Abstract

Nitrous oxide is a troublesome greenhouse gas for New Zealand’s agricultural sector to deal with. It is formed by a naturally occurring soil process that is fundamental to the global nitrogen cycle. Quantities emitted are very small in a productive sense but very significant in New Zealand’s greenhouse gas inventory. Increasing protein production from land carries an associated risk of increasing N O emission because increased inputs of N are usually required. Attention 2 to the detail of whole system N cycling and greenhouse gas balances is therefore necessary if the challenge of increasing population and food demand is to be met without incurring hidden costs from atmospheric change.

RA, Carran

Proceedings of the New Zealand Society of Animal Production, Volume 62, Palmerston North, 211-212, 2002