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In terms of manure, nitrous oxide is a particularly potent gas when it comes to global warming, so making the best use of manures through good grassland management is essential to reduce emissions
a sufficient on-farm requirement for heat or power, renewables can provide a low carbon alternative to fossil fuels. Here at Kite we have carried out a substantial amount of work on the carbon footprint of primary production. Much of this work has been carried out on behalf of the retail sector, many of whom are committed to sustainable agriculture and supporting farmers in lowering their carbon footprint. We have found the difference in carbon footprint between the bottom 25% and top 25% of UK farms can be as much as 40%, showing just how much room there is for improvement. Drilling down, it is husbandry levels and fertiliser use that account for most of the differences we see.
Increasing efficiency
The UK sector seems firmly on track to hit the Kyoto targets by 2020. The main reason is that we have produced a similar amount of milk from a smaller dairy herd, because of higher yields. This will continue to improve, as management continues to advance and yields rise. We have found that lower carbon footprints in milk production are closely correlated to high standards of husbandry. Here, lower culling and replacement rates are a significant factor in achieving higher overall yields per cow and in terms of carbon, maintaining the rumen, which generates methane, is effectively a ‘fixed cost’. Cows with higher yields simply spread their methane maintenance over more pounds of milk.
Therefore, efficiency throughout the milk production process is key to keeping this fixed cost at bay. Everything from the quality of silage, to herd genetics and dry cow management will impact milk yields and cow health, in turn impacting a farm’s overall carbon load.
Manures and fertilisers
In terms of manure, nitrous oxide is a particularly potent gas when it comes to global warming, so making the best use of manures through good grassland management is essential to reduce emissions.
Simple changes such as spreading slurry in spring maximises nitrogen availability and minimises nitrogen cycle losses.
THE JOURNAL OCTOBER 2014 95
Making better use of clover in grassland swards is also a valuable tool. Clover absorbs nitrogen from the atmosphere and re-fixes it back into the ground. It is estimated that a good stand of clover can fix between 150 and 200kg of nitrogen a hectare. Using clover also increases the output of the sward in mid and late season and improves intake and animal performance.
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Why should I take steps to reduce my carbon footprint? In terms of financial benefit we have carried out in-depth work with the ASDA/ARLA milk pool to look at how costs of production and levels of investment link to carbon efficiency. The correlation between carbon efficiency and financial efficiency is very strong. Our 2013 figures show that those farms in the lowest quartile (in terms of producing the most g/CO2/litre) demonstrated a cost of production figure well over 4ppl more than those in the upper quartile. The key message is that meaningful carbon savings can really be made when efficiency is the primary focus. Reducing carbon emissions goes hand in hand with better farming practices such as improved animal health and welfare. Most farmers will already be measuring the main efficiency measures which can affect carbon footprint - namely milk output per cow, feed conversion, fertiliser and manure utilisation, herd replacement rate and of course energy and fuel consumption.
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