Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
3
Agriculture as a Source of GHGs
Abstract
Agricultural activities - the cultivation of crops and livestock for food -
contribute to emissions in a variety of ways. Various management prac-
tices for agricultural soils can lead to production and emission of nitrous
oxide (N
2
O). Several activities that can contribute to N
2
O emissions from
agricultural lands range from fertilizer application to methods of irrigation
and tillage. Management of agricultural soils accounts for over half of the
emissions from the agriculture sector.
Livestock, especially cattle, produce methane (CH
4
) as part of their
digestion. This process is called enteric fermentation, and it represents
almost one-third of the emissions from the agriculture sector.
The way in which manure from livestock is managed also contributes
to CH
4
and N
2
O emissions. Manure storage methods and the amount of
exposure to oxygen and moisture can affect how these greenhouse gases
are produced. Manure management accounts for about 13 % of the total
greenhouse gas emissions from the agriculture sector in the United States.
Smaller sources of emissions include rice cultivation, which produces
CH
4
, and burning crop residues, which produce CH
4
and N
2
O.
Keywords
Nitrous oxide Methane Fertilizer application Enteric fermentation
Manure management Rice cultivation Burning crop residues
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