carbon farming: feeding additives to dairy cows · carbon farming: feeding additives to dairy ......
TRANSCRIPT
Young Carbon Farmers Case Study
Carbon farming: feeding additives to dairy cowsMontrose Dairy, VIC
The Young Carbon Farmers project is supported by funding from the Australian Government
Producers: Graeme and Gillian Nicoll Property: Montrose DairyLocation: South Gippsland, Victoria Property area: 95 hectares used for dairyEnterprises: Dairy (280 cows)Soil type: Clay loamRainfall: 1,000mm
KEY POINTS• Feedinghighfat/oilsupplementstomilkingcowsreducesmethaneemissionsbyspeedingthepassage offeedthroughtherumen,andthereforetheentericfermentationthatreleasesmethane.
• Thesehighfat/oilsupplementscanalsoincreasemilkyield.
• Australian dairy farmers can nowearnAustraliancarboncreditunitsundertheCarbonFarmingInitiative byimplementingdairyfeedadditivesprojects.
This case study is one in a series showcasing how Australian producers are successfully using best management practices
to reduce the impact of climate variability, reduce their greenhouse gas emissions and improve productivity.
DEFINITIONS
Climate variability means natural alterations in the earth’s climate1, or the shorter term (daily, seasonal, year-to-year) variations in weather. Australia has a highly variable climate, which includes cycles of wet and dry periods, and droughts. El Niño (dry) or La Niña (wet) events are part of climate variability.
Climate change means the long-term changes in average weather patterns, such as the rise in global average air temperatures. It involves a persistent series of unusual or anomalous weather events, rather than simply one or two unusual weather events. The World Meteorological Organisation describes it as when events that used to be rare occur more frequently (e.g. summertime maximum air temperatures increasingly break records each year), or vice-versa (e.g. duration and thickness of seasonal lake ice decreasing with time)2.
CO2-equivalent is a way of measuring the global warming potential of greenhouse gases such as methane and nitrous oxide compared to carbon dioxide (CO2). For example, nitrous oxide has a global warming potential of 298, which means that one tonne of nitrous oxide in the air has the same effect as 298 tonnes of carbon dioxide over a 100-year time frame3.
1.http://www.csiro.au/Outcomes/Climate/Cl imate-Change-Book/Chapter-2-Climate-and-greenhouse-gases.aspx2 .h t t p : / / w w w. a p h . g o v. a u / A b o u t _Parliament/Parliamentary_Departments/Parliamentary_Library/Browse_by_Topic/ClimateChange/theBasic/climate http://www.wmo.int/pages/prog/wcp/ccl/faqs.html3 .h t t p : / / w w w. a p h . g o v. a u / A b o u t _Parliament/Parliamentary_Departments/Parliamentary_Library/Browse_by_Topic/ClimateChange/theBasic/greenhouse
Carbon farming: feeding additives to dairy cows
Graeme and Gillian Nicoll, Montrose Dairy
Background
Victoriandairy farmersGraemeandGillianNicoll firstmeasured theirdairy’sgreenhouseemissionsback in2010,withtheresultsconfirmingthat60percentoftheiremissionscamefrommethaneproducedbytheir280dairycows.
Recognisingmethaneemissionsasalossofenergyintheirfarmingsystem,theyensuredtheywereminimisingtheirlossesbyfollowingindustrybestpractices–andalsotryingsomenewideas.
MorerecentdevelopmentsareopeningupwaysfordairyfarmersliketheNicollstoreducemethaneemissionsfromanimalsatthesametimeasimprovingproductivity.Forthefirsttime,AustraliandairyfarmerscanearnAustraliancarboncredit unitsunder theCarbonFarming Initiative (CFI)by feedinghigh fat supplements tomilkingcowstoreducemethaneemissions.
Methane (CH4) used to be called ‘marsh gas’. It is produced during a digestive process called entericfermentation in ruminantanimals includingcattleandsheep, inwhichcarbohydratesarebrokendown intosimplemoleculesforabsorptionintothebloodstream.Agrazingdairycowtypicallyburpsupto600gramsofmethaneeveryday.
InAustralia,methanefromruminantsaccountsforapproximately10percentofAustralia’stotalgreenhousegasemissions4.Methaneis25timesmorepotentthancarbondioxideintermsofitsimpactasagreenhousegas.
However, theproblemwithdairy farmmethaneemissions isn’tonly theirenvironmental impact.The lossofmethaneisadirectlossofenergyfromthefarmingsystem.Themethaneburpedbydairycattleisequivalenttothoseanimalslosingbetween25and40daysofgrazingperyear,orupto10percentofthetotalenergyconsumedbyeachanimal5.
DrRichardEckard,AssociateProfessorandDirectorofthePrimaryIndustriesClimateChallengesCentre,hasbeenresearchingstrategiesforreducingentericmethaneandnitrousoxidefromintensivegrazingsystems.Oneofhisaimshasbeentodeveloppracticalfeedingstrategiesthatdairyfarmerscouldimplementtocurbmethaneemissions.
According to Richard, the loss of methane from dairy systems is a significant inefficiency for farmers.Implementing strategies for reducing such losses are likely to have significant benefits on top of reducinggreenhousegasemissions.
“Whilesomeofthesolutionswe’reexaminingrequiremuchmoreresearch,somecanbeimplementedbydairyfarmersimmediatelyandarelikelytobecost-effectiveintheirownright,”saidRichard.
“Thefourmostpromisingareasforreductionofmethaneemissionsthatcanbeputintoplacerelativelyeasilyarebetterfeedingpractices,geneticimprovements,moreefficientproductionmethodsandincreasedproductivity.”
Better feeding practices
Oneofthemostimmediatestepsthatdairyfarmerscantaketorecoverthelostenergyofmethaneemissionsisto improveforagequality.Thishelpsenhancefeedconversionefficiencyandallowsfeedtopassthroughtherumen(thelargefirstcompartmentofthestomach)morequickly,reducingtheamountofentericmethanereleased.
Inadditiontoimprovingdigestibility,addingfatand/oroilproductstocattlefeedcanalsoreducegreenhouseemissions.ThismethodologyisthefirstCFIinitiativetofocusonreducingmethaneemissionsthroughimprovingthedigestiveprocessesofcows.
Theoil/fatsupplementsbeingfedtocowsaregenerallyby-productssuchaswholecottonseedmeal,cold-pressedcanolameal,brewer’sgrainsandhominymeal.Theadditivesaremosteffectivewhencorrectlytimed.
2
“Duringthespringperiodinmostdairyareas,pasturesarenaturallyhighinoilandnutrition,soaddingadditionalfatwon’thaveagreatimpactatthattime,”saidRichard.
“Insummerthenaturaloilinpasturesfallstoaround1-1.5%andthatopensuptheopportunityaddhighfatfeedsupplementstothedietsofdairycattle,whichwillreducemethaneemissionsduringthattime.”
Theresultsofhighfatadditivesbeingfedunderthecorrectconditionshavebeenillustratedinfarmtrials,whichfoundareductioninmethaneemissions,particularlywhenpastureswerelowinnutritionalvalue.
“Foreveryonepercentofoiladdedtoaruminant’sdietittranslatestoa3.5percentreductioninmethaneemissions,”saidDrEckard.
“Howevertheoilhasotherimportantbenefitstoo,bringingenergyintothedietandimprovingmilkproduction.Wholecottonseed,forexample,alsoincreasedmilkproductionby15percent,milkfatby19percentandmilkproteinby16percent.”6
Montrose Dairy is situated close to the coast in the foothills of the Hoddle Range in Victoria.
Experiences of feeding oil to dairy cattle
GraemeNicollsayshebegansupplementinghisdairyherd’spasture-basedfeedsystemwithusedvegetableoilbackin2005.
“Webuyusedvegetableoillocallyandaddtothefeedrations,mainlyasawayofreducingdustinthemilkingshed,”Graemesaid.“It’scommonaroundhere–lotsofdairyfarmersdoitforthatreason.
“It’sarelativelycheapenergysourceandweaccountforitinthecow’sdietarybudgets–thoughitisgettingabitmoreexpensiveasmorepeopledoit.Butwearelimitedbyhowmuchwecanfeedandatwhattimeoftheyear–soaddingvegetableoilsdoesn’thaveabigimpactonourproduction.”
Graeme says that while hewouldn’t add fats to his cows’ diets solely to reducemethane emissions, he is serious aboutminimisingtheoverallemissionsoftheenterpriseandthegreenhouseemissionintensity(emissionsperunitofproduction).
“Manyoftheexistingbestmanagementpracticesinthedairyindustryimproveefficiencyandreducegreenhousegasemissions,soitmakessensetoadoptthem,”hesaid.
“Webelievethebiggestgainscomefromnotkeepingpoorcowsintheherd,ensuringourcowslivelongandproductivelives,feedinghighqualitydiets,andbeinggoodmanagersofourfertiliserapplications,”hesaid.
“Whereweseesignificantoutcomes,intermsofgreenhousegasemissions,isinthemanagementofourherdfertility–gettingourcowsincalfandnothavingwastecowsonthefarm.
“Havinganefficientsystemissomethingwe’realwaysfocusingoninallfacetsofourbusiness–notwastingnutrientsinourcows’dietsthroughtonotwastingnutrientsthroughfertiliser.
3
“Researchshowsthatthesemethodsdowork–followingthesepracticesonfarmisaprovenwaytoreducegreenhousegasemissions.”
The next steps for interested farmers
FarmerswhoareinterestedinundertakingaCFIprojectshoulddownloadtheDietaryFatsCalculatortooltoassessthefeasibility.Thetoolallowsforaneasyestimateofwhatkindofabatementaprojectcoulddeliver.Samplepagesandbuiltinguidancetakeusersthroughastep-by-stepprocessforusingthetoolandunderstandingtheresults.Ifthefeasibilityassessmentispositive,the‘Undertakingadairyfeedadditivesprojectguide’setsoutthenextsteps.
Richardsaidthatresearchiscontinuingintowaysforlivestockproducerstoreducemethaneemissionsfromtheiranimals,withpromisingpossibilitiesexistinginbreedingforimprovedfeedconversionefficiency,reducingnumbersofunproductiveanimalsonfarmsandextendedlactation(cowscalvingevery18monthsratherthaneveryyear)aswellasusingdietaryadditives.
“Manyofthesestrategiesarebestsuitedtointensiveproductionsystemslikedairying,ascowsarecontainedtwiceadayanditisrelativelyeasytoaltertheirdiets,”hesaid.
“Wecanseethatthrougharangeofbreeding,feedingandanimalmanagementstrategies,Australianlivestockproducershavedoneagoodjobinreducingtheirgreenhousegasemissionintensities–meaningtheiremissionsperunitofproduction–overrecentyears.
“Theamountofmilkproducedperlitreofmethaneproducedbythedairyindustryhasimproved.Thechallengenowistoreducethenetamountofmethanebeingproducedbytheindustryaswell.”
Montrose Dairy
4
4 - http://www.csiro.au/Outcomes/Food-and-Agriculture/livestock-methane-emissions.aspx5 - Eckard, R. J., C. Grainger, and C. A. M. De Klein. “Options for the abatement of methane and nitrous oxide from ruminant production: A review.” Livestock Science 130.1 (2010): 47-56.6 - Moate, P. J., Williams, S. R. O., Grainger, C., Hannah, M. C., Ponnampalam, E. N. & Eckard, R. J. (2011). Influence of cold-pressed canola, brewers grains and hominy meal as dietary supplements suitable for reducing enteric methane emissions from lactating dairy cows. Animal Feed Science and Technology 166-167: 254-264.
For more information
About the Carbon Farming Initiative:www.cleanenergyregulator.gov.au/Carbon-Farming-Initiative/About-the-initiative
Five steps for participating in the Carbon Farming Initiative: www.cleanenergyregulator.gov.au/Carbon-Farming-Initiative/How-does-it-work
The transition from the CFI to the ERF:www.cleanenergyregulator.gov.au/Emissions-Reduction-Fund/The-Emissions-Reduction-Fund-and-other-schemes/Transitioning-from-the-CFI-to-the-ERF
Department of Agriculture’s ERF and CFI page:www.agriculture.gov.au/climatechange/cfi
Guide to undertaking a dairy feed additives project:www.cleanenergyregulator.gov.au/Carbon-Farming-Initiative/Fact-sheets-FAQs-and-guidelines/Publications
Fact sheet on CFI methodology: Feeding dairy additives to milking cows:www.environment.gov.au/climate-change/emissions-reduction-fund/cfi/publications/factsheet-dairy-additives-milking-cows
CFI Dietary fat calculator: http://www.environment.gov.au/climate-change/emissions-reduction-fund/cfi/methodologies/determinations/reducing-greenhouse-gas-emissions-milking-cows
Sefton & Associates [email protected]
YoungCarbonFarmerswww.futurefarmers.com.au/young-carbon-farmers
FutureFarmersNetworkwww.futurefarmers.com.auadmin@futurefarmers.com.au
YoungCarbonFarmers isanationalprojectcreatedbyruralcommunicationspecialistsSefton&Associates,withtheFutureFarmersNetwork,andissupportedbyfundingfromtheAustralianGovernment.
© SeftonandAssociates-December2014 5
TheCarbonFarmingInitiative(CFI)allowsfarmersandotherlandmanagerstoearncarboncreditsbystoringcarbonorreducinggreenhousegasemissionsontheland.ParticipantscangeneratecarboncreditsbysettingupaprojectunderanapprovedCFImethodologydetermination,whichsetsouttherulesfortheactivity.
ParticipationintheCFIinvolvesfivesteps:1. Planningaproject2. ApplyingtoparticipateintheCFI3. Applyingtohaveyourprojectdeclaredasaneligibleoffsetsproject4. Reportingandcrediting5. Participatinginthemarket.
ManyofAustralia’sdairy farmerscouldusethismethodologytogeneratecarboncreditsbyfeedinghighfatsupplementstomilkingcows.Eligiblefarmsarethosewheremilkingcowsarepasturegrazedforatleastninemonthseachyear.
Themethodologyinvolvesfeedingdairycowsselectedhighfatfeedsupplements.Thesesupplementsenablebetterdigestionoflowerqualityfeedduringdrierseasonsandresultinlowermethaneemissions.Thesupplementsarecanolameal,cold-pressedcanolameal,hominymeal,brewer’sgrainanddrieddistiller’sgrain,whicharetheby-productsofotheragriculturalproductionprocesses.
ThemethodologyissupportedbytheonlineCFIdietaryfatscalculator,whichsimplifiesabatementcalculationsandmakesiteasierfordairyfarmerstoreportandreceivecredits.
Projectsneedtomeetthefollowingrequirements:1. ThemilkingherdmustbeinAustralia.2. Milkingcowsmustbepasturegrazedforatleastninemonthseachyear.3. Theconcentrationoffatinthedietofthemilkingherdmustnotexceed70gramsoffatperkilogramofdrymatterintakeinanyseason.4. ProjectsmustcalculateabatementusingtheCFIdietaryfatscalculator.
Farmersmustcollectdataandusethecalculatorusingtheinstructionsinthemethodology.Thenumberofmilkingcowsinthemilkingherdmustbetrackedandprojectsmusthavedailyrecordsofthemilkproductionoftheirherdandseasonalrecordsofthemilkingherd’sdiet(includingsupplements).It’simportanttokeeprecords,becausetheywillbeusedtoassesstheabatementthathasbeenachievedbytheprojectanddemonstratethatithasbeenimplementedandmonitoredproperly.ProjectsmustbeauditedbyaregisteredCFIauditor.
TheGovernmenthascommittedtointroducingtheEmissionsReductionFund(ERF),whichwillreplacetheCFI.ThroughtheEmissionsReductionFundauctionarrangements, theGovernmentwillpurchaseAustraliancarboncreditunits fromexistingCarbonFarmingInitiativeprojectsthatarecompetitiveatanauction.ThiswillallowexistingparticipantsintheCarbonFarmingInitiativetosecureareturnfromeligibleprojects.ExistingCarbonFarmingInitiativeprojectswillautomaticallyberegisteredundertheEmissionsReductionFund.
All images supplied by Graeme and Gillian Nicolls
Breakout article
How to claim carbon credits as part of a dairy feed additives project
6