Vasse field day methane sept 2010 jones

The NFI trait & methane emissions

Fiona Jones Beef Development Officer

September 2010

Overview

1. General outline of methane emissions

2. Net Feed Intake trial – testing emissions in field

3. Conclusions

Production of methane

Digestion in rumen

Hydrogen

Methanogens

Methane

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

Stationary energy Transport Fugitive emissions Industrialprocesses

Agriculture Land use and Landuse change

Waste

555.3 million tonnes CO2 equivalentSource AGO 2007 National inventory

Emissions in agriculture

Burning savannas, 10%

Burning residues, 1%

Agricultural soils, 19%

manure management, 4%

enteric fermentation, 67%

What is linked with methane production?

Approximately 8-10% of energy is lost to methane production Methane production is linked to higher fibre content pastures

Pastures kept at higher digestibility have lower methane production

Higher intake is linked to higher methane production on pastures

Highly fermentable diets i.e. grain have lower methane production

Perspective - methane production

Animal Class Methane (kg/year)

Eq. grazing days lost/animal

Pot. km driven by 6 cylinder LPG car

Beef steer 50-90 32-57 450-800

Eckard, 2007

Is it really a focus just on emissions?

There is no silver bullet to reduce methane production but we can still work at it!

KEEP TRYING TO BE AS EFFICIENT AS POSSIBLE

Look at optimising year round pasture quality Grazing management practices Genetic selection for low emitting cattle???

Continue good management practices as we identify solutions e.g. genetics

The Net Feed Intake traitDoes it impact on methane emissions?

Trangie Angus NFI Lines divergence

-1.5

-1

-0.5

0

0.5

1

1.5

1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004

NF

I (kg

/day

)

High NFI

Low NFI

Based on EBV’s the two groups

Expect a variation in feed intake of 1.37 kg/day between the groups Cows pregnant on low quality pasture Cows with calves at foot on high quality pastures

What is OP-FTIR?

Wind

Feb 2009 – 55% DMD pastures While pregnant with low efficiency (HNFI) cows having an

Estimate intake of 10.7kg DM/500kg LW/day and methane emissions of 129.3 ± 33g/ 500kg LW.

While the high efficiency (low NFI) cows were 10.2kg DM/500kg LW/day with group methane emissions of 130 ±24g/ 500kg LW.

Grazfeed estimates – 157g (8.1MJ energy lost)

August 2009 – 81% DMD pastures

LE cows and calf intake is 14.0kg DM/day and 190 ± 31g methane/ 500kg cow and calf LW and intake of and

HE cows and calves is 13.1 kg DM/day and 170 ± 35g methane /500kg cow and calf LW.

Grazfeed estimates 229g (12.7 MJ energy lost/day)

Conclusions Net Feed Intake Trial Methane emissions based on the extreme in the NFI trait - no

significant differences in emissions Individual animals may have lower or higher emissions within the

group. Actual emission rates appear lower than expected

We have control over our normal management practices, which we can use to reduce emissions.

These go hand in hand with production efficiency in your grazing enterprise.

Acknowledgements Cattle Industry Compensation Act for funding DAFWA for support and funding University of Wollongong Nola Mercer and Neroli Smith for technical support

Questions?