ABSTRACT
The cultivation and management methods chosen for energy crops not only influence production volume, but also determine the wider impacts on ecological resources and the atmosphere. Nitrous oxide (N2O) and methane (CH4) emissions resulting from agriculture rose by 17 per cent over the period from 1990 to 2005, primarily from burning biomass, livestock farming and soil emissions (Smith et al., 2007a). Annual emissions of greenhouse gases (GHGs) other than carbon dioxide (CO2) from agriculture are estimated at 5.1–6.1 Gt CO2eq, which corresponds to around 10–12 per cent of all anthropogenic GHG emissions (Smith et al., 2007). An additional 35–60 per cent increase in N2O emissions is expected by the year 2035 from increased use of nitrogen and farmyard manure alone (FAO, 2003a).
