The efficiency of mountain dairy systems (Italian eastern-Alps) was analyzed by using the following indicators: carbon footprint (CF, cradle-to-farm gate Life Cycle Assessment method) and gross energy and crude protein human-edible conversion ratios (computed as the ratio between the amount of gross energy and crude protein content in human-edible feedstuffs and the energy and protein content of milk, HeE_CR and HeCP_CR, respectively). Data were collected at farm level in 71 dairy farms (52±47 Livestock Unit – LU, 17.4±9.3 kg Fat Protein Corrected Milk - FPCM/cow/day on average). Two functional units were tested: 1 kg of FPCM(CFFPCM, kg) and 1 m2 of farm agricultural area (CFFAA, m2). Emissions due to herd and manure management, on-farm feedstuffs production, purchased feedstuffs, fuel and electricity were included within the system boundaries. Emission computation was based on IPCC Tier 1-2 procedure. Allocation between milk and meat was based on IDF method. CFFPCM, CFFAA, HeE_CR and HeCP_CR were analyzed with a GLM model with the fixed effects of the classes of farm size (LU) and milk productivity (kg FPCM/LU/day) – three classes computed on the basis of mean±0.5*SD (Low, Intermediate, High). Mean CFFPCM was 1.1±0.3 kg CO2-eq/kg and mean CFFAA was 0.92±0.82 kg CO2-eq/m2, whereas mean HeE_CR and HeCP_CR were 1.27±0.82 MJ edible feedstuffs/MJ milk and 0.81±0.56 kg CP edible feedstuffs/kg CP milk, respectively. The main drivers of the impact were enteric fermentation (62%) and nitrous oxide volatilization from managed soils (14%). Farm size was significant in altering CFFAA, HeE_CR and HeCP_CR (-43%, -53% and -58% moving from class High to class Low, respectively), whereas productivity was significant for CFFPCM (lowest values for class High). The results suggested that policies and strategies aiming at sustain the Alpine dairy system should focus on an efficient land management, taking into account both food security and maintenance of permanent grasslands.
Efficiency of grassland-based dairy farming systems in mountainous areas
BERTON, MARCO;BITTANTE, GIOVANNI;STURARO, ENRICO
2017
Abstract
The efficiency of mountain dairy systems (Italian eastern-Alps) was analyzed by using the following indicators: carbon footprint (CF, cradle-to-farm gate Life Cycle Assessment method) and gross energy and crude protein human-edible conversion ratios (computed as the ratio between the amount of gross energy and crude protein content in human-edible feedstuffs and the energy and protein content of milk, HeE_CR and HeCP_CR, respectively). Data were collected at farm level in 71 dairy farms (52±47 Livestock Unit – LU, 17.4±9.3 kg Fat Protein Corrected Milk - FPCM/cow/day on average). Two functional units were tested: 1 kg of FPCM(CFFPCM, kg) and 1 m2 of farm agricultural area (CFFAA, m2). Emissions due to herd and manure management, on-farm feedstuffs production, purchased feedstuffs, fuel and electricity were included within the system boundaries. Emission computation was based on IPCC Tier 1-2 procedure. Allocation between milk and meat was based on IDF method. CFFPCM, CFFAA, HeE_CR and HeCP_CR were analyzed with a GLM model with the fixed effects of the classes of farm size (LU) and milk productivity (kg FPCM/LU/day) – three classes computed on the basis of mean±0.5*SD (Low, Intermediate, High). Mean CFFPCM was 1.1±0.3 kg CO2-eq/kg and mean CFFAA was 0.92±0.82 kg CO2-eq/m2, whereas mean HeE_CR and HeCP_CR were 1.27±0.82 MJ edible feedstuffs/MJ milk and 0.81±0.56 kg CP edible feedstuffs/kg CP milk, respectively. The main drivers of the impact were enteric fermentation (62%) and nitrous oxide volatilization from managed soils (14%). Farm size was significant in altering CFFAA, HeE_CR and HeCP_CR (-43%, -53% and -58% moving from class High to class Low, respectively), whereas productivity was significant for CFFPCM (lowest values for class High). The results suggested that policies and strategies aiming at sustain the Alpine dairy system should focus on an efficient land management, taking into account both food security and maintenance of permanent grasslands.Pubblicazioni consigliate
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