New study reveals dairy farms' manure management impact on greenhouse gases
Dairy farms produce greenhouse gases like methane and nitrous oxide from handling liquid manure. Different manure management practices affect these emissions. Predicting and reducing these gases requires understanding how manure is stored and treated. Factors like temperature and manure composition influence the amount of gases released. Current methods for estimating emissions are uncertain. A new model based on daily measurements can help predict methane emissions during storage. Technologies like anaerobic digestion can reduce emissions. When manure is applied to fields, it interacts with soil, affecting nitrogen emissions. Treatments like anaerobic digestion and acidification can help reduce greenhouse gas emissions on dairy farms.