P1d Thesis: Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Soil Carbon Stocks in Dairy Farming Systems
PhD Student
Mulisa Dida
This PhD research, by Mulisa Dida, investigated greenhouse gas emissions, soil carbon stocks, methane monitoring technologies, and sustainability strategies across Australian dairy farming systems. The study found that confinement and pasture-based farms produced similar greenhouse gas emissions per kilogram of milk, despite differences in production systems. Enteric methane remained the largest source of emissions in both systems.
The research also showed that moderate concentrate supplementation can improve milk production while reducing emissions intensity, and that pasture-based farms generally stored more soil carbon and nitrogen than confinement systems. In addition, low-cost methane sensors demonstrated potential for on-farm monitoring, while national digital soil maps were found to be useful for farm-scale soil carbon assessments. Overall, the findings highlight the importance of whole-farm strategies that integrate animal nutrition, manure management, fertiliser efficiency, and soil stewardship to improve the environmental sustainability and productivity of Australian dairy farms.
Read more on Dairy UP’s P1 project
More information:
Professor Sergio (Yani) Garcia | sergio.garcia@sydney.edu.au
