Nitrous oxide emission levels in response to alternative crop rotations

2013
CC BY 4.0

Research organisatons

Trial details

Researcher(s) N/A
Year(s) 2013
Contributor Eyre Peninsula Agricultural Research Foundation
Trial location(s) Wanilla, SA
Nitrous oxide emission levels in response to alternative crop rotations locations
Aims

Agricultural soils are the main source of emission of the greenhouse gas (GHG) nitrous oxide (N2O) to the atmosphere. N2O is a potent GHG which lasts in the atmosphere for 114 years and has a global warming potential of approximately 300 times greater than that of carbon dioxide over a 100 year timescale. Agriculture accounts for 16% of Australia’s greenhouse gas emissions but produces 80% of Australia’s N2O emissions. This project seeks to measure and quantify N2O emissions from wheat grown in rotation with canola, pulses and legume pastures at two sites in low and medium/high rainfall farming systems of the Eyre Peninsula, while assessing best management practices that local farmers can adopt to reduce the risk of N2O losses and ultimately improve the paddock’s crop productivity and gross margin.

Key messages

Preliminary results showed the level of nitrous oxide emissions did not increase over the 2013 winter as a result of near capacity soil water contents coupled with increased nitrate nitrogen levels resulting from seeding and in-crop nitrogen applications on the canola compared with a pulse crop and legume pasture.

Lead research organisation N/A
Host research organisation SARDI Minnipa Agricultural Centre
Related program Carbon Farming Initiative
Acknowledgments

Minnipa Agricultural Centre and David Giddings for the use of their land. Terry Blacker and Ian Richter for their technical support. This project is supported by funding from the Australian Government Department of Agriculture, - Action on the Ground program.


Other trial partners Not specified

Method

Crop types Pasture: Clover Pasture: Medic Grain Legume: Field peas Grain Legume: Lupins
Trial type
Trial design

Wanilla 2013 Clover

Sow date Not specified
Harvest date Not specified
Plot size Not specified
Plot replication Not specified

Wanilla 2013 Medic

Sow date Not specified
Harvest date Not specified
Plot size Not specified
Plot replication Not specified

Wanilla 2013 Field peas

Sow date Not specified
Harvest date Not specified
Plot size Not specified
Plot replication Not specified

Wanilla 2013 Lupins

Sow date Not specified
Harvest date Not specified
Plot size Not specified
Plot replication Not specified
Trial source data and summary not available
Check the trial report PDF for trial results.
Observed trial site soil information
Trial site soil testing
Not specified
Soil conditions
Trial site Soil texture
Wanilla, SA Not specified
Derived trial site soil information
Australian Soil Classification Source: ASRIS
Trial site Soil order
Wanilla, SA Sodosol
Soil Moisture Source: BOM/ANU
Average amount of water stored in the soil profile during the year, estimated by the OzWALD model-data fusion system.
Year Wanilla SA
2013 532.5mm
2012 537.0mm
2011 550.2mm
2010 557.5mm
2009 535.5mm
2008 504.2mm
2007 506.0mm
2006 536.8mm
2005 549.1mm
2004 536.9mm
2003 558.0mm
2002 537.2mm
2001 550.6mm
2000 529.1mm
National soil grid Source: CSIRO/TERN
NOTE: National Soil Grid data is aggregated information for background information on the wider area
Actual soil values can vary significantly in a small area and the trial soil tests are the most relevant data where available

Soil properties

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Climate

Derived climate information

No observed climate data available for this trial.
Derived climate data is determined from trial site location and national weather sources.

Wanilla SA

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Some data on this site is sourced from the Bureau of Meteorology

SILO weather estimates sourced from https://www.longpaddock.qld.gov.au/silo/
Jeffrey, S.J., Carter, J.O., Moodie, K.B. and Beswick, A.R. (2001). Using spatial interpolation to construct a comprehensive archive of Australian climate data , Environmental Modelling and Software, Vol 16/4, pp 309-330. DOI: 10.1016/S1364-8152(01)00008-1.

Trial report and links


No trial reports or attachments found


Trial last modified: 06-08-2019 07:54am AEST