There has been much talk about the 25% reduction in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions needed from agriculture by 2030. And there has been much commentary about the fact that we don’t have a plan to achieve this target.
But the reality is that we do have a plan and that plan is the Teagasc Marginal Abatement Cost Curve, or MACC as it is commonly referred to. The MACC sets out the actions that farmers can take to reduce emissions on-farm.
What are these actions?
To simplify the MACC, the Signpost Programme has developed the 12 steps poster to reducing emissions on all farms. There are five of these posters available – dairy, suckler beef, dairy beef, tillage and sheep.
Each one sets out the main actions that farmers can take to reduce emissions.
It starts at the bottom with correcting soil pH and then there are a series of steps, with managing hedgerows as step 12 on a tillage farm.
1 Correct soil pH
Maintain soil pH at 6.5 or above to increase nutrient efficiency.
2 Balanced soil fertility
Maintain optimum levels of phosphorus (P), potassium (K), sulphur (S) and micro nutrients.
3 Increase N efficiency
Apply fertilisers when soil and weather conditions are suitable.
4 Apply optimum N rates
Applying the optimum N rate for crop growth and yield will increase efficiency and reduce loss and also optimise profits. Farmers should adjust N rates based on fertiliser N cost and grain value per tonne.
5 Split N applications
Splitting nitrogen fertiliser applications will reduce losses through leaching and volatilisation.
6 Grow legume crops
Legume crops such as beans and peas do not require fertiliser nitrogen, as those crops can fix their own nitrogen. This results in less chemical nitrogen being needed and reduces costs on farm.
7 Grow cover crops
Planting cover crops means that there is a growing crop in the ground which requires nutrients. This crop catches nutrients which may otherwise be lost to water and also helps to protect the soil from erosion, while improving soil health and providing habitats for wildlife.
8 Apply organic fertilisers
Organic fertilisers can help to reduce cost on-farm, as well as helping to improve soil health and increase soil biology.
Replace a proportion of crop N, P and K with suitable organic fertilisers.
9 Chop straw
Chopping straw can improve soil health, structure and increase carbon storage. Straw contains significant amounts of P and K and when straw is incorporated back into the soil, rates may be adjusted to lower P and K requirements.
10 Apply protected urea
Applying protected urea can reduce fertiliser N costs, as the risk of ammonia loss to the atmosphere is reduced.
Choosing protected urea reduces N losses by around 10%, which covers the cost of treating the urea with the inhibitor and a pay back of 3:1.
11 Apply sulphur
Apply 15-20kg of sulphur per hectare per year to improve N efficiency.
12 Manage hedgerows
Hedgerows should be managed to optimise carbon capture and biodiversity. A mix of hedgerows on farms is good for biodiversity, as it provides different habitats, while a topped hedgerow that is thick and dense and allowed to grow slowly can store a lot of carbon.
To get the 12 steps for your enterprise, please contact your local Teagasc office or scan the QR code with your smartphone below.
Signpost Supplement.
There has been much talk about the 25% reduction in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions needed from agriculture by 2030. And there has been much commentary about the fact that we don’t have a plan to achieve this target.
But the reality is that we do have a plan and that plan is the Teagasc Marginal Abatement Cost Curve, or MACC as it is commonly referred to. The MACC sets out the actions that farmers can take to reduce emissions on-farm.
What are these actions?
To simplify the MACC, the Signpost Programme has developed the 12 steps poster to reducing emissions on all farms. There are five of these posters available – dairy, suckler beef, dairy beef, tillage and sheep.
Each one sets out the main actions that farmers can take to reduce emissions.
It starts at the bottom with correcting soil pH and then there are a series of steps, with managing hedgerows as step 12 on a tillage farm.
1 Correct soil pH
Maintain soil pH at 6.5 or above to increase nutrient efficiency.
2 Balanced soil fertility
Maintain optimum levels of phosphorus (P), potassium (K), sulphur (S) and micro nutrients.
3 Increase N efficiency
Apply fertilisers when soil and weather conditions are suitable.
4 Apply optimum N rates
Applying the optimum N rate for crop growth and yield will increase efficiency and reduce loss and also optimise profits. Farmers should adjust N rates based on fertiliser N cost and grain value per tonne.
5 Split N applications
Splitting nitrogen fertiliser applications will reduce losses through leaching and volatilisation.
6 Grow legume crops
Legume crops such as beans and peas do not require fertiliser nitrogen, as those crops can fix their own nitrogen. This results in less chemical nitrogen being needed and reduces costs on farm.
7 Grow cover crops
Planting cover crops means that there is a growing crop in the ground which requires nutrients. This crop catches nutrients which may otherwise be lost to water and also helps to protect the soil from erosion, while improving soil health and providing habitats for wildlife.
8 Apply organic fertilisers
Organic fertilisers can help to reduce cost on-farm, as well as helping to improve soil health and increase soil biology.
Replace a proportion of crop N, P and K with suitable organic fertilisers.
9 Chop straw
Chopping straw can improve soil health, structure and increase carbon storage. Straw contains significant amounts of P and K and when straw is incorporated back into the soil, rates may be adjusted to lower P and K requirements.
10 Apply protected urea
Applying protected urea can reduce fertiliser N costs, as the risk of ammonia loss to the atmosphere is reduced.
Choosing protected urea reduces N losses by around 10%, which covers the cost of treating the urea with the inhibitor and a pay back of 3:1.
11 Apply sulphur
Apply 15-20kg of sulphur per hectare per year to improve N efficiency.
12 Manage hedgerows
Hedgerows should be managed to optimise carbon capture and biodiversity. A mix of hedgerows on farms is good for biodiversity, as it provides different habitats, while a topped hedgerow that is thick and dense and allowed to grow slowly can store a lot of carbon.
To get the 12 steps for your enterprise, please contact your local Teagasc office or scan the QR code with your smartphone below.
Signpost Supplement.
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