title: Reduction of ammonia emissions from dairy cattle cubicle houses via improved management- or design-based strategies: A modeling approach.
abstract: Given the current scarcity of empirical data on ammonia (NH3) emissions from dairy cattle under different management-based mitigation techniques, a modeling approach to assess potential NH3emission reduction factors is needed. This paper introduces a process-based model that estimates NH3emission reduction factors for a dairy cattle barn featuring single or multiple management-based NH3emission mitigation techniques, as compared to another barn, to which no mitigation measure is applied. The model accounts for the following emission mitigation measures: (a) floor scraping, (b) floor type, (c) floor flushing with water and (d) indoor acidification of manure. Model sensitivity analysis indicated that manure acidification was the most efficient NH3emission reduction technique. A fair agreement was observed between reduction factors from the model and empirical estimates found in the literature. We propose a list of combinations of techniques that achieve the largest reductions. In order of efficiency, they are: (a) floor scraping combined with manure acidification (reduction efficiency 44-49%); (b) solid floor combined with scraping and flushing (reduction efficiency 21-27%); (c) floor scraping combined with flushing and (d) floor scraping alone (reduction efficiency 17-22%). The model is currently being used to advise the Flemish Government (Belgium), on the performance of certain NH3emission reduction systems for dairy barns in Flanders.
authors.affiliation: Technology and Food Science Unit, Institute of Agricultural and Fisheries Research (ILVO), Merelbeke, Belgium; Air Pollution and Greenhouse Gases/Ecosystems Services and Management, International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA), Laxenburg, Austria. Electronic address: mendes@iiasa.ac.at.
authors.forename: Luciano B
authors.initials: LB
authors.lastname: Mendes
authors.affiliation: Department of Biosystems Engineering, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.
authors.forename: Jan G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Pieters
authors.affiliation: Farm Technology Group, Wageningen University, Wageningen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Dennis
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Snoek
authors.affiliation: Wageningen UR Livestock Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Nico W M
authors.initials: NWM
authors.lastname: Ogink
authors.affiliation: Technology and Food Science Unit, Institute of Agricultural and Fisheries Research (ILVO), Merelbeke, Belgium.
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Brusselman
authors.affiliation: Technology and Food Science Unit, Institute of Agricultural and Fisheries Research (ILVO), Merelbeke, Belgium.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Demeyer
keywords: Low NH(3) emission dairy barn; NH(3) emission mitigation; Policy making; Process-based model