PhD studentship - Assessing the balance between greenhouse gas and ammonia emissions from Irish pastures. Supported by TEAGASC

School of Applied Sciences

Cranfield University

Objectives

The objectives of this study are to a) measure the effect of slurry, manures and ammonium fertilizer on N2O, NH3 and CO2 emissions, b) investigate the effects of NH3 abatement techniques on these emissions and c) use the data to parameterise DNDC, PaSim and DAYCENT models.

Summary

Agriculture contributes approximately 79% and 90% respectively to Irish nitrous oxide (N2O) and ammonia (NH3) emissions. Controlling NH3 emissions via altered application practice may have an impact on N2O emissions, resulting in a trade-off between reduced NH3 emissions and increased N2O emissions. In light of the agricultural sectors commitments to national targets under the Gothenburg and Kyoto Protocols, as well as limits present under the Nitrates Directive, it is imperative to characterise the emissions and underlying processes involved in these trade-offs. This project will quantify the effect of organic fertilizer application, land-spreading methods and abatement techniques on NH3, and N2O emissions as well as the total carbon balance. It will assess the contribution of altered nitrification and denitrification processes, changes in carbon pools and its impact on N2O, NH3 and CO2 emissions. This work will complement current N-cycle studies at this site which are the subject of Department of Agriculture Research Stimulus Fund projects.