Effects of intensification of pastoral farming on greenhouse gas emissions in New Zealand

Abstract

AIMS: The aims of this cross-sectional study were to investigate the herd and cow-level prevalence of bovine digital dermatitis (BDD) in dairy farms in the northern Taranaki region of New Zealand, and to identify whether there was any spatial clustering of herds with the disease.

METHODS: A survey of 224 dairy farms in the northern Taranaki region of New Zealand was undertaken from September 2014 to February 2015. Following training in robust criteria to confirm BDD visually, a technician inspected the rear feet of every milking cow on the farms during milking. The identity of cows with lesions and the feet involved were recorded. The proportion of cows affected among the inspected population (cow-level prevalence), the proportion of a herd affected (farm-level prevalence), and proportion of farms with ≥1 cow with lesions, were calculated. A bivariate K function analysis was then used to assess whether farms with ≥1 cow with lesions were clustered, after accounting for the distribution of the farms involved in the study.

RESULTS: Bovine digital dermatitis lesions were observed on 143/224 (63.8 (95% CI=57.5–70.1)%) farms. Within-farm prevalence was 0% on 81 (36.2%) farms, between >0 and <3% on 120 (53.5%) farms, with a maximum prevalence of 12.7% on one farm. Overall, cow-level prevalence was 707/60,455 (1.2 (95% CI=0.9–3.0)%), and on affected farms was 707/41,116 (1.7 (95% CI=1.4–2.1)%). In affected cows, 268/707 (37.9%) had a lesion on left foot only, 262/707 (37.1%) on the right foot only and 177/707 (25.0%) on both feet. The K function analysis showed no evidence of clustering of farms with BDD.

CONCLUSIONS: Bovine digital dermatitis was widespread among the survey farms, but there was no evidence that there was any clustering of herds with BDD. The cow-level prevalence on affected farms was much lower than reported elsewhere.

CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Although the prevalence at the cow level was low, if these data are representative of other regions of New Zealand, BDD could easily become a major problem on dairy farms in New Zealand, as has been observed in other countries.     

The contribution of agricultural practices to nitrous oxide emissions in semi-arid Mali

The yield and flux of nitrous oxide (N₂O) emitted from continuous cereals (with and without urea), legumes/cereal in rotation and cereal/legume in rotation all with or without organic manure was monitored from January 2004 to February 2005. All treatments except continuous cereals had phosphate added. The cereal grown July–October in 2003 and 2004 was pearl millet ( Pennisetum glaucum) and the legume was a bean ( Phaseolus vulgaris ). The 10 m × 10 m plots were established in a semi-arid climate in Mali. The addition of organic manure and both inorganic fertilizers increased yield and N₂O emissions. Continuous cereals treated with both organic manure and urea emitted significantly less N₂O (882 g N/ha per year) than plots receiving no organic manure(1535 g N/ha per year). Growing N-fixing crops in rotation did not significantly increase N₂O emissions. This study supports the new practice of growing cereal and legumes in rotation as an environmentally sustainable system in semi-arid Mali.     

草坪土壤的N2O产生途径及其对施氮肥的响应

硝化作用、反硝化作用和硝化细菌反硝化作用是土壤中产生N2O的主要途径.以常用的冷季型草坪草早熟禾为对象,采用气体抑制剂培养法研究了不同施氮量对草坪土壤N2O排放及其产生途径的影响.结果表明,对照草坪土壤的N2O日排放量为7.2 ～ 8.2 g· m-2.d-1,年施氮量10 g.m-2未改变草坪土壤N2O排放强度,年施氮量25、35 g·m-2处理则分别比对照增加1.52倍和1.88倍,但二者之间没有显著差异.对照草坪土壤N2O产生途径主要以异养硝化作用为主,其贡献率达65.7％,反硝化作用贡献率为34％,自养硝化和硝化细菌反硝化过程几乎不发生.年施氮量25 g.m-2时,N2O排放以硝化细菌反硝化、异养硝化和反硝化途径为主,贡献率分别为35％、35％和29％.年施氮量35 g.m2时,N2O排放来自于4个途径,其中反硝化途径占41％,自养硝化途径贡献率增加至20％.     

Nitrous oxide emission as affected by changes in soil water content and nitrogen fertilization

Nitrous oxide emission was measured in laboratory incubations of an alluvial soil (58% clay, pH 7.4). The soil was amended with 40 mg N kg⁻¹ as NaNO₃ or NH₄Cl, or with NaCl as a control. Each fertilization treatment was adjusted to three different water contents: constant 60% WHC (water-holding capacity), constant 120% WHC, and water content alternating between 60 and 120% WHC. During an 8-day incubation period N₂O emission rates and inorganic nitrogen concentrations in soil (NH₄⁺, NO₂⁻, NO₃⁻) were determined at regular intervals. In the control and after nitrate application small N₂O emission rates occurred with only minor variations over time, and no differences between the water treatments. In contrast, with ammonium application N₂O emission rates were much higher during the first two days of incubation, with peaks in the constant 60% WHC and 120% WHC at day 1 and in the changing-water treatment at day 2, when the first wet period (120% WHC) was completed. This N₂O peak in the changing-water treatment was 4 to 9 times higher than with constant WHC and occurred when both, NH₄⁺ and NO₂⁻ concentrations declined sharply. Thus, this N₂O emission flush can be attributed to nitrifier denitrification. After the second rewetting of the NH₄⁺-amended soil no further N₂O emission peak was observed, being in accordance with small NH₄⁺ and NO₂⁻ concentrations in soil at that time. The unexpectedly small N₂O fluxes in the constant 120% WHC treatment after nitrate application were probably caused by the reduction of N₂O to N₂ under the prevailing conditions. It can be concluded that continuous wetting or flooding of a soil is an effective measure to reduce N₂O emissions immediately after the application of NH₄⁺ fertilizers.     

不同有机肥对稻田温室气体排放及产量的影响

为研究有机肥施入稻田对温室气体排放的影响,设置猪粪、鸡粪和稻草分别与化肥混施处理,利用静态箱法-气相色谱仪监测稻田甲烷(CH_4)和氧化亚氮(N_2O)排放通量并进行分析。研究结果表明,化肥处理(CF)CH_4季节排放为202.1、279.9和332.5 kg/hm~2,与猪粪(PM)无显性差异,明显低于鸡粪(CM)和稻草(RS)处理;CF处理N_2O排放总量最高,与有机肥处理无显著性差异;CH_4季节排放通量与土壤Eh值呈极显著负相关关系,与土壤温度呈极显著正相关关系;肥料中不同活性有机碳质量分数为18.4~114.5 g/kg,肥料中被167 mmol/L高锰酸钾氧化的有机碳(ROC167)与稻田CH_4排放总量呈显著正相关关系(相关系数为0.872,P0.05);施有机肥第三年水稻平均产量比CF处理增加14.3%(P0.05);不同有机肥中,以PM处理的增温潜势和温室气体排放强度最小,与不施肥和CF处理无显著性差异,猪粪的ROC167含量低,能较好的协调环境与产量之间关系,是值得推荐的有机肥种类。     

福建省N_2O排放清单及其特征分析

通过核算福建省1980-2013年N_2O的排放清单,分析了N_2O的排放特征.结果表明:1980-2013年,福建省N_2O总排放量从19.2 Gg增加到37.6 Gg;在N_2O的排放源中,按照排放贡献比例从大到小排列依次为农用地、畜禽粪便管理、废水处理和能源消费活动;而按照增长速度从大到小排列依次为能源消费活动、废水处理、农用地和畜禽粪便管理.表明减少农田氮肥施用量是减少福建省N_2O排放的关键.     

添加玉米秸秆及其生物质炭对砖红壤N2O排放的影响

为比较秸秆和生物质炭对土壤氧化亚氮排放的影响,利用室内培养试验研究生物质炭、秸秆添加对土壤性质、硝化作用及N_2O排放的影响。试验设生物质炭、秸秆和空白3个处理,试验培养条件为30℃和75%田间持水量。结果表明,添加秸秆和生物质炭显著提高土壤pH、有机碳和速效K含量,其中秸秆对土壤pH的增加作用更为突出。与对照(1 604.82±168.93μgN_2O-N·kg~(-1))相比,添加秸秆和生物质炭减少N_2O排放量分别为58.0%和65.6%,但二者减排机理不同;秸秆对N_2O的减排因生物的氮固定,降低了硝化反应底物的有效性,生物质炭对N_2O减排可能源于硝化过程中较低的N_2O产生比例。由于生物质炭显著促进土壤硝化速率,而产生较多的NO_3~-,使得热带地区砖红壤硝态氮的淋失风险增大。     

Nitrous Oxide Emissions in Response to ESN and Urea Application in a No-Till Barley Cropping System

We investigated the effect of environmentally smart nitrogen (ESN) fertilizer on nitrous oxide (N₂O) emissions under no-till barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) production over 3 years at three sites in Alberta, Canada. Treatments included two barley cultivars, with ESN and urea applied at 1× and 1.5× the recommended rate, and herbicide at 50% and 100% of registered in-crop rates. Cumulative N₂O emissions over the growing season were low (0.11 to 1.32 kg nitrogen (N) per hectare or 0.05–0.22 g N kg^?1 grain yield), and not affected by barley cultivars or herbicide rates in all nine site-years, nor by fertilizer type or rate in seven out of nine site-years. However, average N₂O emissions from ESN were 15% lower (P = 0.05) than urea across all site-years. Our results suggest ESN could play a role in reducing N₂O emissions, but the reduction will depend on rainfall events and crop N utilization.     

秸秆还田条件下不同水分管理对双季稻田综合温室效应的影响

以南方红壤区双季稻-紫云英为研究对象,利用静态箱-气相色谱法分别分析包括绿肥和稻草等秸秆还田条件下不同水分管理对稻田CH4和N2O排放、水稻产量以及综合温室效应(GWP)的影响。试验设持续淹水(F)、中期烤田(F-D-F)和间歇灌溉(F-D-F-M)处理。结果表明,秸秆还田条件下双季稻田周年CH4排放量介于208.3kg/hm2(F-D-F-M处理)和678.2kg/hm2(F处理)之间,其中,晚稻生长季占周年CH4排放量的60.6%~71.7%。F处理周年CH4排放量显著高于F-D-F和F-D-F-M处理(P0.05)。秸秆还田条件下双季稻田周年N2O排放量为4.75~8.19kg/hm2。与F处理相比,F-D-F-M处理周年N2O排放通量显著增加(60.9%);而F和F-D-F处理之间没有显著差异。早稻和晚稻各处理产量分别为7.76~8.02t/hm2和7.22~8.69t/hm2。秸秆还田条件下,双季稻单位面积GWP和单位产量GWP分别为7648.8~18471.8kg/hm2和0.48~1.12 kg/kg,其中F-D-F和F-D-F-M处理分别显著低于F处理(P0.05)。因此,在秸秆还田条件下采用中期烤田和间歇灌溉替代持续淹水,可以同步实现双季稻高产和减轻农业生产对气候的潜在影响。