Study Finds Grass-Based Beef Cattle Can Cut GHG Emissions by 26%
Different mitigation measures concerning manure and grassland management could reduce the climate change environmental impact of beef farming.
Agriculture generates 10% of the UK's GHG emissions.
The climate impacts of UK grass-based beef cattle can be reduced by up to 26%, notes a study undertaken using data from Rothamsted’s North Wyke Farm Platform in Devon.
The study's goal is to discover ways and means to lower greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions without any alteration to current beef production and its system.
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According to the researchers, some interventions are capable of reducing emissions. They are the following:
Nitrification inhibitors
These substances help retain nitrogen in the soil and lower emissions from fertilisers. If used, they could reduce emissions by 7.5%.
White clover
This is a nitrogen-fixing plant, and when added to the pasture, it helps the soil capture more carbon and cut emissions by 12%.
Anaerobic digestion of manure
This technique involves processing cattle manure in a controlled environment in order to reduce methane emissions. This is the most effective of all methods, reducing emissions by up to 26%.
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The study also experimented with downsizing the number of cattle by 50% to reduce emissions, but it ended up being counterproductive, increasing the carbon footprint by 24.5%. This is because, although there are fewer cattle, the methane and nitrous oxide emissions from the soil remain the same. With fewer cattle to balance them out, the per-animal emissions increase.
In the UK, agriculture alone accounts for around 10% of the nation's GHG emissions, according to the study. And, livestock farming is a major contributor to that share, especially beef cattle, contributing around 3-40% of livestock emissions.
The researchers say that by adopting practices like those tested, there will be a big difference in the beef farming sector in terms of reducing emissions.
To learn more about the study and reduce the climate impact of livestock, click here.
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Source: Rothamsted Research
