Gippsland - How Now Gippy Cow
November 2010 Edition
GippsDairy Focus Farms
Dairy Farm Carbon Emissions on the Focus Farms
The Carbon Emissions Project operating within the Focus Farm Project has already shown some interesting information, even at the early stages of implementation. Woolworths Ltd funds this project through the Sustainable Farming Program via Landcare Australia.
The project involves each Focus Farm carrying out a carbon emissions audit using the Dairy Greenhouse Gas Abatement Strategy (DGAS) calculator developed in a partnership between Dairy Australia, the Tasmanian Institute of Agricultural research, the University of Tasmania and the Dept. of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry. This calculator is available on the Dairying for Tomorrow website (www.dairyingfortomorrow.com).
The results of the assessments of the DGAS information is a real learning process for each of the Focus Farm families and their Support Group members.
So far the Maffra, Willowgrove and Nar Nar Goon Focus Farms have gone through the process with Neil Baker from the Macalister Demonstration Farm (MDF). Neil is also the facilitator at the Maffra Focus Farm. Neil says, "It is early days in the Dairy Farm Carbon Emissions process, however not too early to start learning and preparing for the future".
Agriculture is responsible for 60 per cent of Australia's methane emissions (from the breakdown of waste in landfill and effluent, from coal mining, and ruminant digestion), and 84 per cent of nitrous oxide emissions (from the breakdown of nitrogen fertilisers in the soil, and ruminant digestion). It is these gasses that will be targeted for emissions reduction in Australian agriculture
The main sources of carbon emissions in dairying are;
- Ruminant fermentation – 65 per cent.
- Soils (cultivation) – 12 per cent.
- Animal waste to pasture – 5 per cent.
- Effluent management – 4 per cent.
What options are there to reduce carbon emissions?
Every farmer will approach the reduction of carbon emissions on their farm in a different way.
Neil Baker says there will be those who readily make changes, even if it costs them money, because it will be good for the environment (and they will possibly benefit sometime in the future). There will be those that will choose to invest in modest changes as long as there is a return on the investment in the short to medium term; and there will be those that will only make changes if they have too.
When considering what approach to take for the MDF as part of his review, the first priority was to protect the viability of the farm business in the face of potential input cost rises, even if there is a long-term gain to be made by strategic investment. The second priority was to find strategies that would generate the greatest reduction in emissions for the least cost, including any investments that would have a positive return.
Strategies under consideration essentially fall into three main groups: energy strategies, feeding strategies, and fertiliser strategies.
Energy Strategies
Reduction in the use of energy, like electricity or fuel including diesel, makes good business sense at the same time as bringing about a reduction in carbon emissions, so should always be front of mind. If there can be savings or productivity gains as a result of any action to save emissions then these can be invested in further emission reduction and are an important motivator.
Some of the key carbon emissions targets related to electricity are milking plant, refrigeration, hot water, water pumps for stock water, irrigation and effluent etc. Solar power, low temperature dairy plant wash and buying renewable energy are among the options. There is no single answer when it comes to farm energy. Bio-diesel, which contains a proportion of vegetable oil, is spoken about but on most dairy farms tractor use is low and this fuel is not readily available yet.
Feeding Strategies
One way to deal with the high level of methane production in the rumen is to increase feed conversion efficiency by feeding high quality supplements with pasture.
Among the feeding strategies that can potentially help to reduce carbon emissions are feeding supplements containing fats or oils and also tannins as found in wine making waste. Fortunately there is some world class research work here in Gippsland at Ellinbank investigating feed additives that could cost effectively help in this area.
Fertiliser Strategies
Just as feeding management can reduce methane emissions, fertiliser management can reduce nitrous oxide emissions from paddocks following the application of nitrogen fertiliser. Strategies to reduce nitrous oxide emissions are really a summary of fertiliser best management practices, with the nitrogen saved being available for increased plant growth and productivity.
One product that is being evaluated is Green Urea, that has been coated to reduce volatilisation (losses to the atmosphere). Trials at the Macalister Demonstration Farm have shown at this stage that it can help in the November to March period, however the cost/benefit is still being evaluated.
Where to from here?
Having worked through this process on a three of the Focus Farms and at the MDF Neil Baker says there are a number of recommendations that can be made:
- Spend time considering your options but invest to protect the farm business first;
- Wait for clearer policy signals from the Government before making big investments;
- Implement low cost actions first – they are usually best management practices that will make you money anyway;
- Invest in other emission reduction strategies as you can afford them;
- Be ready to absorb the cost of compulsory actions;
- Stay informed, and watch out for snake oil salesmen – they are usually selling snake oil!
When Neil Baker has assessed each of the Focus Farms it is proposed to have an energy audit carried out on electricity use and options for reducing expenditure, particularly at the dairy. Electricity is showing up as a key carbon emissions area on the dairy farms where technical data with costing is available at this time.
This should be completed in January and each farm assessment will be publicly available after that.
The Focus Farm Project is an initiative of GippsDairy that receives funding from the Gardiner Foundation, Dairy Australia and GippsDairy.
For more information about the Focus Farm project contact: John Gallienne Mob 0407 863 493.
