CARBON SEQUESTRATION ADVANCING SYSTEMS TO SUPPORT SUSTAINABILITY

The dairy industry in SA, as elsewhere, is grappling with significant challenges, including escalating costs and diminishing profit margins. However, these difficulties also create a pivotal opportunity for the sector to embrace sustainable practices that not only enhance environmental stewardship but also encourage economic resilience. A crucial step in this transition is to dispel prevalent misconceptions about the industry’s environmental footprint and to highlight its positive contributions to sustainable agricultural practices. Farmers are encouraged to adopt innovative strategies that enhance soil health and reduce their ecological impact. The review cited focuses on essential factors influencing nutrient management and the processes that contribute to soil carbon enhancement.

Effective management is crucial for the sustainability of pasture-based dairy systems, as herbage biomass significantly influences nutrient cycling and soil organic matter accumulation. For instance, well-managed pastures with high biomass can efficiently recycle nutrients from manure, enhancing plant growth. This process contributes to soil organic carbon build-up, which aids in carbon sequestration. In contrast, poor nutrient management can lead to nutrient imbalances and lower herbage production, reducing carbon storage potential. Moreover, the movement of nutrients below the surface is a critical pathway for enhancing soil health and promoting ecological balance. By implementing sustainable practices and refining nutrient stewardship strategies, pasture-based dairy farmers can significantly advance their sustainability goals. This includes recognizing the broader implications of soil health on farm productivity and environmental resilience, as well as the potential for improved biodiversity.

These are the essentials, but research is required to contextualise and quantify where appropriate. The following research agenda is proposed:

1. Develop comprehensive environmental monitoring strategies:

• Investigate and design effective monitoring protocols for environmental indicators on dairy farms, with a focus on real-time data collection and analysis.
• Explore innovative technologies and methodologies for tracking GHG emissions, N runoff, and land-use changes to establish a baseline for environmental impact assessment.

2. Integrate research with practical solutions:

• Promote the integration of research findings into practical management strategies.
• Collaborate with industry stakeholders to bridge the gap between research outcomes and on-farm implementation, with a focus on addressing soil degradation and reduced pasture fertility.

3.  Align environmental impact with profitability:

• Investigate the economic consequences of sustainable practices, including the potential for reducing production costs and increasing profitability.
• Assess the feasibility of aligning stricter fertiliser guidelines with soil nutrient build-up, enhancing nutrient use efficiency and circulation of nutrients on farms, while maintaining profitability and minimising environmental impact.

4.  Communication and market influence:

• Develop and implement strategies to align the dairy industry with evolving consumer demands and address climate footprint perceptions.
• Investigate the impact of stakeholder and consumer perceptions on market behaviour and the demand for sustainable dairy products.

5.  On-site environmental impact assessment:

• Create tools for dairy farmers to monitor on-site environmental impacts and express these in monetary terms.
• Develop protocols for precautionary and mitigating adaptive measures to address environmental issues promptly.

6.  Carbon capture and storage assessment:

• Explore methodologies to estimate the carbon capturing and storage capacity within on-farm dairy production systems.
• Analyse critical nutrient flows within systems to determine if farms are carbon emission sources or sinks.

7.  Individualised carbon footprint assessment:

• Investigate the variation in net GHG emissions among individual cows, herds and farms, considering factors such as metabolisable energy requirements, physiological status and milk production.
• Develop tools and models to determine the net GHG emissions or sinks at the individual and farm levels based on specific parameters and conditions.

8.  Complex system modelling:

• Explore the complexity of estimating carbon sequestration and the role of cows as biogenic sources of carbon.
• Identify and integrate variables that impact carbon emissions and sequestration into the proposed tool, creating a comprehensive and adaptable system for environmental assessment in the dairy industry.