Aarhus University takes the lead in seven climate and environmental regulation projects
The Danish Ministry of Food, Agriculture, and Fisheries recently allocated 138 million DKK to ten research projects aimed at improving assessments of greenhouse gas and nitrogen emissions from Danish agriculture. These assessments will form the basis for future regulations. Aarhus University is at the forefront of seven of these projects, with four led by researchers from the Department of Agroecology at Aarhus University.
The question of what Danish agricultural actually emit has prompted the Danish Ministry of Food, Agriculture, and Fisheries to engage some of the country's leading researchers. The answers will contribute to the development of future climate and nitrogen regulation for Danish food production as part of the green transition in Danish agriculture.
In collaboration with the Food Agency, Environmental Agency, and Energy Agency, the Agricultural Agency has awarded a total of 138 million DKK to ten research projects to gather necessary knowledge about emissions from agricultural enterprises.
"The ten research projects provide us with a unique opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of agricultural emissions, thereby creating better conditions for implementing more effective climate- and environmentally-friendly practices in the future," explains Sonja Canger, unit manager at the Agricultural Agency, in a press release.
Diving into climate and environmental impact
The projects cover a wide range of challenges, addressing issues from greenhouse gas emissions to ammonia release and nitrogen leaching. Focus areas include alternative cultivation methods, manure management, peatsoil, and free-range animals.
These initiatives share a common goal: to enrich the knowledge about agriculture's impact on climate and the environment.
Project participants include researchers from Aarhus University, University of Copenhagen, Technical University of Denmark, as well as from SEGES, GEUS, and the Innovation Center for Organic Farming.
More information about four of the projects led by the Department of Agroecology at Aarhus University: | |
KlimaKalk – Improved inventories of liming effects on net greenhouse gas emissions and nitrate leaching Project participants: Department of Agroecology at Aarhus University, GEUS, University of Copenhagen, and SEGES Innovation Purpose: The project aims to collect necessary data to calculate optimal lime levels and determine the ideal pH value in the soil. This is crucial to minimise nitrous oxide emissions from the soil and reduce direct CO2 emissions from lime. The project also measures how liming affects nitrate leaching from the root zone. An advanced modeling tool is used to estimate how liming affects carbon buildup and the overall climate potential of an optimised liming process. Contact: Professor Lars Elsgaard, Department of Agroecology, Aarhus University. Email: lars.elsgaard@agro.au.dk | |
RECALL – Total greenhouse gas Reduction potEntial of CArbon rich agricultural LowLand Project participants: Department of Agroecology at Aarhus University and Institute of Geosciences and Natural Resource Management at the University of Copenhagen Purpose: The project delves into measuring carbon dioxide and methane emissions from wet organic lowland soils with varying carbon content, water levels, and vegetation. Using advanced equipment, including eddy covariance towers and automated chambers, researchers will measure greenhouse gas emissions with high temporal resolution. These measurements will contribute valuable insights to developing new models describing the evolution of greenhouse gas emissions from different types of lowland areas at different times of the year. Contact: Senior Researcher Poul Erik Lærke, Department of Agroecology, Aarhus University. Phone: +45 2240 1844 or Email: poule.laerke@agro.au.dk | |
N2OResidue – New emission factors for nitrous oxide from crop residues Project participants: Department of Agroecology at Aarhus University, Innovation Center for Organic Farming, University of Copenhagen, and SEGES Innovation Purpose: The project aims to create and confirm a new and improved method that can provide more precise assessments of nitrous oxide emissions from crop residues. This will consider factors such as crop type and cultivation practices, contributing to more accurate assessments at both farm and national levels. Contact: Professor and Head of Department Jørgen E. Olesen, Department of Agroecology, Aarhus University. Phone: +45 40821659 or Email: jeo@agro.au.dk | |
BRAK II - Environmental and climate effects of short- and long-term fallow Project participants: Department of Agroecology at Aarhus University Purpose: The project is a natural extension of the 2021 BRAK project. Both projects share the goal of generating reliable data on the environmental and climate impacts of different forms of fallowing. These data should be applicable in regulatory contexts at the farm level. The project will, therefore, examine nitrogen leaching, nitrous oxide emissions, and consequences related to converting short-term fallow (<5 years) to regular cultivation, as well as leaching from long-term fallow (>25 years). Contact: Senior Researcher Ingrid K. Thomsen, Department of Agroecology, Aarhus University. Phone: +45 40305856 or Email: ingrid.thomsen@agro.au.dk | |
| Additional projects: Read about the additional projects here. |