Alfalfa nutritive quality for ruminant livestock as influenced by ambient air quality in west-central Alberta

Alfalfa ( Medicago sativa) nutritive quality response to ambient ozone (O 3), sulfur dioxide (SO 2) and oxides of nitrogen (NO x ) were assessed at three locations in west-central Alberta, Canada (1998–2002). Yield data were segregated into high and low relative to overall median yield. Ozone concen...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Environmental pollution (1987) 2007-09, Vol.149 (1), p.99-103
Main Authors: Lin, J.C., Nosal, M., Muntifering, R.B., Krupa, S.V.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Air Pollutants - adverse effects
air pollution
Air quality
air temperature
Alberta
Alfalfa
Animal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena
Animal, plant and microbial ecology
Animals
Animals, Domestic - metabolism
Applied ecology
Biological and medical sciences
Biomass
crop yield
Dietary Proteins - analysis
Ecotoxicology, biological effects of pollution
elevated atmospheric gases
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
General aspects
Humidity
livestock feeding
Medicago sativa
Medicago sativa - physiology
nitrogen oxides
Nitrogen Oxides - adverse effects
Nutritive Value
ozone
Ozone - adverse effects
Plant nutritive quality
precipitation
proteins
Ruminant livestock
ruminant nutrition
Ruminantia
Ruminants - metabolism
Silage
sulfur dioxide
Sulfur Dioxide - adverse effects
Temperature
Terrestrial environment, soil, air
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Summary:Alfalfa ( Medicago sativa) nutritive quality response to ambient ozone (O 3), sulfur dioxide (SO 2) and oxides of nitrogen (NO x ) were assessed at three locations in west-central Alberta, Canada (1998–2002). Yield data were segregated into high and low relative to overall median yield. Ozone concentrations (hourly median and 95th-percentile) and precipitation ( P) contributed 69 and 29%, respectively, to the variability in crude protein (CP) concentration in low-yielding alfalfa, whereas mean temperature ( T) and relative humidity (RH) collectively influenced 98% of the variation in CP in high-yielding alfalfa. Three-fourths of the accounted variation in relative feed value (RFV) of low-yielding alfalfa was attributable to P, T and RH, whereas median and 95th-percentile hourly O 3 concentrations and SO 2 and NO x exposure integrals contributed 25%. In contrast, air quality, (mainly O 3) influenced 86% of the accounted variation in RFV of high-yielding alfalfa, and T and P collectively contributed 14%. Exposure to ambient concentrations of phytotoxic air pollutants affected nutritive quality of alfalfa for ruminant livestock in a yield-dependent manner.
ISSN:0269-7491
1873-6424
DOI:10.1016/j.envpol.2006.12.009