Understanding & managing nitrogen emissions

We know the production of nitrogen fertiliser is emissions-intensive, but the application of this fertiliser to the paddock can also result in greenhouse gas emissions. The theme for this fortnight’s episode is emissions from fertiliser application with a particular focus on understanding the sources of emissions from crops and pastures. Nitrous oxide is a potent greenhouse gas released from soils, particularly soils with high nitrogen inputs such as crops and pastures. Agriculture is responsible for around 75% of nitrous oxide emissions in Australia. Nitrogen from fertiliser can also be volatilised as ammonia gas which, while not a direct greenhouse gas, is nevertheless nitrogen lost to the atmosphere and not available to the plant. So, what can we do to manage nitrous oxide emissions and other losses of nitrogen fertiliser, while improving productivity and profitability? Debra Turner recently joined the CSBP team as Senior Sustainable Agriculture Advisor bringing with her a wealth of knowledge from working as a Researcher at Melbourne University and roles at the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA). Debra joins Grey Johnston to chat about her work over the last 20 years, particularly on nitrous oxide emissions, but also ammonia volatilisation, and the sustainable use of fertilisers. Follow the ‘CSBP Grow Better podcast’ to be the first to know about future episodes. We would love to hear from you! If you have any feedback on this episode or any other burning questions get in touch with us @CSBPfertilisers on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or LinkedIn.