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

Changes in management

Costs of compliance

CAPRI: Market response 1) Changes in cropping

shares 2) Change in livestock

type/number

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

Crop production: - Crop type - Cropped area - Management

Groundwater & surface waters

N inputs: N fertilizer BNF, N deposition

Animal production: - Animal species - Animal number - Management

N outputs: milk, meat, egg

NH4+ NO3

- DON Npart NH4+ NO3

- DON Npart

NH3 N2O NOX N2

Atmosphere

N outputs: harvested crop

NH3 N2O NOX N2

Atmosphere

manure

feed

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

-6

-5

-4

-3

-2

-1

0

NH3 emission N2O emission N surplus N leachingC

han

ge

com

par

ed t

o 0

% c

om

plia

nce

(%

)

Baseline 2005

50% compliance

100% compliance

Results environmental indicators

N leachingbaseline

N runoffbaseline

NO3 concentration in groundwater

NO3 concentrationbaseline

Difference baselinevs 0-compl.

Results NH3 emission

NH3 emissionbaseline

Difference baseline vs 0-compl.

Results N2O emission

N2O emissionbaseline

Difference baseline vs 0-compl.

Effect of measures

-25

-20

-15

-10

-5

0

5

BALF MaxMan NOFMWW LimSlope OptStor AFMAT BufStrip GWC

Ch

ang

e in

em

issi

on

(%

)

NH3 emission

N2O emission

N surplus

N leaching

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)