Journal of Ecology and Rural Environment ›› 2017, Vol. 33 ›› Issue (3): 207-214.doi: 10.11934/j.issn.1673-4831.2017.03.003

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Estimation of Greenhouse Gas Emissions in Scaled Crop-Livestock Integrated Farms in North China Plain

SHI Peng-fei, ZHENG Yuan-yuan, YANG Dong-yu, DANG Jing, WANG Gui-yan   

  1. College of Agronomy, Agricultural University of Hebei, Baoding 071001, China
  • Received:2016-06-23 Online:2017-03-25 Published:2017-03-25

Abstract:

The North China Plain is one of the most important crop and livestock production regions, and large-scaled crop and livestock integrated farms are common and typical of the region and thought to be an effective way to solve the environment pollution. Emission of greenhouse gases from the crop and livestock system is already accepted as a main cause of climate change. The objective of this study is to quantify greenhouse gas (GHG) emission from a farm of such a nature in the North China Plain. The life-cycle-based assessment method was used to estimate GHG emission during the operation of the farm by referring to the calculation methodology and emission coefficients specified in the "IPCC 2006 National Guide for and List of GHG" . Results show that the annual total GHG emission from the farm was 32 528.02 t (CO2-equivalence, the same below), among which the farming system contributed 28.09%, and the livestock system did 71.91%. During the operation of the farm, the processes of livestock waste handling and storage, animal feed production and processing, intestinal fermentation and nitrogen production and application were the main sources of GHG emission, contributing 34.66%, 21.24%, 15.48% and 20.08% to the total, respectively. The production of 1 kg of wheat and maize grains emitted 1 059.39 and 411.92 kg, respectively; the production of 1 kg of raw milk and 1 kg of fat-protein corrected milk (FPCM) did 1.04 and 1.14 kg, respectively, which was lower than the average of the world; and production of 1 kg of live pig and beef cattle did 2.58 and 10.00 kg, respectively, similar to those from other intensive animal farms in the country. Scenario analysis shows that to reduce N (fertilizer) application rate, improve the capacity of handling and treating livestock waste, intensify N management and modify feed composition may directly or indirectly mitigate GHG emissions from such farms.

Key words: mixed farm, farm level, greenhouse gas, emission reduction potential

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