Livestock diet optimization with emphasis on reducing greenhouse gases emissions: A case study of an industrial nurture unit of Holstein dairy cows in Sari

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

• Zahra Rashid Sanchuli ¹
• Seyed-Ali Hosseini-Yekani ²
• Fatemeh Kashiri Kolaei ³

¹ Graduate student of Agricultural Economics, Sari University of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources

² Associate Professor of Agricultural Economics, Sari University of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources

³ Assistant Professor of Agricultural Economics, Sari University of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources

10.30495/jae.2022.21349.2015

Abstract

In this study, two mathematical programming patterns were solved in order to determine the diet consistent with the environment for dairy cows. In first, the optimal diet was determined with the aim of minimizing ration cost, and in the next model, the optimal ration was determined with minimizing greenhouse gas emissions with non-increasing costs. According to the results in the conditions of determining the optimal ration based on the minimizing the ration cost, sugar beet pulp, wheat bran, wheat straw and barley make the most of it. Also, materials such as corn, fish, and soybeans are removed from the diet. In order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in different scenarios, materials such as corn silage, beet pulp and wheat bran have a higher share than other materials. Barley and Wheat straw are also products that reduce the amount of greenhouse gases in the diet. Based on the results, in order to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions by 26.6%, it is necessary to spend about 20% more than the cost of conventional models.

Keywords

• Cost minimization
• Environmental goals
• Holstein cows
• Mathematical programming

---

References

1. Norozi R, Khosravi M. Methane greenhouse gas fountains and wells and its role in global warming.  Proceedings of the Fourth International Congress of Geographers of the Islamic World; 2009.

2. https://civilica.com/doc/82846/

3. Amiri MJ, Islamian SS. The effect of greenhouse gases on society, environment, health, agriculture and climate change and ways to reduce it.  Regional Conference on Agriculture, Axis of Growth and Development; 2008.

4. https://www.sid.ir/paper/813976/fa

5. IPCC. Climate change 2014: Impacts, adaptation, and vulnerability. Part A: Global and sectoral aspects. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change; 2014.

6. https://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar5/wg2/

7. Dehghan A. Third national climate change report to the secretariat of the convention. The third part of the greenhouse gas reduction policies of the agricultural sub-sector. Third National Climate Change Report. Environmental Protection Agency; 2014.

8. https://nacc.doe.ir/portal/home/?131422/

9. Moradi A, Aminian M. Iran's greenhouse gas emissions in 2010. Journal of Transmission of Science. 2012; 3(1): 55-9.

10. https://www.sciencecultivation.ir/article_242428_3522af618118ee7fbd42b69b8930886d.pdf

11. Jaefarnia M, Esmaeili A. Investigating the relationship between the productivity and environmental contamination of calf fattening in Shiraz. Knowledge of Agriculture and Sustainable Production. 2013; 23(4-1): 41-9.

12. https://sustainagriculture.tabrizu.ac.ir/article_1034.html

13. Adavi Z, Nemati M, Khorvash M. Investigating the role of industrial livestock in methane production and reduction strategies.  The first National Conference on the Environment of Payame Noor University; 2014.

14. https://civilica.com/doc/279220/

15. Motallebi M, Kohansal M. Application of interaetive multi objective goal programming model for determining the diet of dairy cattle in accordance with economic and environmental criteria. Journal of Agricultural Economics (Economics and Agriculture). 2002; 1(3): 67-82.

16. https://www.sid.ir/paper/124537/fa

17. Yaghoti Khorasani M, Bakhshode M. Determine the optimal composition of dairy cow diets by fuzzy planning: Case study. Journal of Agricultural Economics 2007; 2(1): 103-17.

18. https://www.sid.ir/paper/124453/fa

19. Moraes L, Fadel J, Castillo A, Kebreab E. Greenhouse gas mitigation opportunities in California agriculture. Minimizing diet costs and enteric methane emissions from dairy cow. Nicholas Institute for Environmental Policy Solutions Report; 2014.

20. https://nicholasinstitute.duke.edu/ecosystem/publications/greenhouse-gas-itigation-opportunities-california-agriculture-minimizing-diet-costs

21. White R, Brady M, Capper JL, Johnson KA. Optimizing diet and pasture management to improve sustainability of U.S. beef production. Agricultural Systems. 2016; 130:1–12.

22. https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:agisys:v:130:y:2014:i:c:p:1-12

23. Hawkins J, Weersink A, Wagner-Riddle C, Fox G. Optimizing ration formulation as a strategy for greenhouse gas mitigation in intensive dairy production systems. Agricultural Systems. 2015; 137:1–11.

24. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agsy.2015.03.007

25. Podkowka Z, Cermak B, Podkowka W, Broucek J. Greenhouse gas emission from cattle. De Gruyter. 2016;34(1):82–8.

26. EPA. Interactive units converter. Environmental Protection Agency; 2014.

27. https://cyberleninka.org/article/n/544082

28. IPCC. IPCC guidelines for national greenhouse gas inventories, vol.4. agriculture, forestry and other land use. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Hayama. Japan; 2006.

29. NRC. Nutrient requirements of beef cattles seventh revised ed. National Research Council. National academies press, Washington.D.C; 2000.

30. https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/9791/nutrient-requirements-of-beef-cattle-seventh-revised-edition-update-2000

31. IPCC. Change in atmospheric constituents and in radiative fprcing.in: Climate Change 2007: the physical science basis. Contribution of working group I to the fourth assessment report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.: Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Cambridge University press, Cambridge, Uk and New York; 2007.

32. https://www.ipcc.ch/publications_and_data/ar4/wg1/en/ch2s2-10-2.html