1 Attachment 

We are putting together the emission estimates for other cattle facilities and expect to have something 

to you soon.

The District’s previous emission factor for beef cattle, like heifers, was based on the District’s dairy 

emission factor as there was no emissions research that was specific to beef cattle. Like the heifer 

emission factor, the method used to calculate manure from beef cattle lead to overestimation of 

emissions from beef cattle. Currently, emissions from beef cattle are still conservatively estimated using 

the revised dairy emission factor of 15.8 lb/hd-yr. As described below, these emissions are estimated 

based on the ratio of volatile solids excretion. The tables in ASAE/ASABE D384.2 (March 2005) 

indicate that milk cows excrete approximately 7.5 kg-VS/day and beef cattle excrete 1.9 kg-VS/day 

(290 kg/153 days) (up to 2.3 kg-VS/day for beef growing calves) so the beef cow emission factor is 

conservatively estimated to be between 25-30% of the dairy emission factor or around 3.9-4.6 lb/hd-yr. 

So the current District estimate is around 4 lb/hd-yr based on the dairy emission factor. However, as 

noted, research that has been done to quantify emissions from beef cattle indicate that this factor likely 

still overestimates emissions from beef cattle and that the differences in diet are seem to cause much 

lower emissions from beef cattle as compared to dairy cattle. It does seem that feeding less silage may 

RE: FW: Draft Revision to Portioning of Dairy Cow Enteric and Manure Emissions Factors 

for Support Stock 

Ramon Norman 

to: 

Sona Chilingaryan 

08/05/2011 05:15 PM 

Cc: 

"Errol Villegas", "Samir Sheikh", "Sandra Lowe-Leseth", "Sheraz Gill" 

Hide Details 

From: "Ramon Norman" <Ramon.Norman@valleyair.org>

To: Sona Chilingaryan/R9/USEPA/US@EPA 

Cc: "Errol Villegas" <errol.villegas@valleyair.org>, "Samir Sheikh" 

<Samir.Sheikh@valleyair.org>, "Sandra Lowe-Leseth" 

<Sandra.LoweLeseth@valleyair.org>, "Sheraz Gill" <Sheraz.Gill@valleyair.org>

History: This message has been replied to and forwarded. 

image001.gif

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reduce VOC emissions from the cattle and manure. We may need to speak with Dr. Mitloehner 

regarding the study to see if he has any insights into this. 

From: Chilingaryan.Sona@epamail.epa.gov [mailto:Chilingaryan.Sona@epamail.epa.gov] 

Sent: Friday, August 05, 2011 4:39 PM 

To: Ramon Norman 

Cc: Errol Villegas; Samir Sheikh; Sandra Lowe-Leseth; Sheraz Gill 

Subject: Re: FW: Draft Revision to Portioning of Dairy Cow Enteric and Manure Emissions Factors for Support 

Stock

 

Thanks so much for this, Ramon. It would also be very helpful to have estimates for how much the other cattle 

facilities that have fewer head than the applicability threshold in Rule 4570 emit. 

For beef cattle, the email that Sandra sent on July 22 referenced a 2011 research article by Dr. Mitloehner and 

others that stated that for the animals in the study, "ethanol and methanol, the most important volatile organic 

compound (VOC) group in the dairy sector, were below the lower limit of detection of the gas analyzer." The 

District's 2006 emission factor for beef cattle was 11.1 lbs/hd-yr. Given the additional research that's occurred 

since then, what is the District's current estimate for emissions from beef cattle? 

Also, the 2011 article discusses the impacts of diet on methane emissions though does not provide a similar 

discussion for VOC emissions. Is the general idea that a diet that does not include silage leads to lower VOC 

emissions from beef cattle? 

Thanks again for the additional information, 

s. 

 

Sona, 

 

As we discussed a few days ago, I am sending draft calculations showing proportioning of the milk cow emission factor for 

support stock. VOC emissions are proportioned based on Volatile Solids excretion. As noted below, the District previously 

proportioned emissions using an equation from ASAE/ASABE D384.2 that used weight to estimate manure excretion but 

this equation overestimated manure excretion from smaller heifers and calves. 

 

Please note that in other discussions and correspondence with Dr. Meyer, she stated that the chemical composition of feed 

and volatile solids should be considered when proportioning VOC emissions. Volatile Solids are a good measure of organic 

matter that can be a substrate of VOC, but not all organic matter is equal. Milk cows are fed a ration that is much more 

digestible than support stock and the organic in their manure will produce more methane, CO2, and likely more VOC 

emissions than heifers that are fed a ration that is not as digestible and much less silage. Since we do not have information 

on the speciation of the volatile compounds in manure (maybe a future research project), I was going to look into using the 

methane production potential as a volatile solids of milk cows vs. heifers to further refine the VOC emissions estimate for 

heifers but have had higher priorities to take care of. So this draft proportioning of emissions is considered conservative as 

From: "Ramon Norman" <Ramon.Norman@valleyair.org> 

To: Sona Chilingaryan/R9/USEPA/US@EPA 

Cc: 

"Samir Sheikh" <Samir.Sheikh@valleyair.org>, "Errol Villegas" <errol.villegas@valleyair.org>, "Sheraz Gill" <Sheraz.Gill@valleyair.org>, 

"Sandra Lowe-Leseth" <Sandra.LoweLeseth@valleyair.org> 

Date: 08/04/2011 05:19 PM 

Subject: FW: Draft Revision to Portioning of Dairy Cow Enteric and Manure Emissions Factors for Support Stock

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it may still overestimate VOC emissions from heifers. 

 

From: Ramon Norman 

Sent: Monday, December 13, 2010 5:21 PM

To: Sheraz Gill; Martin Keast

Cc: Jim Swaney

Subject: Draft Revision to Portioning of Dairy Cow Enteric and Manure Emissions Factors for Support Stock 

 

I have attached my revised calculations for portioning the dairy enteric and manure emissions factors to the 

support stock. The VOC emissions are assumed to be proportional to Volatile Solids (VS) excretion and the 

Ammonia emissions are assumed to be proportional to Nitrogen (N) excretion. The values for VS and N excretion 

are taken directly from ASAE/ASABE D384.2 (March 2005) when available and estimated from averages of other 

resources when a value is not given (i.e. medium heifers and baby calves). I checked the estimated excretion 

values with Deanne Meyer to and she agreed that the formulas given in ASAE D384.2 are not appropriate for use 

with smaller animals since the formulas (especially the formula based on weight alone) will significantly 

overestimate manure production from smaller animals (see attached email). She also stated that the ASAE 

D384.2 equations had not been fully reviewed at the time of publication and updated equations can be found in 

the paper by Nennich (and others) "Prediction of Manure and Nutrient Excretion from Dairy Cattle". In one of the 

worksheets a comparison of the predictive formulas from ASAE D384.2 and Nennich is compared. 

 

Based on my calculations the percentage of emissions calculated for support stock will decrease in comparison to 

the original apportionment that was used - this is especially true of the baby calves and small heifers. I will run 

the revised excretion estimates by Deanne Meyer one more time to see if she has any suggestions. 

 

Finally, I suggest apportioning emissions based on solids/volatile solids rather than manure since the assumed 

moisture content has a large effect on total manure output. 

 

Ramon Norman 

Air Quality Engineer 

San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District 

1990 E. Gettysburg Ave 

Fresno, CA 93726-0244 

Phone: (559) 230-5909 

FAX: (559) 230-6061 

[attachment "Dairy Animal Nutrient Excretion Estimates (12-13-10).xls" deleted by Sona 

Chilingaryan/R9/USEPA/US] 

----- Message from "Deanne Meyer" <dmeyer@ucdavis.edu> on Mon, 8 Mar 2010 15:47:53 -0700 ----- 

Ramon 

Attached is a word document with your questions and my responses related to manure excretion. I’m also attaching a 

manuscript that I refer to in the document. 

 

Deanne 

From: Ramon Norman [mailto:Ramon.Norman@valleyair.org] 

To: "Ramon Norman" <Ramon.Norman@valleyair.org> 

cc: <paulwud@callatg.com> 

Subject: manure numbers 

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Sent: Monday, March 08, 2010 11:37 AM

To: Deanne Meyer

Subject: RE: more files 

 

Thanks 

 

Ramon Norman 

Air Quality Engineer 

San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District 

1990 E. Gettysburg Ave 

Fresno, CA 93726-0244 

Phone: (559) 230-5909 

FAX: (559) 230-6061 

 

 

 

From: Deanne Meyer [mailto:dmeyer@ucdavis.edu] 

Sent: Monday, March 08, 2010 11:37 AM

To: Ramon Norman

Subject: more files 

 

 

From: Ramon Norman [mailto:Ramon.Norman@valleyair.org] 

Sent: Friday, March 05, 2010 4:49 PM

To: Deanne Meyer

Subject: RE: ::::RE: Silage Inoculants and Parameters or Practices to Reduce Emissions from Silage 

 

Hi Deanne, 

 

I was in a meeting and missed your call. We can try to talk on Monday. What time will work well for you? 

 

Ramon Norman 

Air Quality Engineer 

San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District 

1990 E. Gettysburg Ave 

Fresno, CA 93726-0244 

Phone: (559) 230-5909 

FAX: (559) 230-6061 

 

 

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From: Deanne Meyer [mailto:dmeyer@ucdavis.edu] 

Sent: Friday, March 05, 2010 4:44 PM

To: Ramon Norman

Subject: RE: ::::RE: Silage Inoculants and Parameters or Practices to Reduce Emissions from Silage 

Hi Ramon, I just tried to call and got your voice mail. I had a lengthy discussion with our dairy nutrition extension specialist 

regarding silage fermentation etc. 

 

We did discuss the packing business and the methods needed to document sufficient packing==a laborious task at best. 

 

Let me know when a good time to phone is and I’ll give you a call Monday or Tuesday. 

 

From: Ramon Norman [mailto:Ramon.Norman@valleyair.org] 

Sent: Thursday, March 04, 2010 9:16 AM

To: Deanne Meyer

Subject: RE: ::::RE: Silage Inoculants and Parameters or Practices to Reduce Emissions from Silage 

 

Thank you for your help and I know that you are probably very busy. 

 

We are still learning quite a lot about silage production, but from the literature that I have read does point to 

sufficient packing (and moisture) as the key aspect for producing good silage and potentially reducing emissions. 

The latest recommendations have moved toward minimum bulk density (rather than dry matter density) to reduce 

gas-filled porosity (see http://www.uwex.edu/ces/crops/uwforage/Porosity-FOF.pdf and http://thefarmer.com/story.aspx/pack/silage/right/for/best/results/26/30931). Reducing porosity would directly reduce 

emissions from the pile by slowing transport of gases and would likely reduce the ethanol concentration in the 

silage. Our main question is what practices will ensure that silage piles are sufficiently packed. In our meeting 

we mentioned the University of Wisconsin Team Forage Spreadsheet as a potential tool to ensure adequate 

compaction of packing of silage: http://www.uwex.edu/ces/crops/uwforage/BunkDensCalc8-24-

07wPOROSITY.xls. However, many of the dairy representatives thought that it would not be feasible for the 

custom harvesters to use because of the time constraints. So any information you have on practices to ensure 

good packing of silage are appreciated. 

 

Thanks 

 

Ramon Norman 

Air Quality Engineer 

San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District 

1990 E. Gettysburg Ave 

Fresno, CA 93726-0244 

Phone: (559) 230-5909 

FAX: (559) 230-6061 

 

 

 

From: Deanne Meyer [mailto:dmeyer@ucdavis.edu] 

Sent: Thursday, March 04, 2010 8:50 AM

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To: Ramon Norman

Cc: 'Paul Martin'; 'Paul Sousa'; Jim Swaney; Sheraz Gill; Sandra Lowe-Leseth

Subject: ::::RE: Silage Inoculants and Parameters or Practices to Reduce Emissions from Silage 

Ramon, I’m not in today and will review this tomorrow—along with your previous email. I’ve forwarded this to our dairy 

nutrition specialist and will check in with him before I reply. There’s a ton of literature on the inoculants---it’s a bit of a 

complex issue. My guess is that we’d have much better silage if people did a better job at packing their silage—versus using 

an inoculants. 

 

From: Ramon Norman [mailto:Ramon.Norman@valleyair.org] 

Sent: Wednesday, March 03, 2010 10:49 AM

To: Deanne Meyer

Cc: Paul Martin; Paul Sousa; Jim Swaney; Sheraz Gill; Sandra Lowe-Leseth

Subject: Silage Inoculants and Parameters or Practices to Reduce Emissions from Silage 

 

Hello Dr. Meyer, 

 

I hope you are doing well. In a recent meeting it was suggested that the District contact you to benefit from your expertise 

regarding the use of silage inoculants. The District is researching silage inoculation as a potential mitigation measure to 

reduce emissions of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC) from dairy feed sources (silage piles and TMR) because the latest 

research studies have indicated that dairy feed is the largest source of VOC emissions at a dairy. We have found some 

literature on silage inoculants as a means to speed the drop in pH and increase lactic acid production and we would greatly 

appreciate any information that you can provide on the feasibility, effectiveness, and any effects on animal performance on 

dairies in California from the use of silage inoculants (e.g. homolactic LAB bacteria (like lactobacillus plantarum), 

heterolactic bacteria, addition of acidic material, etc.). 

 

Additionally, any information you have on practices or parameters to produce high-quality silage (e.g. moisture content, 

silage density, chop length, packing practices, pH, harvest rate, etc.) is also appreciated. We are really just starting to learn 

about silage production and management, but it appears that some of the goals of proper silage production and management 

also have the potential to reduce emissions to the atmosphere (e.g. increasing lactic acid, minimizing yeast, minimizing 

ethanol, better compaction, less porosity). So any ideas, general information, or references that you might have on producing 

high quality silage are also appreciated. 

 

Thanks 

 

Ramon Norman 

Air Quality Engineer 

San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District 

1990 E. Gettysburg Ave 

Fresno, CA 93726-0244 

Phone: (559) 230-5909 

FAX: (559) 230-6061 

 

[attachment "SJVAPCD information on manure 2010.doc" deleted by Sona 

Chilingaryan/R9/USEPA/US] [attachment "manure heifers.pdf" deleted by Sona 

Chilingaryan/R9/USEPA/US] 

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