Icebergs and Native Forages - What You Can’t See Can Sink You

Apr 22, 2025

In April 1912, the RMS Titanic sank off the coast of Newfoundland after an iceberg tore a hole in her hull 25 feet below the waterline. Only a tenth of an iceberg is visible above the water; most of it lurks beneath the surface. Forage plants are similar: how things look on the soil surface may not reflect what’s happening further down.

Forages use sunlight to convert carbon dioxide into plant sugars that drive plant growth. They can only do this if the roots can absorb enough water and minerals from the soil. You’ve probably seen old pictures of a healthy grass plant with enormous roots extending deep into the soil, and overgrazed grass plants with shallow root systems.

With drought a recurring reality in many regions, you might wonder what affects pastures more – the drought or overgrazing during drought? Dr. James Cahill and co-workers at the University of Alberta studied how grazing season and intensity affected forage yield and root mass under drought conditions (Differential sensitivity of above- and belowground plant biomass to drought and defoliation in temperate grasslands;

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Video: Swine Industry Advances: Biodigesters Lower Emissions and Increase Profits

Analysis of greenhouse gas (GHG emissions) in the Canadian swine sector found that CH4 emissions from manure were the largest contributor to the overall emissions, followed by emissions from energy use and crop production.

This innovative project, "Improving Swine Manure-Digestate Management Practices Towards Carbon Neutrality With Net Zero Emission Concepts," from Dr. Rajinikanth Rajagopal, under Swine Cluster 4, seeks to develop strategies to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions.

While the management of manure can be very demanding and expensive for swine operations, it can also be viewed as an opportunity for GHG mitigation, as manure storage is an emission source built and managed by swine producers. Moreover, the majority of CH4 emissions from manure occur during a short period of time in the summer, which can potentially be mitigated with targeted intervention.

In tandem with understanding baseline emissions, Dr. Rajagopal's work focuses on evaluating emission mitigation options. Manure additives have the potential of reducing manure methane emissions. Additives can be deployed relatively quickly, enabling near-term emission reductions while biodigesters are being built. Furthermore, additives can be a long-term solution at farms where biogas is not feasible (e.g., when it’s too far from a central digester). Similarly, after biodigestion, additives can also be used to further reduce emissions from storage to minimize the carbon intensity of the bioenergy.