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Increasing ewe genetic fecundity improves whole-farm production and reduces greenhouse gas emissions intensities

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  • Harrison, Matthew T.
  • Jackson, Tom
  • Cullen, Brendan R.
  • Rawnsley, Richard P.
  • Ho, Christie
  • Cummins, Leo
  • Eckard, Richard J.

Abstract

Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from livestock constitute the largest proportion of Australian agricultural GHG emissions, necessitating development of strategies for mitigating GHG emissions from the livestock sector. Here we simulate a self-replacing prime lamb enterprise to examine the effect of increasing ewe genetic fecundity on whole farm GHG emissions, animal production and emissions per animal product (emissions intensity; EI).

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  • Harrison, Matthew T. & Jackson, Tom & Cullen, Brendan R. & Rawnsley, Richard P. & Ho, Christie & Cummins, Leo & Eckard, Richard J., 2014. "Increasing ewe genetic fecundity improves whole-farm production and reduces greenhouse gas emissions intensities," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 131(C), pages 23-33.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:agisys:v:131:y:2014:i:c:p:23-33
    DOI: 10.1016/j.agsy.2014.07.008
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Moore, A. D. & Donnelly, J. R. & Freer, M., 1997. "GRAZPLAN: Decision support systems for Australian grazing enterprises. III. Pasture growth and soil moisture submodels, and the GrassGro DSS," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 55(4), pages 535-582, December.
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    Cited by:

    1. Harrison, Matthew T. & McSweeney, Chris & Tomkins, Nigel W. & Eckard, Richard J., 2015. "Improving greenhouse gas emissions intensities of subtropical and tropical beef farming systems using Leucaena leucocephala," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 136(C), pages 138-146.
    2. Toro-Mujica, Paula & Aguilar, Claudio & Vera, Raúl R. & Bas, Fernando, 2017. "Carbon footprint of sheep production systems in semi-arid zone of Chile: A simulation-based approach of productive scenarios and precipitation patterns," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 157(C), pages 22-38.
    3. Ke Liu & Matthew Tom Harrison & Haoliang Yan & De Li Liu & Holger Meinke & Gerrit Hoogenboom & Bin Wang & Bin Peng & Kaiyu Guan & Jonas Jaegermeyr & Enli Wang & Feng Zhang & Xiaogang Yin & Sotirios Ar, 2023. "Silver lining to a climate crisis in multiple prospects for alleviating crop waterlogging under future climates," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-13, December.
    4. Kaini, S. & Harrison, M. T. & Gardner, T. & Nepal, Santosh & Sharma, A. K., 2022. "The impacts of climate change on the irrigation water demand, grain yield, and biomass yield of wheat crop in Nepal," Papers published in Journals (Open Access), International Water Management Institute, pages 1-14(17):27.
    5. Alcock, Douglas J. & Harrison, Matthew T. & Rawnsley, Richard P. & Eckard, Richard J., 2015. "Can animal genetics and flock management be used to reduce greenhouse gas emissions but also maintain productivity of wool-producing enterprises?," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 132(C), pages 25-34.
    6. Franco Bilotto & Karen Michelle Christie-Whitehead & Bill Malcolm & Nicoli Barnes & Brendan Cullen & Margaret Ayre & Matthew Tom Harrison, 2025. "Costs of transitioning the livestock sector to net-zero emissions under future climates," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 16(1), pages 1-19, December.
    7. McPhee, Malcolm J. & Evered, Mark & Andrews, Todd & Pacheco, David & Dougherty, Holland C. & Ingham, Aaron B. & Harden, Steven & Crean, Jason & Roche, Leslie & Eastburn, Danny J. & Oltjen, James W. & , 2019. "Beef production simulation of nitrate and lipid supplements for pasture and rangeland fed enterprises," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 170(C), pages 19-27.
    8. Ara, Iffat & Turner, Lydia & Harrison, Matthew Tom & Monjardino, Marta & deVoil, Peter & Rodriguez, Daniel, 2021. "Application, adoption and opportunities for improving decision support systems in irrigated agriculture: A review," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 257(C).
    9. Farrell, L. & Herron, J. & Pabiou, T. & McHugh, N. & McDermott, K. & Shalloo, L. & O'Brien, D. & Bohan, A., 2022. "Modelling the production, profit, and greenhouse gas emissions of Irish sheep flocks divergent in genetic merit," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 201(C).

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