New Materials!

For the Soil Health Initiative, we created 3 different outreach materials with increasing depth of information.

• Soil Health Policy Brief  (as it relates to climate change)

• Soil Health and Greenhouse Gases Fact Sheet

• Soil Health & Greenhouse Gas Mitigation IN DEPTH Information Sheet

 

Farm Practices that mitigate GHG and have other environmental, social and economic benefit

Nitrogen Fertilizer Management & Greenhouse Gas Mitigation Opportunities

• Reviews methods of nitrogen management to reduce water pollution, GHG emissions and reduce cost for synthetic N-purchase by paying close attention to N-resources in various sources across the farm.

Dairy Manure Storage & Greenhouse Gas Mitigation Opportunities

• Reviews key considerations for managing the GHG from different manure management systems. Discusses aerobic (high oxygen) versus anaerobic (low oxygen) manure management impacts on methane (CH₄) and nitrous oxide (N₂O) emissions.

Planning for Quantitative Methane Capture & Destruction from Liquid Dairy Manure Storage

• Details considerations for different options that destroy manure methane on dairy farms, including methane capture and flare with a cover, and Anaerobic Digestor Systems (ADS) that use the methane to produce heat or electricity on farm.

Soil Carbon Management & Greenhouse Gas Mitigation Opportunities

• Reviews different ways farms can increase soil carbon, which improves soil health, crop productivity, water infiltration and retention, and can also sequester carbon in soil. Topics include tillage practices, soil amendments, and annual versus perennial crop options for maximizing soil carbon storage.

 

On Farm Energy Efficiency Measures

Energy Efficiency & Greenhouse Gas Mitigation Opportunities (by Deb Grantham)

• Reviews how energy conservation and efficiency can lead to financial savings while also reducing GHG associated with energy consumption, for example, by improving lights to reduce electric bill or implementing cost-effective ventilation in dairy barns for increased milk productivity in hot summer months.

 

Background

Introduction to Farm & Forest Greenhouse Gas Mitigation Opportunities

• Introduces the basic strategies for climate change and greenhouse gas (GHG) mitigation as it relates to select farm and forest practices.

Glossary of farm & forest GHG-related terms

• Select words and their definitions relating to climate change, mitigation, and adaptation

 

Relevant Publications

2018. AEM Tier II worksheets for assessing Greenhouse Gas Mitigation Opportunities on Farm.

2016. New York Dairy Manure Management Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Mitigation Costs (1992–2022)

2016. Quantifying Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Agricultural and Forest Landscapes for Policy Development and Verification

2015. Assessing Sustainable Bioenergy Feedstock Production Potential by Integrated Geospatial Analysis of Land Use and Land Quality

2015. Land Quality and Management Practices Strongly Affect Greenhouse Gas Emissions of Bioenergy Feedstocks

2015. Untapped Potential: Opportunities and Challenges for Sustainable Bioenergy Production from Marginal Lands in the Northeast USA

2012. Local-Scale Carbon Budgets and Mitigation Opportunities for the Northeastern United States

2010. Renewable Fuels Roadmap and Sustainable Biomass Feedstock Supply for New York

2007.  Effects of land use change on soil carbon cycling in the conterminous United States from 1900 to 2050