Open AccessShort communication: Impact of the intensity of milk production on ammonia and greenhouse gas emissions in Portuguese cattle farms
Author(s) -
José Pereira,
Henrique Trindade
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
spanish journal of agricultural research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.337
H-Index - 36
eISSN - 2171-9292
pISSN - 1695-971X
DOI - 10.5424/sjar/2015134-8176
Subject(s) - greenhouse gas , manure management , dairy cattle , zoology , manure , environmental science , ammonia , production (economics) , milk production , agricultural science , chemistry , agronomy , biology , ecology , macroeconomics , organic chemistry , economics
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 NH3 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 NH3, N2O and CH4 emissions at each stage
of manure management were estimated as well as CH4 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 NH3 and 1.2±0.22 kg CO2 equivalent per litre of
milk as GHG. Increasing milk production will significantly reduce NH3 and GHG emissions per litre of milk produced. It can be
concluded that a win-win strategy for reducing NH3 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