Phosphorus – Wet Season supplements to add to the bottom line

Phosphorus is one of the most important minerals in animal nutrition. While it is well known that phosphorus plays an important role in the skeleton it has vital functions in nutrient metabolism. The most common form of breeder and grower supplementation is urea provision in the dry season.

While it is still important to provide some phosphorus in the dry season, the current scientific evidence suggests there are greater economic returns by supplementing with phosphorus over the wet season, in regions where dietary phosphorus is marginal or deficient. In northern Australia, protein and energy values in tropical pastures peak during the wet season. At this time of year phosphorus becomes the most limiting factor. This has an effect upon growth rate, herd fertility and ultimately profit.

The main effect of phosphorus deficiency is to reduce the consumption of pasture. Hence the addition of phosphorus over the wet season can improve annual liveweight gain by 20-40 kg/annum and it has been estimated that the cost of P supplements could triple before responses become uneconomic. The concluded findings of the ‘Cash Cow’ project was released by Meat and Livestock Australia (MLA) in the recent months. While the findings are too lengthy to include here, one of the major factors was phosphorus status in the wet season. The study measured 83 properties and the impacts of environmental, nutritional, management, and infectious disease factors. The major factors affecting performance included, country type, time of previous calving, wet season phosphorous status, cow body condition, hip-height, cow age, cow reproductive history, severity of environmental conditions, and occurrence of mustering events around the time of calving.

Implementing a phosphorus feeding program is a long term option for northern breeding herds. While small results are seen in the first year these results build every year and become cumulative over the course of the program. If you want to see improved conception and weaning rates, greater live weight gain and better performance from heifers and second calf cows then a wet season phosphorus program might be the answer.

Ridley AgriProducts recognise the benefits in wet season phosphorus supplementation and have invested significant research time and dollars into demonstrating and confirming those benefits in northern production systems. Ridley is the only supplement provider that can offer MDCP (Biofos), blocks and loose licks into the market, which in turn ensures the very best option can be provided to your animals.