Farmers Review Africa March/April 2020 Farmers Review Africa March - April 2020 digital ( | Page 19

Inside, GEA automated feed technology delivers
precisely measured rations multiple times a day,
ensuring feed is always fresh, which minimizes
waste. Automating this task frees up personnel to
do other jobs while minimizing fuel costs; and the
compact barn design means a smaller footprint.
Cows, like all ruminants, produce methane (CH4),
a form of GHG, as a result of their digestion, which
relies on millions of gut microbes to process and
ferment the high fiber foods they consume.
Despite reductions in herd size, CH4 emissions
from cows have increased in many countries;
therefore, lowering heat increment in the rumen,
which improves overall feed conversion in
cattle, is key. The dairy industry and scientific
community are studying feed and digestion to
find ways of reducing methane production in
cattle. A few products, such as methane-reducing
feed supplements, are now entering the market,
however, researchers continue to explore:
“Achieving substantial net reductions in
greenhouse gas emissions from the dairy sector
will require action in three broad areas: improving
efficiencies, capturing and sequestering carbon
and better linking dairy production to the circular,
bio-economy.”
Climate Change and the Global Dairy Cattle
Sector, Food and Agriculture Organization of the
United Nations, 2019
“Given its reputation for quality and durability, GEA
manure equipment is often selected by farmers
who integrate biodigesters in their operations –
whether it’s for moving liquid manure to and from
the digester, efficiently agitating pre-and post-
digestion or along the entire process.”
Jeramy Sanford, Global Product Manager for
Manure Equipment, GEA
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Selecting plants and feed mixes that produce
less CH4 in the rumen
Training the rumen of calves to produce less
methane
Using breeding and genetics to select for
cows that consistently produce less CH4
Achieving substantial net reductions in
greenhouse gas emissions from the dairy
sector will require action in three broad
areas: improving efficiencies, capturing and
sequestering carbon and better linking dairy
production to the circular, bio-economy.”-
Responsible manure management
In addition to its many positive nutrient benefits
for plants and soil – which reduces the need for
artificial fertilizers –manure can also be separated
into valuable streams, such as grey water, bedding
or used to produce energy.
However, when improperly managed, manure
has negative consequences for soil, water and air
quality; in some countries, farmers face increased
regulation and steep penalties – and even
mandates to reduce herd size. Today, expanding
a herd or starting a large dairy operation often
requires that owners have a manure management
strategy in place before permission is granted.
GEA uses its process knowledge and experience
to design and implement tailor-made, high-value
manure management solutions that meet operator
needs while also fulfilling legal requirements.
This includes: the collection and transfer of raw
manure; land application; as well as effective
separation systems for liquid recycling and
bedding production.
In the barn, regular manure collection ensures
good hygiene standards, minimizing infection and
claw diseases. Using a manure separator, the
liquid and solid materials can be separated; the
Are effective for building up and storing
carbon and capturing C02
The South West Dairy Development Centre, in
Somerset, UK, is using precision farming tools to
demonstrate how grazing and automated feeding,
in combination with an automatic milking system,
can be realized. Using hyperspectral imaging and
satellite data, the center can monitor and predict
grass growth in its surrounding paddocks.
The herd has access to four fresh areas of
grazing per day, which functions via a network
of flexible paddocks to encourage flow between
the paddocks and the GEA robotic milkers in the
barn. The process is managed using GEA herd
management software, which communicates
between each cow sensor and the segregation
gates.
GEA’s manure management portfolio includes solutions for collecting, transferring, applying and separating manure as well
as bedding production.
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