The global food system is responsible for approximately one-quarter of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions especially methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O). CH4 has 25 times and N2O 296 times higher GHG effects than that of CO2, which leads to the secondary atmospheric contamination. Read further to learn how GASERA ONE analyzers help reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Furthermore, N2O emission have a negative effect on nitrogen conservation and on agricultural value. Therefore, it is important to find an economical and practical way to reduce GHG emissions in the food production process
How the farmers can tackle this challenge and reduce their greenhouse gas emissions and improve their livelihood? Accurate measurements and monitoring of the emissions yielding good data makes smart farming!
GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS IN FOOD PRODUCTION
Convenient food is produced in huge quantities at very low prices. At the same time, we are causing harm to the health of planet’s population and destroying the environment. Can the food system be altered to draw carbon from the atmosphere instead of accumulating it by the adoption of regenerative land and smart farming practices?
Regenerative practices can help the environment. By adoption of regenerative and smart farming practices, such as the use of cover crops, no tilling, crop rotation and smarter (reduced) use of fertilizers and their replacements such as livestock manure and composted organic materials.
Regenerative practices help rebuild soil health, withdrawing carbon from the atmosphere and storing it in the soil, restore the health of waterways and reduce the use of synthetic fertilizers and, consequently, the release of huge quantities of N2O into the atmosphere and polluting waters with excess nitrogen.
One of the regenerative methods is to return the nutrients back by using livestock manure to fertilize the fields. Unfortunately, livestock urine and manure are significant sources of greenhouse gases methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O) when broken down under anaerobic conditions.
The improper management of livestock manure not only wastes resources but also leads to agricultural non-point pollution due to the rich organic content and high levels of nutrients.
GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS MONITORING HELPS YOU TO KNOW IF YOU ARE DOING THE RIGHT THING
By measuring and analysing the soil and the greenhouse gas emissions of the farm is one of the answers to this question. Accurate measurement of the greenhouse gas emissions of methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O) from large number of individual animals and in the field(s), requires fast and automatic gas monitoring systems capable for large-scale measurements.
Spectroscopic techniques, such as the Gasera’s patented cantilever enhanced photoacoustic spectroscopy, are suitable for these purposes.
Gaseous phase studies can also be done to evaluate need for fertilization by measuring ratio of nitrous oxide (N2O) and methane (NH3) from the soil. In gaseous phase studies the need usually is to identify greenhouse gas emissions, especially CH4 and N2O, emissions of soil in situ in order to evaluate the climatic effect of, for example managing manure, to reduce emissions. This should also take place in animal shelters and feeding programs to reduce the protein content in food which, in turn, reduces the nitrogen in urine and manure.
Modern technology, such as GASERA ONE gas analyzers, enables the soil analysis and emissions measurements of greenhouse gases. Our patented cantilever enhanced photoacoustics is a proven measuring technology that can be used e.g. in detection and analysis of gases. Additionally, it enables highly accurate and selective sub-ppb level detection needed for reliable greenhouse gas emissions monitoring.
GASERA ONE GHG offers a selective, reliable and simultaneous analysis of methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O) greenhouse gas emissions with highly accurate Low-ppb detection limits.
GASERA ONE PULSE is a versatile and easy to use multi-gas monitoring solution. It offers accurate simultaneous ppb detection of the carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O), ammonia (NH3) ja H2O. It can be configured for monitoring of greenhouse gas emissions, soil analysis.
GASERA ONE MULTIPOINT SAMPLER is designed to enable multi-channel monitoring with any GASERA ONE analyser. It enhances the monitoring capabilities of Gasera analysers by increasing the number of sample inlets up to 12. In addition, it performs automated sampling from multiple points.
THE GOOD PRACTICES TO REDUCE GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS
Regenerative farming improves the productivity of soil, maintains good nutrients levels and even increase the variety of plays and crops farmed.
- Efficient manure management improves the living condition of the livestock, its health and productivity.
- Managing the soil by accurate measurements and monitoring reduces the use of fertilizers and, in turn, the related costs.
- These actions reduce the greenhouse gas emissions of the farming and food system as well as excess nitrogen release in to the nature and, consequently the further emissions of N2O.
- GASERA ONE products enable highly accurate and selective measurement and monitoring of methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O) greenhouse gas emissions of the food system.
- Accurate data collected with Gasera’s gas analyzers enable farmers to make smart decision based on good data making it smart farming.
Numerous studies confirm that farmers using these practices can achieve higher profits by reducing their costs using regenerative and smart farming principles.
REFERENCES
Delgado L., Feliciano M., Frare L., Furst L., Leitão P.& Facilities, I. G. Construction and Validation of a Low-Cost System for Indoor Air Quality Measurements in Livestock. In: Afonso J., Monteiro V., Pinto J. (eds) (2020) Sustainable Energy for Smart Cities. SESC 2019. Lecture Notes of the Institute for Computer Sciences, Social Informatics and Telecommunications Engineering, vol 315. Springer, Cham. Available online
Dolle, JB , Moreau, S., Lorinquer, E., Manneville, V. & Gac, A. Milk carbon footprint in French dairy systems. Advances in Animal Biosciences, 4(2), 457-556. Available online
Garnsworthy, P. C., Difford, G. F., Bell, M. J., Bayat, A. R., Huhtanen, P., Kuhla, B., Lassen, J., Peiren, N., Pszczola, M., Sorg, Visker, M. H. P.W. & Yan, T. Comparison of methods to measure methane for use in genetic evaluation of dairy cattle. Animals 9 (10), 837, 2019. Available online
Government of Canada (2020) Greenhouse gases and agriculture. Available online
Government of Western Australia (2020) Carbon farming: reducing methane emissions from cattle using feed additives. Available online
Khoshnevisan, B., Duan, N., Tsapekos, P., Kumar Awasthi, M., Liu, Z., Mohammadi, A., Angelidaki, I., Tsang, D. C. W., Zhang, Z., Pan, J., Ma, L., Aghbashlo, M., Tabatabaei, M., & Liu, H. A critical review on livestock manure biorefinery technologies: Sustainability, challenges, and future perspectives. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Volume 135, 2021, 110033, ISSN 1364-0321. Available online
Lee, C., Morris, D.L., Lefever, K.M. & Dieter, P.A.. Feeding a diet with corn distillers grain with solubles to dairy cows alters manure characteristics and ammonia and hydrogen sulfide emissions from manure. Journal of Dairy Science,Volume 103, Issue 3,2020,Pages 2363-2372. Available online
McIlroy, J. P., McGeough, K. L., Laughlin, R. J., & Carolan, R. Abatement of ammonia emissions from dairy cow house concrete floor surfaces through additive application. Biosystems Engineering 188, 320-330, 2019. Available online
Negussie, E., Lehtinen, J., Mäntysaari, P., Bayat, A. R., Liinamo, A.-E., Mäntysaari E. A. & Lidauer, M. H. Non-invasive individual methane measurement in dairy cows. Animal: an International Journal of Animal, Vol. 11, Iss. 5, (May 2017): 890-899. Available online
Uddin, M. E., Larson, R. A & Wattiaux , M.A. Effects of dairy cow breed and dietary forage on greenhouse gas emissions from manure during storage and after field application. Journal of Cleaner Production 270 (2020) 122461. Available online
Wattiaux, M.A., Uddin, M.E., Letelier, P., Jackson, R.D. & Larson, R.A. Invited Review: Emission and mitigation of greenhouse gases from dairy farms: The cow, the manure, and the field. Applied Animal Science, Volume 35, Issue 2, 2019, Pages 238-254. Available online
Zeng, J., Michel Jr, F. & Shen, X. Comparison of GHG emissions during manure, biosolids and yard trimmings composting. ASABE 2017 Annual Meeting, Paper Number: 1700692. Available online
Read also: Gasera’s peer-reviewed research articles.
Matti Tossavainen, Sales and Marketing Manager
