Application of Farmyard Manure Rather Than Manure Slurry Mitigates the Net Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Herbage Production System in Nasu, Japan

In Japan, it is important to recycle the nutrients in manure for forage production because most dairy cattle are fed inside, mainly with imported grain and home-grown roughage. To understand the overall effect of manure use on grassland on the net greenhouse gas (GHG) emission and GHG intensity of herbage production systems, the integrated evaluation of emissions of carbon dioxide (CO₂), methane (CH₄), and nitrous oxide (N₂O) is essential. The objective of this study was to compare the net GHG emissions (expressed in CO₂-eq ha⁻¹ y⁻¹) and GHG intensity (expressed in CO₂-eq Mg^–1 dry matter yield) of herbage production based on manure slurry + synthetic fertilizer (slurry system) with that based on farmyard manure + synthetic fertilizer (FYM system). Calculations of net GHG emissions and GHG intensity took into account the net ecosystem carbon balance (NECB) in grassland, the CH₄ and N₂O emissions from grassland, and GHG emissions related to cattle waste management, synthetic fertilizer manufacture, and fuel consumption for grassland management based on literature data from previous studies. The net GHG emissions and GHG intensity were 36% (6.9 Mg CO₂-eq ha⁻¹ y⁻¹) and 41% (0.89 Mg CO₂-eq Mg⁻¹), respectively, lower in the FYM system. View Full-Text