Download Improving production efficiency as a strategy to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions on pastoral dairy farms in New Zealand

In New Zealand, methane (CH4) contributes 38% and nitrous oxide (N2O) 17% (CO2 equivalents; CO2-e) of the annual emissions (NZ Climate Change Office, 2003). Agriculture contributes about half of New Zealand GHG emissions, most of them coming from grazed pasture-based livestock production systems. In these systems, enteric fermentation and urinary-nitrogen (urinary-N) are the most important sources of CH4 and N2O (Waghorn, 2008).