Ammonia emissions inventory of different management practices and dairy farm settings

PI: Horacio Aguirre-Villegas

Aguirre-Villegas is an assistant scientist in the Department of Biological Systems Engineering. His fields of interest include bioenergy, life cycle assessment, anaerobic digestion, and waste management.

The main source of ammonia emissions is manure from livestock operations. Ammonia emissions can have negative impacts on health and the environment. This information is especially important in Wisconsin, home to 1.3 million dairy cows, where current ammonia information is outdated. This study will use process-based models to quantify ammonia emissions and nitrogen balances from different manure management practices and farm systems, developing a statewide emissions inventory. Rebecca Larson is collaborating on this research. This project aligns to Dairy Task Force recommendation #7 (‘Become one of the dairy product and business innovation centers’).