October 19, 2022

 

EnergyDecentral to be held during Eurotier 2022 in Hanover, Germany

 

EuroTier 2022 exhibitors are aiming to achieve a further reduction in greenhouse gases through increased efficiency, innovative animal housing concepts, adapted feeding methods and extensive commitment to animal welfare.

 

Thus, EnergyDecentral, which is scheduled to take place against the backdrop of EuroTier on November 15-18 at the trade fair grounds in Hanover, Germany, will be showing how regenerative energies are paving the way to a climate-neutral future.

In addition to focusing on the reduction of CO2, discussions made concerning the climate during EuroTier will pay more attention to methane emissions (CH4). Solutions for reducing methane will be presented at the DLG Milk & Cattle Forum in Hall 12. Experts will be expressing their opinions on current issues in milk production and cattle farming, and will also be touching on aspects of climate protection.

 

In contrast to ammonia emissions, the technical options for reducing methane emissions are few and far between at present, according to DLG.  One sensible option is the consistent conversion of residues from cattle farming into energy in biogas plants.

 

Additionally, the increased fermentation of slurry is not only able to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from livestock management, but also delivers renewable energies at the same time. In terms of the energy revolution and the efforts being made to achieve climate neutrality by 2050, this is a critical factor.

 

Another advantage is that storing the slurry gas-tight in a biogas plant enables the avoidance of up to ten times the volume of greenhouse gases compared to conventional storage. If a combined heat and power plant is operated as well, the slurry can additionally be used to generate electricity and heat. Exhibitors at EnergyDecentral will be presenting exactly how this system works.

 

Feed and the way in which feeding is carried out also make a substantial contribution to minimising methane emissions. As part of the European Union's SusCatt project, for instance, researchers from the Christian Albrecht University (CAU) in Kiel, Germany, succeeded in demonstrating that pasture-based milk production is able to combine very high milk yields with very low methane emissions and can therefore contribute to climate protection.

 

"This is also beneficial to species diversity at the same time – without imported feeds, because the necessary protein in the feed is supplied by the clover", said Dr. Carsten Malisch, the study's scientific coordinator.

 

Added to this equation are special feed additives. These inhibit the enzymes responsible for methane synthesis in the intestine. Bovaer, a feed additive for cows and other ruminants which was developed by DSM, also relies on this mechanism of action. It is the first ever feed additive approved in the EU that has a proven, positive impact on the environment by influencing methane emissions.

 

Another topic on which applied research is focusing at an international level is algae. These can potentially help to improve the carbon footprint of cattle breeding in the future. Researchers at the University of California have been scrutinising the effects of this new source of feed. Their research shows that, depending on the level of their content in fattening cattle feed, red algae reduce methane emissions by up to 80%. The scientists succeeded in demonstrating that this feed supplement is also able to reduce methane emissions from cattle in the long term without influencing the quality of milk and meat.

 

Sales of the world's first feed additive for ruminants based on red algae originating from both marine and aquarium cultivation started at the beginning of June in Australia.

 

Dinitrogen oxide (N2O) will also be focused on during the debate surrounding the achievement of global climate targets. It is almost 300 times more harmful to the climate than carbon dioxide and is produced when nitrogen is converted in the soil.

 

As a rule, an average of 0.6% of the nitrogen applied onto arable land escapes into the air. Reduced-nitrogen feeding methods such as those on the agenda in the DLG Spotlight "Feed for Future" in Hall 21 are therefore a key lever for reducing nitrous oxide emissions. The objective is the achievement of high nitrogen efficiency with low N balances, as the lower the balance surpluses are, the less nitrate leaching that occurs.

 

Precision fertilisation methods as well as spreading techniques that are close to the ground, such as drag hose or drag shoe methods, or injection and slit technology facilitate precise nitrogen application. Nitrification inhibitors additionally reduce nitrous oxide emissions during the first few weeks after fertilisation.

 

However, the greatest potential is promised by low-emission fertilisation that is geared to the crop's needs, since it avoids nitrogen surpluses and therefore nitrous oxide emissions from agriculturally used soils. Fertilisation recommendations based on soil and plant analyses provide guideline values for assessing nutrient requirements. This enables the avoidance of excessive fertilisation, which would lead to emissions.

 

Appropriate crop rotation and intercropping can additionally improve the quality of the soil. The extent to which synthetic nitrogen can be replaced, at least in part, by nitrogen from sustainable sources will be dealt with at the DLG Spotlight "Feed for Future".

 

Besides the use of organic fertilisers, the cultivation of nitrogen-fixing legumes will also be discussed on November 15-18 at the trade fair grounds.

 

- DLG