Carbon Footprint Assessment of a Large-Scale Pig Production System in Northern China: A Case Study

2018 ◽  
Vol 61 (3) ◽  
pp. 1121-1131 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yuanqing Zhou ◽  
Hongmin Dong ◽  
Hongwei Xin ◽  
Zhiping Zhu ◽  
Wenqiang Huang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Northern China ◽  
Manure Management ◽  
Traditional Practice ◽  
Enteric Fermentation ◽  
Pig Production ◽  
Transport Distance ◽  
Feed Production ◽  
Crop Planting

Abstract. China raises 50% of global live pigs. However, few studies on the carbon footprint (CF) of large-scale pig production based on China’s actual production conditions have been carried out. In this study, life cycle assessment (LCA) and actual production data of a typical large-scale pig farm in northern China were used to assess the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions or CF associated with the whole process of pig production, including feed production (crop planting, feed processing, and transportation), enteric fermentation, manure management, and energy consumption. The results showed a CF of 3.39 kg CO2-eq per kg of live market pig and relative contributions of 55%, 28%, 13%, and 4% to the total CF by feed production, manure management, farm energy consumption, and enteric fermentation, respectively. Crop planting accounted for 66% of the feed production CF, while feed processing and transportation accounted for the remaining 34%. Long-distance transport of semi-raw feed materials caused by planting-feeding separation and over-fertilization in feed crop planting were two main reasons for the largest contribution of GHG emissions from feed production to the total CF. The CF from nitrogen fertilizer application accounted for 33% to 44% of crop planting and contributed to 16% of the total CF. The CF from the transport of feed ingredients accounted for 17% of the total CF. If the amount of nitrogen fertilizer used for producing the main feed ingredients is reduced from 209 kg hm-2 (for corn) and 216 kg hm-2 (for wheat) to 140 kg hm-2 (corn) and 180 kg hm-2 (wheat), the total CF would be reduced by 7%. If the transport distance for feed materials decreased from 325 to 493 km to 30 km, along with reducing the number of empty vehicles for transport, the total CF would be reduced by 18%. The combined CF mitigation potential for over-fertilization and transport distance is 26%. In addition, the use of pit storage, anaerobic digestion, and lagoon for manure management can reduce GHG emissions from manure management by 76% as compared to the traditional practice of pit storage and lagoon. This case study reveals the impact of planting-feeding separation and over-fertilization on the CF of the pig supply chain in China. The manure management practice of pit storage, anaerobic digestion, and lagoon is much more conductive to reducing the CF as compared to the traditional practice of pit storage and lagoon. Keywords: Greenhouse gas, Life cycle assessment, Mitigation, Pig.

Optimising manure management for GHG outcomes

2008 ◽  
Vol 48 (2) ◽  
pp. 38 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. G. van der Meer
Keyword(s):  
Soil Fertility ◽  
Conversion Efficiency ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Livestock Production ◽  
Manure Management ◽  
Ch4 Emission ◽  
Feed Conversion ◽  
Enteric Fermentation ◽  
Manure Application ◽  
Feed Conversion Efficiency

This paper focuses on improvements to livestock manure management to reduce environmental pollution and emission of greenhouse gases (GHG). Livestock manures contain large amounts of plant nutrients and organic matter (OM). Structural changes to livestock production and ample supply of cheap chemical fertilisers have decreased the interest and possibilities of farmers in using manure for the fertilisation of crops and grasslands and maintenance of soil fertility. As a result, many livestock producers dispose of manure as cheaply as possible causing serious pollution of soil, water and atmosphere. In addition, livestock production systems contribute to climate change by emission of the GHG carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O). Careful recycling of livestock manures to fertilise crops and grasslands and improve soil fertility is considered the most suitable and cost-effective option for environmentally friendly disposal. Manure management legislation in The Netherlands is described to explain the principles. These include complete collection of faeces and urine of confined livestock, adaptation of the period and rate of manure application to the N and P requirements of crops, and use of manure collection, storage and application techniques aiming at low ammonia (NH3) losses. Effects of sustainable manure management on GHG emissions are described. Optimising the period, rate and technique of manure application to crops and grassland causes effective utilisation of manure N and reduces direct and indirect losses of N2O. In addition, effective recycling of manure nutrients and OM allows a reduction in the use of chemical fertilisers and fossil energy and contributes to the maintenance or improvement of the carbon content of agricultural ecosystems. The relatively high costs of sustainable manure management stimulate farmers to optimise feed conversion and minimise manure production per unit of product by good livestock feeding and management practices. High feed conversion efficiency reduces CH4 emission by enteric fermentation and may reduce feed imports and related GHG emissions. In addition, it is shown that livestock categories differ widely in feed conversion efficiency and N and P excretion per unit of product. Finally, anaerobic digestion of livestock slurries provides a valuable energy source and reduces CH4 emission of stored slurry and, possibly, N2O emission after field application of the slurry.

Greenhouse gas emission intensity based on lifetime milk production of dairy animals, as affected by ration-balancing program

2018 ◽  
Vol 58 (6) ◽  
pp. 1027 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. R. Garg ◽  
P. L. Sherasia ◽  
B. T. Phondba ◽  
H. P. S. Makkar
Keyword(s):  
Nitrous Oxide ◽  
Life Cycle Assessment ◽  
Life Cycle ◽  
Greenhouse Gas ◽  
Milk Production ◽  
Emission Intensity ◽  
Manure Management ◽  
Enteric Fermentation ◽  
Feed Production ◽  
Co2 Equivalent

Smallholder dairying in India and other developing countries relies on low- and medium-productive animals, and the feeding is mainly based on crop residues and other agro-industrial by-products. The diets are generally nutritionally imbalanced, resulting in productive and reproductive inefficiencies. This also negatively affects the emission intensity (Ei). For the past 3 years, the National Dairy Development Board of India has been implementing large-scale ration-balancing (RB) program in field animals. The effect of feeding balanced rations on Ei was explored. A cradle to farm-gate life-cycle assessment, taking into account the lifespan milk production, was conducted on 163 540 lactating cows and 163 550 buffaloes in northern, southern, eastern and western India. The life-cycle assessment boundary included feed production, enteric fermentation and manure management during various stages of life. On the basis of economic allocation, emissions of methane (CH4) from enteric fermentation, CH4 from manure management, nitrous oxide from manure management and greenhouse gas (GHG), i.e. carbon dioxide (CO2), CH4 and nitrous oxide from feed production, contributed 69.9%, 6.3%, 9.6% and 14.2% in cows, and 71.6%, 7.4%, 12.6% and 8.4% in buffaloes, respectively, to the baseline (before RB) lifetime total GHG emissions. Average Ei based on economic, mass and digestibility allocation for ‘baseline versus after RB’ were 1.6 versus 1.1, 1.8 versus 1.2 and 1.7 versus 1.2 kg CO2-equivalent/kg fat and protein-corrected milk in cows and 2.3 versus 1.5, 2.5 versus 1.6 and 2.4 versus 1.5 kg CO2-equivalent/kg fat and protein-corrected milk in buffaloes, respectively. Feeding-balanced rations significantly improved milk production, but reduced Ei of milk on lifetime basis by 31.2% and 34.7% in cows and buffaloes, respectively. Implementation of RB program has shown considerable potential to reduce GHG emission intensity under smallholding dairy production system of India.

Greenhouse gas emissions intensity of Ontario milk production in 2011 compared with 1991

2014 ◽  
Vol 94 (1) ◽  
pp. 155-173 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susantha Jayasundara ◽  
Claudia Wagner-Riddle
Keyword(s):  
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ◽  
Greenhouse Gas ◽  
Milk Production ◽  
Crop Production ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Manure Management ◽  
Enteric Fermentation ◽  
Gas Emissions ◽  
Emissions Intensity ◽  
Feed Crop

Jayasundara, S. and Wagner-Riddle, C. 2014. Greenhouse gas emissions intensity of Ontario milk production in 2011 compared with 1991. Can. J. Anim. Sci. 94: 155–173. For identifying opportunities for reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from milk production in Ontario, this study analyzed GHG intensity of milk [kg CO2 equivalents kg−1 fat and protein corrected milk (FPCM)] in 2011 compared with 1991 considering cow and crop productivity improvements and management changes over this period. It also assessed within-province variability in GHG intensity of milk in 2011 using county-level data related to milk production. After allocating whole-farm GHG emissions between milk and meat using an allocation factor calculated according to the International Dairy Federation equation, GHG intensity of Ontario milk was 1.03 kgCO2eq kg−1 FPCM in 2011, 22% lower than that in 1991 (1.32 kg CO2eq kg−1 FPCM). Greenhouse gas sources directly associated with dairy cattle decreased less (21 and 14% for enteric fermentation and manure management, respectively) than sources associated with feed crop production (30 to 34% for emissions related to N inputs and farm-field work). Proportions of GHG contributed from different life cycle activities did not change, with enteric fermentation contributing 46%, feed crop production 34%, manure management 18% and milking and related activities 2%. Within province, GHG intensity varied from 0.89 to 1.36 kg CO2eq kg−1 FPCM, a variation inversely correlated with milk productivity per cow (kg FPCM sold cow−1 year−1). The existence of a wide variation is strong indication for potential further reductions in GHG intensity of Ontario milk through the identification of practices associated with high efficiency.

scholarly journals 180 Screening the carbon footprint of intensive Korean dairy cattle farms: Transition towards low emissions’ production system

2020 ◽  
Vol 98 (Supplement_4) ◽  
pp. 136-136
Author(s):  
Ridha Ibidhi ◽  
Tae Hoon Kim ◽  
Rajaraman Bharanidharan ◽  
Krishnaraj Thirugnanasambantham ◽  
Kyoung Hoon Kim
Keyword(s):  
Carbon Dioxide ◽  
Carbon Footprint ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Dairy Farms ◽  
Land Application ◽  
Mitigation Strategies ◽  
Primary Data ◽  
Manure Management ◽  
Enteric Fermentation

Abstract In the context of global climate change, carbon footprint (CF) becomes an important sustainability indicator for dairy production systems. To mitigation the CF of the dairy sector, insight into greenhouse gases (GHG) emissions from individual farms is required. The objective of this study was to determine the primary contributors to GHG emissions at the farm-gate level, expressed as a carbon dioxide equivalents (CO2-eq), to produce one kg of fat-and protein corrected milk (FPCM). Primary data about farms’ management and feeding practices were collected from twelve dairy farms that belong to Gyeonggi-do province, which represent the most important region for milk production in South Korea. Allocation of GHG emissions between meat and milk was assessed as a physical allocation, 98% allocated to milk and 2% to meat (surplus of calves and culled cows). The CF of the evaluated farms averaged to 0.61 CO2-eq/kg of FPCM and ranged from 0.49 to 0.78 CO2-eq/kg of FPCM. Results indicated that the largest source of GHG comes mostly from enteric fermentation (83%), followed by manure management (6%), manure and fertilizer land application (8%) and energy consumption (3%). By type of gas emitted, methane accounted for 86% of total emissions, originating from enteric fermentation and manure management. Nitrous oxide and carbon dioxide accounted for 11.6 % and 2.8% of total GHG emissions, respectively. Lactating cows contributed by 70% of total GHG emissions, whereas dry cows, heifers and calves contributed by 5, 22 and 3%, respectively. Differences in GHG emissions from the evaluated farms could be explained by differences in feed quality and management practices through manure and fertilizers application on cropland. This study contributes to identify the main sources of GHG production in dairy farms, which can help to define mitigation strategies towards the transition to neutral carbon emissions of the dairy sector.

scholarly journals Short communication: Impact of the intensity of milk production on ammonia and greenhouse gas emissions in Portuguese cattle farms

2015 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. e06SC05 ◽  
Author(s):  
José Pereira ◽  
Henrique Trindade
Keyword(s):  
Dairy Cattle ◽  
Greenhouse Gas ◽  
Milk Production ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Manure Management ◽  
Gaseous Emissions ◽  
Cattle Farm ◽  
Enteric Fermentation ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Cattle Farms

<p>The aim of this study was evaluate the relationship between the intensity of milk production for a wide range of Portuguese commercial cattle farms and NH<sub>3</sub> and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from manure management and enteric fermentation. A survey was carried out at 1471 commercial dairy cattle farms (Holstein-Friesian) and the NH<sub>3</sub>, N<sub>2</sub>O and CH<sub>4</sub> emissions at each stage of manure management were estimated as well as CH<sub>4</sub> losses from enteric fermentation. Gaseous emissions were estimated by a mass flow approach and following the recommendations of IPCC guidelines. The manure management and enteric fermentation in a typical Portuguese cattle farm contributes with 7.5±0.15 g N/L milk produced as NH<sub>3</sub> and 1.2±0.22 kg CO<sub>2</sub> equivalent per litre of milk as GHG. Increasing milk production will significantly reduce NH<sub>3</sub> and GHG emissions per litre of milk produced. It can be concluded that a win-win strategy for reducing NH<sub>3</sub> and GHG emissions from dairy cattle farms will be the increase of milk production on these farms. This goal can be achieved by implementing animal breeding programs and improving feed efficiency in order to increase productivity.</p>

scholarly journals Agricultural methane emissions and the potential formitigation

2021 ◽  
Vol 379 (2210) ◽  
pp. 20200451 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pete Smith ◽  
Dave Reay ◽  
Jo Smith
Keyword(s):  
Greenhouse Gases ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Methane Emissions ◽  
Anthropogenic Source ◽  
Manure Management ◽  
Enteric Fermentation ◽  
Human Waste ◽  
Total Food ◽  
Decomposition Of Organic Matter ◽  
Reduce Emissions

Agriculture is the largest anthropogenic source of methane (CH 4 ), emitting 145 Tg CH 4  y −1 to the atmosphere in 2017. The main sources are enteric fermentation, manure management, rice cultivation and residue burning. There is significant potential to reduce CH 4 from these sources, with bottom-up mitigation potentials of approximately 10.6, 10, 2 and 1 Tg CH 4  y −1 from rice management, enteric fermentation, manure management and residue burning. Other system-wide studies have assumed even higher potentials of 4.8–47.2 Tg CH 4  y −1 from reduced enteric fermentation, and 4–36 Tg CH 4  y −1 from improved rice management. Biogas (a methane-rich gas mixture generated from the anaerobic decomposition of organic matter and used for energy) also has the potential to reduce unabated CH 4 emissions from animal manures and human waste. In addition to these supply side measures, interventions on the demand-side (shift to a plant-based diet and a reduction in total food loss and waste by 2050) would also significantly reduce methane emissions, perhaps in the order of greater than 50 Tg CH 4  y −1 . While there is a pressing need to reduce emissions of long-lived greenhouse gases (CO 2 and N 2 O) due to their persistence in the atmosphere, despite CH 4 being a short-lived greenhouse gas, the urgency of reducing warming means we must reduce any GHG emissions we can as soon as possible. Because of this, mitigation actions should focus on reducing emissions of all the three main anthropogenic greenhouse gases, including CH 4 . This article is part of a discussion meeting issue 'Rising methane: is warming feeding warming? (part1)'.

Sources of uncertainty in the IPCC Tier 2 Canadian livestock model

2011 ◽  
Vol 150 (5) ◽  
pp. 556-569 ◽  
Author(s):  
Y. KARIMI-ZINDASHTY ◽  
J. D. MACDONALD ◽  
R. L. DESJARDINS ◽  
D. E. WORTH ◽  
J. J. HUTCHINSON ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Methane Emission ◽  
Methane Conversion ◽  
Regional Scale ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Methane Emissions ◽  
Manure Management ◽  
Enteric Fermentation ◽  
Sources Of Uncertainty ◽  
Uncertainty Estimates ◽  
Ipcc Default

SUMMARYEstimates of uncertainties are essential when comparing the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from a variety of sources. Monte Carlo Simulation (MCS) was applied to estimate the uncertainties in methane emissions and the methane emission intensities from livestock in Canada, calculated using the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) methodology. National methane emissions from enteric fermentation and manure management in 2008 were 21·2 and 4·3 Teragram CO2 equivalents (Tg CO2e) with uncertainties of 38 and 73%, respectively. The methane emission intensities (kg of CO2e per kg of live animal weight) were 5·9, 0·9 and 4·9 from Canadian beef, swine and lamb, respectively, with overall uncertainties of 44, 99 and 101%, defined as the 95% confidence interval relative to the mean. A sensitivity analysis demonstrated that IPCC default parameters such as the methane conversion rate (Ym), the coefficient for calculating net energy for maintenance (Cfi) and the methane conversion factor (MCF) were the greatest sources of uncertainty. Canadian agricultural methane emissions are usually calculated by province and by animal subcategories. However, the IPCC default parameters can be assumed to be correlated among regions and animal subcategories; therefore values are assigned at the national scale for the main cattle categories (dairy and non-dairy cattle). When it was assumed that these parameters were uncorrelated at the regional scale, the overall uncertainties were reduced to 20 and 48% for enteric fermentation and manure management, respectively, and assuming that parameters were uncorrelated at the animal subcategory scale reduced uncertainties to 13 and 41% for enteric fermentation and manure management, respectively. When the uncertainty is assigned at the most disaggregated level, even doubling the uncertainty of key parameters such as Ym and Cfi, only increased the national uncertainties to 22 and 52% for enteric fermentation and manure management, respectively. The current analysis demonstrated the importance of obtaining parameters specific to regions and animal subcategories in order to estimate GHG emissions more accurately and to reduce the uncertainties in agricultural GHG inventories. It also showed that assumptions made in the calculation of uncertainties can have a large influence on the uncertainty estimates.

The sugar and alcohol industry in the biofuels and cogeneration era: a paradigm change (part II)

2014 ◽  
pp. 97-104 ◽  
Author(s):  
Electo Eduardo Silv Lora ◽  
Mateus Henrique Rocha ◽  
José Carlos Escobar Palacio ◽  
Osvaldo José Venturini ◽  
Maria Luiza Grillo Renó ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
Process Integration ◽  
Animal Feed ◽  
Raw Materials ◽  
Biofuel Production ◽  
New Paradigm ◽  
Alcohol Industry ◽  
Feed Production ◽  
Steam Parameters

The aim of this paper is to discuss the major technological changes related to the implementation of large-scale cogeneration and biofuel production in the sugar and alcohol industry. The reduction of the process steam consumption, implementation of new alternatives in driving mills, the widespread practice of high steam parameters use in cogeneration facilities, the insertion of new technologies for biofuels production (hydrolysis and gasification), the energy conversion of sugarcane trash and vinasse, animal feed production, process integration and implementation of the biorefinery concept are considered. Another new paradigm consists in the wide spreading of sustainability studies of products and processes using the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and the implementation of sustainability indexes. Every approach to this issue has as an objective to increase the economic efficiency and the possibilities of the sugarcane as a main source of two basic raw materials: fibres and sugar. The paper briefly presents the concepts, indicators, state-of-the-art and perspectives of each of the referred issues.

scholarly journals Greenhouse Gas Balance of Sphagnum Farming on Highly Decomposed Peat at Former Peat Extraction Sites

Ecosystems ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jan Oestmann ◽  
Bärbel Tiemeyer ◽  
Dominik Düvel ◽  
Amanda Grobe ◽  
Ullrich Dettmann
Keyword(s):  
Water Management ◽  
Drip Irrigation ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
The Other ◽  
Ghg Mitigation ◽  
Greenhouse Gas Balance ◽  
Peat Extraction ◽  
Water Tables ◽  
Mitigation Potentials

AbstractFor two years, we quantified the exchange of carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O) at two different large-scale Sphagnum farming sites. At both, peat extraction left a shallow layer of highly decomposed peat and low hydraulic conductivities. One site was characterized by preceding multi-annual inundation and irrigated by ditches, while the other one was inoculated directly after peat extraction and irrigated by ditches and drip irrigation. Further, GHG emissions from an irrigation polder and the effect of harvesting Sphagnum donor material at a near-natural reference site were determined. GHG mitigation potentials lag behind the results of less decomposed sites, although our results were also affected by the extraordinary hot and dry summer 2018. CO2 exchanges ranged between -0.6 and 2.2 t CO2-C ha−1 y−1 and were mainly influenced by low water table depths. CH4 emissions were low with the exception of plots with higher Eriophorum covers, while fluctuating water tables and poorly developing plant covers led to considerable N2O emissions at the ditch irrigation site. The removal of the upper vegetation at the near-natural site resulted in increased CH4 emissions and, on average, lowered CO2 emissions. Overall, best plant growth and lowest GHG emissions were measured at the previously inundated site. At the other site, drip irrigation provided more favourable conditions than ditch irrigation. The size of the area needed for water management (ditches, polders) strongly affected the areal GHG balances. We conclude that Sphagnum farming on highly decomposed peat is possible but requires elaborate water management.

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