Preliminary estimates of on-farm methane emissions for sheep production on the Northern

Tablelands of Australia Estimating on-farm sheep methane emissions

Preliminary results of estimating on-farm methane emissions for sheep production on the Northern Tablelands of Australia– Dr Malcolm McPhee – Animal Production – 15 th February 2011

Outline

Background Sheep production on the Northern Tablelands

– Objectives– On-farm data collection– Methane estimates and analyses– Sheep production data

Preliminary results

UWA: Ridgefield, Pingelly, WA

CSIRO: Lansdown, Qld

DPI Victoria: DPI Hamilton/ Demo dairy Terang, Victoria

UNE: Trevenna, Armidale, NSW

“Reducing Livestock Emissions Program” to demonstrate potential mitigation strategies for enteric emissions.

UWA: Ridgefield, Pingelly, WA

CSIRO: Lansdown, Qld

DPI Victoria: DPI Hamilton/ Demo dairy Terang, Victoria

UNE: Trevenna, Armidale, NSW

Main Project Objectives at the Trevenna site

Demonstrate– differences in methane (CH4) production from

sheep grazing on different landscapes: • low fertility (hills @ 3.7 DSE/ha)

versus• high fertility (flats @ 6.7 DSE/ha)

– techniques for• estimating CH4 (e.g. GrazFeed) and• measuring CH4 (e.g. FTIR)

The Site - 36 ha at “Trevenna” UNE, Armidale

Hills

2 landscapes (hills and flats)

3 classes (A,B,C)

3 paddocks (1,2,3)/class

Flats

Flats

On-farm data collection

Soil samples Pasture collection (monthly)

– Green– Dead– Digestibility

Animal (monthly)– Live weights– Condition scores

Wool (yearly)– Staple and tensile strength and fibre diameter

On-farm data collection (continued)

GPS satellite data– ‘Crop Circle’ scanning equipment– GPS tracking devices

On-farm energy use e.g. fertilizer; supplementary feeding

Nitrous oxide (N2O)

H2O balance

Methane estimates and analyses

Methane estimates– GrazFeedTM

– AusFarmTM

– SGS

Methane analyses– Life cycle analysis– Economic analysis

Sheep Production

144 Merino ewes group mated with Border Leicester rams

6 flocks (3 on the hills and 3 on the flats)

–3.7 DSE/ha on hills

–6.7 DSE/ha on flats

– lambing in September.

Heading

Crop Scanner Index

Gre

en B

iom

ass

(kg

DM

/ha)

Crop Circle Relationship Between Green Biomass and Crop Scanner Index

Y=15.1exp6.8x

R2=0.63

Flats

Flats

Hills

(kg DM/ha)

Index map: Green Pasture Available (kg DM/ha)

Intensity of grazing from 8th Sept to 18th October

(kg DM/ha)

Green (t DM/ha)

Dead (t DM/ha)

DMI (kg)

Lambs

Ewes Lambs LWG (g/day)

CH4(g)/ day

CH4(g)/ kg LWG

Hills 0.5 5.60 1.90 0.34 223 43 190 Flats 2.1 0.06 2.20 0.29 305 45 150

Methane (CH4) produced (g)/kg live weight gain (LWG) on the hills and flats based on pasture available

(GrazFeedTM Inputs and Outputs)

From crop scanning and pasture assessment data

Green (t DM/ha)

Dead (t DM/ha)

DMI (kg)

Lambs

Ewes Lambs LWG (g/day)

CH4(g)/ day

CH4(g)/ kg LWG

Hills 0.5 5.60 1.90 0.34 223 43 190 Flats 2.1 0.06 2.20 0.29 305 45 150

From crop scanning and pasture assessment data

Methane (CH4) produced (g)/kg live weight gain (LWG) on the hills and flats based on pasture available

(GrazFeedTM Inputs and Outputs)

Conclusions

On a sustainably stocked production system

–the flats produced lower methane emissions per kg LWG

Trevenna a demonstration site for farmer delivery

–estimating CH4 (e.g. GrazFeed) and

–demonstrating how to increase economic viability consistent with delivering lower emissions intensity

Acknowledgements Advisory Team Members

– Clare Edwards Agronomist. I & I NSW– Jim Meckiff Livestock Officer. I & I NSW– Chris Shands Livestock Officer. I & I NSW

UNE Farm Management– Neil Baillie Senior Technical Officer. UNE– Paul Arnott Farm Manager. UNE

Crop circle scanner– Derek Schneider. UNE

Research Team Members– Roger Hegarty. UNE– Darryl Savage. UNE– Annette Cowie. PIIC – UNE & I & I NSW– Chris Guppy. UNE– David Lamb. UNE

Producer Advisory Group