9 minute read
Arable faces emissions challenges
18 FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – February 28, 2022
News Arable faces emissions challenges
Annette Scott annette.scott@globalhq.co.nz
THE diversity of arable farming systems is complicating the understanding of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions pricing options.
The Foundation for Arable Research (FAR) last year developed E-Check, a simple arable specific GHG calculator to enable arable growers to work out farm emissions.
FAR also provided guidance on a range of mitigation strategies.
But given the huge variation in the sector, nothing is straightforward, FAR environment senior researcher Dirk Wallace said.
“The big challenge is the multiple processes of arable farm systems that make it impossible to provide generic estimates of the likely cost of the greenhouse gas emissions pricing options for any one business,” Wallace said.
A big component of that comes with finishing stock.
A number of options have been batted around and what is clear is that the majority of farmers want what is easiest to implement and, on the ground, what gives them the best deal.
“At the moment they are not the same thing and with the huge variation in the sector from being crops focused to such a range of livestock integration, there is not one size that fits more than one,” he said.
Wallace urged farmers to know their own farm’s emission number.
“I really encourage farmers to get involved in the consultation,” he said.
“The best thing to do is work out your own on farm number, look at the two options and figure out how they will affect you and your farm and then fill out the survey to tell He Waka Eka Noa (HWEN) what you think.”
In the meantime, FAR has conducted some arable-specific modelling work revealing that financial implications for individual farms will vary hugely depending on the degree of livestock in the farm system.
It is also clear that arable farms will not have the same sequestration offsetting opportunities as beef and sheep farmers and will not be able to enter into collectives to gain emission reduction rewards in the same way as dairy farmers.
The best way forward for arable growers will be to optimise nitrogen fertiliser use efficiency and implement good management practices around residue management.
This will keep nitrous oxide emissions and associated cost as low as possible.
The decision to include livestock, or not, will balance out the increased emissions cost with the revenue gained from the livestock and the associated soil benefits of having a restorative pastoral phase in the farm system.
Modelling shows that GHG emissions from arable systems typically range from under 1000 kilograms of carbon dioxide emissions a hectare to 5500kg CO2e/ha.
More animals mean more emissions, with modelling suggesting that most of the emissions from a higheremitting mixed arable system, 4000kg CO2e/ha or more, will be associated with livestock.
HWEN modelling of the cost of emissions under the ETS backstop option for a 250ha irrigated mixed arable farm in Mid Canterbury, incorporating 2850 stock units (215kgN/ha), in 2025 would be $7502 cost to the farm and in 2030, $24,358, with an emission reduction of 2.4% in 2025 and 7.8% in 2030.
Modelling for the same farm under the farm-level split-gas option landed at $4301 ($17/ha) in 2025 and $13,994 ($56/ha) in 2030, with emission reductions at 1% and 3.9% respectively.
Under the processor hybrid option, the farm cost would be $7502 ($30/ha) in 2025 and $24,358 ($97/ha) in 2030, with emission reductions at 2.1% and 7.2%.
The difference in cost between the two options comes with the farm-level levy calculating livestock emissions for the period the animals are on-farm, whereas the processor-level levy calculates livestock emissions in kilograms of meat produced, meaning the arable farmer finishing or grazing stock will pay for emissions for the animal from its birth to death.
A key feature of the farmlevel option is farms calculate their short and long-lived gas emissions through a single calculator, with actual on-farm emissions determining payment rather than using national averages.
On-farm efficiencies and mitigations would then be recognised as they become available.
A split-gas approach to pricing would be applied, meaning different levy rates apply to short and long-lived gases and on-farm sequestration could offset some of the cost of the emissions levy.
Under the processor hybrid system, processors pay for emissions based on the emissions charge applied to products supplied or bought by farmers, but the processor would likely pass on the cost to farms.
FAR chief executive Alison Stewart says no matter what the outcome of the pricing scheme discussion, FAR will continue to work hard to make sure the arable sector’s viewpoints are heard.
“We will not become collateral damage in the Government’s push to reduce emissions from New Zealand’s livestock sectors,” Stewart said.
Dirk Wallace FAR
DAMAGE: FAR chief executive Alison Stewart says the arable sector will not become collateral damage in the Government’s push to reduce emissions from New Zealand’s livestock sectors.
MORE:
For more on HWEN pricing and options go to: https://www.far.org.nz/ environment/emissions_pricing E-Check can be found in the environment and compliance section of the FAR website www.far.org.nz
Chasing shearing perfection in Northern Waikato
Emily and Sam Welch are regarded among the best shearers in the industry. For Emily, it has seen her become a world record holder and industry role model for female shearers. Watch the video now at youtube.com/OnFarmStory This episode was made possible with support from
Rabobank
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Volume 94 I February 28, 2022 I email: agined@globalHQ.co.nz I www.farmersweekly.co.nz/agined
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PODCAST CORNER:
Head to https://farmersweekly.co.nz/s/
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MCMSLRBMNK5RFVBFOZ22O64QWNMM to watch the Onfarm Story of Emily and Sam Welch “Chasing perfection in “ and read the related article “Chasing a perfect shearing day”.
We have a number of top-class shearers in New Zealand and they often get involved in competitions to raise money for various charities.
Autonomous machinery?
John Deere has developed an autonomous tractor. It is a 410HP John Deere 8 Series model, which is widely used for cropping applications, including tillage, cropping and spraying.
The tractor uses six cameras to enable it to detect objects and calculate distance, with the images captured by the cameras passing through a neural network that classifies each pixel in 100 milliseconds. This determines if the machine continues to move or stops, depending on if an obstacle is detected and allows it to operate within less than 2.5cm of accuracy. The tractor is also continuously checking its position relative to a geofence, ensuring it is operating where it is supposed to. John Deere Australia-NZ production systems manager Ben Kelly said “With this new tractor, it is as simple as transporting the machine to a field and configuring it for autonomous operation. Then, using John Deere Operations Centre, farmers can swipe from left to right to start the machine and can leave the field to focus on other tasks, while monitoring its status from their mobile device. That centre provides access to live video, images and data, and allows farmers to adjust speed, depth and more from the mobile app.
Have a go:
1 Both Emily and Sam Welch are top class shearers. Why oth Emily and Sam Welch are top class shearers. Why do we shear sheep? 2 How often are sheep shorn? 3 Where in New Zealand are the Welch's based?
STRETCH YOURSELF:
1 Approximately how many sheep does ‘Welch shearing’ shear in a year? 2 How many people are generally in a shearing gang?
What are the different roles within the gang? Outline what each person does. 3 What are some of the accolades that Emily and Sam have won? 4 When they take over the balance of Emily’s parents farm, what stock will they farm and produce? 5 How do you learn to be a shearer? Can anyone do it? 6 Do you need to go to complete courses to become a shearer? Are there courses available? If so, what are they?
AGTECH SO WHAT - IS THE FUTURE OF FARMING HANDS FREE?
Kit Franklin from the ‘Hands free Hectare’ which started as an experiment that is believed to be the first crop to be planted, cultivated, and harvested - completely autonomously.
LISTEN
https://www.agtechsowhat.com/ agtechsowhatepisodes/2021/7/27/isthe-future-of-farming-hands-free
WATCH
Recently some South Island shearers took up the challenge of a 24-hour shearathon, Shear 4 Blair charity shearathon, in West Otago over Waitangi weekend. The core of these were Cole Well, Braydon Clifford, David Gower and Eru Weeds and together with casual shearers and a strong contingent of supporters and support workers, they helped raise around $130,000 for the Southland Charity Hospital by shearing 10,084 lambs. The four shearers worked the full 24-hour period and finished with a combined total of 6476 lambs between them and the final 12 lambs that were left unshorn at the end of the 24-hours were finished by volunteers from the audience.
1 Do you know of any other charity shearing events?
Can you name two?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N1Z5wRxQ8PQ
1 How did Kit get into ag-tech? 2 Hands Free Hectare was an idea to show how hands free farming could be put into real life use. Can you see any negatives to using automated machinery? 3 Kit believes using robotic farming could reduce the need for chemicals and heavy machinery. Why is this beneficial? 4 Do you have any ideas on a farm process that could be automated?
In the event of job quality anomalies or machine health issues, farmers are notified remotely and can make adjustments to optimise the performance of the machine. The tractor will be available to a limited number of US customers for purchase this year, before it is rolled out gradually to other countries, including New Zealand, over the next few years.
1 Do you believe that there would be benefits for NZ farmers and agriculturists if they used autonomous tractors? Why or why not? 2 Who would be most likely to use these? 3 Do you think that these tractors could improve production and/or profitability on farms?
