Trace elements in confined livestock production systems in the pampean plains of Argentina

Abstract

The presence of trace elements in manure, soils and sediments from the drainage canalizations in confined beef cattle production systems has been analyzed in a humid and in a semiarid area of Argentina. The obtained results clearly show accumulation of Cu and Zn in the pen soils of the system under study. Metals in the soil come from animal manure. Metals in manure are derived directly from the animal diet. Concentration decreases with soil depth. In the sediments from the drainage canalizations, concentration is higher due to run-off. Differences were observed between humid and semiarid regions. Nevertheless, in both cases, metal accumulation in soil is related to the age of emplacement of the establishment