Estimation of GHG emissions from point of view of litter manure management in Lithuanian agriculture

Abstract

The article analyses the emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4) and dinitrogen monoxide (N2O) in the litter manure management and composting technologies. The impact of agricultural activity on climate change has been observed in the recent years. This was found to be related to structural changes in the holding of farm animals. From 2011 to 2018, the number of farms holding up to 50 cattle decreased by 41 %, but by 17 % increased the number of farms holding 50 and more cattle in Lithuania agriculture. Calculations have shown that greenhouse gas emission in dense manure management systems is about 862.06 kt CO2 e, and that emissions of soils and pastures make up about 2282 kt CO2 e in Lithuania. According to the EU legal requirements, manure is considered to be waste the livestock owner has to account for and eliminate using as crop fertilizer and not polluting the environment. One of this biodegradable waste management ways is granulation, as processing of recyclable materials into organic products. Manure compost granulation can increase bulk density, improve storability, reduce transportation costs, and make these materials easier to handle using existing handling and storage equipment, also there can be GHG emission reduction effect achieved in manure compost granulation technology. Experimental studies have shown that the maximum CO2 emissions of ground cattle manure compost and its granules are 9 times lower, and emissions from a surface area up to 28 times lower than CO2 emissions from fresh cattle manure.