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RESEARCH ARTICLE
Contents Vol 50(3)

Experimental validation of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change default values for ruminant-derived methane and its carbon-isotope signature

F. Klevenhusen A , S. M. Bernasconi B , M. Kreuzer A and C. R. Soliva A C
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A ETH Zurich, Institute of Plant, Animal and Agroecosystem Sciences, Universitaetstrasse 2, 8092 Zurich, Switzerland.

B ETH Zurich, Geological Institute, Sonneggstrasse 5, 8092 Zurich, Switzerland.

C Corresponding author. Email: carla.soliva@inw.agrl.ethz.ch

Animal Production Science 50(3) 159-167 https://doi.org/10.1071/AN09112
Submitted: 14 August 2009  Accepted: 26 January 2010   Published: 8 April 2010

Abstract

Two aspects regarding the ruminant’s contribution to global methane (CH4) emissions were investigated: (i) testing the accuracy of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change default values for dairy cows fed different diet types and differing slurry storage temperatures; and (ii) providing carbon-isotope (C-isotope) signature data to contribute information on the characteristics of ruminant-derived CH4 as global source. The experimental diets, fed to 18 dairy cows, were separated into forage-only (hay, C3 plant) and forage-concentrate diets (barley, C3 plant; maize, C4 plant). Accumulated slurry was stored at either 14 or 27°C. The hay diet had the highest CH4 conversion rate (Ym 7.9%). Negligible amounts of CH4 were emitted from slurries stored at low temperature. No diet effect was found at 27°C (~33 L/kg volatile solids). The isotope ratios of enteric CH4 averaged −67.7‰ (C3 plants) and −57.4‰ (C4; maize). High temperature slurry storage resulted in different enrichment factors ϵCO2-CH4 for maize (33.2‰) and hay (35.9‰). Compared with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change default values for Ym and slurry CH4 emission the results gained in the present experiment were higher and lower, respectively. Slurry-derived CH4 was less depleted in 13C than enteric CH4, which decreases the usefulness of this signature for global ruminant-derived CH4.

Additional keywords: C3- and C4-plants, dairy cow, slurry, stable isotope.


Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank Dr H.-R. Wettstein and B. Jörg for their technical assistance with the respiratory measurements and M. Coray-Strasser and S. E. Bishop for their technical support with the isotope analyses. The authors acknowledge the financial support of the Vontobel foundation and the project TUMSS (Towards an improved Understanding of Methane Sources and Sinks) of ETH Zurich.


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