For many regions in northern Australia, phosphorus (P) deficiency is a serious nutritional issue for beef herds and can cause major losses in productivity and profitability.
Cattle need phosphorus for almost every vital function of the body. It’s used for:
- building bones and teeth
- metabolising fat, carbohydrates and protein
- producing milk
- increasing feed intake.
Deficiencies often arise in tropical production systems because most northern soils have lower available soil P compared with southern Australia. This means there’s often insufficient phosphorus in the pasture to meet animal requirements.
The cattle that have the highest phosphorus requirements are growing stock, late-pregnant heifers and cows, and lactating cows.
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