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ARS Home » Midwest Area » Madison, Wisconsin » U.S. Dairy Forage Research Center » Environmentally Integrated Dairy Management Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #411163
Research Project: Improving Sustainability of Dairy and Forage Production Systems for the Upper Midwest

Location: Environmentally Integrated Dairy Management Research

Title: What is the impact of cropland to pasture conversion, and vice versa, on dairy greenhouse gas emissions?

Author
item Jaramillo, David
item Duff, Alison
item KOHMANN, MARTA - University Of Wisconsin

Submitted to: Decode 6
Publication Type: Popular Publication
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/5/2024
Publication Date: 1/5/2024
Citation: Jaramillo, D.M., Duff, A., Kohmann, M. 2024. What is the impact of cropland to pasture conversion, and vice versa, on dairy greenhouse gas emissions?. Decode 6. https://decode6.org/articles/cropland-to-pasture-conversion-dairy-ghg-emissions/.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Enteric methane, or methane released during cattle digestion, is the largest source of greenhouse gases from both confinement and pasture-based dairies. However, feed production is also a significant factor contributing to farm emissions and potential carbon storage in plants and soil. The impact of conversion between pasture and cropland requires an assessment of the dairy farm system in its regional context, and how an increase or decrease in pasture acres would affect net emissions from the land, herd, and manure management.