Involvement in MACSUR

The research group is involved in the tasks of LiveM on the livestock-climate interactions.

LiveM

WP1 – BUILDING AND EXPLORING DATASETS AND CLIMATE MODELS ON CLIMATE CHANGE IN RELATION TO LIVESTOCK AND GRASSLAND

Task L1.1. Identification of datasets on climate change in relation to livestock productivity (production and fitness traits) and livestock infectious disease.
Task L1.2. National and transnational dairy cows biometeorological datasets linked to productive, reproductive and health performances data.

Research group

Unité de Nutrition Animale

The Units of Animal Nutrition and of Ecology of the Department of Animal Production of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine develop three themes of researches in connection with the impact of climate change on the activities of breeding.

The first topic aims to predict the grass yields according to the climatic parameters. Grass is particularly important in the cattle diet. Measured yield data are from Ardenne (UCL, Michamps), Haute-Ardenne (AgraOst) and the surroundings of Liège (ULg). The results of this study will be used to model the impact of climate change on milk and meat yields.

Another topic concerns the study of cows milk urea which is an indicator of dietary nitrogen balance. The effects of the agricultural areas, months and years on milk urea are analysed. The inclusion of climatic data will allow to measure the effect of climatic change on nitrogen rejections.

The third topic aims at quantifying the gaseous emissions associated with the breeding of pigs or cattle, in particular emissions of greenhouse gases (CO2, CH4, N2O). Experimental rooms, with controlled ventilation, are available to test the variability of these emissions according to diverse parameters such as housing conditions, temperature, feeding.

Contact:
Isabelle Dufrasne
Baudouin Nicks