Integrated production systems as a strategy for mitigating greenhouse gases emissions of resilient and sustainable beef production

• Grant number: 21/14691-1
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Doctorate
• Start date: July 01, 2022
• End date: June 30, 2023
• Field of knowledge: Interdisciplinary Subjects
• Principal Investigator: Adibe Luiz Abdalla
• Grantee: Alyce Raiana Monteiro dos Santos
• Supervisor: Maguy Eugène
• Host Institution: Centro de Energia Nuclear na Agricultura (CENA). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Piracicaba , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: Unité Mixte de Recherche sur les Herbivores, France
• Associated to the scholarship: 19/26609-8 - Potential for mitigation of enteric methane in integrated agricultural production systems, BP.DR

Abstract

The objective of this research internship proposal is to apply multiple modeling approaches to assess the environmental impacts (GHG emissions - CH4, NO2, CO2eq) of beef cattle production in tropical integrated systems to recommend strategies for greenhouse gases mitigation, and to provide subsidies to propose a sustainable and resilient food alternative for beef cattle production; apply circularity indicators to assess the integrated systems performance (efficiency and resilience) and compare the GHG mitigation, efficiency and resilience of tropical integrated systems. For this, we will use as input data forage quality, forage production, animal performance and fermentation parameters from a 3-years experiment performed at Embrapa Agrossilvipastoril, in a randomized complete block design, with four replicates and four forage-based systems: (1) livestock in monoculture; (2) livestock-forestry integration; (3) crop-livestock integration and (4) crop-livestock-forestry integration. We expect that the implementation of a forestry and crop component into a forage-based production system will likely GHG emissions and that integrated systems are potentially more adapted to climate change and thus more resilient than the conventional systems. With the results of this research, we will be able to contribute to advances to the design of new forage-livestock systems, promoting the incentive for the adoption of sustainable and resilient systems that contribute to GHG mitigation and cooperating to Brazilian public policies, such as the Low-Carbon Agriculture Program that has as purpose to organize an action plan for the adoption of sustainable production technologies in response to the country's commitment to reduce GHG emissions in the agricultural sector. (AU)