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Submitted to: Symposium Proceedings
Publication Type: Proceedings Publication Acceptance Date: 2/17/2004 Publication Date: 4/20/2004 Citation: Nielsen, F.H. 2004. Micronutrients and animal nutrition. Meeting Abstract. In: International Symposium on Micronutrients, New Delhi, India. Paris, France: International Fertilizer Industry Association. CD-ROM. Interpretive Summary: Technical Abstract: Although supplementation of trace minerals (e.g., providing salt licks for grazing animals and grain concentrates for confined animals) is an effective method for overcoming trace element deficiencies, trace element fertilization should also be considered as another method to overcome the lack of some mineral nutrients in diets. Fertilization has been mostly used to increase plant productivity. Unfortunately, many plants grow normally and produce optimum yields even though they contain less selenium, cobalt, copper, and zinc than that required by domestic animals. Moreover, normally growing plants may contain excessive amounts of selenium and molybdenum for grazing animals. Thus, using fertilizers to improve the trace element nutritional value of plants may be a practical means of increasing animal productivity, but there has to be an incentive to do so. The realization that grains and forages with improved trace mineral content may have some economic advantages in the marketing of feeds and foods because of improved nutritional value for animals and humans, might be the stimulus for using trace element fertilization other than just for increasing plant yields. |
