Calculation of new enteric methane emission factors for small ruminants in western Kenya highlights the heterogeneity of smallholder production systems
Context African livestock play a critical role in food security and the wider economy, while accounting for >70% of African agricultural greenhouse gas emissions. Accurate estimates of greenhouse gas emissions from livestock are required for inventory purposes and to assess the efficacy of mitigatio...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Journal Article |
| Language: | Inglés |
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Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation
2021
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| Online Access: | https://hdl.handle.net/10568/113017 |
| _version_ | 1855515153361010688 |
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| author | Goopy, John P. Ndung’u, Phyllis W. Onyango, Alice A. Kirui, Peter Butterbach-Bahl, Klaus |
| author_browse | Butterbach-Bahl, Klaus Goopy, John P. Kirui, Peter Ndung’u, Phyllis W. Onyango, Alice A. |
| author_facet | Goopy, John P. Ndung’u, Phyllis W. Onyango, Alice A. Kirui, Peter Butterbach-Bahl, Klaus |
| author_sort | Goopy, John P. |
| collection | Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (CGSpace) |
| description | Context African livestock play a critical role in food security and the wider economy, while accounting for >70% of African agricultural greenhouse gas emissions. Accurate estimates of greenhouse gas emissions from livestock are required for inventory purposes and to assess the efficacy of mitigation measures. While there is an increasing number of studies assessing methane (CH4) emissions of cattle, little attention has been paid to small ruminants (SR). Aims Enteric CH4 emissions were assessed from 1345 SR in three counties of western Kenya to develop more accurate emission factors (EF) for enteric CH4 from sheep and goats. Methods Using on-farm animal activity data, feed samples were also analysed to produce estimates of feed digestibility by season and region. The combined data were also used to estimate daily CH4 production by season, location and class of animal to produce new EF for annual enteric CH4 production of SR. Key results Mean dry-matter digestibility of the feed basket was in the range of 58–64%, depending on region and season (~10% greater than Tier I estimates). EF were similar for sheep (4.4 vs 5 kg CH4/year), but lower for goats (3.7 vs 5 kg CH4/year) than those given for SR in developing countries in Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (Tier I) estimates. Conclusions Published estimates of EF for SR range widely across Africa. In smallholder systems in western Kenya, SR appear to be managed differently from cattle, and EF appear to be driven by different management considerations. Implications The findings highlighted the heterogenous nature of SR enteric emissions in East Africa, but also suggested that emissions from SR are quantitatively less important than other estimates suggest compared with cattle. |
| format | Journal Article |
| id | CGSpace113017 |
| institution | CGIAR Consortium |
| language | Inglés |
| publishDate | 2021 |
| publishDateRange | 2021 |
| publishDateSort | 2021 |
| publisher | Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation |
| publisherStr | Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | CGSpace1130172025-11-13T10:38:17Z Calculation of new enteric methane emission factors for small ruminants in western Kenya highlights the heterogeneity of smallholder production systems Goopy, John P. Ndung’u, Phyllis W. Onyango, Alice A. Kirui, Peter Butterbach-Bahl, Klaus small ruminants goats sheep greenhouse gas emissions climate smallholders food science Context African livestock play a critical role in food security and the wider economy, while accounting for >70% of African agricultural greenhouse gas emissions. Accurate estimates of greenhouse gas emissions from livestock are required for inventory purposes and to assess the efficacy of mitigation measures. While there is an increasing number of studies assessing methane (CH4) emissions of cattle, little attention has been paid to small ruminants (SR). Aims Enteric CH4 emissions were assessed from 1345 SR in three counties of western Kenya to develop more accurate emission factors (EF) for enteric CH4 from sheep and goats. Methods Using on-farm animal activity data, feed samples were also analysed to produce estimates of feed digestibility by season and region. The combined data were also used to estimate daily CH4 production by season, location and class of animal to produce new EF for annual enteric CH4 production of SR. Key results Mean dry-matter digestibility of the feed basket was in the range of 58–64%, depending on region and season (~10% greater than Tier I estimates). EF were similar for sheep (4.4 vs 5 kg CH4/year), but lower for goats (3.7 vs 5 kg CH4/year) than those given for SR in developing countries in Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (Tier I) estimates. Conclusions Published estimates of EF for SR range widely across Africa. In smallholder systems in western Kenya, SR appear to be managed differently from cattle, and EF appear to be driven by different management considerations. Implications The findings highlighted the heterogenous nature of SR enteric emissions in East Africa, but also suggested that emissions from SR are quantitatively less important than other estimates suggest compared with cattle. 2021 2021-03-16T10:55:57Z 2021-03-16T10:55:57Z Journal Article https://hdl.handle.net/10568/113017 en Open Access Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation Goopy, J.P., Ndung’u, P.W. Onyango, A., Kirui, P. and Butterbach-Bahl, K. 2021. Calculation of new enteric methane emission factors for small ruminants in western Kenya highlights the heterogeneity of smallholder production systems. Animal Production Science 61(6) 602-612. |
| spellingShingle | small ruminants goats sheep greenhouse gas emissions climate smallholders food science Goopy, John P. Ndung’u, Phyllis W. Onyango, Alice A. Kirui, Peter Butterbach-Bahl, Klaus Calculation of new enteric methane emission factors for small ruminants in western Kenya highlights the heterogeneity of smallholder production systems |
| title | Calculation of new enteric methane emission factors for small ruminants in western Kenya highlights the heterogeneity of smallholder production systems |
| title_full | Calculation of new enteric methane emission factors for small ruminants in western Kenya highlights the heterogeneity of smallholder production systems |
| title_fullStr | Calculation of new enteric methane emission factors for small ruminants in western Kenya highlights the heterogeneity of smallholder production systems |
| title_full_unstemmed | Calculation of new enteric methane emission factors for small ruminants in western Kenya highlights the heterogeneity of smallholder production systems |
| title_short | Calculation of new enteric methane emission factors for small ruminants in western Kenya highlights the heterogeneity of smallholder production systems |
| title_sort | calculation of new enteric methane emission factors for small ruminants in western kenya highlights the heterogeneity of smallholder production systems |
| topic | small ruminants goats sheep greenhouse gas emissions climate smallholders food science |
| url | https://hdl.handle.net/10568/113017 |
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