Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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206. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the details of data in his Department regarding the reduction in greenhouse gases by switching from calcium ammonium nitrate fertiliser to protective urea which reduces the nitrous oxide release. [46441/18]

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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Urease inhibitors can be used to delay the breakdown of urea until it has been washed deep enough into the soil, and to prevent sharp increases in pH, especially where urea is spread in bands, giving emissions reductions of 40% for liquid urea ammonium-N and 70% for solid urea¹.

In its recent analysis of abatement potential in greenhouse gas emission in Irish Agriculture 2021-2030, Teagasc identified that altered fertiliser formulation offered the single largest agricultural abatement measure with mean N2O reductions of 0.52 Mt CO2-e yr-1 between 2021 and 2030 and a maximum mitigation potential of 0.75 Mt CO2-e yr-1 based on a 50% replacement of CAN (either straight or in compounds) applied to grassland with protected urea products.

The Sustainable Nitrogen Fertiliser Use and Disaggregated Emissions of Nitrogen (SUDEN) project, which was funded by my Department identified that farmers can maintain yields and reduce ammonia loss to the environment by switching from calcium ammonium nitrate (CAN) to urea protected with NBPT (urease inhibiter). The research found nitrogen loss to the environment can be reduced substantially by integrating urease inhibitors in high profit grass systems.

¹

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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207. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the details of data in his Department regarding the reduction in greenhouse gases from reduced low emissions slurry spreading. [46442/18]

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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Using trailing shoe, dribble bar or injector systems, termed Low Emission Spreading or LESS technologies contribute to reducing GHG emissions through improvements in nitrogen use efficiency and with a direct impact also on ammonia emission reductions.

The recent Teagasc report ‘An Analysis of Abatement potential of Greenhouse Gas Emissions in Irish Agriculture 2021-2030’ highlighted the potential for greenhouse gas (GHG) abatement to limit the emissions from the agricultural sector over the period 2021 to 2030. One of the measures identified in that document is Low Emission Slurry Spreading,which identified potential mitigation of 0.117 Mt CO₂e/year assuming 50% of slurry applied was by LESS techniques.

Additionally, research¹funded by my Department has shown that on average trailing shoe (Low Emission Slurry Spreading - LESS) equipment reduced ammonia emissions by 36% compared to the use of the splash plate. This is the average reduction across all application timings. Agriculture accounts for 98% of ammonia emissions in Ireland with land spreading of slurry accounting for almost half of this total. Using trailing shoe, dribble bar or injector system to spread slurry is significant in going towards reducing ammonia emissions and complying with our national targets.

Therefore, my Department is supporting a number of measures under the Rural Development Programme in support of low emission slurry spreading (LESS). Under GLAS almost 4,600 farmers are availing of the LESS techniques option, with potential reductions in GHG and Ammonia of the order of 1,420 tonnes of ammonia and 3,260 tonnes of CO_2e. While under TAMS there is the option to avail of a 40% grant ( 60% for eligible young farmers) to purchase LESS equipment.

¹Dowling, C., Curran, T. ,Lanigan G.J. 2008 The effect of application technique and climate conditions on ammonia emissions from cattle slurry, RAMIRAN 13, 363-366.

Lanigan et al. 2009. An Evaluation of Strategies to Control Ammonia Emissions from the Land -spreading of Cattle Slurry and Cattle Wintering Facilities. Final Report, DAFM Project Ref No: RSF 05 211.