Targeted technologies for nitrous oxide abatement from animal agriculture

2008 ◽  
Vol 48 (2) ◽  
pp. 14 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. A. M. de Klein ◽  
R. J. Eckard
Keyword(s):  
Nitrous Oxide ◽  
Animal Feed ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Housing System ◽  
Soil Conditions ◽  
N2o Emissions ◽  
Nitrification Inhibitors ◽  
Emission Rates ◽  
Animal Agriculture ◽  
Management Interventions

Nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions account for ~10% of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, with most of these emissions (~90%) deriving from agricultural practices. Animal agriculture potentially contributes up to 50% of total agricultural N2O emissions. In intensive animal agriculture, high N2O emission rates generally coincide with anaerobic soil conditions and high soil NO3–, primarily from animal urine patches. This paper provides an overview of animal, feed-based and soil or management abatement technologies for ruminant animal agriculture targeted at reducing the size of the soil NO3– pool or improving soil aeration. Direct measurements of N2O emissions from potential animal and feed-based intervention technologies are scarce. However, studies have shown that they have the potential to reduce urinary N excretion by 3–60% and thus reduce associated N2O emissions. Research on the effect of soil and water management interventions is generally further advanced and N2O reduction potentials of up to 90% have been measured in some instances. Of the currently available technologies, nitrification inhibitors, managing animal diets and fertiliser management show the best potential for reducing emissions in the short-term. However, strategies should always be evaluated in a whole-system context, to ensure that reductions in one part of the system do not stimulate higher emissions elsewhere. Current technologies reviewed here could deliver up to 50% reduction from an animal housing system, but only up to 15% from a grazing-based system. However, given that enteric methane emissions form the majority of emissions from grazing systems, a 15% abatement of N2O is likely to translate to a 2–4% decrease in total GHG emissions at a farm scale. Clearly, further research is needed to develop technologies for improving N cycling and reducing N2O emissions from grazing-based animal production systems.

scholarly journals Spatial and temporal variability of nitrous oxide emissions in a mixed farming landscape of Denmark

2012 ◽  
Vol 9 (8) ◽  
pp. 2989-3002 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. Schelde ◽  
P. Cellier ◽  
T. Bertolini ◽  
T. Dalgaard ◽  
T. Weidinger ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Nitrous Oxide ◽  
Agricultural Land ◽  
Nitrous Oxide Emissions ◽  
Soil Conditions ◽  
Spatial And Temporal Variability ◽  
N2o Emissions ◽  
N2o Production ◽  
Mixed Farming ◽  
N2o Fluxes

Abstract. Nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions from agricultural land are variable at the landscape scale due to variability in land use, management, soil type, and topography. A field experiment was carried out in a typical mixed farming landscape in Denmark, to investigate the main drivers of variations in N2O emissions, measured using static chambers. Measurements were made over a period of 20 months, and sampling was intensified during two weeks in spring 2009 when chambers were installed at ten locations or fields to cover different crops and topography and slurry was applied to three of the fields. N2O emissions during spring 2009 were relatively low, with maximum values below 20 ng N m−2 s−1. This applied to all land use types including winter grain crops, grasslands, meadows, and wetlands. Slurry application to wheat fields resulted in short-lived two-fold increases in emissions. The moderate N2O fluxes and their moderate response to slurry application were attributed to dry soil conditions due to the absence of rain during the four previous weeks. Cumulative annual emissions from two arable fields that were both fertilized with mineral fertilizer and manure were large (17 kg N2O-N ha−1 yr−1 and 5.5 kg N2O-N ha−1 yr−1) during the previous year when soil water conditions were favourable for N2O production during the first month following fertilizer application. Our findings confirm the importance of weather conditions as well as nitrogen management on N2O fluxes.

Climate change mitigation for agriculture: water quality benefits and costs

2008 ◽  
Vol 58 (11) ◽  
pp. 2093-2099 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert Wilcock ◽  
Sandy Elliott ◽  
Neale Hudson ◽  
Stephanie Parkyn ◽  
John Quinn
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Greenhouse Gas ◽  
Habitat Quality ◽  
Waste Treatment ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Water Soluble ◽  
Soil Conditions ◽  
Nitrification Inhibitors ◽  
Agricultural Systems ◽  
Management Options

New Zealand is unique in that half of its national greenhouse gas (GHG) inventory derives from agriculture - predominantly as methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O), in a 2:1 ratio. The remaining GHG emissions predominantly comprise carbon dioxide (CO2) deriving from energy and industry sources. Proposed strategies to mitigate emissions of CH4 and N2O from pastoral agriculture in New Zealand are: (1) utilising extensive and riparian afforestation of pasture to achieve CO2 uptake (carbon sequestration); (2) management of nitrogen through budgeting and/or the use of nitrification inhibitors, and minimizing soil anoxia to reduce N2O emissions; and (3) utilisation of alternative waste treatment technologies to minimise emissions of CH4. These mitigation measures have associated co-benefits and co-costs (disadvantages) for rivers, streams and lakes because they affect land use, runoff loads, and receiving water and habitat quality. Extensive afforestation results in lower specific yields (exports) of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), suspended sediment (SS) and faecal matter and also has benefits for stream habitat quality by improving stream temperature, dissolved oxygen and pH regimes through greater shading, and the supply of woody debris and terrestrial food resources. Riparian afforestation does not achieve the same reductions in exports as extensive afforestation but can achieve reductions in concentrations of N, P, SS and faecal organisms. Extensive afforestation of pasture leads to reduced water yields and stream flows. Both afforestation measures produce intermittent disturbances to waterways during forestry operations (logging and thinning), resulting in sediment release from channel re-stabilisation and localised flooding, including formation of debris dams at culverts. Soil and fertiliser management benefits aquatic ecosystems by reducing N exports but the use of nitrification inhibitors, viz. dicyandiamide (DCD), to achieve this may under some circumstances impair wetland function to intercept and remove nitrate from drainage water, or even add to the overall N loading to waterways. DCD is water soluble and degrades rapidly in warm soil conditions. The recommended application rate of 10 kg DCD/ha corresponds to 6 kg N/ha and may be exceeded in warm climates. Of the N2O produced by agricultural systems, approximately 30% is emitted from indirect sources, which are waterways draining agriculture. It is important therefore to focus strategies for managing N inputs to agricultural systems generally to reduce inputs to wetlands and streams where these might be reduced to N2O. Waste management options include utilizing the CH4 resource produced in farm waste treatment ponds as a source of energy, with conversion to CO2 via combustion achieving a 21-fold reduction in GHG emissions. Both of these have co-benefits for waterways as a result of reduced loadings. A conceptual model derived showing the linkages between key land management practices for greenhouse gas mitigation and key waterway values and ecosystem attributes is derived to aid resource managers making decisions affecting waterways and atmospheric GHG emissions.

scholarly journals Modelling Methane and Nitrous Oxide Emissions from Rice Paddy Wetlands in India Using Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs)

Water ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (10) ◽  
pp. 2169 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tabassum Abbasi ◽  
Tasneem Abbasi ◽  
Chirchom Luithui ◽  
Shahid Abbas Abbasi
Keyword(s):  
Nitrous Oxide ◽  
Paddy Fields ◽  
Anthropogenic Sources ◽  
Nitrous Oxide Emissions ◽  
Soil Conditions ◽  
N2o Emissions ◽  
Ch4 Emissions ◽  
Artificial Neural ◽  
Ch4 And N2o

Paddy fields, which are shallow man-made wetlands, are estimated to be responsible for ~11% of the total methane emissions attributed to anthropogenic sources. The role of water use in driving these emissions, and the apportioning of the emissions to individual countries engaged in paddy cultivation, are aspects that have been mired in controversy and disagreement. This is largely due to the fact that methane (CH4) emissions not only change with the cultivar type but also regions, climate, soil type, soil conditions, manner of irrigation, type and quantity of fertilizer added—to name a few. The factors which can influence these aspects also encompass a wide range, and have origins in causes which can be physical, chemical, biological, and combinations of these. Exceedingly complex feedback mechanisms, exerting different magnitudes and types of influences on CH4 emissions under different conditions, are operative. Similar is the case of nitrous oxide (N2O); indeed, the present level of understanding of the factors which influence the quantum of its emission is still more patchy. This makes it difficult to even understand precisely the role of the myriad factors, less so model them. The challenge is made even more daunting by the fact that accurate and precise data on most of these aspects is lacking. This makes it nearly impossible to develop analytical models linking causes with effects vis a vis CH4 and N2O emissions from paddy fields. For situations like this the bioinspired artificial intelligence technique of artificial neural network (ANN), which can model a phenomenon on the basis of past data and without the explicit understanding of the mechanism phenomena, may prove useful. However, no such model for CH4 or N2O has been developed so far. Hence the present work was undertaken. It describes ANN-based models developed by us to predict CH4 and N2O emissions using soil characteristics, fertilizer inputs, and rice cultivar yield as inputs. Upon testing the predictive ability of the models with sets of data not used in model development, it was seen that there was excellent agreement between model forecasts and experimental findings, leading to correlations coefficients of 0.991 and 0.96, and root mean square error (RMSE) of 11.17 and 261.3, respectively, for CH4 and N2O emissions. Thus, the models can be used to estimate CH4 and N2O emissions from all those continuously flooded paddy wetlands for which data on total organic carbon, soil electrical conductivity, applied nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium, NPK, and grain yield is available.

Global warming as affected by incorporation of variably aged biomass of hairy vetch for rice cultivation

Soil Research ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 54 (3) ◽  
pp. 346 ◽  
Author(s):  
Md Mozammel Haque ◽  
Jatish Chandra Biswas ◽  
Tatoba R. Waghmode ◽  
Pil Joo Kim
Keyword(s):  
Global Warming ◽  
Biomass Production ◽  
Animal Feed ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Rice Cultivation ◽  
Emission Rates ◽  
Hairy Vetch ◽  
Closed Chamber ◽  
Vicia Villosa ◽  
Carbon Dioxide Co2

Hairy vetch (Vicia villosa Roth) is cultivated during the cold fallow season in paddy soils of temperate countries such as South Korea and Japan, mostly as animal feed and green manure. Information on the effect of ageing of hairy vetch incorporation in relation to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and global warming potential (GWP) is not available. Therefore, hairy vetch biomass of ages 183, 190, 197, and 204 days was incorporated in paddy soil to estimate GWP during rice cultivation. The emission rates of methane (CH4), carbon dioxide (CO2), and nitrous oxide (N2O) gases were monitored once a week by using the closed-chamber method. The net ecosystem carbon budget was used to estimate pure CO2 emission fluxes. Biomass production of hairy vetch was 6.5 Mg ha–1 at 204 days, which was similar to other treatments. The GWP was lower with the 204-day-old vetch biomass incorporation than with other treatments. High content of cellulose and lignin in 204-day-old hairy vetch might have affected decomposition rate and subsequently reduced GHGs emissions during rice cultivation. Our results suggest that hairy vetch can be allowed to grow for 204 days before incorporation at 3 Mg ha–1 without sacrificing rice yield, while maximising biomass production and minimising GWP during rice cultivation.

scholarly journals ESTIMATION OF NITROUS OXIDE EMISSIONS FROM AGRICULTURAL SOILS IN VOIVODESHIPS IN POLAND

2020 ◽  
Vol XXII (4) ◽  
pp. 94-104
Author(s):  
Anna Jędrejek
Keyword(s):  
Nitrous Oxide ◽  
Winter Wheat ◽  
Agricultural Soils ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Organic Content ◽  
Nitrous Oxide Emissions ◽  
Regional Differentiation ◽  
N2o Emissions ◽  
Winter Rape ◽  
Winter Triticale

The purpose of this study was to estimate nitrogen oxide emissions from soils used for agricultural purposes by voivodships. Compared N2O emissions were estimated according to the recommended IPCC (tier 1) method with simulated emissions using the DNDC (tier 3) model. Analyses were done for crop rotation (winter rape, winter wheat, winter wheat, winter triticale) in four cropping systems. Moreover, simulated N2O emissions from winter rape and winter triticale cultivation showed lower emissions and constituted 1475% and 13-76% of IPCC estimated emissions, respectively. The use of the model also enabled the determination of factors, which have an impact on nitrous oxide emissions and define its regional differentiation. The analysis showed that with increasing initial soil organic content, emissions of N2O rise and decrease with increasing precipitation or carbon sequestration. Considering the requirements for reduction GHG emissions, improving the methodology used in estimating nitrous oxide emissions is of significant practical value.

scholarly journals Effect of Nitrification Inhibitors on N2O Emissions after Cattle Slurry Application

Agronomy ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (8) ◽  
pp. 1174 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christina Herr ◽  
Thomas Mannheim ◽  
Torsten Müller ◽  
Reiner Ruser
Keyword(s):  
Management Practice ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
N2o Emissions ◽  
Nitrification Inhibitors ◽  
Ghg Emission ◽  
Cattle Slurry ◽  
Closed Chamber ◽  
Study Region ◽  
Silage Maize ◽  
N2o Fluxes

Cattle slurry injection (INJ) has shown to be an efficient measure to reduce ammonia (NH3) losses from soils but it might also significantly increase nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions, which can dominate the total greenhouse gas (GHG) release in silage maize production (Zea mays L.). Nitrification inhibitors (NIs) are known for their potential to mitigate N2O. Therefore, we tested the effect of NIs added to cattle slurry before INJ on N2O fluxes from a Haplic Luvisol under silage maize in southwest Germany. We determined N2O fluxes at least weekly, with the closed chamber method over two full years. NIs differ in their chemical and physical behavior and we therefore tested a range of commercially available NIs: 3,4-dimethylpyrazole phosphate, 3,4-dimethylpyrazol succinic acid, a mixture of both, nitrapyrin, dicyandiamide, and 1,2,4 triazol and 3-methylpyrazol. Although not significant, INJ treatments with NI showed lower mean annual N2O emissions than the INJ treatment without NI in the 1st year. The emission reduction by NI of 46% in the 2nd year was statistically significant. In both years, we did not find any difference in N2O release, crop yield, or nitrogen removal between the different NI treatments. In the 1st year, which was extraordinary dry and warm, emission factors (EFs) for all INJ treatments were 4 to 8-fold higher than default EF from the IPCC. Even in the 2nd year, only three NI treatments reached EFs within the range provided by the IPCC. Direct N2O accounted for between 81 and 91% of the total GHG emission. Area- and yield-related GHG emission of the broadcast application with subsequent incorporation was in both years in the statistical class with lowest emission. In contrast, INJ with NIs showed similar GHG emissions in only one year, and consequently, incorporation was found to be the optimum management practice for livestock farmers in our study region.

scholarly journals Nitrous Oxide Emissions and Methane Uptake from Organic and Conventionally Managed Arable Crop Rotations on Farms in Northwest Germany

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (8) ◽  
pp. 3240 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lars Biernat ◽  
Friedhelm Taube ◽  
Ralf Loges ◽  
Christof Kluß ◽  
Thorsten Reinsch
Keyword(s):  
Nitrous Oxide ◽  
Winter Wheat ◽  
Organic Farming ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Beech Forest ◽  
Crop Rotations ◽  
N2o Emissions ◽  
Winter Rye ◽  
Organic Systems ◽  
Northwest Germany

Land-use extensification by shifting from conventional to organic arable farming is often discussed as a measure for reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from agricultural land. Doubts about the benefits arise when emissions are calculated per product unit, particularly where high yields are possible under conventional management. Among the non-CO2 GHG emissions, nitrous oxide (N2O) is the main contributor from arable land and is controlled by soil type, environmental conditions and management. In order to investigate how land-use change from conventional to organic farming would perform under highly productive site conditions in northwest Germany, and how this would affect the important greenhouse gases N2O and methane (CH4), an on-farm field research was conducted over two experimental years. Two site-specific organic crop rotations, (i) with 25% legumes (grass + clover - winter wheat – winter rye – oats) and (ii) with 40% legumes (grass + clover – winter wheat – winter rye – spring field peas – winter rye), were compared with (iii) a conventional arable rotation (winter oilseed rape – winter wheat – winter wheat – sugar beet – winter wheat) and two reference systems, (iv) extensive grassland and (v) a beech forest), which were chosen as the baseline. The results showed that organic farming had lower N2O emissions of 0.7 N2O–N ha−1 year−1 than the conventional rotation, with 2.1 kg N2O–N ha−1 year−1 (p < 0.05), but higher emissions than the extensive grassland (0.3 kg N2O ha−1 year−1) and beech forest (0.4 kg N2O ha−1 year−1). CH4 emissions were a negligible part of total GHG emissions (as CO2 equivalents) in the two arable systems, and considerable uptake of CH4 from the forest soils showed this was a GHG sink in the first experimental year. Organic systems produced up to 40% lower crop yields, but the emissions per product unit in rotation (iii) was not superior to (ii) during the two experimental years. Thus, arable organic farming showed the ability to produce agricultural commodities with low N2O emissions per unit area, and no differences in product-related emissions compared with conventional farming. Conventional and organic systems both showed potential for further mitigation of N2O emissions by controlling the field level nitrogen surplus to a minimum, and by the optimized timing of the removal of the grass–clover ley phase.

Estimating nitrous oxide emissions from a dairy farm using a mechanistic, whole farm model and segregated emission factors for New Zealand

Soil Research ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 50 (3) ◽  
pp. 188 ◽  
Author(s):  
Iris Vogeler ◽  
Pierre Beukes ◽  
Alvaro Romera ◽  
Rogerio Cichota
Keyword(s):  
Nitrous Oxide ◽  
New Zealand ◽  
Dairy Farm ◽  
Emission Factors ◽  
Nitrous Oxide Emissions ◽  
N2o Emissions ◽  
Nitrification Inhibitors ◽  
Cart Analysis ◽  
Farm Model ◽  
Farm Scale

Nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions from agriculture are generally estimated using default IPCC emission factors (EFs) despite the large variation in measured EFs. We used a classification and regression tree (CART) analysis to segregate measured EFs from direct emissions from urine patches and fertiliser and effluent applications, based on temporal and site-specific factors. These segregated EFs were linked to simulations from the DairyNZ Whole Farm Model to obtain N2O emissions for a typical pasture-based dairy farm in New Zealand. The N2O emissions from urine patches, dung pads, and fertiliser and effluent application, as well as from indirect sources, were aggregated to obtain total N2O emissions for the farm-scale. The results, based on segregated EFs, were compared with those obtained using New Zealand-specific EFs. On-farm N2O emissions based on these segregated EFs were 5% lower than those based on New Zealand-specific EFs. Improved farm management by avoiding grazing, effluent, and N fertiliser application during periods of high risk for N2O emissions, or by the use of mitigation technologies such as nitrification inhibitors, could reduce annual farm scale N2O emissions.

Impact of dicyandiamide application on nitrous oxide emissions from urine patches in northern Victoria, Australia

2008 ◽  
Vol 48 (2) ◽  
pp. 156 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. B. Kelly ◽  
F. A. Phillips ◽  
R. Baigent
Keyword(s):  
Nitrous Oxide ◽  
New Zealand ◽  
Dairy Cow ◽  
Production Systems ◽  
Animal Production ◽  
Soil Conditions ◽  
N2o Emissions ◽  
Cow Urine ◽  
Reduce Emissions ◽  
Animal Production Systems

Animal production systems in Australia are a significant contributor to nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions from soil, with the Australian Greenhouse Gas Inventory attributing ~25% of the N2O emissions from agricultural soils to animal production. Recent studies in New Zealand using dicyandiamide (DCD) in association with the application of urine to pastoral soil have reported reductions in N2O emission of up to 78% and reduced nitrate leaching of up to 45%. As such, the application of DCD to grazed pastures offers potential to reduce emissions resulting directly from animal production. This study was conducted on a border-check irrigated perennial pasture used for dairy production in northern Victoria. Automated enclosure chambers were linked to a fourier transformed infrared spectrometer to determine N2O emissions. The three treatments were a control, dairy cow urine (1000 kg N/ha) and dairy cow urine (1000 kg N/ha) with DCD included (10 kg/ha). The treatments were applied in mid-spring (15 September 2005) and again in mid-summer (25 January 2006) to a new area of pasture with N2O emissions measured for 120 and 70 days, respectively. Soil temperature and soil water content were monitored continuously. Soil inorganic-N was measured (0–100 mm) every 7 to 14 days for up to 120 days. Application of DCD reduced N2O emissions from a urine patch by 47% when applied in mid-spring and 27% when applied in mid-summer. The impact of the application of DCD on emissions from single urine patches lasted for ~50 days in mid-spring and 25 days in mid-summer. These reductions are lower than those reported in New Zealand studies and are likely to be related to soil conditions, principally temperature. The surface application of DCD has potential to reduce emissions from urine patches in northern Victoria; however, the effects are likely to be short-lived given the soil temperatures and high clay content typical of many Australian soils. More research is required to examine emission reduction options that are cost effective for animal production systems.

scholarly journals Nitrous oxide emission and nitrogen use efficiency in response to nitrophosphate, N-(n-butyl) thiophosphoric triamide and dicyandiamide of a wheat cultivated soil under sub-humid monsoon conditions

2014 ◽  
Vol 11 (9) ◽  
pp. 13571-13603 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. X. Ding ◽  
Z. M. Chen ◽  
H. Y. Yu ◽  
J. F. Luo ◽  
G. Y. Yoo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Nitrous Oxide ◽  
Sandy Loam ◽  
Wheat Yield ◽  
Nitrification Inhibitor ◽  
Growth Period ◽  
N2o Emission ◽  
N Fertilizer ◽  
N2o Emissions ◽  
Nitrification Inhibitors ◽  
Use Efficiency

Abstract. A field experiment was designed to study the effects of nitrogen (N) source and urease inhibitor N-(n-butyl) thiophosphoric triamide (NBPT) or nitrification inhibitor dicyandiamide (DCD) on nitrous oxide (N2O) emission and N use efficiency (NUE) in a sandy loam soil. Six treatments including no N fertilizer (control), N fertilizer urea alone (U), urea plus NBPT (NBPT), urea plus DCD (DCD), urea plus NBPT and DCD (NBPT + DCD), and nitrate-based fertilizer nitrophosphate (NP) were designed and implemented separately during the wheat growth period. Seasonal cumulative N2O emissions with urea alone amounted to 0.49 ± 0.12 and were significantly (P < 0.05) reduced to 0.28 ± 0.03, 0.31 ± 0.01 and 0.26 ± 0.01kg N2O-N ha−1 by application of DCD, NBPT and NBPT + DCD, respectively. Cumulative N2O emissions from NP were 0.28 ± 0.01kg N2O-N ha−1. A single N2O flux peak was identified following basal fertilization, and DCD and/or NBPT inhibition effects mainly occurred during the peak emission period. The NP application significantly (P < 0.05) increased wheat yield by 12.3% and NUE from 28.8% (urea alone) to 35.9%, while urease and/or nitrification inhibitors showed a slight increase effect. Our results clearly indicated that the application of urea as basal fertilizer, but not as supplemental fertilizer, together with DCD and NBPT is an effective practice to reduce N2O emissions. The application of NP instead of urea would be an optimum agricultural strategy for reducing N2O emissions and increasing crop yield and NUE for wheat cultivation in soils of the North China Plain.

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