New research from Rothamsted has identified the potential for improved nitrogen management to reduce energy-related carbon emissions from farms across England, but also points to the opportunity for technologies such as green ammonia to contribute more.
The research has provided a national-scale assessment of the direct and indirect energy use associated with different types of farms across England, highlighting the important contribution of fertiliser production and application to indirect use.
The study, undertaken as part of the NICCEE (Global Nitrogen Innovation Center for Clean Energy and Environment) Global Centre programme, and published in Food and Energy Security, found that implementing improved nitrogen management practices could reduce energy-related CO₂-equivalent impacts by 8.8–13.0%, depending on the type of farm.