Reducing Ammonia Emissions by Optimizing the Feed Rations of Dairy cows
The practice of optimizing crude protein intake in dairy cows (See Figure 3, Measure 16 in CFD AMM library) is a key lever for reducing both ammonia and GHG emissions.
As part of the AUTOPROT project (www.autoprot.eu), it was established that a considerable proportion of the protein produced and fed on the farm is not utilised by the dairy herd. This unutilised protein is of great importance because it increases the risk of ammonia losses. The AUTOPROT project also showed that farms with a high degree of self-sufficiency in protein (protein self-sufficiency) have a lower proportion of unutilised protein. It can be shown mathematically that the unutilised protein corresponds to the luxury consumption of protein by the dairy cattle.
It is known from the literature that high crude protein levels in cattle rations generally lead to increased excretion of nitrogen in the form of urine. It is the urine that is responsible for the escape of ammonia, as urea, the main component of urine, is very quickly converted into ammonia. If the crude protein in the rations is well adapted to the animals' requirements, the animals excrete more nitrogen via faeces, which contributes significantly less to ammonia emissions.
Thanks to a study by Sajeev et al. (2017), it also became known that the potential for reducing ammonia losses in cattle by reducing by 1% the crude protein surplus in the ratio is 17% of the total output.
A key point is the definition of a target value for ration optimisation. According to experts, crude protein levels in the rations of dairy cows can be reduced to a level of 15% in dry matter without any loss in milk yield. In the opinion of the experts, a crude protein content of 14% in the ration is sufficient for young cattle. Based on these considerations, the CONVIS farms in the AUTOPROT project were able to achieve potential savings in NH3 emissions of around 10 kg of nitrogen per ha through ration optimisation. Of these savings, 90% came from ration optimisation
Climate Farm Demo
Ongoing | 2022-2029
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