Dose Effect of Drinking Water Nitrate on Health, Feed Intake, Rumen Fermentation and Microbiota, and Nitrogen Excretion in Holstein Heifers for a Sustainable Water Use

Lourdes Llonch (), Marçal Verdú, Miriam Guivernau, Marc Viñas, Sonia Martí, Carles Medinyà, Joan Riera, Jordi Cucurull and Maria Devant ()
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Lourdes Llonch: Ruminant Production Program, Institut de Recerca i Tecnologia Agroalimentàries, Torre Marimon, Caldes de Montbui, 08140 Barcelona, Spain
Marçal Verdú: Animal Nutrition and Feed Industry, bonÀrea Agrupa, Guissona, 25210 Lleida, Spain
Miriam Guivernau: Sustainability in Biosystems Program, Institut de Recerca i Tecnologia Agroalimentàries, Torre Marimon, Caldes de Montbui, 08140 Barcelona, Spain
Marc Viñas: Sustainability in Biosystems Program, Institut de Recerca i Tecnologia Agroalimentàries, Torre Marimon, Caldes de Montbui, 08140 Barcelona, Spain
Sonia Martí: Ruminant Production Program, Institut de Recerca i Tecnologia Agroalimentàries, Torre Marimon, Caldes de Montbui, 08140 Barcelona, Spain
Carles Medinyà: SINUAL S.L., Sallent, 08650 Barcelona, Spain
Joan Riera: NANTA S.A., Tres Cantos, 28760 Madrid, Spain
Jordi Cucurull: Animal Nutrition and Feed Industry, bonÀrea Agrupa, Guissona, 25210 Lleida, Spain
Maria Devant: Ruminant Production Program, Institut de Recerca i Tecnologia Agroalimentàries, Torre Marimon, Caldes de Montbui, 08140 Barcelona, Spain

Sustainability, 2024, vol. 16, issue 20, 1-15

Abstract: The present study aimed to evaluate the potential hazardous effects of NO 3 − concentration in drinking water on health, feed intake, rumen fermentation and microbiota, and nitrogen excretion of Holstein heifers fed a high-concentrate diet for a sustainable water use. Twenty-four Holstein heifers were individually allocated and assigned to one of four treatments with increasing drinking water NO 3 − concentration: CTR, without NO 3 − ; LOW, with 44 mg NO 3 − /L; MOD, with 110 mg NO 3 − /L; and HIGH, with 220 mg NO 3 − /L. The entire study lasted 168 days. Fortnightly water NO 3 − concentration and daily feed and water intake were recorded. Blood parameters, rumen pH, volatile fatty acids, NO 3 − and NO 2 − concentration, microbiota, and apparent total tract digestibility were determined at the beginning and at the end of the study. Most of the analyzed parameters were similar among treatments. Denitrifying bacteria population, estimated as nosZ gene copies, were greater in HIGH animals than in CTR animals at the end of the study. In conclusion, drinking water NO 3 − concentration up to 220 mg/L has no detrimental effect on health, feed intake, rumen fermentation, nor N excretion in dairy beef cattle for periods up to 168 days; moreover, denitrifying bacteria population increased, which are related with the neutralization of the greenhouse gas N 2 O.

Keywords: animal health; finishing cattle; greenhouse gases; rumen microbial population; sustainable water use; total tract digestion; water nitrate (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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