Springfield, Ill.-Agriculture shouldn’t get the jitters over talk of using less nitrogen fertilizer as one of the ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. That’s the word from the state’s Climate Change Advisory Group, formed by the Gov. Rod Blagojevich to develop strategies for reducing these emissions to 1990 levels by 2020. The advisory group, which is on a timeline to submit recommendations in late July, is headed by Illinois Environmental Protection Agency Director Doug Scott. Members are eyeing some 115 different emissions-reducing options. “We may well decide because of all the corn planted and the nitrogen used (that there may be) other strategies to consider,” Scott told the Illinois Farm Bureau. He stressed that global climate change will affect all sectors, and all sectors should help reduce emissions rather than just one of two areas. “It’s very ambitious, but we’ve made a good start,” Scott said. One IEPA staffer told Green Markets that nitrogen ranks in the top 20 of those on the list because of the nitrous oxides factor, but there are plenty of others that are being looked at, including power and concrete plants, transportation operations, and others with the potential to have an impact on greenhouse emissions. “At this point we’re looking at voluntary practices to limit nitrogen use,” he offered. “No-till or strip-till, which require minimum soil disturbance, are being considered, along with fertilizer injection and just an overall effort to promote efficient use. We recognize that agriculture already has implemented a number of practices the group has under consideration. So we’ll revisit the old ones and along the way encourage use of some new ones.” He said the panel will be consulting with the agriculture sector. The ag industry is represented on the panel by ADM, Deere & Co., and at least one farmer.
Transparency Across the Fertilizer Value-Chain