PSXII-13 Impact of Intensification on the Ratio between Carbon Emission per Human-Edible Protein Produced of Nellore Young Bulls in Tropical Production Systems

• Published in: Journal of animal science 2022-09, Vol.100 (Supplement_3), p.288-289
• Main Authors: Lima, Lais, Ongaratto, Fernando, Fernandes, Marcia H, Vyas, Diwakar, Malheiros, Euclides
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 0021-8812; 1525-3163
• DOI: 10.1093/jas/skac247.524

Pasture-fed beef cattle production has been often criticized as a source of greenhouse gas emissions. However, ruminants efficiently convert foods of low nutritional value to humans (e.g., pasture and by-products) into beef, a high-quality food. The present study aimed assessing the ratio between carbon emission per human-edible protein produced (HePp) of Nellore young bulls under three levels of beef cattle intensification systems: lenient, semi-intensive, and intensive. During backgrounding, all animals were raised in marandu palisadegrass pastures managed in continuous stocking with variable stocking rate and fertilized with 0, 75, and 150 kg N/ha, as ammonium nitrate (32% N) for lenient, semi-intensive, and intensive systems, respectively. During the finishing phase, bulls from lenient system remained in the pasture, while animals from semi-intensive and intensive systems were moved to a feedlot barn. The total carbon emission was represented by the total GHG emissions converted to CO2 equivalent (CO2e). Human-edible protein produced was calculated for each production phase and for the entire production system based on animal body protein minus the inedible fraction of empty body weight. Data were analyzed using PROC MIXED procedures of SAS. During the backgrounding phase, the ratio CO2e/kg HePp of semi-intensive did not differ from other systems; however, the intensive system presented the greatest ratio (P< 0.05). During the finishing phase, the ratio was greater for the more intensive systems (P< 0.05). For the entire period, the ratio was greater for the intensified systems (P< 0.05). Although the HePp of bulls from the intensified systems was greater than the lenient system (P< 0.05), the gain was insufficient to offset the CO2e production. Our results suggest that cattle ranching intensification acquired by improvements in grazing management is the most powerful tool to mitigate environmental impact of grazing systems. The authors acknowledge the São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP #2017/18750-7; #2018/26492-0).