BOOSTING efficiency in livestock operations typically leads to improved environmental outcomes, the latest research into reducing the northern beef industry’s greenhouse gas impact has found.
Lifting reproductive rates and targeting growth through feeding programs and genetics are two of the key strategies the work determined could contribute to both profitability and reduced emissions.
Interestingly, the work also found the direct economic benefits of efficiency strategies usually are more significant than potential for carbon income via an Emissions Reduction Fund (ERF) project due to lack of property scale.
An overview on the options for northern beef producers to engage in the carbon economy has recently been published, outlining the key findings of the Climate Clever Beef initiative.
A collaboration between governments, including the Northern Territory Department of Primary Industries, and industry bodies, the work was led by Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries sustainable grazing scientist Dr Steven Bray.
Dr Bray said it was set up to identify, trial and demonstrate practices that would be effective in reducing the northern beef industry’s greenhouse gas (GHG) impact, while at the same time improving productivity, profitability and land condition.
The project focussed on livestock methane emissions and carbon sequestration in vegetation and soil.
The work found overall strategies were available for beef producers to reduce their GHG impact, but there were limitations on whether additional income through the ERF would be economically achieved.
“There may be options for regrowth retention as part of an ERF project but the reduction in livestock carrying capacity needs to be carefully considered,” Dr Bray said.
Soil organic carbon response to management and land condition was highly variable, which would lead to high ERF project risk.
Improving lifetime reproductive efficiency emerged as a key area that could reduce emissions.
Increased weaning rates and reduced death rates means more calves in the life of a breeder and her associated emissions.
Pregnancy testing and heifer segregation could be good tools to that end, Dr Bray said.
Improving growth rates so livestock are slaughtered at an earlier age would also equate to less days emitting methane, he said.
Other management strategies identified include use of supplements to improve growth rates, improving genetics and breeding better adapted and productive livestock and the use of some forages such as leucaena which not only improves productivity but contains compounds with reduce methane emissions relative to intake.
The work concluded single interventions were unlikely to achieve the desired magnitude of productivity, profitability or emissions improvements and that a suite of complementary practices was recommended.
However, the overview points out the costs of implementation must be carefully considered to ensure changes are profitable.
