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Title Differing effects of fertiliser use on nitrous oxide emissions from grassland sites in Ireland
License CC-BY-NC
Teagasc Department Soil, Environment and Land-Use Research
Teagasc Programme Crops, Environment and Land Use
Description Field experiments at six Irish grassland sites (2013–2014) examined the influence of nitrogen (N) fertiliser type and application rate on nitrous oxide (N₂O) emissions. Calcium ammonium nitrate (CAN) replaced with urea-based fertilisers, particularly when stabilised with inhibitors such as NBPT or DCD, reduced direct N₂O emissions by up to 80% while lowering costs. Emission factors (EFs) were strongly influenced by fertiliser formulation and rate, with CAN consistently producing higher and more variable emissions than urea. Stabilised urea (urea + NBPT) was least sensitive to increasing rates. Collectively, these studies highlight that fertiliser choice and rate are key management levers for mitigating agricultural greenhouse gases and underscore the need for country-specific emission factors to improve national greenhouse gas inventories.
Language English
Principal Investigator (PI) Dr Dominika Krol
Principal Investigator (PI) email dominika.krol@teagasc.ie
Data creator(s)
  1. M.A. Harty (Teagasc)
  2. N. Rahman (Teagasc)
Geographic coverage Johnstown Castle and Moorepark (Ireland), Hillsborough (Northern Ireland), with site-year replication (six site-years).
Digital Object Identifier (DOI) doi.org/10.82253/WNVY-5565
Citation Krol, D. (2025). Differing effects of fertiliser use on nitrous oxide emissions from grassland sites in Ireland [Dataset]. Teagasc - The Irish Agriculture and Food Development Authority. https://doi.org/10.82253/WNVY-5565
Rights notes This license enables reusers to distribute, remix, adapt, and build upon the material in any medium or format for noncommercial purposes only, and only so long as attribution is given to the creator. CC BY-NC includes the following elements: BY: credit must be given to the creator. NC: Only noncommercial uses of the work are permitted.
Related resources
  1. Harty, M.A., Forrestal, P.J., Watson, C.J., McGeough, K.L., Carolan, R., Elliot, C., Krol, D., Laughlin, R.J., Richards, K.G. & Lanigan, G.J., 2016. Reducing nitrous oxide emissions by changing N fertiliser use from calcium ammonium nitrate (CAN) to urea based formulations. Science of the Total Environment, 563–564, pp.576–586. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2016.04.120
  2. Rahman, N., Richards, K.G., Harty, M.A., Watson, C.J., Carolan, R., Krol, D., Lanigan, G.J. & Forrestal, P.J., 2021. Differing effects of increasing calcium ammonium nitrate, urea and urea + NBPT fertiliser rates on nitrous oxide emission factors at six temperate grassland sites in Ireland. Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment, 313, 107382. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agee.2021.107382
Equipment used Closed static chambers Gas Chromatography (GC) with electron capture detectors (ECD) Aquakem 600 discrete analyser (JC and MP) Skalar San++ continuous flow analyser (HB) Soil moisture measured using ML2x Theta Probe (Delta-T Devices) and logged with Campbell CR10X data loggers
Provenance information Both studies used field experiments at six temperate grassland sites in Ireland (Johnstown Castle, Moorepark, and Hillsborough) during 2013–2014, applying fertilisers in replicated plots. Nitrous oxide (N₂O) fluxes were measured using the closed static chamber technique, with gas samples collected after chamber closure and analysed by gas chromatography with electron capture detectors. Soil samples were taken regularly to assess mineral nitrogen (NH₄⁺ and NO₃⁻), while soil moisture, temperature, and weather data were recorded using probes and nearby meteorological stations. Fertiliser treatments included calcium ammonium nitrate (CAN), urea, and urea amended with stabilisers (e.g. NBPT, DCD), applied either at a single rate (Harty et al. 2016) or across a range of rates (Rahman et al. 2021). Statistical analyses (ANOVA, regression) were used to compare cumulative N₂O emissions and calculate emission factors.
Time of data collection 2013-2014