Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-p9bg8 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-27T12:20:02.944Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Biogas in organic agriculture—effects on productivity, energy self-sufficiency and greenhouse gas emissions

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  24 January 2013

Siri Pugesgaard ,
Jørgen E. Olesen ,
Uffe Jørgensen  and
Tommy Dalgaard
Siri Pugesgaard*
Affiliation:
Department of Agroecology, Aarhus University, Blichers Allé 20, DK-8830 Tjele, Denmark.
Jørgen E. Olesen
Affiliation:
Department of Agroecology, Aarhus University, Blichers Allé 20, DK-8830 Tjele, Denmark.
Uffe Jørgensen
Affiliation:
Department of Agroecology, Aarhus University, Blichers Allé 20, DK-8830 Tjele, Denmark.
Tommy Dalgaard
Affiliation:
Department of Agroecology, Aarhus University, Blichers Allé 20, DK-8830 Tjele, Denmark.
*
* Corresponding author: [email protected]
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Anaerobic digestion of manure and crops provides the possibility of a combined production of renewable energy and organic fertilizer on organic farms and has been suggested as an option to improve sustainability of organic agriculture. In the present study, the consequences of implementation of anaerobic digestion and biogas production were analyzed on a 1000 ha model farm with combined dairy and cash crop production, representing organic agriculture in Denmark. The effects on crop rotation, nitrogen flows and losses, yield, energy balance and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions were evaluated for four scenarios of biogas production on the farm. Animal manure was digested for biogas production in all scenarios and was supplemented with: (1) 100 ha grass–clover for biogas, (2) 100 ha maize for biogas, (3) 200 ha grass–clover for biogas and reduced number of livestock, and (4) 200 ha grass–clover for biogas, reduced number of livestock and import of biomass from cuttings made in ungrazed meadows. These four scenarios were compared with the current situation in organic agriculture in Denmark and to a situation where slurry from conventional agriculture is no longer imported. Implementation of anaerobic digestion changed the nitrogen flows on the farm by increasing the slurry nitrogen plant availability and introducing new nitrogen sources from legume-based energy crops or meadows. The amount of nitrogen available for application as fertilizer on the farm increased when grass–clover was used for biogas production, but decreased when maize was used. Since part of the area was used for biogas production, the total output of foodstuffs from the farm was decreased. Effects on GHG emissions and net energy production were assessed by use of the whole-farm model FarmGHG. A positive farm energy balance was obtained for all biogas scenarios, showing that biomass production for biogas on 10% of the farm area results in an energy surplus, provided that the heat from the electricity production is utilized. The energy surplus implies a displacement of fossil fuels and thereby reduced CO2 emission from the farm. Emissions of N2O were not affected substantially by biogas production. Total emissions of methane (CH4) were slightly decreased due to a 17–48% decrease in emissions from the manure store. Net GHG emission was reduced by 35–85% compared with the current situation in organic agriculture. It was concluded that production of biogas on organic farms holds the possibility for the farms to achieve a positive energy balance, provide self-sufficiency with organic fertilizer nitrogen, and reduce GHG emissions.

Keywords

biogasanaerobic digestionorganic farminggreenhouse gas emissionsnet energy yieldfarming system
Type
Research Papers
Information
Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems , Volume 29 , Issue 1 , March 2014 , pp. 28 - 41
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2013 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

1 Scialabba, N.E.H. and Müller-Lindenhauf, M. 2010. Organic agriculture and climate change. Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems 25:158–169.Google Scholar
2 IFOAM. 2012. Principles of Organic Agriculture. IFOAM, Bonn, Germany. Available at Web site http://www.ifoam.org/about_ifoam/principles/index.html (verified February 8, 2012).Google Scholar
3 ICROFS. 2008. Development, Growth, and Integrity in the Danish Organic Sector. A Knowledge Synthesis on the Opportunities and Barriers for a Continued Development and Market-based Growth in Production, Processing and Sale of Organic Products. ICROFS, Tjele, Denmark.Google Scholar
4 The Organic Farmer Association. 2008. Fælles strategi for udfasning af konventionel husdyrgødning og halm i økologisk landbrugsproduktion. Available at Web site http://www.okologi.dk/landmand/fagomraader/oekologisk-planteavl/goedningoghalm/stategi-for-udfasning-af-konventionel-halm-og-goedning.aspx (verified February 8, 2012).Google Scholar
5 The Danish Plant Directorate. 2011. Statistics on organic farms 2010. Certifications and Production. Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Fisheries, Lyngby, Denmark.Google Scholar
6 StatBank Denmark. 2012. Turnover of organic foods in retail shops by commodity and unit. Available at Web site http://www.statistikbanken.dk/OEKO3 (verified January 29, 2012).Google Scholar
7 Dalgaard, T., Kjeldsen, C., Kristensen, I.T., and Kristensen, I.S. 2008. Potentialet for omlægning til økologisk jordbrug i Danmark. In Alrøe, H.F. and Halberg, N. (eds), Udvikling, vækst og integritet i den danske økologi sektor. Videnssyntese, No. 1. ICROFS, Tjele, Denmark. p. 131–151.Google Scholar
8 Gomiero, T., Paoletti, M.G., and Pimentel, D. 2008. Energy and environmental issues in organic and conventional agriculture. Critical Reviews in Plant Sciences 27:239–254.Google Scholar
9 Refsgaard, K., Halberg, N., and Kristensen, E.S. 1998. Energy utilization in crop dairy production in organic and conventional livestock production systems. Agricultural Systems 57:599–630.Google Scholar
10 Dalgaard, T., Halberg, N., and Porter, J.R. 2001. A model for fossil energy use in Danish agriculture used to compare organic and conventional farming. Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment 87:51–65.Google Scholar
11 Halberg, N., Dalgaard, R., Olesen, J.E., and Dalgaard, T. 2008. Energy self-reliance, net-energy production and GHG emissions in Danish organic cash crop farms. Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems 23:30–37.Google Scholar
12 Stinner, W., Möller, K., and Leithold, G. 2008. Effects of biogas digestion of clover/grass-leys, cover crops and crop residues on nitrogen cycle and crop yield in organic stockless farming systems. European Journal of Agronomy 29:125–134.Google Scholar
13 Tersbøl, M. 2008. Energi-og Gødningsforsyning ved hjælp af biogas. In Alrøe, H.F. and Halberg, N. (eds). Udvikling, vækst og integritet i den danske økologi sektor. Videnssyntese, No. 1. ICROFS, Tjele, Denmark. p. 429–448.Google Scholar
14 Sommer, S.G., Petersen, S.O., and Møller, H.B. 2001. Reduktion af drivhusgasemission fra gylle og organisk affald ved biogasbehandling. DJF rapport Husdyrbrug 31. Danish Institute of Agricultural Sciences.Google Scholar
15 Nielsen, A.L. and Hald, A.B. 2008. Management strategies to restore agriculturally affected meadows on peat—biomass and N, P-balances. In Hopkis, A., Gustafsson, T., and Bertilsson, J. (eds). Biodiversity and Animal Feed: Future Challenges for Grassland Production. Proceedings of the 22nd General Meeting of the European Grassland Fedration, Uppsala, Sweden. p. 153–155.Google Scholar
16 Olesen, J.E., Schelde, K., Weiske, A., Weisbjerg, M.R., Asman, W.A.H., and Djurhuus, J. 2006. Modelling greenhouse gas emissions from European conventional and organic dairy farms. Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment 112:207–220.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
17 Olesen, J.E., Weiske, A., Asman, W.A.H., Weisbjerg, M.R., Djurhuus, J., and Schelde, K. 2004. FarmGHG. A model for estimation greenhouse gas emissions from livestock. Internal Report No. 202. Danish Institute of Agricultural Sciences. An updated version of the model is available at Web site http://agrsci.au.dk/fileadmin/DJF/JPM/Klima/JEO/FarmGHG.zip (verified January 4, 2013).Google Scholar
18 Dalgaard, T., Rygnestad, H., Jensen, J.D., and Larsen, P.E. 2002. Methods to map and simulate agricultural activity at the landscape-scale. Danish Journal of Geography 3:29–39.Google Scholar
19 Kristensen, I.T. and Kristensen, I.S. 2004. Farm types as an alternative to detailed models in evaluation of agricultural practise in a certain area. In Brebbia, C.A. (ed.). Management Information Systems 2004: Incorporation GIS and Remote Sensing. WIT Press, Southampton, UK. p. 241–250.Google Scholar
20 StatBankDanmark. 2006. Accounts Statistics for Agriculture. Organic Holdings, Financial Results and Balance by Type and Account Items (1996–2009). Available at Web site http://www.statistikbanken.dk (verified March 25, 2012).Google Scholar
21 DAAS. 2008. Anvendelse af fodermidler i økologiske besætninger i 2007. Available at Web site http://www.landbrugsinfo.dk/Oekologi/Kvaeg/Foder-og-fodring/Sider/Anvendelse_af_fodermidler_i_oekologiske_.aspx (verified February 8, 2012).Google Scholar
22 Poulsen, H.D., Børsting, C.F., Rom, H.B., and Sommer, S.G. 2001. Kvælstof, fosfor og kalium i husdyrgødning—normtal 2000. DJF rapport Husdyrbrug 36.Google Scholar
23 The Danish Plant Directorate. 2011. Vejledning om økologisk jordbrugsproduktion. Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Fisheries, Lyngby, Denmark.Google Scholar
24 The Danish Plant Directorate. 2009. Vejledning om gødsknings- og harmoniregler. Planperioden 1. august 2009 til 31. juli 2010. Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Fisheries, Lyngby, Denmark.Google Scholar
25 DAAS. 2009. Økologikalkuler 2009. Available at Web site http://landbrugsinfo.dk/Oekologi/filer/Oekokalkuler09_grovfoder.pdf and http://landbrugsinfo.dk/Oekologi/filer/Oekokalkuler09_salg.pdf (verified February 8, 2012).Google Scholar
26 Søgaard, K. 2004. Nitrogen fertilization of grass/clover at different managements. Grazing, cutting, age of the sward and seasonal N-fertilization (in Danish). DJF rapport Markbrug 106. Danish Institute of Agricultural Sciences.Google Scholar
27 DAAS. 2011. Udnyttelse af kvælstof i husdyrgødning. Faktaark om økologi. Videnscentret for landbrug, Aarhus, Denmark.Google Scholar
28 Møller, H.B., Nielsen, A.M., Murto, M., Christensson, K., Rintala, J., Svensson, M., Seppälä, M., Paavola, T., Angelidaki, I., and Kaparaju, P.L. 2008. Manure and energy crops for biogas production. Status and barriers. TemaNord 2008:544. Nordic Council of Ministers, Copenhagen.Google Scholar
29 Jørgensen, P.J. 2009. Biogas—Green Energy. Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, Aarhus University, Tjele, Denmark.Google Scholar
30 Berglund, M. and Börjesson, P. 2006. Assessment of energy performance in the life-cycle of biogas production. Biomass and Bioenergy 30:254–266.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
31 ELTRA. 2003. Kortlægning af emissionsfaktorer fra decentral kraftvarme. Report ELTRA PSO Project 3141, Fredericia, Denmark.Google Scholar
32 Watson, C.A., Bengtsson, H., Ebbesvik, M., Loes, A.K., Myrbeck, A., Salomon, E., Schroder, J., and Stockdale, E.A. 2002. A review of farm-scale nutrient budgets for organic farms as a tool for management of soil fertility. Soil Use and Management 18:265–273.Google Scholar
33 Ellermann, T., Andersen, H.V., Bossi, R., Brandt, J., Christensen, J., Frohn, L.M., Geels, C., Kemp, K., Løfstrøm, P., Mogensen, B.B., and Monies, C. 2006. Atmosfærisk deposition 2005. NOVANA. DMU Report no. 595. National Environmental Research Institute, Denmark.Google Scholar
34 Vinter, F.P. and Hansen, S. 2004. Simden—a simple model for quantification of N2O-emission and denitrification (in Danish). DJF rapport Markbrug 104. Danish Institute of Agricultural Sciences.Google Scholar
35 IPCC. 2006. 2006 IPCC Guidelines for National Greeenhouse Gas Inventories. Volume 4. Agriculture, Forestry and other Land Use. IGES, Hayama, Kanagawa, Japan.Google Scholar
36 Gosling, P. and Shepard, M. 2005. Long-term changes in soil fertility in organic arable farming systems in England, with particular reference to phosphorus and potassium. Agriculture Ecosystems and Environment 105:425–432.Google Scholar
37 Møller, H.B. and Nielsen, L. 2008. Græs er ægte grøn energi—kan fordoble produktionen af biogas. Forskning i Bioenergi 23:4–6.Google Scholar
38 Smyth, B.M., Murphy, J.D., and O'Brian, C.M. 2009. What is the energy balance of grass biomethane in Ireland and other temperate northern European climates. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 13:2349–2360.Google Scholar
39 Gerin, P.A., Vliegen, F., and Jossart, J. 2008. Energy and CO2 balance of maize and grass as energy crops for anaerobic digestion. Bioresources Technology 99:2620–2627.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
40 Knudsen, M.T., Kristensen, I.S., Berntsen, J., Petersen, B.M., and Kristensen, E.S. 2006. Estimated N leaching losses for organic and conventional farming in Denmark. Journal of Agricultural Science 144:135–149.Google Scholar
41 Askegaard, M., Olesen, J.E., Rasmussen, I.A., and Kristensen, K. 2011. Nitrate leaching from organic arable crop rotations is mostly determined by autumn field management. Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment 142:149–160.Google Scholar
42 Eriksen, J., Askegaard, M., and Kristensen, K. 2004. Nitrate leaching from an organic dairy crop rotation: The effects of manure type, nitrogen input and improved crop rotation. Soil Use and Management 20:48–54.Google Scholar
43 Carter, M.S., Hauggaard-Nielsen, H., Heiske, S., Jensen, M., Thomsen, S.T., Schmidt, J.E., Johansen, A., and Ambus, P. 2012. Consequences of field N2O emissions for the environmental sustainability of plant-based biofuels produced within and organic farming system. GCB Bioenergy 4:435–452.Google Scholar
44 Möller, K. and Stinner, W. 2009. Effects of different manuring systems with and without biogas digestion on soil mineral nitrogen content and on gaseous nitrogen losses (ammonia, nitrous oxides). European Journal of Agronomy 30:1–16.Google Scholar
45 Chirinda, N., Carter, M.S., Albert, K.R., Ambus, P., Olesen, J.E., Porter, J.E., and Petersen, S.O. 2010. Emissions of nitrous oxide from arable organic and conventional cropping systems on two soil types. Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment 136:199–208.Google Scholar
46 Kvist, T., Frohn, L.M., and Jørgensen, L. 2010. Environmental Optimisation of Natural Gas Fired Engines. Danish Gas Technology Centre, Hørsholm, Denmark.Google Scholar
47 Börjesson, P. and Berglund, M. 2007. Environmental systems analysis of biogas systems—Part II: The environmental impact of replacing various reference systems. Biomass and Bioenergy 31:326–344.Google Scholar
48 Möller, K. 2009. Influence of different manuring systems with and without biogas digestion on soil organic matter and nitrogen inputs, flows and budgets in organic cropping systems. Nutrient Cycling in Agroecosystems 84:179–202.Google Scholar