
creator: Möller, Kurt
creator: Merbold, Lutz
creator: Menzi, Harald
creator: Liebisch, Frank
creator: Levavasseur, Florent
creator: Leiber, Florian
creator: Kupper, Thomas
creator: Krol, Dominika
creator: Janke, David
creator: Hofmeier, Maximilian
creator: Hoekstra, Nyncke J.
creator: Guillaume, Thomas
creator: Gilgen, Anina
creator: Ghiasi, Shiva
creator: Frick, Hanna
creator: Dragoni, Frederico
creator: Diaz de Otalora, Xabier
creator: Chadwick, David R.
creator: Cavalli, Daniele
creator: Bretscher, Daniel
creator: Bischoff, Wolf-Anno
creator: Bechini, Luca
creator: Argento, Francesco
creator: Amon, Barbara
creator: Ammann, Christof
creator: Mayer, Jochen
subject:  Composting and manuring
subject:  Feeding and growth
subject:  Nutrient turnover
description: 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.  274 Carole A. Epper et al
date: 2025
type: Journal paper
type: NonPeerReviewed
format: application/pdf
language: en
identifier: /id/eprint/56647/1/Epper%20et%20al.%20%282025%29_NUE%20Livestock%20Systems_Adv%20Agron_50064.pdf
identifier:    Epper, Carole A.; Zavattaro, Laura; Velhof, Gerard L.; Thuriès, Laurent; Steinsberger, Thomas; Sorensen, Peter; Richards, Karl; Oberson, Astrid; Möller, Kurt; Merbold, Lutz; Menzi, Harald; Liebisch, Frank; Levavasseur, Florent; Leiber, Florian; Kupper, Thomas; Krol, Dominika; Janke, David; Hofmeier, Maximilian; Hoekstra, Nyncke J.; Guillaume, Thomas; Gilgen, Anina; Ghiasi, Shiva; Frick, Hanna; Dragoni, Frederico; Diaz de Otalora, Xabier; Chadwick, David R.; Cavalli, Daniele; Bretscher, Daniel; Bischoff, Wolf-Anno; Bechini, Luca; Argento, Francesco; Amon, Barbara; Ammann, Christof and Mayer, Jochen   (2025) Optimizing nitrogen use efficiency in European livestock systems: From feed to plant growth.   Advances in Agronomy, 191, pp. 273-358.        
relation: https://doi.org/10.1016/bs.agron.2025.01.003
identifier: https://doi.org/10.1016/bs.agron.2025.01.003