Location: Northwest Irrigation and Soils Research
Project Number: 2054-12000-013-016-A
Project Type: Cooperative Agreement
Start Date: Oct 1, 2024
End Date: Aug 31, 2029
Objective:
The objective of this cooperative research proposal is to measure greenhouse gas (GHG) emission rates for confined swine production in the southeastern United States. This objective will be accomplished through the following goals: [1] Quantify baseline emissions of ammonia (NH3), methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O) from existing swine farms in North Carolina, [2] sampling manure and feed to estimate elemental composition and other attributes that may affect GHG emissions, and [3] collect supporting data to enable development of methodologies for estimating these emissions.
Approach:
Lead North Carolina State University PI and Co-PI will coordinate the use of open-path gas monitoring equipment provided by an Lead ARS Researcher loctated in Kimberly, Idaho and an ARS co-collaborator located at USDA, ARS Florence, South Carolina, to conduct GHG measurement campaigns. These campaigns will capture the seasonality of the site emissions with a tentative goal of fourteen (14) days of monitoring data for each sixty (60) calendar days or 21 days of monitoring for each ninety (90) calendar days. A total of eight (8) to ten (10) farms capturing all phases of animal growth will be monitored throughout the project period of four years. The equipment will be rotated across sites to meet monitoring targets (i.e., days of monitoring on each farm across sites). The PIs will hire necessary staff, purchase supplies and tools, and coordinate with cooperating farms to facilitate data collection for this project.
Open-path Fourier Transform Infrared spectrophotometry equipment (OP-FTIR) will measure concentrations of primary greenhouse gases, such as CH4, NH3, and N2O. This facilitates estimation of actual emission fluxes from area sources, such as lagoons, sprayfields, and naturally-ventilated barns. Emissions estimates will be determined utilizing an inverse dispersion technique (Windtrax) based on 15 min averages for concentration and climatic data. Supporting equipment for these campaigns include meteorological sensors (ambient temperature, relative humidity, and rainfall). Considering the importance of wind speeds and directions to this emissions monitoring approach, ultrasonic anemometers will be utilized to track wind data at 10-meter elevation from the ground. Concurrent to emission monitoring, physical samples of feed and manure will be collected and submitted to an external laboratory for analysis of key biochemical attributes, including pH, electrical conductivity, total solids, volatile solids, nitrogen, sulfur concentrations and forms, carbon concentrations. Some sensors will be continuously deployed on site to facilitate tracking temperature and pH of manure storage structures.
Farms will be selected to capture baseline conditions for swine production in the Southeast, as well as to assess advanced manure processing techniques such as anaerobic digesters, nitrification-denitrification treatment, covered lagoons, and sludge drying beds that could reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Farm data such as dates for animal removal and stocking, number of animals stocked per site will be recorded to facilitate development of emission factors attributed to animal units, as well as to facilitate development of emission prediction tools.
