| Management intensive grazing (MIG) rotates livestock every 12 to 24 hours through a series of small paddocks. This study used eight different grass-legume mixtures with four replications under MIG to monitor nitrate-nitrogen, ammonia, total N (nitrate-nitrogen and ammonia nitrogen), and total dissolved phosphorus leaching. Porous cup lysimeters were installed at 60 cm and 90 cm in each of the 32 plots. Leachate was collected weekly from mid May through late October 2001.; Nitrate-nitrogen does leach at varying amounts depending on grass-legume mixtures (0–72 mg L−1). Total N leaching is based mainly on nitrate-nitrogen values due to ammonia's volatile nature. Ammonia leaching values varied greatly throughout the season. Inorganic dissolved phosphorus values peaked in mid to late August; however, values were low (<.45 mg L−1). This study concluded potential exists for nitrogen and phosphorus to leach and enter the groundwater under MIG practices. |
