Enteric methane emissions from German dairy cows
Year: 2012
Type: article
Abstract: Up to now, the German agricultural emission inventory used a model for the assessment of methane emissions from enteric fermentation that combined an estimate of the energy and feed requirements as a function of performance parameters and diet composition, with the constant methane conversion rate provided in the IPCC guidelines. The two existing guidelines propose two different constant rates (IPCC, 1996: 6.0 % or 60 kJ MJ(-1), and IPCC, 2006: 6.5 % or 65 kJ MJ(-1), of the gross energy intake, respectively). Both constants do not reflect that the rates should be dependent on feed properties, as stated by IPCC. A methane emission model was selected here that is based on German feed data. It was combined with the hitherto applied model describing energy requirements. The emission rates thus calculated deviate from those previously obtained. In the new model, the methane conversion rate is back-calculated from emission rates and gross energy intake rates. For German conditions of animal performance and diet composition, the national means of methane conversion rates range between 71 kJ MJ(-1) and 61 kJ MJ(-1) for low and high performances (4700 kg animal(-1) a(-1) in 1990 to 7200 kg animal(-1) a(-1) in 2010), respectively
Institution: Aarhus University
Language: English
Subfield: Animal Science and Zoology
Domain: Life Sciences
SDGs: Climate action, Zero hunger
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W2185341497