Practices with Potential for On-Farm Greenhouse Gas Mitigation …€¦ · On-farm fuel use (CO 2)...
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0 1,000 2,000 3,000 4,000 5,000 6,000 7,000 8,000 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 GHG Emissions (kt CO 2 e/year) On-farm fuel use (CO 2 ) Enteric fermentation (CH 4 ) Manure management (CH 4 & N 2 O) Agricultural soils (N 2 O) Other sources (CO 2 ) PRACTICES WITH POTENTIAL FOR ON-FARM GREENHOUSE GAS MITIGATION IN MANITOBA – What’s Next? Matthew Wiens, Glenn Friesen, Getahun Legesse, Tony Szumigalski Manitoba Agriculture and Resource Development GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS Figure 1. Agricultural greenhouse gas emissions estimates for Manitoba, 1990-2017. Source: Adapted from 2019 National Inventory Report: Greenhouse Gas Sources and Sinks in Canada, ECCC. ENTERIC FERMENTATION MANURE MANAGEMENT AGRICULTURAL SOILS OTHER SOURCES ON-FARM FUEL USE IMPROVE GRAZING MANAGEMENT to boost forage quality, reduce enteric methane and increase growth rates REDUCE MANURE STORAGE TIME to reduce methane generation IMPROVE SYNTHETIC N FERTILIZER USE (i.e. 4R Nutrient Stewardship) to maximize N uptake by crops and minimize N loss ELIMINATE CROP RESIDUE BURNING to conserve organic matter, and to prevent associated methane and nitrous oxide emissions IMPROVE ENERGY EFFICIENCY OF FARM BUILDINGS IMPROVE HERD MANAGEMENT to raise breeding success and calf survival TEST FEED AND BALANCE RATIONS to avoid exceeding protein requirements DEVELOP CROP VARIETIES with improved N use efficiency MINIMIZE USE OF LIMESTONE, UREA AND UAN to reduce associated soil CO 2 emissions IMPROVE FUEL EFFICIENCY OF TRUCKS AND FARM MACHINERY TEST FEED AND BALANCE RATIONS to optimize winter nutrition and identify appropriate feed additives OPTIMIZE MANURE APPLICATION METHODS for avoiding N losses to the environment ADD LEGUMES TO CROPPING SYSTEMS to reduce reliance on synthetic N ADOPT BIOFUELS e.g. biomass for heating; biodiesel for transportation INITIATE BREEDING PROGRAMS for more productive and/or efficient animals IMPROVE MANURE HANDLING AND STORAGE SYSTEMS to reduce ammonia emissions INTEGRATE LIVESTOCK AND CROP PRODUCTION to enhance nutrient cycling and reduce synthetic N use ELECTRIFY Shift from fossil fuel to electric power where feasible Table 1. A selection of Beneficial Management Practices (BMPs) for reducing agricultural greenhouse gas emissions. BENEFICIAL MANAGEMENT PRACTICES WHAT MIGHT BE POSSIBLE? For consideration: • How can the agriculture sector prioritize sustainability and farm profitability over maximizing production? • What opportunities exist for maximizing natural sources of fertility? • What is optimum diversity in the agri- ecosystem, what benefits can it provide and how can we get closer to it? • What opportunities exist for increasing renewable energy use? Summary: Despite increases in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions (Fig.1), various indicators suggest a drop in emissions per unit product (e.g. emissions per kg of beef live weight (Fig. 4)) or unit of income (Fig.5). Emissions intensity has fallen due to adoption of Beneficial Management Practices like those listed in Table 1. To bend the Fig. 1 emissions curve downward may require more than incremental adoption of BMPs. The linear production model shown in Fig.2 can be re-imagined as inter-woven, renewable cycles (Fig. 3), as a way toward a sustainable agricultural future. Figure 2. Simplified diagram of the current linear flow of agricultural inputs to, and outputs from, the agricultural regions of Manitoba. GHG INTENSITY HAS IMPROVED 0.0 0.5 1.0 1.5 2.0 2.5 $0.0 $0.5 $1.0 $1.5 $2.0 $2.5 $3.0 $3.5 $4.0 $4.5 $5.0 1990 1993 1996 1999 2002 2005 2008 2011 2014 2017 GHG Intensity, t CO 2 e per $1000 Farm Cash Receipts Farm Cash Receipts, Billions Figure 5. MB farm cash receipts for 1990- 2017 corrected to 2002 dollars, and corresponding GHG intensity (orange line). Sources: Adapted from: Statistics Canada. Table 32-10-0045-01 Farm cash receipts, annual; 2019 National Inventory Report: Greenhouse Gas Sources and Sinks in Canada, ECCC. Figure 4. Change in greenhouse gas emissions per kg of beef live weight over three decades. Source: Adapted from Legesse et al. 2016. Anim. Prod. Sci. 56(3):153-168. Figure 3. Simplified diagram of a future agricultural system in Manitoba with enhanced nutrient, water, and carbon cycling leading to reduced inputs, a broader range of desired outputs, and decreased unwanted outputs. Agriculture Inputs: Fertilizer, Fuel, Feed… Desired Outputs Canola, Wheat, Beef, Pork, Dairy, Soy, Poultry, Oats, Corn, Potatoes, and more. Unwanted Outputs CO 2 , N 2 O, CH 4 … Current situation Unwanted Outputs CO 2 , N 2 O, CH 4 … Desired Outputs Canola, Wheat, Beef, Pork, Dairy, Soy, Poultry, Oats, Corn, Potatoes, and more, + More biologically-fixed nitrogen, enhanced nutrient cycling, renewable energy, more nutrient-dense forage… Agriculture Inputs: Fertilizer, Fuel, Feed… Future state? Presented at the Sustainability of Canadian Agriculture Conference, March 12-13, 2020, Saskatoon, SK
Transcript of Practices with Potential for On-Farm Greenhouse Gas Mitigation …€¦ · On-farm fuel use (CO 2)...
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PRACTICES WITH POTENTIAL FOR ON-FARM GREENHOUSE GAS MITIGATION IN MANITOBA –What’s Next?Matthew Wiens, Glenn Friesen, Getahun Legesse, Tony Szumigalski
Manitoba Agriculture and Resource Development
GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS
Figure 1. Agricultural greenhouse gas emissions estimates for Manitoba, 1990-2017. Source: Adapted from 2019 National Inventory Report: Greenhouse Gas Sources and Sinks in Canada, ECCC.
ENTERIC FERMENTATION
MANURE MANAGEMENT
AGRICULTURAL SOILS
OTHER SOURCES
ON-FARM FUEL USE
IMPROVE GRAZING MANAGEMENT to boost forage quality, reduce enteric methane and increase growth rates
REDUCE MANURE STORAGE TIME to reduce methane generation
IMPROVE SYNTHETIC N FERTILIZER USE (i.e. 4R Nutrient Stewardship) to maximize N uptake by crops and minimize N loss
ELIMINATE CROP RESIDUE BURNING to conserve organic matter, and to prevent associated methane and nitrous oxide emissions
IMPROVE ENERGY EFFICIENCY OF FARM BUILDINGS
IMPROVE HERD MANAGEMENT to raise breeding success and calf survival
TEST FEED AND BALANCE RATIONS to avoid exceeding protein requirements
DEVELOP CROP VARIETIES with improved N use efficiency
MINIMIZE USE OF LIMESTONE, UREA AND UAN to reduce
associated soil CO2
emissions
IMPROVE FUEL EFFICIENCY OF TRUCKS AND FARM MACHINERY
TEST FEED AND BALANCE RATIONS to optimize winter nutrition and identify appropriate feed additives
OPTIMIZE MANURE APPLICATION METHODSfor avoiding N losses to the environment
ADD LEGUMES TO CROPPING SYSTEMSto reduce reliance onsynthetic N
ADOPT BIOFUELSe.g. biomass for heating; biodiesel for transportation
INITIATE BREEDING PROGRAMS for more productive and/or efficient animals
IMPROVE MANURE HANDLING AND STORAGE SYSTEMS to reduce ammonia emissions
INTEGRATE LIVESTOCK AND CROP PRODUCTIONto enhance nutrient cycling and reduce synthetic N use
ELECTRIFYShift from fossil fuel to electric power where feasible
Table 1. A selection of Beneficial Management Practices (BMPs) for reducing agricultural greenhouse gas emissions.
BENEFICIAL MANAGEMENT PRACTICES
WHAT MIGHT BE POSSIBLE?
For consideration:• How can the agriculture sector prioritize
sustainability and farm profitability over maximizing production?
• What opportunities exist for maximizing natural sources of fertility?
• What is optimum diversity in the agri-ecosystem, what benefits can it provide and how can we get closer to it?
• What opportunities exist for increasing renewable energy use?
Summary: Despite increases in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions (Fig.1), various indicators suggest a drop in emissions per unit product (e.g. emissions per kg of beef live weight (Fig. 4)) or unit of income (Fig.5). Emissions intensity has fallen due to adoption of Beneficial Management Practices like those listed in Table 1. To bend the Fig. 1 emissions curve downward may require more than incremental adoption of BMPs. The linear production model shown in Fig.2 can be re-imagined as inter-woven, renewable cycles (Fig. 3), as a way toward a sustainable agricultural future.
Figure 2. Simplified diagram of the current linear flow of agricultural inputs to, and outputs from, the agricultural regions of Manitoba.
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Figure 5. MB farm cash receipts for 1990-2017 corrected to 2002 dollars, and corresponding GHG intensity (orange line).Sources: Adapted from: Statistics Canada. Table 32-10-0045-01 Farm cash receipts, annual; 2019 National Inventory Report: Greenhouse Gas Sources and Sinks in Canada, ECCC.
Figure 4. Change in greenhouse gas emissions per kg of beef live weight over three decades.Source: Adapted from Legesse et al. 2016. Anim. Prod. Sci. 56(3):153-168.
Figure 3. Simplified diagram of a future agricultural system in Manitoba with enhanced nutrient, water, and carbon cycling leading to reduced inputs, a broader range of desired outputs, and decreased unwanted outputs.
Agriculture Inputs: Fertilizer, Fuel,
Feed…
Desired Outputs
Canola, Wheat, Beef, Pork, Dairy,
Soy, Poultry, Oats, Corn,
Potatoes, and more.
Unwanted Outputs
CO2, N2O, CH4…
Current situation
Unwanted Outputs CO2, N2O, CH4…
Desired OutputsCanola, Wheat, Beef,
Pork, Dairy, Soy, Poultry, Oats, Corn, Potatoes,
and more,
+ More biologically-fixed
nitrogen, enhanced nutrient cycling,
renewable energy, more nutrient-dense forage…
Agriculture Inputs: Fertilizer,
Fuel, Feed…
Future state?
Presented at the Sustainability of Canadian Agriculture Conference, March 12-13, 2020, Saskatoon, SK
