Sources of carbon dioxide emissions on a cattle dairy farm

Abstract

The great concern of scientists is the rise in the average temperature of the Earth's atmosphere associated with the greenhouse effect caused by higher concentration of some gases, carbon dioxide included. Animals and their wastes are one of the carbon dioxide sources. Annually there is the growing need in livestock products. This leads to a bigger number of farm animals and consequent higher carbon dioxide emissions into the environment. Theoretical and experimental studies of 2015-2021 at the premises of the Institute for Engineering and Environmental Problems in Agricultural Production and agricultural enterprises in the Leningrad Region of the Russian Federation were aimed at identifying the main sources, intensity and patterns of carbon dioxide emissions in dairy cow barns with due account for the effect of animal housing conditions. The main carbon dioxide sources on a cattle dairy farm are the air exhaled by animals and manure. From the study results, a dairy cow exhales from 4.5 to 8.5 kg of carbon dioxide per day depending on its productivity and mass. The carbon dioxide emission from manure accumulated in a barn is below 1 % of the carbon dioxide exhaled by animals. Modern innovative technologies allow for more efficient use of genetic potential of animals and reduce the negative impact on the environment. The revealed patterns and modelling of carbon dioxide emissions showed that with an increase in cow milk yield from 10 to 30 kg/day, the carbon dioxide emission per 1 kg of milk can decrease 2.3 to 2.5 times.