A fecal test for assessing phosphorus overfeeding on dairy farms : evaluation using extensive farm data Dou, Z. Ramberg, C. F. /Chapuis Lardy, Lydie Toth, J. D. Wu, Z. Chase, L. E. Kohn, R. A. Knowlton, K. F. Ferguson, J. D. fecal P test P overfeeding dairy farm assessment Managing P on dairy farms requires the assessment and monitoring of P status of the animals so that potential overfeeding may be minimized. Numerous published studies have demonstrated that for lactating dairy cows, increasing P concentrations in diets led to greater P excretion in feces. More recent work reported that inorganic P (P-i) in 0.1% HCl extracts of feces (fecal extract P-i, g/kg) closely reflects dietary P changes. This has led to the proposal that 0.1% HCl fecal extract P-i may serve as an indicator of the animal's P status (adequate or excessive) when compared with a benchmark value. Here, we present the results of an extensive evaluation of the proposed fecal P indicator test. With samples (n = 575) from >90 farms, fecal total P (TP, g/kg) and fecal extract P were positively correlated with dietary P (X, g/kg): TP = 1.92X - 0.17 (R-2 = 0.36); fecal extract P = 1.82X - 2.54 (R-2 = 0.46). Fecal extract P was responsive to dietary P changes, whereas the remaining P, calculated as TP minus fecal extract P, was not. A provisional benchmark value of fecal extract P representing near-adequate P status was set at 4.75 g/kg. Assessment of the farm data using the benchmark indicated that 316 out of 575 data points were associated with possible P overfeeding. Advantages of the fecal-based test over feed-based analysis to assess P status are discussed. The fecal extract P method is a simple and practical test that can be used as an assessment tool for helping dairy producers improve P management and reduce their environmental footprint. 2010 text https://www.documentation.ird.fr/hor/fdi:010049268 fdi:010049268 Dou Z., Ramberg C. F., Chapuis Lardy Lydie, Toth J. D., Wu Z., Chase L. E., Kohn R. A., Knowlton K. F., Ferguson J. D.. A fecal test for assessing phosphorus overfeeding on dairy farms : evaluation using extensive farm data. 2010, 93 (2), 830-839 EN