Modelled greenhouse gas emissions from beef cattle grazing irrigated leucaena in northern Australia
Chris A. Taylor A E , Matthew T. Harrison B , Marnie Telfer C and Richard Eckard A DA Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Vic. 3010, Australia.
B Tasmanian Institute of Agriculture, University of Tasmania, PO Box 3523, Burnie, Tas. 7320, Australia.
C Ramp Carbon, Level 1, 8 Shelley Street, Richmond, Vic. 3121, Australia.
D Primary Industries Climate Challenges Centre, The University of Melbourne, Vic. 3010, Australia.
E Corresponding author. Email: ctaylor@unimelb.edu.au
Animal Production Science 56(3) 594-604 https://doi.org/10.1071/AN15575
Submitted: 14 September 2015 Accepted: 2 December 2015 Published: 9 February 2016
Abstract
Agriculture produces an estimated 14.5% of global anthropogenic greenhouse gases, with livestock emissions being the largest source of enteric methane. Reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from production and processing of beef cattle will become increasingly important with time, particularly in line with global efforts to mitigate rising GHG emissions. The present study compared several GHG emission scenarios from beef cattle grazing on irrigated Leucaena leucocephala (Lam.) de Wit cv. Cunningham (leucaena) in Queensland, Australia. Animals began grazing the leucaena paddocks when they were 16 months old and continued until ~240 days, before being sold to market. Three scenarios were modelled with cattle grazing leucaena and the resulting GHG emissions calculated, representing (1) the current leucaena paddock (current leucaena scenario), (2) clearing native vegetation and extending the leucaena paddock (extended leucaena scenario) and (3) extending the leucaena paddock onto previously cleared paddocks (alternative leucaena scenario). These were compared with a pre-scenario baseline, where the steers grazed on native vegetation until the time of sale. Herd GHG emission intensities (EI) were reduced in comparison with the baseline (EI of 8.4 tCO2-e/t liveweight sold) for all the leucaena scenarios, where reductions were modelled for the current, extended and alternative leucaena scenarios, which had an EI of 3.9, 3.7 and 3.6 tCO2-e/ t liveweight sold, respectively. Reductions were attributed to the higher growth rates of the steers on leucaena and the anti-methanogenic potential of leucaena. Where leucaena was planted on previously cleared paddocks, carbon stocks (t C/ha) nearly doubled a decade following planting, with most carbon sequestered in the soil. However, total carbon stocks on the property reduced over the modelled period (112 years), where native vegetation, e.g. eucalyptus woodland, was cleared for leucaena planting, but soil carbon yield increased. The combined sequestration of leucaena and the reduction of GHG emission intensities resulted in overall net reductions of GHG emissions for the three leucaena scenarios compared with the baseline. These results demonstrated that the use of leucaena for grazing can be an effective means for farmers to reduce the GHG emissions and increase productivity of their herds. The study also demonstrated that it would take 9 years of reduced emissions to compensate for the carbon lost as emissions from clearing the eucalyptus woodland, suggesting that farmers should use other methods of intensifying production from existing leucaena paddocks if their sole purpose is short-term emissions abatement.
Additional keywords: greenhouse gases, modelling: cattle.
References
ABARES (2013) ‘Agricultural commodity statistics 2013.’ (Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences: Canberra)Alexandratos N, Bruinsma J (2012) ‘World agriculture towards 2030/2050: ESA working paper no. 12–03.’ (UN Food and Agriculture Organization: Rome)
Bortolussi G, McIvor JG, Hodgkinson JJ, Coffey SG, Holmes CR (2005) The northern Australian beef industry, a snapshot. 1. Regional enterprise activity and structure. Animal Production Science 45, 1057–1073.
| The northern Australian beef industry, a snapshot. 1. Regional enterprise activity and structure.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Bowen M, Buck S, Gowen R (2010) Using high quality forages to meet beef markets in the Fitzroy River catchment. Queensland Government and Meat and Livestock Australia.
Burrow HM (2014) Northern Australian beef production. In ‘Beef cattle: production and trade’. (Eds D Cottle, L Kahn) pp. 161–183. (CSIRO Publishing: Melbourne)
Burrows WH, Hoffmann MB, Compton JF, Back PV, Tait LJ (2000) Allometric relationships and community biomass estimates for some dominant eucalypts in central Queensland woodlands. Australian Journal of Botany 48, 707–714.
| Allometric relationships and community biomass estimates for some dominant eucalypts in central Queensland woodlands.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Charmley E, Stephens ML, Kennedy PM (2008) Predicting livestock productivity and methane emissions in northern Australia: development of a bio-economic modelling approach. Animal Production Science 48, 109–113.
| Predicting livestock productivity and methane emissions in northern Australia: development of a bio-economic modelling approach.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 1:CAS:528:DC%2BD1cXovV2i&md5=1a99dd1b57c704114314dedce84778fcCAS |
Charmley E, McSweeney C, Eady S (2011) Strategies for measuring and reducing methane emissions from beef cattle in northern Australia. In ‘Proceedings of the northern beef research update conference’, Darwin, Australia. pp. 73–80. (Northern Australia Beef Research Council: Park Ridge, Qld)
Commonwealth of Australia (2014) National inventory report 2012. Vols 1 and 2. Commonwealth of Australia, Canberra.
Commonwealth of Australia (2015) Carbon credits (Carbon Farming Initiative – beef cattle herd management). Methodology determination 2015.’ (Commonwealth of Australia: Canberra) Available at https://www.comlaw.gov.au/Details/F2015L01434 [Verified 17 November 2015]
Conrad K (2014) Soil organic carbon sequestration and turnover in leucaena–grass pastures of southern Queensland. PhD Thesis, University of Queensland, Brisbane.
Crosson P, Shalloo L, O’Brien D, Lanigan GJ, Foley PA, Boland TM, Kenny DA (2011) A review of whole farm systems models of greenhouse gas emissions from beef and dairy cattle production systems. Animal Feed Science and Technology 166–167, 29–45.
| A review of whole farm systems models of greenhouse gas emissions from beef and dairy cattle production systems.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Dalzell S, Shelton M, Mullen B, Larsen P, McLaughlin K (2006) ‘Leucaena: a guide to establishment and management.’ (Meat and Livestock Australia: Sydney)
Eady S, Viner J, MacDonnell J (2011) On-farm greenhouse gas emissions and water use: case studies in the Queensland beef industry. Animal Production Science 51, 667–681.
| On-farm greenhouse gas emissions and water use: case studies in the Queensland beef industry.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 1:CAS:528:DC%2BC3MXpvVOhtrk%3D&md5=642ae427c7a557e8f8f9d814a39e35ecCAS |
Eckard R, Hegarty R, Thomas G (2008) ‘Beef greenhouse accounting framework. Project no: UM10778, updated by Ozkan, S., Eckard, R., in May 2012.’ (The University of Melbourne: Melbourne) Available at http://www.greenhouse.unimelb.edu.au/Tools.htm [Verified 2 March 2015]
Garnaut R (2008) ‘The Garnaut climate change review.’ (Cambridge University Press: Cambridge, UK)
Gerber PJ, Steinfeld H, Henderson B, Mottet A, Opio C, Dijkman J, Falcucci A, Tempio G (2013) ‘Tackling climate change through livestock: a global assessment of emissions and mitigation opportunities.’ (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO): Rome)
Gleeson T, Martin P, Mifsud C (2012) Northern Australian beef industry: assessment of risks and opportunities. Paper presented at the ABARES report to client prepared for the Northern Australia Ministerial Forum, Canberra.
Harrison MT, McSweeney C, Tomkins NW, Eckard RJ (2015) Improving greenhouse gas emissions intensities of subtropical and tropical beef farming systems using Leucaena leucocephala. Agricultural Systems 136, 138–146.
| Improving greenhouse gas emissions intensities of subtropical and tropical beef farming systems using Leucaena leucocephala.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Harrison MT, Cullen BR, Tomkins NW, McSweeney C, Cohn P, Eckard RJ (2016) The concordance between greenhouse gas emissions, livestock production and profitability of extensive beef farming systems. Animal Production Science 56, 370–384.
| The concordance between greenhouse gas emissions, livestock production and profitability of extensive beef farming systems.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Hunt LP (2008) Safe pasture utilisation rates as a grazing management tool in extensively grazed tropical savannas of northern Australia. The Rangeland Journal 30, 305–315.
| Safe pasture utilisation rates as a grazing management tool in extensively grazed tropical savannas of northern Australia.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
IPCC (1997) ‘Revised 1996 IPCC guidelines for national greenhouse gas inventories: Vol. 1, greenhouse gas inventory reporting instructions; Vol. 2, greenhouse gas inventory workbook; Vol. 3 greenhouse gas inventory reference manual.’ (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change/Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development/International Energy Agency: Paris)
IPCC (2000) ‘Good practice guidance and uncertainty management in national greenhouse gas inventories.’ (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change National Greenhouse Cost Inventories Programme, Technical Support Unit: Geneva)
Jeffrey SJ, Carter JO, Moodie KB, Beswick AR (2001) Using spatial interpolation to construct a comprehensive archive of Australian climate data. Environmental Modelling & Software 16, 309–330.
| Using spatial interpolation to construct a comprehensive archive of Australian climate data.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Kennedy PM, Charmley E (2012) Methane yields from Brahman cattle fed tropical grasses and legumes. Animal Production Science 52, 225–239.
| Methane yields from Brahman cattle fed tropical grasses and legumes.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 1:CAS:528:DC%2BC38XktFWgsL0%3D&md5=0e18aa7dabcd5946d7575591a16a9980CAS |
Lymburner L, Tan P, Mueller N, Thackway R, Thankappan M, Islam A, Lewis A, Randall L, Senarath U (2011) The national dynamic land cover dataset – technical report. Record 2011/031. Geoscience Australia, Canberra.
Malau-Aduli and Holman (2014) World beef production. In ‘Beef cattle: production and trade’. (Eds D Cottle, L Kahn) pp. 65–79. (CSIRO Publishing: Melbourne)
Meat and Livestock Australia (2006) ‘Beef cattle nutrition: an introduction to the essentials.’ (Meat and Livestock Australia)
Penman J, Gytarsky M, Hiraishi T, Krug T, Kruger D, Pipatti R, Buendia L, Miwa K, Ngara T, Tanabe K, Wagner F (Eds) (2003) ‘Good practice guidance on land use, land use change and forestry.’ (The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC): Hayama, Japan)
Radrizzani A, Dalzell SA, Kravchuk O, Shelton HM (2010) A grazier survey of the long-term productivity of leucaena (Leucaena leucocephala)–grass pastures in Queensland. Animal Production Science 50, 105–113.
| A grazier survey of the long-term productivity of leucaena (Leucaena leucocephala)–grass pastures in Queensland.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Rengsirikul K, Kanjanakuha A, Ishii Y, Kangvansaichol K, Sripichitt P, Punsuvon V, Vaithanomsat P, Nakamanee G, Tudsri S (2011) Potential forage and biomass production of newly introduced varieties of leucaena (Leucaena leucocephala (Lam.) de Wit.) in Thailand. Grassland Science 57, 94–100.
| Potential forage and biomass production of newly introduced varieties of leucaena (Leucaena leucocephala (Lam.) de Wit.) in Thailand.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 1:CAS:528:DC%2BC3MXhtlers7nM&md5=f34d3e10fef109c531387cf2b66327e0CAS |
Richards GP (2001) ‘The FullCAM carbon accounting model: development, calibration and implementation for the national carbon accounting system.’ (Australian Greenhouse Office, Canberra)
Shelton M (2015) ‘Psyllid resistant leucaena: expression of interest information pack, second EOI – April 2015.’ (The University of Queensland: Brisbane)
Shelton M, Dalzell S (2007) Production, economic and environmental benefits of leucaena pastures. Tropical Grasslands 41, 174
Smith P, Martino D, Cai Z, Gwary D, Janzen H, Kumar P, McCarl B, Ogle S, O’Mara F, Rice C, Scholes B, Sirotenko O (2007) Agriculture. In ‘Climate change 2007: mitigation. Contribution of Working Group III to the fourth assessment report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’. (Eds B Metz, OR Davidson, PR Bosch, R Dave, LA Meyer) (Cambridge University Press: Cambridge, UK)
Srikanthan R, McMahon TA, Sharma A (2002) Stochastic generation of monthly rainfall data. Technical report 02/8. Cooperative Research Centre for Catchment Hydrology.
Wiedemann SG, Henry BK, McGahan EJ, Grant T, Murphy CM, Niethe G (2015a) Resource use and greenhouse gas intensity of Australian beef production: 1981–2010. Agricultural Systems 133, 109–118.
| Resource use and greenhouse gas intensity of Australian beef production: 1981–2010.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Wiedemann S, McGahan E, Murphy C, Yan M (2015b) Resource use and environmental impacts from beef production in eastern Australia investigated using life cycle assessment. Animal Production Science
| Resource use and environmental impacts from beef production in eastern Australia investigated using life cycle assessment.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Williams J, Hook AR, Hamblin A (2002) ‘Agro-ecological regions of Australia.’ (CSIRO Land and Water: Canberra)
