Rothamsted Research where knowledge grows

North Wyke Research Sustainable Livestock Systems

Professor Michael Lee

Head of North Wyke Site, Rothamsted Research Reader in Sustainable Livestock Systems, University of

Bristol

Key Research Topics

• Biogeochemistry (plant-soil-water interactions); C, N and P cycling

• Managing livestock manures

• Minimising GHG emissions from grassland systems

• Sustainability of livestock

Livestock Sustainability from Pasture

Quantification of emission sources

Process understanding, model development

Assessment of potential mitigation strategies

National scaling – emission inventory compilation

Improved production systems – efficiency, quality and health

Research into the interactions between land management/livestock production systems (quality and health) and atmospheric emissions, air quality and climate change

CO2, CH4, NO, N2O, N2

Laboratory-scale – process understanding

BBSRC grant: Elucidating the importance of the pools of nitrate in soils on denitrification

Laboratory measurements of methane emission potential of

livestock manures

Field-scale – quantification, mitigation

Defra grants:

Derivation of improved emission factors for N2O and CH4 emissions from agriculture

Assessment of nitrification inhibitors as a mitigation option for N2O emissions from UK agriculture

BBSRC Responsive Mode project Organic Phosphorus Utilisation in Soils (OPUS) • Bi-cropping plants with different

root exudate traits • Improving phosphorus efficiency

Regional and national scaling

National emission inventory modelling – NH3, N2O and CH4 emissions from UK agriculture

DEFRA Test Catchments and Sustainable Intensification Platform

• Foods to improve the health of the nation • Lipids (meat and milk)

• Protein (amino acid balance)

• Micro-nutrients (Minerals and vitamins)

• Social science – what we eat

• Safety and Welfare • Healthy animals, more productive

• Mycotoxins

• Reduced pathogens – AMR

• Animal Welfare

Food Quality and Health

Sustainable Livestock Trade – offs

Criteria Measure Units

Animal performance Daily weight gain Kg weight gain/day

Carrying capacity Animals per hectare Kg weight/ha

Nutritional quality Nutrients per hectare

(e.g. calories, protein, minerals)

Kg nutrient/ha

Nutrient and soil loss to water Losses per hectare per day Kg/ha/day

Greenhouse gas emissions CO2 (or equivalent) per unit of

animal product

Kg CO2eq/kg product

Animal health and welfare Costs of preventive veterinary care

and treatment of diseases

Veterinary costs (£)

Biodiversity Range of wildlife and plant species Species/ha

Inputs (fertiliser, machinery,

labour)

Purchase cost £

Outputs (beef cattle) Sales value £

North Wyke Farm Platform

• A globally unique facility covering 68ha addressing the issues of sustainable intensification

• Collects key data at the field-scale to enable farm relevant research

Soil Atmosphere Farm Management

% Moisture Rainfall Field inputs/outputs

Temperature CO2 and N2O Liveweight gain

pH Farm activities

Bulk density Labour hours

N, P & C status Machine hours

Total-P Ortho-P

Sequential/composite sampler

Water

Temperature

Conductivity

Turbidity

pH

Dissolved O2

Ammonium

Nitrate

Dissolved

organic C

15 flume laboratories

@farmplatform

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Flow cell & sensors

AgriTech - Centre

Problems are multidisciplinary: need to can not be addressed at a

single site.

Solution:

• International network of ‘model farms’

• Global network of ‘Farm Platforms’

• ‘Critical zone observatories’

• Different global climatic, socio-economic regions

• Specific research and dissemination goals

• Interconnectivity and exchange

Global Food Security Can we help feed the world without destroying the planet?

www.globalfarmplatform.org

Partners and Farms

Country Model farm Special focus Latitude Biome

Australia Future Farm 2050 Clean, green & ethical Subtropical Mediterranean

Australia Sydney University Rangeland beef Subtropical Dry forest

Canada University of Alberta Rangeland beef Temperate Taiga

China Zhejiang University Feedlot Dairy Subtropical Rainforest

Ethiopia Bahir Dar University Intercropping Tropical Highland savannah

India Thiruvazhamkunnu Indigenous livestock & fodder Tropical Rainforest

Malawi SSLLP Smallholder dairy livelihoods Tropical Tropical savannah

New Zealand Massey University Grazing dairy Temperate Rainforest

UK North Wyke Grassland nutrient flows Temperate Broadleaf forest

Uruguay Palo a Pique Pasture rotation beef Subtropical Steppe (pampas)

USA K-State University Rangeland beef Temperate Steppe

USA Penn State University Feedlot beef Temperate Broadleaf forest

USA University of Wisconsin Grazing dairy Temperate Broadleaf forest