Carbon farming, Climate ready, Carbon neutral Richard Eckard
Definitions Carbon farming Increased storage of carbon in the soil or trees Minimising CH4 and N2O losses, while improving efficiency Climate ready Increased (bio)diversity to accommodate large ecological change Strategies remain relevant and feasible under a range of possible future trajectories Carbon neutral Total (sequestration emissions) = zero or +ve
Metrics Gross emissions = all CH4 + N2O Net emissions = Gross emissions sequestration Of concern to policy and IPCC Emissions Intensity = carbon footprint Efficiency metric t CO2e/Unit product More the focus of industry Carbon Neutral = Gross emissions sequestration = zero or +ve
The Carbon Cycle in Grazed Pastures Nitrous Oxide (N 2 O) [298 x CO 2 ] Methane (CH 4 ) [25 x CO 2 ] Carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) CHO Nutrients Residues > 2mm POC/fast > 0.053 mm Humus/slow <0.053 mm Photosynthesis = Respiration + Mineralisation Photosynthesis Respiration + Mineralisation + Methane Decomposition Microbial Biomass Eckard, 2009
Approved CFI methods Projects ACCUs issued Agriculture Destruction of Methane from Piggeries using Engineered Biodigesters 2 0 Destruction of Methane Generated from Manure in Piggeries 5 47,237 Dairy anaerobic ponds 0 0 Feeding dietary oils in dairy 0 0 Feeding nitrates to beef cattle 0 0 Soil carbon in grazing systems 0 0 Vegetation Avoided deforestation 23 1,654,089 Reforestation and Afforestation 10 374,406 Human-Induced Regeneration of a Permanent Even-Aged Native Forest 3 0 Permanent Environmental Plantings of Native Species 14 430 Native Forest from Managed Regrowth 1 0 Permanent Mallee Plantings 2 0 Early Dry Season Savanna Burning 12 467,542 Landfill Diversion of Legacy Waste to an Alternative Waste Treatment Facility 3 143,628 Enclosed Mechanical Processing and Composting Alternative Waste Treatment 2 16,220 Diverting Legacy Waste from Landfill for Process Engineered Fuel Manufacture 1 64,103 Diverting Legacy Waste through a Composting Alternative Waste Technology 4 149,658 Capture and Combustion of Methane in Landfill Gas from Legacy Waste 71 3,926,254
Climate Change Research Program (CCRP) 2009 to 2012 Round 1 Round 2 Soil Carbon Research Program $9.6M (SCaRP) Mitigation $15.9M Adaptation $11.5M Demonstration $7.7M National Biochar Initiative $1.4M Reducing Emissions from Livestock Research Program (RELRP) $11.3M Nitrous Oxide Research Program (NORP) $4.7M
Carbon Farming Futures, Filling the Research Gap (FtRG) 2012 2015 Round 1 (57 projects $47M) Round 2 (31 projects $30M) National Soil Carbon Program (NSCP) $13.2M National Agricultural Greenhouse Gas Modelling Program (NAGMP) $1.8M National Agricultural Manure Management Program (NAMMP) $3M National Livestock Methane Program (NLMP) $13.8M National Agricultural Nitrous Oxide Research Program (NAORP) $14.1M
Methane Methane = 25 x CO 2 Short time in atmosphere 8 to 12 years Atmospheric Concentrations Pre-industrial - 700 ppb Current - 1819 ppb (in 2012) 160% above preindustrial IPCC 2007
Measurement Enteric Methane Update Intra-ruminal wireless sensor unit CH 4, CO 2 & H 2 Chambers, SF 6, GreenFeed units Open-path spectroscopic techniques
Enteric Methane Update Rumen - Metagenomics New approaches in microbiology Understanding why A genetic blueprint of rumen microbiology New microbes identified (digestion without CH 4 ) Inhibitory peptides can reduce CH 4 Rapid screening technologies
Enteric Methane Update Animal Breeding Low CH 4 has a genetic base and is heritable Not high Genetics can alter rumen biota Some cattle produce less CH 4 /kg DMI Simple phenotypic measurements don t predict CH 4
Enteric Methane Update Diet Can reduce CH 4 and change rumen biota Tropical legumes, alternative & novel forages & plant extracts Plant and algae fats, tannins and essential oils Leucaena, Desmanthus, Eremophila glabra most potent Brassica, chicory, grape marc Nitrate supplementation Crushed wheat
Nitrous oxide Nitrous oxide = 298 x CO 2 Long time in atmosphere Atmospheric Concentrations Pre-industrial - 270 ppb Current 325.1 ppb (2012) 20% above pre-industrial level IPCC 2007
NANORP Autochamber Sites Cane Hort Grains Dairy Ingham Bundaberg Low emissions Buntine Griffith (Irr) Kingaroy Narrabri (2) Gympie Gatton (2) Kingsthorpe Tamworth Camden Medium High No data/uncertain Hamilton Terang Wagga Werribee
Nitrous Oxide Update N 2 O emissions vary widely Western Australia (50 g N 2 O-N/ha/year) S Victoria and sugar cane > 1 kg N 2 O-N/ha/day) Land use and farming systems history Cropping soils C and N limits N 2 O Pastures high organic N and available C Periodic waterlogging (high N 2 O and CH 4 )
Nitrous Oxide Update N management Rate, source, timing, placement and formulation Substitute legume N for N fertiliser Grain and sugar cane systems Inventory changes coming up Nitrification inhibitors Effective but not always cost-effective Trade barriers to DCD New suite of emission factors Industry by region Rate responsive
SCaRP Soil sampling locations NT DPI Qld rangelands Qld cropping C3/C4 Panic/Rhodes 14 C labelling sites WA Soils 0 350 Kilometers WA rangeland soils C3/C4 Kikuyu 700 SA soils C3/C4 Kikuyu Tasmania soils NSW MER samples (500 soil profiles) CfOC NSW Soils Murray CMA Victorian sampling sites
NSCP Soil carbon composition and functions
SCaRP Methods Crop residues Shoot and root residues >2 mm MIR
Soil Carbon Update Pastures have more SOC than crops Perennial more than annual Kikuyu > Rhodes & Panic >= Annuals Native pasture> introduced pasture Stable kikuyu pasture May accumulate over 1 t C/ha/y, but only 160 kg is in a stable humus form <1% of roots transferred to stable C (rest respired)
Soil Carbon Update Climatic and soil type > management Strong influence of soil type and rainfall Long term management history required Cropped sites Limited positive impact of tillage practice, stubble management, organic amendments Big negative impact of tillage No evidence of rotational vs continuous grazing or fire (overgrazing does) Plant growth has largest single effect
Soil Carbon Update Minimum detectable differences Decadal scale
Carbon Neutral Wool Outputs (t CO 2 e/farm) Unit 2006 (low rf) 2000-2012 1963-2012 2012 (high rf) Stocking rate DSE/ha 7.2 8.1 8.4 9.7 Wool produced kg CFW 1,510 1,391 1,463 1,627 Meat produced kg CW 1,882 2,158 2,227 2,770 Total livestock emissions t CO 2 e 30 84 92 138 Emissions Intensity t CO 2 e/t CFW 8.8 23.7 25.0 31.3 C Sequestration Trees t CO 2 e -205-299 -247-274 C Sequestration Soil t CO 2 e -269-304 -210-107 Net carbon balance t CO 2 e -444-519 -365-243
Typical Farm Emissions N2O - Indirect 1% N2O - Dung, Urine 3% 0% N2O - N Fertiliser 0% CH4 - Manure 0% Dairy 3-7 t CO 2 e/cow 4 45 t CO 2 e/ha 8 21 t CO 2 e/t MS CH4 - Enteric 96% N-Beef 2 t CO 2 e/au 0.12 t CO 2 e/ha 14 t CO 2 e/t beef Grains 0.2-1 t CO 2 e/ha 0.04 t/co 2 e/t grain Eckard, Grainger & de Klein 2010; Browne et al. 2011
Greenhouse Accounting Tools Dairy-GAF Sheep-GAF Beef-GAF Feedlot-GAF Grains-GAF www.greenhouse.unimelb.edu.au/tools.htm
Greenhouse Accounting Tools FarmGAS DGAS PigBal Cotton Greenhouse Calculator Vegetable Carbon Calculator Horticulture Carbon Calculator Banana Greenhouse Calculator Wine Industry Greenhouse Gas Calculator
Links www.extensionprovidersportal.org.au Carbon Farming elearning course Resources Centre Tool Kit
www.piccc.org.au