10 EXCITING PROGRESS HASalready been achieved with four new nitrogen-focused research projects supported, in part, by Grain Farmers of Ontario. All projects started in 2022, and the teams in the first three projects are based at the University of Guelph. CARBON FOOTPRINT RESEARCH First up is a project that will provide a carbon footprint for the production of corn, wheat, soybeans, and spring cereals, headed by Dr. Claudia Wagner-Riddle and Dr. Alfons Weersink, with colleagues Dr. Laura Van Eerd and Dr. Joshua Nasielski. A grain farm's 'carbon footprint' includes all greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, with emissions generally expressed as carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2eq) per year or per amount of product produced. On a grain farm, GHG emissions come from running equipment and drying grain but also take the form of nitrous oxide (N2O) from fertilizer application. N2O emissions total about 4,500 kilotons of CO2eq annually in Ontario, representing about 45 per cent of the agricultural GHG emissions in the province. Wagner-Riddle explains that more accurate grain production carbon footprint calculations for Ontario allow us to better track farm progress towards emission targets and demonstrate the on-farm efficiencies being achieved. These more accurate values can also be used to market Ontario-produced grain. The team will also investigate whether there is a link between a farm's reduced carbon footprint and improved profitability and identify opportunities for carbon footprint reduction. Wagner-Riddle explains that the carbon footprint of grains has not generally included soil organic carbon changes. "The main driver of carbon footprint values tends to be soil carbon gain or loss and nitrogen fertilizer use," she says. In terms of what individual producer practices could matter most in carbon footprint reduction, Wagner-Ridder points to crop rotation diversification with the inclusion of winter wheat, spring cereals, and cover crops as having the potential to offset nitrogen use through improved soil health, and can also result in soil carbon gains. Nitrogen management research NEW PROJECTS OFFER MORE INSIGHT AND KNOWLEDGE Treena Hein While this team might or might not find a link between a reduced carbon footprint and a better farm business bottom line, several practices may help farmers do both, building on the precision ag advancements that many Ontario farmers have already worked hard to implement. "Optimizing of nitrogen rate could increase profitability and reduce the carbon footprint," says Wagner-Riddle. "[Various fertilizer] products also have this potential if they increase nitrogen use efficiency and allow for rate adjustments." COVER CROPS AND NITROGEN Can cover crops enhance nitrogen availability to corn while, at the same time, also enhancing organic nitrogen and carbon storage in the soil? Dr. Laura Van Eerd and Ph.D. student Yajun Peng are looking into this question from the view of long-term versus first-time cover crop use among Ontario grain farmers. Also included in this project are WagnerRiddle and Anne Verhallen, soil management specialist at the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA). Cover crops have been widely touted for their ability to increase soil organic nitrogen and carbon storage, but farmers generally see these benefits over many years. Putting in a cover crop also requires some upfront costs. This makes some farmers hesitant to try cover crops or give up on them fairly soon. In short, some farmers view cover crops as a potential waste of their time. "To reduce this risk, we will assess economic and environmental performance (reduce nitrogen inputs and mitigate nitrogen losses) of long-term and first-time cover cropping compared to not cover cropping," explain Van Eerd and Peng. On the economics front, they anticipate that grain corn yields in the long-term cover crop Research
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