Evaluating socio-economic and environmental sustainability of the sheep farming activity in Greece: a whole-farm mathematical programming approach

Ruminant livestock farming is an important agricultural activity, mainly located in less favoured areas. Furthermore, ruminants have been identi fi ed as a signi fi cant source of GHG emissions. In this study, a whole-farm optimization model is used to assess the socio-economic and environmental performance of the dairy sheep farming activity in Greece. The analysis is undertaken in two sheep farms that represent the extensive and the semi-intensive farming systems. Gross margin and labour are regarded as socio-economic indicators and GHG emissions as environmental indicators. The issue of the marginal abatement cost is also addressed. The results indicate that the semi-intensive system yields a higher gross margin/ewe (179 €) than the extensive system (117 €) and requires less labour. The extensive system causes higher emissions/kg of milk than the semi-intensive system (5.45 and 2.99 kg of CO2 equivalents, respectively). In both production systems, abatement is achieved primarily via reduction of the fl ock size and switch to cash crops. However, the marginal abatement cost is much higher in the case of the semi-intensive farms, due to their high productivity

Measured and Simulated Nitrous Oxide Emissions from Ryegrass- and Ryegrass/White Clover-Based Grasslands in a Moist Temperate Climate

There is uncertainty about the potential reduction of soil nitrous oxide (N2O) emission when fertilizer nitrogen (FN) is partially or completely replaced by biological N fixation (BNF) in temperate grassland. The objectives of this study were to 1) investigate the changes in N2O emissions when BNF is used to replace FN in permanent grassland, and 2) evaluate the applicability of the process-based model DNDC to simulate N2O emissions from Irish grasslands. Three grazing treatments were: (i) ryegrass (Lolium perenne) grasslands receiving 226 kg FN ha−1 yr−1 (GG+FN), (ii) ryegrass/white clover (Trifolium repens) grasslands receiving 58 kg FN ha−1 yr−1 (GWC+FN) applied in spring, and (iii) ryegrass/white clover grasslands receiving no FN (GWC-FN). Two background treatments, un-grazed swards with ryegrass only (G–B) or ryegrass/white clover (WC–B), did not receive slurry or FN and the herbage was harvested by mowing. There was no significant difference in annual N2O emissions between G–B (2.38±0.12 kg N ha−1 yr−1 (mean±SE)) and WC-B (2.45±0.85 kg N ha−1 yr−1), indicating that N2O emission due to BNF itself and clover residual decomposition from permanent ryegrass/clover grassland was negligible. N2O emissions were 7.82±1.67, 6.35±1.14 and 6.54±1.70 kg N ha−1 yr−1, respectively, from GG+FN, GWC+FN and GWC-FN. N2O fluxes simulated by DNDC agreed well with the measured values with significant correlation between simulated and measured daily fluxes for the three grazing treatments, but the simulation did not agree very well for the background treatments. DNDC overestimated annual emission by 61% for GG+FN, and underestimated by 45% for GWC-FN, but simulated very well for GWC+FN. Both the measured and simulated results supported that there was a clear reduction of N2O emissions when FN was replaced by BNF

Module for greenhouse gases in BBPR

Tevens uitgebracht als PraktijkRapport Rundvee 90 Tevens uitgebracht als Alterra rapport 1268Available from: Animal Sciences Group, LelystadIn BBPR, BedrijfsBegrotingsProgramma Rundvee is een module ingebouwd om de broeikasgasemissies vanuit de rundveehouderij te kunnen berekenen. Hiermee kan de actuele broeikasgasemissie van een rundveebedrijf berekend worden. Tevens kan het effect aangegeven worden van maatregelen om de emissie te verminderen, alsmede de daarmee gepaard gaande kosten. In het rapport worden enkele maatregelen doorgerekend, zoals verhoging van het aandeel snijmais in het rantsoen, vermindering van de weidegang, gebruik van nitraatloze kunstmest in het voorjaar. Als laatste maatregel is doorgerekend co-vergisting met behulp van snijmais.BBPR is the Dutch program for calculating the effect of management decisions of the farmer on the corresponding use of feed, fertilizers, herd composition, investment costs, and annual costs. This report describes the extension of BBPR with a module for greenhouse gases. The present level of methane and nitrous oxide emissions is indicated as well as the result of measures to reduce these emissions. Measures taken into account are increasing the share of fodder maize in the ration, decreasing the grazing time, use of fertilizer without nitrate in spring. Also the effect of co-digestion of animal manure with fodder maize is discussed.SenterNove

Module for greenhouse gases in BBPR

BBPR is the Dutch program for calculating the effect of management decisions of the farmer on the corresponding use of feed, fertilizers, herd composition, investment costs, and annual costs. This report describes the extension of BBPR with a module for greenhouse gases. The present level of methane and nitrous oxide emissions is indicated as well as the result of measures to reduce these emissions. Measures taken into account are increasing the share of fodder maize in the ration, decreasing the grazing time, use of fertilizer without nitrate in spring. Also the effect of co-digestion of animal manure with fodder maize is discussed.In BBPR, BedrijfsBegrotingsProgramma Rundvee is een module ingebouwd om de broeikasgasemissies vanuit de rundveehouderij te kunnen berekenen. Hiermee kan de actuele broeikasgasemissie van een rundveebedrijf berekend worden. Tevens kan het effect aangegeven worden van maatregelen om de emissie te verminderen, alsmede de daarmee gepaard gaande kosten. In het rapport worden enkele maatregelen doorgerekend, zoals verhoging van het aandeel snijmais in het rantsoen, vermindering van de weidegang, gebruik van nitraatloze kunstmest in het voorjaar. Als laatste maatregel is doorgerekend co-vergisting met behulp van snijmais