Greenhouse Gas Emissions Calculator for Grain and Biofuel Farming Systems
نویسندگان
چکیده
J. Nat. Resour. Life Sci. Educ. 39:125–131 (2010). doi:10.4195/jnrlse.2009.0021 • http://www.JNRLSE.org © American Society of Agronomy 5585 Guilford Road, Madison, WI 53711 USA ABSTRACT Opportunities for farmers to participate in greenhouse gas (GHG) credit markets require that growers, students, extension educators, offset aggregators, and other stakeholders understand the impact of agricultural practices on GHG emissions. The Farming Systems Greenhouse Gas Emissions Calculator, a web-based tool linked to the SOCRATES soil carbon process model, provides a simple introduction to the concepts and magnitudes of gas emissions associated with crop management. Users choose a county of interest on an introductory screen and are taken to the input/output window, where they choose crops, yields, tillage practices, or nitrogen fertilizer rates. Default values are provided based on convention and county averages. Outputs include major contributors of greenhouse gases in field crops: soil carbon change, nitrous oxide (N2O) emission, fuel use, and fertilizer. We contrast conventional tillage and no-till in a corn–soybean–wheat (Zea mays L.–Glycine max (L.) Merr.–Triticum aestivum L.) rotation and compare continuous corn fertilized at 101 and 134 kg N ha–1 yr–1. In corn years, N2O was the dominant GHG, due to high fertilizer requirements for corn. No-till management reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 50% due to net soil carbon storage. Continuous corn fertilized at 101 kg N ha–1 yr–1 emitted 1.25 Mg CO2 equivalents ha –1 yr–1 compared with 1.42 Mg CO2 equivalents ha –1 yr–1 at 134 kg N ha–1 yr–1, providing a 12% GHG savings. The calculator demonstrates how cropping systems and management choices affect greenhouse gas emissions in field crops.
منابع مشابه
Energy Potential and Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Bioenergy Cropping Systems on Marginally Productive Cropland
Low-carbon biofuel sources are being developed and evaluated in the United States and Europe to partially offset petroleum transport fuels. Current and potential biofuel production systems were evaluated from a long-term continuous no-tillage corn (Zea mays L.) and switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) field trial under differing harvest strategies and nitrogen (N) fertilizer intensities to determi...
متن کاملA brief discussion on energy use and greenhouse gas emmision in organic farming
Organic farming has become increasingly popular in the world. This is mostly attributed toescalating consumer concerns over the impacts of pesticides and chemical fertilizers on humanhealth as well as growing concerns over environmental pollution derived from modernagricultural practices, such as rising greenhouse gas emissions and water contaminations. Butdoes organic farming actually displace...
متن کاملIntroduction of large-scale biofuel production in a district heating system – an opportunity for reduction of global greenhouse gas emissions
In this study, cooperation between Stockholm’s transport and district heating sectors is analysed. The cooperation concerns the integration of biofuel polygeneration production. A MODEST optimisation model framework is used, assuming various energy market and transport sector scenarios for the year 2030. The scenarios with biofuel production and increased biofuel use in the region are compared ...
متن کاملModelling of Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Wheat Production in Irrigated and Rain-Fed Systems in Khorasan Razavi Province, Iran
Agriculture has a key role in greenhouse gas emissions. As such, the present study aimed to evaluate the greenhouse gas emissions from wheat production in irrigated and rain-fed systems. The primary data were collected from 116 wheat farmers. The results showed that the total greenhouse gas emissions from wheat production in irrigated and rain-fed systems were 637.8 and 65.12 kgCO2eq, respecti...
متن کاملCarbon footprint calculator for European farms: preliminary results of the testing phase
To facilitate the adoption of low-carbon farming practices in Europe, the European Commission developed a carbon calculator that assesses greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and recommends mitigation actions suitable for each farm. The Carbon Calculator, which quantifies GHG emissions based on international standards for life cycle assessment and carbon footprinting, delivers carbon footprint result...
متن کامل