This report presents findings from a field study conducted to determine the nitrous oxide emission factors from application of animal excreta, following application in late autumn 2008 in three regions of New Zealand onto six different soil types. Results enabled the refinement of nitrous oxide emission factors to be determined - EF3 decreases as follows: cow urine > cow or cattle dung = sheep dung.

This paper presents the development and implementation of a methodology to incorporate a nitrous oxide mitigation technology, the nitrification inhibitor DCD, into the agriculture section of New Zealand’s greenhouse gas national inventory. These emission factors and parameters were modified because extensive field-based research has demonstrated significant and consistent reductions in nitrous oxide emissions and nitrate leaching where DCD is applied.

This report set out to validate the ewe and beef cow data currently being used in the NZ methane inventory model by comparing this data with all other available information, including: reviewing NZ literature on cow and ewe liveweights, obtaining current data from NZ flocks and herds; comparing dressing out percentages from ewes and beef cows with the inventory model and determining whether timing of the liveweights reflect a true average given the seasonal variation.

This report provides crop activity data and factors for use in estimating nitrous oxide emissions from cropping, and stubble and tussock burning in New Zealand. Recommendations are made for harvest index values for all key crops; root:shoot ratio values for use in estimation of below-ground residue; and residue nitrogen concentrations for key crops.

This project has quantified historical supplemental feed demand, and evaluated the impact of potential future productivity gains on supplemental feed usage within the New Zealand dry-stock farming industry.

This report provides a summary of the trends in non-pasture feed use on New Zealand dairy farms from 1990-91 to 2014-15 as well as future projections of feed demand out to 2030-31, including the breakdown between pasture, crops grown, harvested supplementary feed and imported supplementary feed

This project aims to: 1. To provide robust, mean monthly dairy pasture quality (metabolisable energy (ME) and crude protein (CP)) estimates for South Island provinces. 2. To provide a sub-sample of individually GPS co-ordinated pasture samples with accompanying estimates of ME and CP to LandCare NZ satellite sensing research team for use in the development of a novel pasture quality estimation method using satellite imagery. 3. To facilitate the development of novel pasture assessment methods via remote sensing. This was to be done by hosting the meeting of the LandCare NZ representative and the CSIRO ‘Pastures from space’ representative here in NZ.

This project aims to update earlier methodology to account for multiple off-paddock structures that collect animal excreta and the multiple manure management systems, by i) reviewing data on the use of these structures and systems, and ii) developing an accounting tool to estimate the fate of dairy cow excreta.

The primary purpose of this project is the development of the framework suitable for future use by the Ministry and its partners. The project builds on previous work that quantified the use of supplementary feed usage in the New Zealand (NZ) sheep industry. The models used in the initial report have been further extended to include beef, dairy grazing and finishing of cattle exiting the dairy system.