Contradicting default nitrous oxide emission factors: Average nitrous oxide emissions from mixed organic fertilizer application are higher than those from synthetic nitrogen fertilizers on Danish agricultural soils

Franziska Eller; Nanna Schrøder Baggesen; Esben Høegholm Lykke; Leanne Peixoto; Cecilie Skov Nielsen

doi:10.1016/j.agee.2025.110057

Contradicting default nitrous oxide emission factors: Average nitrous oxide emissions from mixed organic fertilizer application are higher than those from synthetic nitrogen fertilizers on Danish agricultural soils

Franziska Eller
, Nanna Schrøder Baggesen
, Esben Høegholm Lykke
, Leanne Peixoto^*
, Cecilie Skov Nielsen

^*Corresponding author af dette arbejde

Publikation: Bidrag til tidsskrift/Konferencebidrag i tidsskrift /Bidrag til avis › Tidsskriftartikel › Forskning › peer review

Abstract

Nitrous oxide emissions from Danish agriculture account for about 25 % of its greenhouse gases. This study aimed to establish country-specific emission factors for synthetic and mixed organic nitrogen fertilizers under typical Danish farming conditions to support improved monitoring and mitigation. Over three years (2022 – 2024), 28 individual field trials were conducted in spring barley and winter wheat, representing 86.5 % of Danish soil types. Nitrous oxide emissions were measured growing seasons following fertilization with organic fertilizers (cattle slurry, pig slurry, digestate) supplemented with synthetic starter fertilizer, or synthetic ammonium nitrate fertilizer. Cumulative nitrous oxide emissions of synthetic fertilizers ranged from 0.12 to 1.05 kg N₂O-N ha⁻¹ (spring barley), and from 0.08 to 1.17 kg N₂O-N ha⁻¹ (winter wheat). Cumulative emissions of mixed organic fertilizers ranged from 0.95 to 1.41 kg N₂O-N ha⁻¹ (spring barley), and from 0.19 to 1.30 kg N₂O-N ha⁻¹ (winter wheat). Emissions were generally low, but influenced by soil moisture and precipitation, with higher fluxes in wetter conditions. Emission factors during the growing season for synthetic fertilizers averaged 0.11 ± 0.03 % (spring barley) and 0.16 ± 0.06 % (winter wheat), and were higher for mixed organic fertilizers: 0.38 ± 0.05 % (spring barley, cattle slurry), 0.38 ± 0.09 % (winter wheat, pig slurry), and 0.37 ± 0.10 % (winter wheat, digestate). These results contradict the IPCC refinement for wet climates, assuming lower emissions from organic fertilizers. The findings highlight the need for region-specific emission factors and a Tier 2 approach in Denmark's national greenhouse gas inventory.

Originalsprog	Engelsk
Artikelnummer	110057
Tidsskrift	Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment
Vol/bind	397
ISSN	0167-8809
DOI	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agee.2025.110057
Status	Udgivet - 28 feb. 2026

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Citationsformater

Eller, F., Baggesen, N. S., Lykke, E. H., Peixoto, L., & Nielsen, C. S. (2026). Contradicting default nitrous oxide emission factors: Average nitrous oxide emissions from mixed organic fertilizer application are higher than those from synthetic nitrogen fertilizers on Danish agricultural soils. Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment, 397, Artikel 110057. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agee.2025.110057

@article{eef78b4ec529416fb5f7e5ee0703b6d9,

title = "Contradicting default nitrous oxide emission factors: Average nitrous oxide emissions from mixed organic fertilizer application are higher than those from synthetic nitrogen fertilizers on Danish agricultural soils",

abstract = "Nitrous oxide emissions from Danish agriculture account for about 25 \% of its greenhouse gases. This study aimed to establish country-specific emission factors for synthetic and mixed organic nitrogen fertilizers under typical Danish farming conditions to support improved monitoring and mitigation. Over three years (2022 – 2024), 28 individual field trials were conducted in spring barley and winter wheat, representing 86.5 \% of Danish soil types. Nitrous oxide emissions were measured growing seasons following fertilization with organic fertilizers (cattle slurry, pig slurry, digestate) supplemented with synthetic starter fertilizer, or synthetic ammonium nitrate fertilizer. Cumulative nitrous oxide emissions of synthetic fertilizers ranged from 0.12 to 1.05 kg N2O-N ha−1 (spring barley), and from 0.08 to 1.17 kg N2O-N ha−1 (winter wheat). Cumulative emissions of mixed organic fertilizers ranged from 0.95 to 1.41 kg N2O-N ha−1 (spring barley), and from 0.19 to 1.30 kg N2O-N ha−1 (winter wheat). Emissions were generally low, but influenced by soil moisture and precipitation, with higher fluxes in wetter conditions. Emission factors during the growing season for synthetic fertilizers averaged 0.11 ± 0.03 \% (spring barley) and 0.16 ± 0.06 \% (winter wheat), and were higher for mixed organic fertilizers: 0.38 ± 0.05 \% (spring barley, cattle slurry), 0.38 ± 0.09 \% (winter wheat, pig slurry), and 0.37 ± 0.10 \% (winter wheat, digestate). These results contradict the IPCC refinement for wet climates, assuming lower emissions from organic fertilizers. The findings highlight the need for region-specific emission factors and a Tier 2 approach in Denmark's national greenhouse gas inventory.",

keywords = "Digestate, Emission factor, Nitrous oxide, Organic fertilizer, Slurry, Synthetic fertilizer",

author = "Franziska Eller and Baggesen, \{Nanna Schr{\o}der\} and Lykke, \{Esben H{\o}egholm\} and Leanne Peixoto and Nielsen, \{Cecilie Skov\}",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2025 The Authors",

year = "2026",

month = feb,

day = "28",

doi = "10.1016/j.agee.2025.110057",

language = "English",

volume = "397",

journal = "Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment",

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Eller, F, Baggesen, NS, Lykke, EH, Peixoto, L & Nielsen, CS 2026, 'Contradicting default nitrous oxide emission factors: Average nitrous oxide emissions from mixed organic fertilizer application are higher than those from synthetic nitrogen fertilizers on Danish agricultural soils', Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment, bind 397, 110057. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agee.2025.110057

Contradicting default nitrous oxide emission factors: Average nitrous oxide emissions from mixed organic fertilizer application are higher than those from synthetic nitrogen fertilizers on Danish agricultural soils. / Eller, Franziska; Baggesen, Nanna Schrøder; Lykke, Esben Høegholm et al.
I: Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment, Bind 397, 110057, 28.02.2026.

Publikation: Bidrag til tidsskrift/Konferencebidrag i tidsskrift /Bidrag til avis › Tidsskriftartikel › Forskning › peer review

TY - JOUR

T1 - Contradicting default nitrous oxide emission factors

T2 - Average nitrous oxide emissions from mixed organic fertilizer application are higher than those from synthetic nitrogen fertilizers on Danish agricultural soils

AU - Eller, Franziska

AU - Baggesen, Nanna Schrøder

AU - Lykke, Esben Høegholm

AU - Peixoto, Leanne

AU - Nielsen, Cecilie Skov

PY - 2026/2/28

Y1 - 2026/2/28

N2 - Nitrous oxide emissions from Danish agriculture account for about 25 % of its greenhouse gases. This study aimed to establish country-specific emission factors for synthetic and mixed organic nitrogen fertilizers under typical Danish farming conditions to support improved monitoring and mitigation. Over three years (2022 – 2024), 28 individual field trials were conducted in spring barley and winter wheat, representing 86.5 % of Danish soil types. Nitrous oxide emissions were measured growing seasons following fertilization with organic fertilizers (cattle slurry, pig slurry, digestate) supplemented with synthetic starter fertilizer, or synthetic ammonium nitrate fertilizer. Cumulative nitrous oxide emissions of synthetic fertilizers ranged from 0.12 to 1.05 kg N2O-N ha−1 (spring barley), and from 0.08 to 1.17 kg N2O-N ha−1 (winter wheat). Cumulative emissions of mixed organic fertilizers ranged from 0.95 to 1.41 kg N2O-N ha−1 (spring barley), and from 0.19 to 1.30 kg N2O-N ha−1 (winter wheat). Emissions were generally low, but influenced by soil moisture and precipitation, with higher fluxes in wetter conditions. Emission factors during the growing season for synthetic fertilizers averaged 0.11 ± 0.03 % (spring barley) and 0.16 ± 0.06 % (winter wheat), and were higher for mixed organic fertilizers: 0.38 ± 0.05 % (spring barley, cattle slurry), 0.38 ± 0.09 % (winter wheat, pig slurry), and 0.37 ± 0.10 % (winter wheat, digestate). These results contradict the IPCC refinement for wet climates, assuming lower emissions from organic fertilizers. The findings highlight the need for region-specific emission factors and a Tier 2 approach in Denmark's national greenhouse gas inventory.

AB - Nitrous oxide emissions from Danish agriculture account for about 25 % of its greenhouse gases. This study aimed to establish country-specific emission factors for synthetic and mixed organic nitrogen fertilizers under typical Danish farming conditions to support improved monitoring and mitigation. Over three years (2022 – 2024), 28 individual field trials were conducted in spring barley and winter wheat, representing 86.5 % of Danish soil types. Nitrous oxide emissions were measured growing seasons following fertilization with organic fertilizers (cattle slurry, pig slurry, digestate) supplemented with synthetic starter fertilizer, or synthetic ammonium nitrate fertilizer. Cumulative nitrous oxide emissions of synthetic fertilizers ranged from 0.12 to 1.05 kg N2O-N ha−1 (spring barley), and from 0.08 to 1.17 kg N2O-N ha−1 (winter wheat). Cumulative emissions of mixed organic fertilizers ranged from 0.95 to 1.41 kg N2O-N ha−1 (spring barley), and from 0.19 to 1.30 kg N2O-N ha−1 (winter wheat). Emissions were generally low, but influenced by soil moisture and precipitation, with higher fluxes in wetter conditions. Emission factors during the growing season for synthetic fertilizers averaged 0.11 ± 0.03 % (spring barley) and 0.16 ± 0.06 % (winter wheat), and were higher for mixed organic fertilizers: 0.38 ± 0.05 % (spring barley, cattle slurry), 0.38 ± 0.09 % (winter wheat, pig slurry), and 0.37 ± 0.10 % (winter wheat, digestate). These results contradict the IPCC refinement for wet climates, assuming lower emissions from organic fertilizers. The findings highlight the need for region-specific emission factors and a Tier 2 approach in Denmark's national greenhouse gas inventory.

KW - Digestate

KW - Emission factor

KW - Nitrous oxide

KW - Organic fertilizer

KW - Slurry

KW - Synthetic fertilizer

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105021041096

U2 - 10.1016/j.agee.2025.110057

DO - 10.1016/j.agee.2025.110057

M3 - Journal article

AN - SCOPUS:105021041096

SN - 0167-8809

VL - 397

JO - Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment

JF - Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment

M1 - 110057

ER -