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ARS Home » Plains Area » El Reno, Oklahoma » Oklahoma and Central Plains Agricultural Research Center » Livestock, Forage and Pasture Management Research Unit » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #375362
Research Project: Sustaining Southern Plains Landscapes through Improved Plant Genetics and Sound Forage-Livestock Production Systems

Location: Livestock, Forage and Pasture Management Research Unit

Title: The “GreenFeed” automated methane measurement system to determine enteric methane emissions from ruminants

Author
item JONKER, ARJAN - Agresearch
item ANTWI, C - Kwame Nkrumah University Of Science And Technology
item BISWAS, AA - Agresearch
item Gunter, Stacey
item HRISTOV, AN - Pennsylvania State University
item MARTIN, C - Institut National De La Recherche Agronomique (INRA)
item MINNEE, EMK - Dairy Nz, Ltd
item RENAND, G - Institut National De La Recherche Agronomique (INRA)
item WAGHORN, GC - Institut National De La Recherche Agronomique (INRA)

Submitted to: Book Chapter
Publication Type: Book / Chapter
Publication Acceptance Date: 12/17/2020
Publication Date: 12/17/2020
Citation: Jonker, A., Antwi, C., Biswas, A. A., Gunter, S. A., Hristov, A. H., Martin, C., Minnée, E. M. K., Renand, G., Waghorn, G.. 2020. The ‘greenfeed’ automated methane measurement system to determine enteric methane emissions from ruminants. In: Arjan, A., Waghorn, G.C., editors. Guideline for Estimating Methane Emissions From Individual Ruminants Using: Greenfeed, ‘Sniffers’, Hand-Held Laser Detector and Portable Accumulation Chambers. Wellington, New Zealand: Ministry for Primary Industries. p. 11-26.

Interpretive Summary: Ruminant livestock production continues to be a concern for the public because of these animals’ production of greenhouse gases directly by feed digestion and indirect by manure management. The direct greenhouse gas production during feed digestion is mostly the result of methane emission which this gas has a 25 times greater warming potential than carbon dioxide. Before scientist can examine mitigation practices, robust and inexpensive methods need to be fully developed to measure this methane emission in the animal’s production environments. One unique system is manufactured in Rapid City, SD (USA) that meets many of the criteria as an ideal emissions assessment system. This book chapter focuses on considerations for the researcher needs to implement the system in animal experiments, including the following: setting up the system in different research situations, operator inputs into the system, animal adaptation, animal visitation to the system, experiment duration, and other experimental factors of concern. The technology that this system contains enables researchers to evaluate mitigation methods that may decrease direct methane emissions by ruminants and improve their energetic efficiencies and thereby increasing the sustainability of these ruminant production systems.

Technical Abstract: The GreenFeed automated emission measurement system can be used to estimate methane and carbon dioxide emissions, and with the optional oxygen sensor, oxygen consumption (gram/day) from individual animals and has been available since about 2010. The system is manufactured by C-Lock Inc., (Rapid City, SD, USA; https://www.c-lockinc.com) and they also provide support services for maintaining and managing the system, which includes setting up the system, provide training to use the system, monitoring the system when in use to ensure proper function, data storage and processing, and they can provide parts and consumables (e.g. filters and standard gasses). This book chapter mainly focuses on considerations for the researcher needs to implement the GreenFeed system in animal experiments, including the following: setting up the system in different research situations, operator inputs into the system, animal adaptation, animal visitation to the system, experiment duration, and other experimental factors of concern. The technology that this system contains enables researchers to evaluate management methods that decrease enteric methane emissions by ruminants and improve their energetic efficiencies.