Search
Better Farming OntarioBetter PorkBetter Farming Prairies

Better Farming Ontario Featured Articles

Better Farming Ontario magazine is published 11 times per year. After each edition is published, we share featured articles online.


Cattle emission confusion

Sunday, November 7, 2010

by PATRICIA GROTENHUIS

Dairy farmers considering using estimates to reduce methane production in their herd may want to hold off for a bit.

Results of a study conducted jointly by researchers from the University of Guelph, the United States and the Netherlands indicate current prediction methods are inadequate.

“We point to the need to move towards better estimation methods so that the models can be used to make better estimations to farmers,” says Jennifer Ellis, one of the University of Guelph researchers who worked on the study.

The researchers have been evaluating methane output prediction methods for dairy cattle and comparing results with observed values since 2008.

They reviewed nine estimation models, all of which took into consideration management factors such as feeding systems, manure, impact of animals and crops.

In each case the estimated values differed from the actual outputs on the farm. Some methods were more accurate than others, but all had room for improvement, says Ellis.

The study “will have impact for governments and government agencies attempting to estimate greenhouse gas emissions. We encourage the use of more detailed/complex prediction equations being used to stimulate methane emissions, or the use of mechanistic models,” says Ellis.

Brian Terpstra, a dairy farmer from Donegal in Perth County, says if more accurate estimation methods can be found, “some farmers will watch closely and make adjustments.” Especially if “carbon credits amount to being something.”

But any changes farmers make would depend on whether cow health and production can be maintained, he says.

Methane gas is 25 times more potent as a greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide, according to a University of Guelph release. That means reducing one unit of methane would equate to 25 carbon credits.

Shelley Crabtree, assistant director of sustainable development with the Dairy Farmers of Canada, says operating efficiency improvements in Canadian dairy farms reduced the farms’ carbon emissions by 25 per cent between 1981 and 2006.

“Dairy Farmers of Canada is building on this base and investing in further research to find ways to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions from dairy farms, including looking at feed,” says Crabtree.
 
One reason offered for the discrepancies was variations caused by dry matter intake and type of diet. The team’s research showed that fat, starch and sugar content affect methane emissions. Overall amount of intake also appears to affect total emissions. BF

 

Current Issue

June/July 2025

Better Farming Magazine

Farms.com Breaking News

Ontario Promotes Local Food to Boost Economy and Jobs

Thursday, June 5, 2025

Ontario is celebrating Local Food Week from June 2–8, 2025, honoring the people behind the province’s strong and self-sufficient food supply. From farmers and food processors to retailers and restauranteurs, these individuals contribute to the economy and food security. The agriculture... Read this article online

Scientists at Guelph Target Avian Threat

Thursday, June 5, 2025

The University of Guelph (U of G) is activeey engaged against the spread of avian flu. Experts from a variety of departments, including virology, engineering, veterinary medicine, and computer science, are working together to stop this growing threat. “This is not just a crisis for the... Read this article online

Trouw Nutrition launches IntelEgg

Thursday, June 5, 2025

Trouw Nutrition has announced the launch of , a digital platform designed to empower layer producers with real-time insights and data-driven decision-making tools. The image above shows an demo screen. This browser-based application is set to transform how poultry farmers monitor,... Read this article online

New Precision Ag Digital Digest Coming Soon

Wednesday, June 4, 2025

The Summer 2025 Farms.com Precision Ag Digital Digest will be released on June 11. Summer is upon us! Tillage and seeding are mostly completed (…hopefully), so we are shifting focus to irrigation, baling, spraying, guidance, and harvest (among other topics and technologies). In... Read this article online

BF logo

It's farming. And it's better.

 

a Farms.com Company

Subscriptions

Subscriber inquiries, change of address, or USA and international orders, please email: subscriptions@betterfarming.com or call 888-248-4893 x 281.


Article Ideas & Media Releases

Have a story idea or media release? If you want coverage of an ag issue, trend, or company news, please email us.

Follow us on Social Media

 

Sign up to a Farms.com Newsletter

 

DisclaimerPrivacy Policy2025 ©AgMedia Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Back To Top