NSF Convergence Accelerator (L): Innovative approach to monitor methane emissions from livestock using an advanced gravimetric microsensor.

与其他主要温室气体相比，甲烷在大气中的寿命相对较短;因此，减少其排放是减缓全球变暖的一个快速选择。奶牛和肉牛产生的甲烷是人为排放的一个重要组成部分，目前正在制定多种农场战略，包括饲料添加剂，以减少这一来源。该项目旨在应用新型微传感器技术来量化奶牛个体的甲烷排放量。当与定制设计的信息技术系统连接时，这将允许估计整个畜群规模的甲烷排放量。这将使农民能够监测和验证减少甲烷方法的有效性，并提供进入碳信贷市场所需的信息，这是采取减排方法的一个重要经济激励措施。通过扩大互补专业知识的合作伙伴关系，该项目旨在开发一种功能强大、安装在耳标上的甲烷微传感器，该传感器具有足够的灵敏度和选择性，可以量化牛鼻口附近的浓度，而牛鼻口附近是大多数肠道甲烷排放的地方。在奶牛场进行的初步试验旨在优化传感器部署时间、数据恢复和解释策略，并通过与现有科学仪器的相互比较来验证测量结果。将建立更多的伙伴关系，以设计和实施与现有“智能农业”技术相结合的数据处理和解释系统。在项目第二阶段，将巩固与碳核算专家的初步接触，以建立有效利用微传感器技术作为农场具体减排量化基础的方法。总体目标是将创新的微传感器技术从原型过渡到商业准备，以应用于乳制品和牛肉行业，并融入碳信用市场做法;旨在使其成为验证和促进旨在减少肠道甲烷排放的缓解战略的一个不可或缺的工具。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并被认为值得通过评估予以支持使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准。

The lifetime of methane in the atmosphere is relatively short compared to other major greenhouse gases; hence, reducing its emission represents a rapid option for slowing down global warming. Methane production from dairy and beef cattle is a considerable component of anthropogenic emissions and multiple on-farm strategies, including feed-additives, are being developed to reduce this source. The project aims to apply novel microsensor technology to quantify the emission of methane from individual cows. When linked to custom-designed information technology systems, this will allow estimation of methane emissions at the whole-herd scale. This will enable farmers to monitor and validate the effectiveness of methane-reduction approaches and provide the information required to access to carbon credit markets, an essential economic incentive for adoption of the emission-reduction approaches. Effective mitigation of methane emissions from agriculture, will benefit society as a whole by attenuating global warming.Through an expanding partnership of complementary expertise, the project aims to progress the development of a functional, robust, ear-tag mounted, methane microsensor that is sufficiently sensitive and selective to quantify concentrations in the vicinity of a cow’s muzzle, where most enteric methane is emitted. Preliminary trials on a working dairy farm are aimed at optimizing sensor deployment times, data recovery and interpretation strategies and to validate the measurements through intercomparison with established, scientific instrumentation. Additional partnerships will be established to design and implement data processing and interpretation systems that integrate with existing ‘smart agriculture’ technology. Initial engagement with experts in carbon accounting will be consolidated during the second phase of the project to establish methodologies that effectively utilize the microsensor technology as the basis for farm-specific emissions reduction quantification. The overarching goal is to transition an innovative microsensor technology from prototype to commercial readiness for application in the dairy and beef industries and integration in carbon credit market practices; with the intention that it will be an integral tool in the validation and promotion of mitigation strategies aimed at reducing enteric methane emissions.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.