Agriculture - Emissions

Title

Reference

Environmental Monitoring and Assessment
Volume 184, Number 4, 1929-1952, DOI: 10.1007/s10661-011-2090-y

Author(s)

Amlan Kumar Patra

Study type

Peer Review Journal    

Abstract

Enteric methane (CH4) emission in ruminants, which is produced via fermentation of feeds in the rumen and lower digestive tract by methanogenic archaea, represents a loss of 2% to 12% of gross energy of feeds and contributes to global greenhouse effects. Globally, about 80 million tonnes of CH4 is produced annually from enteric fermentation mainly from ruminants. Therefore, CH4 mitigation strategies in ruminants have focused to obtain economic as well as environmental benefits. Some mitigation options such as chemical inhibitors, defaunation, and ionophores inhibit methanogenesis directly or indirectly in the rumen, but they have not confirmed consistent effects for practical use. A variety of nutritional amendments such as increasing the amount of grains, inclusion of some leguminous forages containing condensed tannins and ionophore compounds in diets, supplementation of low-quality roughages with protein and readily fermentable carbohydrates, and addition of fats show promise for CH4 mitigation. These nutritional amendments also increase the efficiency of feed utilization and, therefore, are most likely to be adopted by farmers. Several new potential technologies such as use of plant secondary metabolites, probiotics and propionate enhancers, stimulation of acetogens, immunization, CH4 oxidation by methylotrophs, and genetic selection of low CH4-producing animals have emerged to decrease CH4 production, but these require extensive research before they can be recommended to livestock producers. The use of bacteriocins, bacteriophages, and development of recombinant vaccines targeting archaeal-specific genes and cell surface proteins may be areas worthy of investigation for CH4 mitigation as well. A combination of different CH4 mitigation strategies should be adopted in farm levels to substantially decrease methane emission from ruminants. Evidently, comprehensive research is needed to explore proven and reliable CH4 mitigation technologies that would be practically feasible and economically viable while improving ruminant production.

Policy theme(s)

Agriculture >> Agricultural management >> Livestock management
Agriculture >> Agricultural pollution >> Agricultural emissions
Climate change and energy >> Greenhouse gas emissions >> Industrial emissions

Keywords

Methane production; Ruminants; Mitigation strategies

Entry Source:

Shortlisted for Science for Environment Policy News Alert

View this study at:

http://www.springerlink.com/content/p42vr86j455j2496/
There is a fee to view this study in full    

Contact the study author at:

patra_amlan@yahoo.com

Title

Biochar Incorporation into Pasture Soil Suppresses in situ Nitrous Oxide Emissions from Ruminant Urine Patches

Reference

Journal of Environment Quality, 2011; 40 (2): 468 DOI: 10.2134/jeq2010.0419

Author(s)

Arezoo Taghizadeh-Toosi, Tim J. Clough, Leo M. Condron, Robert R. Sherlock, Craig R. Anderson, Robin A. Craigie.

Study type

Peer Review Journal

Abstract

Nitrous oxide (N₂O) emissions from grazing animal excreta are estimated to be responsible for 1.5 Tg of the total 6.7 Tg of anthropogenic N₂O emissions. This study was conducted to determine the in situ effect of incorporating biochar, into soil, on N₂O emissions from bovine urine patches and associated pasture uptake of N. The effects of biochar rate (0–30 t ha–1), following soil incorporation, were investigated on ruminant urine-derived N₂O fl uxes, N uptake by pasture, and pasture yield. During an 86-d spring-summer period, where irrigation and rainfall occurred, the N₂O fluxes from 15N labeled ruminant urine patches were reduced by 50%, after incorporating 30 t ha–1 of biochar. Taking into account the N₂O emissions from the control plots, 30 t ha–1 of biochar reduced the N₂O emission factor from urine by 70%. The atom% 15N enrichment of the N2O emitted was lower in the 30 t ha–1 biochar treatment, indicating less urine–N contributed to the N₂O fl ux. Soil NO3–N concentrations were lower with increasing biochar rate during the first 30 d following urine deposition. No diff erences occurred, due to biochar addition, with respect to dry matter yields, herbage N content, or recovery of 15N applied in herbage. Incorporating biochar into the soil can significantly diminish ruminant urine–derived N₂O emissions. Further work is required to determine the persistence of the observed eff ect and to fully understand the mechanism(s) of the observed reduction in N₂O fl uxes.

Policy theme(s)

Agriculture>> Agricultural management>>Soil management
Agriculture>> Agricultural pollution>>Agricultural emissions

Keywords

N/A

Entry Source:

N/A

Referred to in EC doc:

Shortlisted for Science for Environment Policy News Alert

View this study at:

https://www.agronomy.org/publications/jeq/view/40-2/q10-0419.pdf
This study is free to view

Contact the study author at:

arezoo.taghizadehtoosi@lincolnuni.ac.nz

Title

Development and application of a detailed inventory framework for estimating nitrous oxide and methane emissions from agriculture

Reference

Atmospheric Environment
Volume 45, Issue 7, March 2011, Pages 1454-1463

Author(s)

Junye Wang, Laura M. Cardenas, Tom H. Misselbrook and Sarah Gilhespy

Study type

Peer Review Journal

Abstract

A detailed inventory framework was developed to estimate nitrous oxide (N2O) and methane (CH4) emissions from UK agriculture using the IPCC approach. The inventory framework model was illustrated by combining relevant emission factors with agricultural census data for England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland for the year 2000 to derive country-specific emission estimates which were summed to derive the UK total. The framework enables simple assessment to be made of the impact on national emissions of using different emission factors (EFs) (e.g. site- or local-specific compared with IPCC default factors). The framework was used to calculate the average annual emissions of nitrous oxide (N2O) and methane (CH4) for specific livestock and crops, and amounts lost through volatilisation, leaching and runoff for each country in the UK. The framework provides a simple, realistic and transparent approach to estimating national emissions and can easily be updated.

Policy theme(s)

Agriculture >> Agricultural pollution >> Agricultural emissions
Climate change and energy >> Greenhouse gas emissions >> Terrestrial emissions

Keywords

Methane, Inventory, Greenhouse gas emissions, Nitrous oxide

Entry Source:

Selected for Science for Environment Policy News Alert

Referred to in EC doc:

N/A

View this study at:

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S135223101001040X
There is a fee to view this study in full

Contact the study author at:

junye.wang@bbsrc.ac.uk