Management of phosphorus nutrition of beef cattle grazing seasonally dry rangelands: a review

Abstract

This review examines the effects of phosphorus (P) deficiency as a major constraint to productivity of cattle grazing rangelands with low-P soils. Nutritional deficiency of P may severely reduce liveweight (LW) gain of growing cattle (e.g. by 20–60 kg/annum) and the productivity of breeder cow herds as weaning rate, mortality and calf growth. In seasonally dry tropical environments, the production responses to supplementary P occur primarily during the rainy season when the nutritional quality of pasture as metabolisable energy (ME) and protein is high and pasture P concentration is limiting, even though the P concentrations are higher than during dry season. When ME and nitrogen of rainy-season pasture are adequate, then P-deficient cattle typically continue to gain LW slowly, but with reduced bone mineralisation (i.e. osteomalacia). In beef breeder herds when diet P is insufficient, cows with high bone P reserves can mobilise bone P reserves during late pregnancy and early lactation. Mobilisation may contribute up to the equivalent of ~7 g diet P/day (one-third of the P requirements) in early lactation, and, thus, allow acutely P-deficient breeders to maintain calf growth for at least several months until depletion of cow body P reserves. However, severe P deficiency in cattle is usually associated with reduced voluntary intake (e.g. by 20–30% per kg LW), severe LW loss and poor reconception rates. When P intake is greater than immediate requirements, breeders can replenish bone P. Replenishment in mature cows occurs slowly when ME intake is sufficient only for slow LW gain, but rapidly at ME intakes sufficient for rapid LW gain. Bone P replenishment also occurs in late-pregnant heifers even when losing maternal LW. Intervals of mobilisation and replenishment of body P reserves will often be important for P nutrition of beef breeder cows through annual cycles. Diagnosis of P deficiency in grazing cattle is difficult and must encompass estimation of both diet P intake and availability of P from body reserves. Cattle behaviour (e.g. pica, osteophagea), low soil P concentrations and low herd productivity provide valuable indicators. Some constituents of blood (plasma inorganic P, calcium, plasma inorganic P:calcium ratios and endocrine markers) are valuable indicators, but the threshold values indicative of P deficiency at various ME intakes are not well established. It is evident that knowledge of both the nutritional physiology and requirements for P provide opportunities to better manage P nutrition to alleviate production losses in low-input systems with beef cattle grazing rangelands.