Urine volume (dilution)

Ecotain environmental plantain is proven to dilute the concentration of N in urine through a combination of:

1. A diuresis effect resulting in a reduced N concentration in urine
2. Increasing water intake via feed

Diuretics

• Diuretics are substances that act within the kidneys to promote the excretion of water from the body through urine. Recent research demonstrates that when sheep ingest the leaves of Ecotain, they experience a diuresis that results in an elevated daily volume of urine.
• Genotype differences were also observed in plantain between commercial cultivars and breeding lines in their diuretic potency when offered to young sheep.
• Not all plantains increase urine volume.

Diuretic potency (as determined by urine volume) from feeding sheep different plantain cultivars and breeding lines balanced for drymatter and water intake. Bars of the same colour are not significantly different. 

Lower drymatter content

The amount of nitrate leached from a urine patch is closely related to the concentration of N in urine. By reducing the N concentration of urine, nitrate leaching would be reduced. One way this can be achieved is by increasing the daily volume of urine, thus diluting the N output. 

Urine volume is closely related to water intake. With the typical dry matter percentage (DM%) of fresh feed ranging from 15-20%, the majority of the total water intake comes from feed rather than water consumed. Feeds with a lower DM% generally increase urine volume. Ecotain, in general has a lower DM content compared to ryegrass and some other commercially available plantains, and this effect is more pronounced in some plantain lines compared to others.

References

Milk production and urinary nitrogen excretion of dairy cows grazing perennial ryegrass-white clover and pure plantain pastures
Box, L.A., Edwards, G.R., & Bryant, R.H. (2016)

The effects of feeding cut plantain and perennial ryegrass-white clover pasture on dairy heifer feed and water intake, apparent nutrient digestibility and nitrogen excretion in urine
Cheng, L., Judson, H.G., Bryant, R.H., Mowat, H., Guinot, L., Hague, H., Taylor, S., & Edwards, G.R. (2017)

Urinary nitrogen concentration from dairy heifers grazing kale supplemented with either plantain or perennial ryegrass baleage in winter
Judson, H.G., & Edwards, G.R. (2016)

Including chicory or plantain in a perennial ryegrass/white clover-based diet of dairy cattle in late lactation: Feed intake, milk production and rumen digestion
Minneé, E.M.K., Waghorn G.C., Lee, J.M., & Clark, C.E.F. (2017)

Sustained diuretic effect of plantain when ingested by sheep
O’Connell, C.A., Judson, H.G., & Barrell, G.K. (2016)

Nitrogen partitioning and milk production of dairy cows grazing simple and diverse pastures
Totty, V.K., Greenwood, S.L., Bryant, R.H., & Edwards, G.R. (2013)