Revised greenhouse-gas emissions from Australian dairy farms following application of updated methodology

2018 ◽  
Vol 58 (5) ◽  
pp. 937 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. M. Christie ◽  
R. P. Rawnsley ◽  
C. Phelps ◽  
R. J. Eckard
Keyword(s):  
Waste Management ◽  
Greenhouse Gas ◽  
Emission Intensity ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Dairy Farm ◽  
Dairy Farms ◽  
Nitrous Oxide Emissions ◽  
Enteric Fermentation ◽  
On Farm ◽  
The Impact

Every year since 1990, the Australian Federal Government has estimated national greenhouse-gas (GHG) emissions to meet Australia’s reporting commitments under the United National Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). The National Greenhouse Gas Inventory (NGGI) methodology used to estimate Australia’s GHG emissions has altered over time, as new research data have been used to improve the inventory emission factors and algorithms, with the latest change occurring in 2015 for the 2013 reporting year. As measuring the GHG emissions on farm is expensive and time-consuming, the dairy industry is reliant on estimating emissions using tools such as the Australian Dairy Carbon Calculator (ADCC). The present study compared the emission profiles of 41 Australian dairy farms with ADCC using the old (pre-2015) and new (post-2015) NGGI methodologies to examine the impact of the changes on the emission intensity across a range of dairy-farm systems. The estimated mean (±s.d.) GHG emission intensity increased by 3.0%, to 1.07 (±0.02) kg of carbon dioxide equivalents per kilogram of fat-and-protein-corrected milk (kg CO2e/kg FPCM). When comparing the emission intensity between the old and new NGGI methodologies at a regional level, the change in emission intensity varied between a 4.6% decrease and 10.4% increase, depending on the region. When comparing the source of emissions between old and new NGGI methodologies across the whole dataset, methane emissions from enteric fermentation and waste management both increased, while nitrous oxide emissions from waste management and nitrogen fertiliser management, CO2 emissions from energy consumption and pre-farm gate (supplementary feed and fertilisers) emissions all declined. Enteric methane remains a high source of emissions and so will remain a focus for mitigation research. However, these changes to the NGGI methodology have highlighted a new ‘hotspot’ in methane from manure management. Researchers and farm managers will have greater need to identify and implement practices on-farm to reduce methane losses to the environment.

Whole-farm systems analysis of Australian dairy farm greenhouse gas emissions

2012 ◽  
Vol 52 (11) ◽  
pp. 998 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. M. Christie ◽  
C. J. P. Gourley ◽  
R. P. Rawnsley ◽  
R. J. Eckard ◽  
I. M. Awty
Keyword(s):  
Waste Management ◽  
Greenhouse Gas ◽  
Milk Production ◽  
Linear Regression Analysis ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Methane Emissions ◽  
Nitrous Oxide Emissions ◽  
Animal Waste ◽  
Enteric Fermentation ◽  
Emissions Intensity

The Australian dairy industry contributes ~1.6% of the nation’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, emitting an estimated 9.3 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalents (CO2e) per annum. This study examined 41 contrasting Australian dairy farms for their GHG emissions using the Dairy Greenhouse Gas Abatement Strategies calculator, which incorporates Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and Australian inventory methodologies, algorithms and emission factors. Sources of GHG emissions included were pre-farm embedded emissions associated with key farm inputs (i.e. grains and concentrates, forages and fertilisers), CO2 emissions from electricity and fuel consumption, methane emissions from enteric fermentation and animal waste management, and nitrous oxide emissions from animal waste management and nitrogen fertilisers. The estimated mean (±s.d.) GHG emissions intensity was 1.04 ± 0.17 kg CO2 equivalents/kg of fat and protein-corrected milk (kg CO2e/kg FPCM). Enteric methane emissions were found to be approximately half of total farm emissions. Linear regression analysis showed that 95% of the variation in total farm GHG emissions could be explained by annual milk production. While the results of this study suggest that milk production alone could be a suitable surrogate for estimating GHG emissions for national inventory purposes, the GHG emissions intensity of milk production, on an individual farm basis, was shown to vary by over 100% (0.76–1.68 kg CO2e/kg FPCM). It is clear that using a single emissions factor, such as milk production alone, to estimate any given individual farm’s GHG emissions, has the potential to either substantially under- or overestimate individual farms’ GHG emissions.

scholarly journals Greenhouse gas inventory of agriculture in the Czech Republic

2009 ◽  
Vol 55 (No. 8) ◽  
pp. 311-319 ◽  
Author(s):  
Z. Exnerová ◽  
E. Cienciala
Keyword(s):  
Czech Republic ◽  
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ◽  
Greenhouse Gas ◽  
Agricultural Sector ◽  
Agricultural Soils ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Nitrous Oxide Emissions ◽  
Enteric Fermentation ◽  
Gas Emissions ◽  
The Czech Republic

As a part of its obligations under the Climate Convention, the Czech Republic must annually estimate and report its anthropogenic emissions of greenhouse gases. This also applies for the sector of agriculture, which is one of the greatest producers of methane and nitrous oxide emissions. This paper presents the approaches applied to estimate emissions in agricultural sector during the period 1990–2006. It describes the origin and sources of emissions, applied methodology, parameters and emission estimates for the sector of agriculture in the country. The total greenhouse gas emissions reached 7644 Gg CO<sub>2</sub> eq. in 2006. About 59% (4479 Gg CO<sub>2</sub> eq.) of these emissions has originated from agricultural soils. This quantity ranks agriculture as the third largest sector in the Czech Republic representing 5.3% of the total greenhouse gas emissions (GHG). The emissions under the Czech conditions consist mainly of emissions from enteric fermentation, manure management and agricultural soils. During the period 1990–2006, GHG emissions from agriculture decreased by 50%, which was linked to reduced cattle population and amount of applied fertilizers. The study concludes that the GHG emissions in the sector of agriculture remain significant and their proper assessment is required for sound climate change adaptation and mitigation policies.

scholarly journals The Role of Anaerobic Digestion in Reducing Dairy Farm Greenhouse Gas Emissions

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (5) ◽  
pp. 2612
Author(s):  
Alun Scott ◽  
Richard Blanchard
Keyword(s):  
Anaerobic Digestion ◽  
Greenhouse Gas ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Dairy Farm ◽  
Farming Systems ◽  
Farming System ◽  
N2o Emissions ◽  
Ghg Reduction ◽  
Carbon Dioxide Co2 ◽  
The Impact

Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from dairy farms are significant contributors to global warming. However, much of the published work on GHG reduction is focused on either methane (CH4) or nitrous oxide (N2O), with few, if any, considering the interactions that changes to farming systems can have on both gases. This paper takes the raw data from a year of activity on a 300-cow commercial dairy farm in Northern Ireland to more accurately quantify GHG sources by use of a simple predictive model based on IPCC methodology. Differing herd management policies are examined together with the impact of integrating anaerobic digestion (AD) into each farming system. Whilst significant success can be predicted in capturing CH4 and carbon dioxide (CO2) as biogas and preventing N2O emissions, gains made can be lost in a subsequent process, negating some or all of the advantage. The process of extracting value from the captured resource is discussed in light of current farm parameters together with indications of other potential revenue streams. However, this study has concluded that despite the significant potential for GHG reduction, there is little incentive for widespread adoption of manure-based farm-scale AD in the UK at this time.

scholarly journals Wpływ subsydiów wspólnej polityki rolnej na dochody gospodarstw mlecznych FADN w krajach Unii Europejskiej w latach 2004-2013

2017 ◽  
Vol 17(32) (1) ◽  
pp. 53-62
Author(s):  
Marta Guth ◽  
Katarzyna Smędzik-Ambroży
Keyword(s):  
Agricultural Policy ◽  
Dairy Farm ◽  
Dairy Farms ◽  
Farm Income ◽  
Family Farm ◽  
Panel Regression ◽  
Decoupled Payments ◽  
The Common ◽  
On Farm ◽  
The Impact

The main aim of the article was to assess the impact of the Common Agricultural Policy subsidies on the income of FADN dairy farms in 2004-2013. The share of total subsidies, including subsidies on investments on farm income per unit of work (FWU) on FADN dairy farms in EU countries, with the division to EU-12 and EU-15, was examined. The trend of family farm income with and without subsidies during the period under review was presented. In order to demonstrate which of the groups of subsidies had the greatest impact on family farm income, a panel regression was conducted. It turned out that the most significant for the FADN dairy farm income in 2005-2013 was decoupled payments and additional aid with other support.

Greenhouse gas and energy balance of dairy farms using unutilised pasture co-digested with effluent for biogas production

2008 ◽  
Vol 48 (2) ◽  
pp. 104 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark Lieffering ◽  
Paul Newton ◽  
Jürgen H. Thiele
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Anaerobic Digestion ◽  
Greenhouse Gas ◽  
Milk Production ◽  
Kyoto Protocol ◽  
Biogas Production ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Dairy Farm ◽  
Dairy Farms ◽  
Management Tool

Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from New Zealand dairy farms are significant, representing nearly 35% of New Zealand’s total agricultural emissions. Although there is an urgent need for New Zealand to reduce agricultural GHG emissions in order to meet its Kyoto Protocol obligations, there are, as yet, few viable options for reducing farming related emissions while maintaining productivity. In addition to GHG emissions, dairy farms are also the source of other emissions, most importantly effluent from milking sheds and feed pads. It has been suggested that anaerobic digestion for biogas and energy production could be used to deal more effectively with dairy effluent while at the same time addressing concerns about farm energy supply. Dairy farms have a high demand for electricity, with a 300-cow farm consuming nearly 40 000 kWh per year. However, because only ~10% of the manure produced by the cows can be collected (e.g. primarily at milking times), a maximum of only ~16 000 kWh of electricity per year can be produced from the effluent alone. This means that anaerobic digestion/electricity generation schemes are currently economic only for farms with more than 1000 cows. A solution for smaller farms is to co-digest the effluent with unutilised pasture sourced on the farm, thereby increasing biogas production and making the system economically viable. A possible source of unutilised grass is the residual pasture left by the cows immediately after grazing. This residual can be substantial in the spring–early summer, when cow numbers (demand) can be less than the pasture growth rates (supply). The cutting of ungrazed grass (topping) is also a useful management tool that has been shown to increase pasture quality and milk production, especially over the late spring–summer. In this paper, we compare the energy and GHG balances of a conventional farm using a lagoon effluent system to one using anaerobic digestion supplemented by unutilised pasture collected by topping to treat effluent and generate electricity. For a hypothetical 300-cow, 100-ha farm, topping all paddocks from 1800 to 1600 kg DM/ha four times per year over the spring–summer would result in 80 tonnes of DM being collected, which when digested to biogas would yield 50 000 kWh (180 GJ) of electricity. This is in addition to the 16 000 kWh from the effluent digestion. About 90 GJ of diesel would be used to carry out the topping, emitting ~0.06 t CO2e/ha. In contrast, the anaerobic/topping system would offset/avoid 0.74 t CO2e/ha of GHG emissions: 0.6 t CO2e/ha of avoided CH4 emissions from the lagoon and 0.14 t CO2e/ha from biogas electricity offsetting grid electricity GHGs. For the average dairy farm, the net reduction in emissions of 0.68 CO2e/ha would equate to nearly 14% of the direct and indirect emissions from farming activities and if implemented on a national scale, could decrease GHG emissions nearly 1.4 million t CO2e or ~10% of New Zealand’s Kyoto Protocol obligations while at the same time better manage dairy farm effluent, enhance on-farm and national energy security and increase milk production through better quality pastures.

scholarly journals Increasing Dairy Sustainability with Integrated Crop–Livestock Farming

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 765
Author(s):  
Susanne Wiesner ◽  
Alison J. Duff ◽  
Ankur R. Desai ◽  
Kevin Panke-Buisse
Keyword(s):  
Greenhouse Gas ◽  
Net Primary Productivity ◽  
Carbon Sink ◽  
Management Strategies ◽  
Carbon Sources ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Dairy Farm ◽  
Livestock Farming ◽  
Intergovernmental Panel ◽  
Enteric Fermentation

Dairy farms are predominantly carbon sources, due to high livestock emissions from enteric fermentation and manure. Integrated crop–livestock systems (ICLSs) have the potential to offset these greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, as recycling products within the farm boundaries is prioritized. Here, we quantify seasonal and annual greenhouse gas budgets of an ICLS dairy farm in Wisconsin USA using satellite remote sensing to estimate vegetation net primary productivity (NPP) and Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) guidelines to calculate farm emissions. Remotely sensed annual vegetation NPP correlated well with farm harvest NPP (R2 = 0.9). As a whole, the farm was a large carbon sink, owing to natural vegetation carbon sinks and harvest products staying within the farm boundaries. Dairy cows accounted for 80% of all emissions as their feed intake dominated farm feed supply. Manure emissions (15%) were low because manure spreading was frequent throughout the year. In combination with soil conservation practices, ICLS farming provides a sustainable means of producing nutritionally valuable food while contributing to sequestration of atmospheric CO2. Here, we introduce a simple and cost-efficient way to quantify whole-farm GHG budgets, which can be used by farmers to understand their carbon footprint, and therefore may encourage management strategies to improve agricultural sustainability.

scholarly journals Understanding variability in greenhouse gas emission estimates of smallholder dairy farms in Indonesia

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Titis Apdini ◽  
Windi Al Zahra ◽  
Simon J. Oosting ◽  
Imke J. M. de Boer ◽  
Marion de Vries ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Greenhouse Gas ◽  
Rainy Season ◽  
Greenhouse Gas Emission ◽  
Dairy Farms ◽  
Dry Season ◽  
Enteric Fermentation ◽  
Tropical Regions ◽  
Population Mean ◽  
Smallholder Dairy ◽  
Smallholder Dairy Farms

Abstract Purpose Life cycle assessment studies on smallholder farms in tropical regions generally use data that is collected at one moment in time, which could hamper assessment of the exact situation. We assessed seasonal differences in greenhouse gas emissions (GHGEs) from Indonesian dairy farms by means of longitudinal observations and evaluated the implications of number of farm visits on the variance of the estimated GHGE per kg milk (GHGEI) for a single farm, and the population mean. Methods An LCA study was done on 32 smallholder dairy farms in the Lembang district area, West Java, Indonesia. Farm visits (FVs) were performed every 2 months throughout 1 year: FV1–FV3 (rainy season) and FV4–FV6 (dry season). GHGEs were assessed for all processes up to the farm-gate, including upstream processes (production and transportation of feed, fertiliser, fuel and electricity) and on-farm processes (keeping animals, manure management and forage cultivation). We compared means of GHGE per unit of fat-and-protein-corrected milk (FPCM) produced in the rainy and the dry season. We evaluated the implication of number of farm visits on the variance of the estimated GHGEI, and on the variance of GHGE from different processes. Results and discussion GHGEI was higher in the rainy (1.32 kg CO2-eq kg−1 FPCM) than in the dry (0.91 kg CO2-eq kg−1 FPCM) season (P < 0.05). The between farm variance was 0.025 kg CO2-eq kg−1 FPCM in both seasons. The within farm variance in the estimate for the single farm mean decreased from 0.69 (1 visit) to 0.027 (26 visits) kg CO2-eq kg−1 FPCM (rainy season), and from 0.32 to 0.012 kg CO2-eq kg−1 FPCM (dry season). The within farm variance in the estimate for the population mean was 0.02 (rainy) and 0.01 (dry) kg CO2-eq kg−1 FPCM (1 visit), and decreased with an increase in farm visits. Forage cultivation was the main source of between farm variance, enteric fermentation the main source of within farm variance. Conclusions The estimated GHGEI was significantly higher in the rainy than in the dry season. The main contribution to variability in GHGEI is due to variation between observations from visits to the same farm. This source of variability can be reduced by increasing the number of visits per farm. Estimates for variation within and between farms enable a more informed decision about the data collection procedure.

scholarly journals Greenhouse gas emissions from the water–air interface of a grassland river: a case study of the Xilin River

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Xue Hao ◽  
Yu Ruihong ◽  
Zhang Zhuangzhuang ◽  
Qi Zhen ◽  
Lu Xixi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Carbon Dioxide ◽  
Land Use ◽  
Nitrous Oxide ◽  
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ◽  
Greenhouse Gas ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Nitrous Oxide Emissions ◽  
Gas Emissions ◽  
Sand Land ◽  
Very High

AbstractGreenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from rivers and lakes have been shown to significantly contribute to global carbon and nitrogen cycling. In spatiotemporal-variable and human-impacted rivers in the grassland region, simultaneous carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide emissions and their relationships under the different land use types are poorly documented. This research estimated greenhouse gas (CO2, CH4, N2O) emissions in the Xilin River of Inner Mongolia of China using direct measurements from 18 field campaigns under seven land use type (such as swamp, sand land, grassland, pond, reservoir, lake, waste water) conducted in 2018. The results showed that CO2 emissions were higher in June and August, mainly affected by pH and DO. Emissions of CH4 and N2O were higher in October, which were influenced by TN and TP. According to global warming potential, CO2 emissions accounted for 63.35% of the three GHG emissions, and CH4 and N2O emissions accounted for 35.98% and 0.66% in the Xilin river, respectively. Under the influence of different degrees of human-impact, the amount of CO2 emissions in the sand land type was very high, however, CH4 emissions and N2O emissions were very high in the artificial pond and the wastewater, respectively. For natural river, the greenhouse gas emissions from the reservoir and sand land were both low. The Xilin river was observed to be a source of carbon dioxide and methane, and the lake was a sink for nitrous oxide.

scholarly journals Evaluation of a Novel Poultry Litter Amendment on Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Atmosphere ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (5) ◽  
pp. 563
Author(s):  
Kelsey Anderson ◽  
Philip A. Moore ◽  
Jerry Martin ◽  
Amanda J. Ashworth
Keyword(s):  
Air Quality ◽  
Greenhouse Gas ◽  
Co2 Emissions ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Block Design ◽  
Poultry Litter ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Nitrous Oxide Emissions ◽  
Gaseous Emissions ◽  
Poultry Facilities

Gaseous emissions from poultry litter causes production problems for producers as well as the environment, by contributing to climate change and reducing air quality. Novel methods of reducing ammonia (NH3) and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in poultry facilities are needed. As such, our research evaluated GHG emissions over a 42 d period. Three separate flocks of 1000 broilers were used for this study. The first flock was used only to produce litter needed for the experiment. The second and third flocks were allocated to 20 pens in a randomized block design with four replicated of five treatments. The management practices studied included an unamended control; a conventional practice of incorporating aluminum sulfate (referred to as alum) at 98 kg/100 m2); a novel litter amendment made from alum mud, bauxite, and sulfuric acid (alum mud litter amendment, AMLA) applied at different rates (49 and 98 kg/100 m2) and methods (surface applied or incorporated). Nitrous oxide emissions were low for all treatments in flocks 2 and 3 (0.40 and 0.37 mg m2 hr−1, respectively). The formation of caked litter (due to excessive moisture) during day 35 and 42 caused high variability in CH4 and CO2 emissions. Alum mud litter amendment and alum did not significantly affect GHGs emissions from litter, regardless of the amendment rate or application method. In fact, litter amendments such as alum and AMLA typically lower GHG emissions from poultry facilities by reducing ventilation requirements to maintain air quality in cooler months due to lower NH3 levels, resulting in less propane use and concomitant reductions in CO2 emissions.

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