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

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doi:10.1071/SR12064

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

Iris Vogeler ^A ^C, Pierre Beukes ^B, Alvaro Romera ^B and Rogerio Cichota ^A

^A AgResearch Limited, Grasslands Research Centre, Private Bag 11008, Palmerston North, New Zealand.
^B DairyNZ, Private Bag 3221, Hamilton, New Zealand.
^C Corresponding author. Email: iris.vogeler@agresearch.co.nz

Soil Research 50(3) 188-194 http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/SR12064
Submitted: 13 March 2011 Accepted: 13 April 2012 Published: 14 May 2012





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Abstract

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.

Additional keywords: CART analysis, fertiliser, nitrous oxide emission factors, N₂O database NZ, urine.

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