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Status of selenium and vitamin E on Norwegian organic sheep and dairy cattle farms

Govasmark, Espen; Steen, Arvid; Strøm, Turid; Hansen, Sissel; Singh, Bal Ram and Bernhoft, Aksel (2005) Status of selenium and vitamin E on Norwegian organic sheep and dairy cattle farms. Acta Agriculturae Scandinavica, Section A Animal Science, 55, pp. 40-46.

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Summary

Herbage selenium (Se) concentration is generally low in Norway. It is unknown, if feeding practises on Norwegian organic farms fulfil the dietary need of Se and vitamin E to sheep and dairy cattle. Therefore, we analysed Se in soil and herbage, and Se and vitamin E in animal blood in the indoor feeding season at 14 organic dairy and 14 organic sheep farms. The herbage Se concentration was low. Approximately 50 and 35 % of all samples in the first and second cut, respectively, had Se concentrations below the detection limit of 0.01 mg/kg dry matter (DM). The median (10th, 90th percentile) Se concentrations were <0.01 (<0.01, 0.03) and 0.02 (<0.01, 0.06) mg/kg DM in the first and second cuts, respectively. Whole blood Se concentrations were 0.10 (0.04, 0.15) µg/g in dairy cattle and 0.14 (0.03, 0.26) µg/g in sheep. Vitamin E concentrations were 4.2 (2.7, 8.4) mg/L in dairy cattle and 1.3 (0.9, 2.4) mg/L in sheep. None of the soil or plant variables explained the variation in herbage Se concentration, although Se in soil and plant tended to be correlated. Herbage Se concentration was inadequate to meet the dietary Se requirements. Vitamin E requirement was only met in dairy herds. We recommend Se and vitamin E supplementation to ruminants on organic farms.


EPrint Type:Journal paper
Keywords:feed, mineral nutrition, organic farming, roughage, Se, soil, MINERALSIP
Subjects: Animal husbandry > Production systems > Dairy cattle
Animal husbandry > Production systems > Sheep and goats
Animal husbandry > Feeding and growth
Research affiliation: Norway > NORSØK - Norwegian Centre for Organic Agriculture
Norway > NVH - Norwegian School of Veterinary Science
Norway > NMBU - Norwegian University of Life Sciences
Norway
Norway > NVI - National Veterinary Institute
Related Links:http://orgprints.org/perl/search/advanced?addtitle%2Ftitle=&addtitle%2Ftitle_merge=ALL&authors=&authors_merge=ALL&editors=&editors_merge=ALL&abstract%2Fengabstract=&abstract%2Fengabstract_merge=ALL&keywords=MINERAL-SIP&keywords_merge=ALL&subjects_merge=AN
Deposited By: Govasmark, Ph.D. Espen
ID Code:6922
Deposited On:20 Apr 2006
Last Modified:12 Apr 2010 07:32
Document Language:English
Status:Published
Refereed:Peer-reviewed and accepted

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