MIN-NO project attracts major funds to address nitrous oxide emissions from arable agriculture
A large LINK funded consortium has been launched to address the scientific and practical challenges of minimising nitrous oxide emissions from UK arable cropping.
MIN-NO, a 21 strong consortium, has been awarded almost 2 million of Defra and Scottish Government LINK funds with matching industry contributions over five years. The work will focus on the arable sector with three objectives:
- To determine a more robust relationship between nitrous oxide and the rate of mineral nitrogen fertilisers applied, both during crop growth and from crop residues
- Through expert estimation and debate, to identify practices which could lower the greenhouse gas emissions footprint of arable products such as bread, sugar, oils, peas, chicken, whisky and biofuels. Also to assess how emissions might be estimated more accurately at farm and at national level.
- To review the findings in the context of parallel work on factors influencing nitrous oxide emissions: organic manures, soil cultivations and soil types.
The project is led by Prof Roger Sylvester-Bradley of ADAS in collaboration with Dr Bob Rees of SAC, Dr Tom Misselbrook of Rothamsted Research (North Wyke) and Dr Nigel Mortimer of North Energy Associates.
The scale and the complexity of the scientific and practical challenges cannot be underestimated, said Jane Salter of the Agricultural Industries Confederation. It is an issue that requires serious investment in research and industry engagement to establish answers to some difficult questions and devise practical solutions for the whole industry.
With a 21 strong consortium and membership including trade organisations, levy bodies and leading commercial businesses the project has achieved scale in terms of funding and it represents all parts of the arable production chain from field to fork.
Our first meetings have displayed a willingness for collaboration between industry and scientists to find answers to help UK agriculture do what is feasible to minimise its emissions per unit of farmed product consumed.
The Industry Climate Change Task Force (consisting of AIC, CLA, NFU and AHDB) working on behalf of UK agriculture, welcomes the project. The Task Force will play an important part in ensuring the findings are well understood by science bodies and policy makers across the EU.
MIN NO consortium partners are:
- ADAS UK Ltd
- Agricultural Industries Confederation Ltd
- AHDB-HGCA
- Bayer CropScience Ltd
- British Sugar plc
- Co-operative Group Ltd
- Country Land and Business Association
- Frontier Agriculture Ltd
- GrowHow UK Ltd
- Hill Court Farm Research
- National Farmers Union
- North Energy Associates Ltd
- Processors and Growers Research Organisation
- Renewable Energy Association
- Rothamsted Research Ltd
- Scotch Whisky Research Institute
- Scottish Agricultural College
- Soilessentials Ltd
- Vivergo Fuels Ltd
- Warburtons Ltd
- Yara GmbH & Co KG