Date of Award:
8-2020
Document Type:
Thesis
Degree Name:
Master of Science (MS)
Department:
Plants, Soils, and Climate
Committee Chair(s)
Jennifer Reeve
Committee
Jennifer Reeve
Committee
Karen Beauchemin
Committee
Jennifer MacAdam
Committee
Jeanette Norton
Abstract
Pasture-finished beef has become increasingly popular, but nitrogen losses from these pastures are of concern. Legumes containing condensed tannins such as birdsfoot trefoil (Lotus corniculatus) and sainfoin (Onobrychis viciifolia) may serve as environmentally and economically viable alternative forages in pasture finishing systems while reducing soil nitrogen loss. The goal of this project was to understand how tannin type and concentration affects soil nitrogen cycling both in the lab and the field. This thesis: 1) compared the physical, chemical, and biological characteristics of soil samples obtained from grazed grass and tannin and non-tannin containing legume pastures, 2) assessed how feces from cattle fed pure forage hays from objective 1 affect soil nitrogen cycling processes and greenhouse gas emissions using a feces-amended soil incubation study, and 3) assessed how forage tannin type and dose affected various nitrogen cycling processes using a tannin-amended soil incubation study with tannins extracted from birdsfoot trefoil and sainfoin leaves. The field and laboratory results of this thesis suggest that tannin-containing legumes can significantly lower rates of nitrogen cycling processes that promote nitrogen loss to the environment. These results confirm that tannin containing legumes may serve as environmentally and economically viable alternative forages in pasture-finished beef production systems.
Checksum
5aa224fc8f7b5ef336ad48f45f9603b1
Recommended Citation
Slebodnik, Kathryn A., "Effect of Plant Derived Tannins on Nitrogen and Carbon Cycling in Pasture Soils" (2020). All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023. 7803.
https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/etd/7803
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