1. Insert image here Nitrogen Use and Climate Insert image hereChange Mitigation Daniel Kindred Insert image hereADAS Boxworth www.adas.co.uk

2. OutlineBackground Global driversNitrogen problems & benefitsOptimising N for GHG mitigationOptimising N for profitabilityMaximising use of non-fertiliser NNitrogen Efficient cropsBiofuels & NitrogenConclusion - What can the grower do? 3. A Changing World?Climate ChangeIncreasing Energy demands/Reduced energy supplies Economic changes 4. Agriculture driving Climate Change Agriculture contributes ~14% to global GHG emissions ~1/3 due to methane (livestock)~23x more potent than CO2 ~1/3 due to nitrous oxide (N fertiliser)~300x more potent than CO2 and drives Land Use Change ~15% global emmissionsPressures/Opportunities to reduce GHGs from Agriculture Carbon trading? Carbon labelling? Biofuels/Energy crops Carbon sequestration. Economic incentives for mitigating GHGs?Total emissions 49000Mt CO2e IPCC 2007 5. GHGs from crops overwhelmed by N fertiliser Pesticide P&K Diesel Drying10%Seed8% Over 70% GHG emissions 5% from wheat crop can be due directly or indirectly to N fertiliserNitrousoxide ?Nfertiliser 38%38% Sylvester-Bradley & Kindred (2008) HGCA R&D Conference 6. Changing agriculture?Increasing Demand for crop productsRising population & Rising affluence,especially in SE AsiaIncreasing consumption of energy, petroleum,edible oils & meatBiofuelsMainly from Maize, sugar cane &palm oil Constrained supply Finite crop land globally Yield increases have slowed or stopped Diminished world stocks Weather/Climate change Floods, droughts, extreme temperatures (Increased severity of pests, disease, weeds)Crop failuresProductivity shortfall 7. Drives Land Use ChangeLoss of habitats & biodiversity Carbon lost from soils and canopy 5900 Mt CO2eq per year cf aviation of 300kg/ha 00 0 50 100 150 200250 300 350400N fertliser applied (kg/ha) Kindred et al. (2008) In prep 18. Optima N to minimise GHGs Depends on your views of whether whatyou do on your farm effects what happenselsewhere in the worldIf ignore LUC, then need to cut back N fertdramatically to minimise GHGsIf account for LUC, may need to increase Nfert, depending on the assumptions made 19. Optimising N for profitabilityEconomic optima dependent on Soil N supply Shape of response curve Price of grain and fertiliserBreakeven ratioAmount of grain needed topay for amount of N fertiliser Grain quality 20. Change in prices500500 15 Straight Nitrogen Straight Nitrogen Straight Nitrogen Feed Wheat price index (2000=100) price index (2000=100)Feed Wheat400400break-even ratio400 12 price index (2000=100) break-even price ratio300300 9( N:grain )200200 6 100100 300 198519901995 2000 20050 2010198519901995 2000 2005 2010 21. Adjusting N for BER 12 10:1 5:13:115:140014:1 10 15:1 Grain yield (kg/ha)13:135012:1 8300 11:1 AN price /t10:1 6250 9:18:1 Economic optima 4close to GHG200 7:16:1optima?15025:14:110003:150 75 100 125 150 175 2002:1 0 100200300 400Grain price /tN applied (kg/ha) 10kg/ha less per point increase in BER ~0.07t/ha decrease in yield 22. Soil N SuppliesMaximise use of non-fertiliser N 20% of sites in HGCA Project Report 348did not respond to N Soil organic matter Previous crop residuesPeas & Beans Animal manures/compost/sludge Atmospheric deposition Over-winter leachingADAS Terrington 23. Soil analysis: the best index of soil N 300Look-up tables (in N uptake with nil N applied (kg/ha)RB209) being revised Measuring SMN & crop N 200 Nov. to Feb. indicates soil N supply available to the crop 100Rarely under-estimatescrop-available N New HGCA Project 0to improve soil N0100 200 300measurements.SNS from soil analysis in autumn (kg/ha) 24. N efficient crops N Use Efficiency (kg DM harvested per kg crop-available N) 0 20 4060 80 Sugar beetPotatoes - maincropPotatoes - seed TriticaleRye Triticale instead of second Spring barley - feedwheat?Winter oats Winter wheat - feed etc. Peas/beans instead of OSR Winter barley - feed etc. GHG free N?Spring wheat - milling Potatoes - early PossibleSpring oatsWinter wheat - milling intercropping/under-Spring barley - malting sowing with clover etc? Winter barley - malting Oilseed rape - winter Oilseed rape - spring Linseed Peas - harvested dry Faba beans - winter Peas - viningSylvester-Bradley & Kindred 2008 J Exp Bot 25. Consider N efficient varieties?Seems to be little difference in N requirement inmodern wheat varieties Breadmaking wheats needs more N than Feed wheat Question N efficiency and profitability of growing milling wheat at high fertiliser costs (economic and environmental)? Modern higher yielding wheat have higher N optima than older varieties But, NUE at optima no different Higher yielding varieties less GHG per tModern spring barley varieties higher yielding, butoptima not higher than older varietiesHGCA Project Report 438 Sylvester-Bradley et al 2008 26. GREEN grain project Genetic Reduction of Energy use and Emissions of Nitrogen through cereal productionFacilitate breeding of varietiesthat require less N fertiliserand are suitable for distilling,bioethanol and animal feed Cheaper to growGreater end-use valueReduced N pollutionGHG & Energy savings forbioethanol 27. Breeding oilseed rape with a low requirement fornitrogen fertiliser Primary Objective NortheastBiofuels Breed varieties which require half of Elsoms Seedsthe N fertiliser of current varieties www.adas.co.uk 28. Breeding for N capture: new innovationsBiological Nitrification inhibitorsRoot exudates can inhibitsoil conversion ofammonium to nitrateUseful with urea fertilisersStops leaching in wet soilsCIMMYT, MexicoGM technology faster ammonium assimilationAlanine aminotransferaseOSR: 50% N requiredNow being transferred torice, maize & wheatArcadia Biosciences, CA 29. Consider growing biofuels?Biodiesel OSR Bioethanol wheat/sugar beet Displace petrol/dieselReduce GHG emissions But, over 50% of GHG intensity of biofuel comes from growing the cropNeed to minimise GHG emissionsfrom growing crop Need low inputs And high yield!!!N strategy very important for growing Biofuel crops 30. An ideal biofuel wheatfield-dry Minimumgrain ... non-starch Minimum NitrogenHigh Inputsyields50%lots of>70% starch GH straw Ea Sav G syac c ed Efficient processingrLow land edirequirements tatio n 31. Nitrogen for biofuels 12 23613Grain N x 5.7 (% DM) 1012 (t/ha @ 85%DM) Grain yield 50088.6%116protein10 Alcohol yield (litres / tonne, dry basis) 4804928 460075,000 0100200 300 470184yield (litres / dry tonne)Alcohol production Alcohol processing 4404,000 N applied (kg/ha) 460 (litres/ha)3,000 420 4502,000 4401,000 400 4 6 81012 14 16 180430 grain protein (%, dry basis)8,000 0100200 300 Greenhouse GasesN applied (kg/ha)(kg CO2 eq per ha)total savingReduced protein = increased biofuel 6,00091cost4,000 2,000 net saving00100 200300N applied (kg/ha) 32. Improving N efficiency Targets: N capture Rooting Soil N processing N assimilationN utilisation crop N storage canopy N activityoilseed photosynthesis etc.wheatrapeBreeders and testers have used ample nutrientsNow we must minimise crop profligacy & gluttony 33. Cultivations & strawMinimising fuel use No grain dryingsaves~0.2 t/ha/yr CO2eearly ripening cropsample combine capacity Minimum tillagesaves ? ~0.6 t/ha/yr CO2eCan increase N2O? Straw disposal ? Incorporationsaves ? ~0.7 t/ha/yr CO2e Bale, cart and use for fuelsaves ? ~2.0 t/ha/yr CO2e 34. Conclusions Mitigating climate change on-farmBuy low GHG intensity fertiliser? Urea rather than AN? Use Urease inhibitors?Avoid applying more than the economic optimum This may be lower than you think!Make full use of non-fertiliser N Use SMN testing where appropriate Make full allowance of N in muck/sludge/compost etc Allow for N after peas & beans/potatoes/veg etc 35. Conclusions Mitigating climate change on-farm Consider changes to crops/ rotations Grow cereals with lower N requirements oats & triticale Grow more legumes/less OSR Use of fertility building leys/undersowing/inter-cropping?Grow biofuels? Nitrogen use will be importantBreeding likely to provide more N efficient varieties 5-10 years + 36. Thankyou 37. Developing N efficiency testing N efficiency yieldRL trials breedingbreeding RB209 N levels some 1st wheats10+ 80 kg/ha Ngrain yield (t/ha)HGCA N-opts 8 Yield breeding:control+ 15-20 kg N / t6NUE breeding4 Needs low-N testing2 0 0100 200300N applied (kg/ha) 38. Developing yields Light limit for UK wheat, 19 t/ha 18On-farm No increase for >10 yearsGrain yield (t/ha, 3-year means) 16Water limitRecommended varieties Increasing: 0.7 tonne / ha / decade 14Possible causes Economics: low prices, cost cutting 12 Climate change ? new varieties in RL trials Technology gap ?10Can yields respond fast enough tofarmscancel extra land requirements ?8 6 419701990 2010 39. UK agriculture: Nitrogen efficiencyN inputs .. 1.8 Mt/year Deposition Imports infeedsDenitrifica-Food & Fixation tion Fertilisers materials SewageNitrate leachedAmmoniaN outputs .. 1.8 Mt/year 40. UK agriculture: Nitrogen legislation ClimateChangeNitrate & WatermeasuresFramework DirectivesDenitrifica- Food & tionmaterials EC National EC NationalNitrateleached Emission Ceilings Emission Ceilings AmmoniaDirective Directive N outputs .. 1.8 Mt/year 41. 14UK wheat: efficiency12Grain yield (t/ha, 3-year means) 10 Potential UK yields are over 14 t/ha 864Breeders increasing yields by 0.7 t/ha 2per decade01970 1980 1990 2000 2010No yield increase on-farm for >10years 42. UK wheat: efficiency 200100 No increase in N applied01970 1980 1990 2000 2010 3.02.5 No trend in 2.0 grain N%1.51.01970 1980 1990 2000 2010 43. Nov / Jan:N management on- AssessMar: NFeb / soil farmexample: wheat &ApplyNApril:plan 40rates Early kg/haexcept if: st half Apply 1 Late April /.. of canopy N high soil N early May:Late May:.. too many shoots.. high lodgingN half Apply 2nd forApply riskJuly:.. low take all riskN of canopyhigh yields /N tospray urea After harvest: protein boost but adjustboost proteins? according to yields Review canopy& grain yield depends onif expectedsizeN%over 9 t/hapremiums, yields,& Were rates aboutpast proteinsright? Adjust N strategy? 44. Products: N efficiencyAmmonia Emissions 10 cereal trials30 Ammonia loss (% N applied)25 2015 10 5 0 Urea Urea+ UAN UAN+ AN AgrotainAgrotain 45. N efficiency : effect of high prices ? Break-even ratios 10 (kg grain per kg N)137 53 1812Yields only6slightly less11 grain yieldgrain protein(t/ha) lower (N x 5.7, % ) 4 proteins 10optimums 29080 100200 300N applied (kg/ha) 46. Setting N rates50 recent HGCA trialsRecommended N (difference from optimum) kg / ha -200 -100 0 100200 0Average -50 -9 kg/ha N -14/ha-100Net profit / ha -150 47. Late N, to boost protein 9 HGCA trials 14 Foliar urea 10%Foliar urea 20%AN + urea 10% grain protein (%)AN + urea 20% 13AN at GS39 12 11040 80120extra late N (kg/ha) 48. Late N, to boost protein 9 HGCA trials 16 Boxworth 2003Essex 2005 15 Rosemaund 2003High Mowthorpe 2004 14 grain protein (%)Boxworth 200413 Terrington 2004High Mowthorpe 2005 12 Rosemaund 2004Terrington 2003 1110 New HGCA9 research8 to predict040 80120 proteinextra late N (kg/ha) 49. Reviewing Farm N efficiencyApplying N cannot beaccurate on every fieldevery yearBut avoid cumulativeerrorsImportant for profit &environment To monitor overall Nstrategy, check:Soil mineral NCanopy sizes nil N patches ?Grain N% above or