Nitrous oxide emissions in the Grains Industry: Research on tillage trials

Key Points

• Plant uptake of nitrogen (N) fertiliser applications as low as 30 per cent shows there is considerable scope to improve N use efficiency and reduce gaseous N losses as nitrous oxide (N2O) in the grains industry.
• N2O emissions from Australian cropping systems are low by international standards, but even low emissions provide an indicator of other larger gaseous N losses.
• Better matching N fertiliser inputs to N content in the soil and crop demand by fine-tuning the rate, timing and placement of N applications and choice of fertiliser can reduce N2O emissions.
• Cropping soils prone to waterlogging and with high concentrations of nitrate-nitrogen (NO3-N), plus soils transitioning from pasture to cropping, are at high risk of N2O emissions.

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• 653.68 kb Nitrous oxide emissions in the grains industry research on tillage trials Fact Sheet