Grazing intensity and stocking methods on animal production and methane emission by grazing sheep: Implications for integrated crop–livestock system

• Published in: Agriculture, ecosystems & environment ecosystems & environment, 2014-06, Vol.190, p.112-119
• Main Authors: Savian, Jean Victor, Neto, Armindo Barth, de David, Diego Bitencourt, Bremm, Carolina, Schons, Radael Marinho Três, Genro, Teresa Cristina Moraes, do Amaral, Glaucia Azevedo, Gere, José, McManus, Concepta Margaret, Bayer, Cimélio, de Faccio Carvalho, Paulo César
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Agronomy. Soil science and plant productions; Animal productions; Animals; Biological and medical sciences; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; General agroecology; General agroecology. Agricultural and farming systems. Agricultural development. Rural area planning. Landscaping; General agronomy. Plant production; Generalities. Agricultural and farming systems. Agricultural development; Glycine max; Grazing; Greenhouse gases; Herbage allowance; Herbage intake; Italian ryegrass; Lactating ewes; Lamb; Lambs; Lolium multiflorum; Methane; Production methods; Rotational; Sheep; Stockings; Sulfur hexafluoide; Terrestrial animal productions; Vertebrates; Zea mays
• ISSN: 0167-8809; 1873-2305
• DOI: 10.1016/j.agee.2014.02.008

•Pasture management can influence animal production and CH4 emission.•CH4 emissions per animal did not differ in response to grazing management.•CH4 emissions per unit area were 15.3% higher for the rotational stocking method.•Moderate grazing had greater CH4 emission per area than low grazing due to higher stocking rate.•Continuous stocking had lower methane emissions per kg of live weight gain than rotational stocking. Among the various sources with a potential negative impact on the environment, methane (CH4) emissions from livestock origin have been highlighted as important for the agricultural sector. Research to mitigate CH4 emissions and understand how integrated crop and livestock production systems may contribute to the reduction of greenhouse gases, is essential for the development of public policies for environmental preservation. We hypothesized that combinations of stocking methods and grazing intensities provokes differences in the quantity and quality of herbage ingested, thus altering animal production and CH4 emissions by the grazing animal. Experiments were carried out in 2011 (Experiment 1) and 2012 (Experiment 2), when the production of pasture and CH4 emissions from sheep were studied in a system that integrates soybean (Glycine max. (L.) Merr.) and maize (Zea mays L.) in the summer/autumn, in rotation with Italian ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum Lam.) in winter/spring. Two stocking methods (continuous or rotational) and two grazing intensities (herbage allowance: moderate and low, 2.5 and 5 times the potential daily dry matter intake, respectively) in a randomized complete block design with three replicates were studied. Lambs were used in the first experiment, while lactating ewes (all with a single lamb) were used in the second experiment. Average daily gain (ADG) of lambs was greater (P0.05) between treatments. Live weight gain per hectare (LWGHA) showed the same response in both experiments, with greater LWGHA in moderate grazing intensity (P