Print version
Nitrogen balance from pig farms (1999)

  Denmark
1999

 

The Danish aquatic environment plan focuses on reducing nitrogen discharge to the aquatic environment. Farming is one of the major contributors to this discharge, which is why it is useful to have an overview of the nitrogen balance and emissions in Danish farming. The data presented here refers to the Nitrogen use and loses in different types of Danish pig farms in 1999. The different farm types are set according to soil type and major enterprise and they can be seen here. For process description, data collection and treatment etc. please look at the processes for each farm type (here). For more details on the Nitrogen balance method see here.

The Nitrogen balance data is presented in three tables:

Table 1. Characteristics of area, land use and production levels on full time mixed pig farms in Denmark year 1999

Table 2. Farm gate N-turnover and -loss at mixed pig farms in Denmark year 1999

Table 3. Field level N-turnover at mixed pig farms in Denmark year 1999

 

Table 1. Characteristics of area, land use and production levels on full time mixed pig farms in Denmark year 1999 (average by farm type)

Soil type1)

Sandy loam

Sand

Farm type (LSU2) ha-1)

<1.4

1.4-1.7

>1.7

<1.4

1.4-1.7

>1.7
Representatively

 

 
 
Number of farms in data set
50
27
98
99
38
164
Area represented by farm type [1000 ha]
77
33
97
177
48
156
% of Danish pig production
4
4
21
13
5
31
Herd data
LSU per farm [LSU farm-1]
40
111
169
58
110
167
Stocking rate [LSU ha-1]
0.7
1.4
2.5
0.8
1.4
2.5
Feed uptake, 100 SFU LSU-1 y-1
46
44
47
47
47
46
N uptake, kg N LSU-1 y-1
151
146
150
153
148
152
N-efficiency, herd3)
34.4%
37.4%
35.6%
36.3%
34.1%
35.8%
Area
Total farm area [ha farm-1]
58
77
68
76
79
67
Crop rotation [% of farm area]
Permanent grass
1
1
2
2
2
2
Set-aside
6
7
5
9
9
8
Cereal for harvest
75
77
73
68
73
71
Grass/clover in rotation
1
1
0
1
1
1
Production
Grover pigs, no
125
368
511
-289
1501
981
Pork meat, 100 kg, live weight
701
2031
3151
1186
1570
2841
Cereal yield [100 kg ha-1]
63
66
70
56
55
54

1) Sandy loam > 5% clay, Sand > 5% clay
2) Livestock units (LSU), DK definition: 1 LSU = 100 kg total N in manure ex-storage, 1 LSU = 35 pigs produced (30 - 100 kg), 1 LSU = 4.3 sow and 175 piglets in one year
3) N-efficiency = output of animals products/input of feed  

 

Table 2. Farm gate N-turnover and -loss at mixed pig farms in Denmark year 1999 (kg N ha-1 year-1)

Soil type

Sandy loam

Sand

Farm type (LSU ha-1)

<1.4

1.4-2.3

>1.7

<1.4

1.4-1.7

>1.7
Imputs

 

   
Mineral fertiliser
119
99
86
96
76
63

Organic fert. & live stock1)
16
10
-50
16
10
-53
Supplement feed
57
160
327
72
164
333
Biological N-fixation
3
2
1
4
4
4
Deposition and precipitation
16
16
16
16
16
16
Total input
211
287
380
203
270
364
             
Outputs
Meat
-46
-89
-152
-51
-80
-154
Cash crops
-45
-46
-55
-34
-34
-32
Straw1)
-5
-5
-5
-6
-5
-4
Total output
-96
-140
-212
-90
-119
-191
             
Farm gate N-balance
115
146
168
113
151
173
N loss, stable and storage2)
-14
-28
-51
-16
-29
-53

 

           
Field N balance
100
118
116
97
121
119
Field N-efficiency3)
50%
47%
49%
46%
41%
42%
 
N loss, field            
Fertilisation, manure spreading2)
-8
-11
-13
-8
-11
-12
Crops2)
-5
-5
-5
-5
-5
-5
Denitrification2)
-14
-23
-24
-7
-9
-9
Soil-N changes
-3
5
7
-1
3
4
Leaching4)
-78
-73
-67
-79
-95
-90
1) Net import = import-export of manure, straw and living animals
2) Calculated standard ammonia emission and denitrifiction
3) N-efficiency = 100 * output/input
4) Leaching = field N balance - N aerial loss (fertilization + crops + denitrification) +/- soil- N changes

 

Table 3. Field level N-turnover at mixed pig farms in Denmark year 1999 (kg N ha-1 year-1)

Soil type

Sandy loam

Sand

Farm type (LSU ha-1)

<1.4

1.4-1.7

>1.7

<1.4

1.4-1.7

>1.7
Inputs            
Mineral fertiliser
119
99
86
96
76
63
Imported organic fertiliser
6
0
0
6
0
0
Manure from own herd1)
55
104
124
59
108
123
Biological N-fixation
3
2
1
4
4
4
Deposition and precipitation
16
16
16
16
16
16
Total input
200
222
227
181
205
206
 
Outputs
Cash crops
-13
-11
-18
-13
-9
-11
Grain
-32
-35
-37
-21
-25
-21
Grain for feed2)
-45
-49
-46
-42
-41
-43
Straw harvested
-7
-7
-9
-7
-8
-8
Straw mulched3) (Not in output)
-9
-9
-13
-3
0
0
Roughage for feed2)
-3
-1
-1
-2
-1
-3
Roughage not utilized by own herd4) (Not in output)
0
-2
0
-1
-3
0
Total output
-99
-104
-111
-84
-84
-86
 
Field N balance
100
118
116
97
121
119
Field N-efficiency5)
50%
47%
49%
46%
41%
42%

1) After deduction of amonia loss in stables, storage and sold manure, see farm gate balance
2) Feed used in own hemrd
3) Straw left on field, not included in balance but used in soil-N modeling
4) Factor = 0 = not include in balances
5) N-efficiency = 100*output/input

Administrative information

Data URL: http://www.lcafood.dk/processes/agriculture/N_balance_pigfarms.html
Version no.: 1.00
Author: Ib Sillebak Kristensen, Danish Institute of Agricultural Science.
Data responsible: Ib Sillebak Kristensen, DIAS

Contact:

Data entry: Transformed into this format by Rikke Frederiksen, DIAS
Data completed: HTML format: November 2004.