Results of the environmental
assessments with the CCAT-Tool
J.P. Lesschen, J. Kros, W. de Vries
and B.S. Elbersen
Alterra, Wageningen UR
CCAT end-user meeting, 16 April 2009
Outline
• MITERRA-Europe model
• Measures Nitrate Directive
• Results environmental assessments
• Final remarks
MITERRA-Europe in CCAT tool
Cross compliance
obligations
Costs of
compliance
CAPRI: Market response
1) Changes in cropping
shares
2) Change in livestock
type/number
Changes in
management
MITERRA: emissions to:
1) Water
2) Air
3) Soil
MITERRA-Europe
• A tool for integrated assessment of N (C and P)
emissions from agriculture in EU-27 at Member State
and regional levels (NUTS2)
• Developed for the European Commission
• Based on information from CAPRI and RAINS/GAINS
• Simple/rapid model; uniform approach for EU-27
• Scenario analysis
• Outputs: NH3, N2O and CH4 emission; N balance, NO3
leaching and N runoff; P balance and soil carbon stocks
MITERRA-Europe
N outputs:
harvested
crop
Atmosphere
NH3
N inputs:
N fertilizer
BNF,
N deposition
Atmosphere
NH3
N2O NOX N2
Crop production:
- Crop type
- Cropped area
- Management
Animal production:
feed
- Animal species
- Animal number
- Management
manure
NH4+ NO3- DON Npart
N2O NOX N2
NH4+ NO3- DON Npart
Groundwater
& surface waters
N outputs:
milk, meat,
egg
Nitrate Directive
• Aims at “to decrease water
pollution caused or
induced by nitrates from
agricultural sources and
prevent further such
pollution”
• No more than 50 mg
NO3/liter in groundwater
• Applicable in Nitrate
Vulnerable Zones (NVZ)
Nitrate Directive measures
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Balanced N fertilizer application
Maximum manure N application (170 kg N/ha)
Limitation to N application in winter and wet
periods
Limitation to N application on sloping grounds
Manure storage with minimum risk on leaching
Appropriate application techniques
Buffer zones
Growing winter crops
Results environmental
indicators
NH3 emission
N2O emission
Change compared to 0% compliance (%)
0
-1
-2
-3
-4
Baseline 2005
-5
50% compliance
100% compliance
-6
N surplus
N leaching
Results environmental indicators
N leaching
baseline
N runoff
baseline
NO3 concentration in groundwater
NO3 concentration
baseline
Difference baseline
vs 0-compl.
Results NH3 emission
NH3 emission
baseline
Difference baseline
vs 0-compl.
Results N2O emission
N2O emission
baseline
Difference baseline
vs 0-compl.
Effect of measures
BALF
MaxMan
NOFMWW LimSlope
OptStor
AFMAT
BufStrip
GWC
5
Change in emission (%)
0
-5
-10
-15
NH3 emission
-20
N2O emission
N surplus
N leaching
-25
Final remarks
• Cross compliance levels uncertain
• Only small changes in agricultural activities due
to cross compliance
• Nitrate Directive improved environmental quality
• In 2005 the compliance levels for the Nitrate
Directive are high
• Efforts to comply are low, thus the easy (except
the Netherlands)
• Balanced fertilization can significantly reduce N
emissions (currently only applied in 3 countries)