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Project Code [2024IENZ654]

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Project title

DisaggRegatEd dAiry urine eMission Factors

Primary Funding Agency

Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine

Co-Funding Organisation(s)

Lead Organisation

Teagasc

Lead Applicant

Not listed

Project Abstract

Ireland and New Zealand have set legally binding targets to achieve net zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2050, with reductions from their agricultural sectors being pivotal to these goals. Accurate and validated emission factors are important to support inventories, integrate mitigation strategies, and develop farm calculators and pricing mechanisms in New Zealand, as well as promote GHG-efficient farming practices in both countries. This project (DREAM Factors) aims to provide experimental evidence on the effects of pasture composition and urine N load on dairy urine N2O emission factors. It will develop advanced (i.e., Tier 3) disaggregated dairy urine emission factors for N2O, using methodologies that also consider the impact of pasture composition and N load on carbon cycling and CO2 emissions. Building upon the success of the DATAMAN project and progressing the work undertaken in the NZ-IE funded REEFIR project, DREAM Factors will further explore the influence of dairy urine N load, pasture swards and regional drivers (soil, climate) on N2O emissions to develop Tier 3 emission factors using a combination of empirical and modelling approaches. The project involves experimental work to quantify emissions from dairy urine deposited onto different pasture swards. The DATAMAN database will be updated, which will be used for statistical analysis for development of Tier 3 emission factors. Process-based modeling will also be employed, using APSIM and DayCent and/or DNDC, to provide deeper insights into emission drivers and factors, incorporating considerations of carbon fluxes and farm production to support GHG emissions reduction efforts. These modelling approaches will enhance Tier 3 emission factors, essential for achieving GHG reductions in both countries. Knowledge transfer will be a key component of the project, involving interactive workshops with policymakers and farming stakeholders, peer-reviewed scientific publications, and submissions of higher-tier emission factors to the IPCC Emission Factor Database (EFDB) Editorial Board.

Grant Approved

�1,746,356.76

Research Hub

Climate Change

Research Theme

2. Ireland's Future Climate, its Impacts, and Adaptation Options

Start Date

01/03/2025

Initial Projected Completion Date

28/02/2029