The agriculture sector in Denmark contributes 21% of the country’s overall GHG emissions, excluding LULUCF. Denmark’s agriculture emissions are dominated by the livestock sector, primarily due to the production of dairy and non-dairy cattle and swine. Methane (CH4) is the largest contributor to the overall agricultural emissions, accounting for 54% of the sector’s CO2-equivalents in 2015. This case study describes the countries approach for cattle and swine.
System: Livestock
Case study: Country inventory (Columbia)
Agriculture, forestry and other land use (AFOLU) accounts for about 46% of Colombia’s net GHG emissions in 2012 (IDEAM et al. 2017). Gross emissions from the AFOLU sector have been falling in recent years, while total removals have increased. Natural forests cover more than half of the country’s land area, and cultivated pastures and natural grasslands about one quarter of the total land area. Pasture and grassland are mainly used for extensive cattle grazing. Historically, expansion of pasture has been the main driver of deforestation. Colombia’s NDC commits to reduce total national GHG emissions by 20% compared to a business-as-usual scenario, or 30% with international support. Sustainable cattle farming, including silvopastoral systems, are key measures being developed in Colombia to deliver on this target. A Sustainable Bovine Livestock NAMA has been proposed to increase efficiency in cattle production systems and conserve or restore natural ecosystems.
Enteric fermentation in particular is a major source in the AFOLU inventory, accounting for 13% of gross emissions in 2012, 92% of which derives from cattle (IDEAM et al. 2017). Grazing animals also contribute almost 73% of direct N2O emissions from management of soils. Colombia estimates enteric fermentation from cattle using a Tier 2 approach, and a Tier 1 approach for other livestock emission sources. A Tier 2 approach for cattle enteric fermentation emissions was first adopted in Colombia’s Second National Communication submitted in 2010 (IDEAM, 2010). The approach has been revised over time. Colombia’s Tier 2 approach began by using the IPCC model. In the latest inventory (IDEAM et al. 2017), activity data derived from expert judgement from various industry sources, and emission factors were estimated using the RUMINANT model (Herrero et al. 2013).
This case study describes the countries approach for cattle.
Case study: Country inventory (Bulgaria)
Methane from enteric fermentation and N2O from animal sources have consistently been identified as key sources in Bulgaria’s GHG inventory. Together, cattle and sheep have accounted for 80-90% of enteric fermentation emissions in each inventory year since the late 1980s. Bulgaria began to use the IPCC Tier 2 approach for cattle in 2010, and for sheep in 2011. Inventories since 2003 have reported using a Tier 2 approach for methane emissions manure management, but no technical description of the approach used is given in the inventory reports. This case study describes the countries approach for cattle, swine and sheep.
Case study: Country inventory (Austria)
This case study describes the countries approach to inventory compilation for livestock methane emissions. Livestock included: dairy and non-dairy cattle, sheep and pigs.
SAMPLES website
SAMPLES is a global research program of CCAFS that provides guidance for measuring GHG emissions and carbon storage in smallholder agricultural systems. The SAMPLES web platform provides a database of GHG emission factors for agriculture, a compilation of tools for estimation of GHG emissions from agriculture, and guidelines for measurement (also published as an open-access book).
CCAFS, CGIAR Research program on Climate Change, Agriculture, and Food Security: Wageningen, The Netherlands
GreenFeed standard operating procedure
The GreenFeed Standard Operating Procedure was developed for the use of the GreenFeed system. GreenFeed is a nonintrusive system for estimating methane and carbon dioxide fluxes from cattle. This manual provides an overview of cattle gas emissions as a base for understanding GreenFeed operations, and describes the physical operation, controls and maintenance, calibration, and data flow of the GreenFeed system.
Waghorn G, Jonker A, McAuliffe R
2016
Global Research Alliance on Agricultural Greenhouse Gases
Improved ruminant genetics: Implementation guidance for policymakers and investors
This info brief discusses improved ruminant genetics as a practice to mitigate and adapt to climate change and investigates the benefits, challenges, strategies, contributions, effectiveness, and interaction of improved genetics with other Climate Smart Agriculture practices.
de Haas Y, Davis S, Reisinger A, Richards MB, Difford G, Lassen J
2016
CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS): Copenhagen, Denmark
Simple and robust algorithms to estimate liveweight in African smallholder cattle
This study examined data sets from three genetically diverse cattle populations in sub-Saharan Africa to develop new algorithms with lower error of prediction over a full range of observed weights, than simple linear regression. These algorithms can be used in unassociated animal population in the same region of Africa.
Goopy JP, Pelster DE, Onyango A, Marshall K, Lukuyu M
2017
Animal Production Science
Comparison and reliability of techniques to estimate live cattle body weight
This study examined five techniques of estimating live cattle body weight in order to identify the most reliable technique for field use. Brown Swiss and Jersey cows were used to test the methods. It was concluded that Schaeffer’s formula was the most reliable followed by weigh tape, and that Agarwal’s formula and Rondo tape were less accurate.
Wangchuk K, Wangdi J, Mindu M
2015
Journal of Applied Animal Research
Biological nitrification inhibition by Brachiaria grasses mitigates soil nitrous oxide emissions from bovine urine patches
This study investigated higher biological nitrification inhibition occurrence resulting from bovine urine patches. Researchers used field plots of two tropical forage grass cultivars. The study quantified nitrification rates, amoA gene copy numbers of ammonia oxidizing archaea, and denitrification potential. Additionally, N2O emissions and water patches were monitored over a 29-day period. Researchers conclude that tropical forage grasses with high BNI capacity play a key role in mitigating N2O emissions from bovine urine patches in archaea-dominated soils.
Byrnes R, Nùñez J, Arenas L, Rao I, Trujillo C, Alvarez C, Arango J, Rasche F, Chirinda N
2017
Soil Biology and Biochemsitry