Nitrous oxide

Part of: Renewable energy, Greenhouse gas emissions

Area of Expertise:
Services:

AFBI scientists contribute to research relating to the mitigation of nitrous oxide and ammonia emissions

Research projects

Wind tunnels assessing ammonia
AFBI recently completed its experimental input to the £12.5m UK Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Inventory Programme (funded by DEFRA and the Devolved Administrations) and the data is currently being used by modellers to improve the UK GHG Inventory of N2O emissions from fertilisers, manures and excretal returns.

Agri-Environment Branch is continuing to contribute to the Agricultural Greenhouse Gas Research Initiative for Ireland (funded by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine), which includes investigating mitigation strategies for direct and indirect N2O emissions and enhancing carbon sequestration in grassland soils.

In addition, AFBI is collaborating with Teagasc and University College Dublin on a DAFM funded project to measure NH3 emissions associated with dairy and beef housing and grazing systems; model NH3 emissions from farms; and, quantify the abatement potential of mitigation strategies (which include: dietary strategies to reduce excreted N; slurry treatment to reduce volatilisation; and manipulation of housing and storage to reduce volatilisation).

AFBI is lead partner in using stable isotope (15N) techniques to trace N dynamics in slurry during storage, and to test novel additives to reduce ammonia emissions from animal house flooring.