Detection and quantification of nitrous oxide gas from agriculture fields

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Agricultural activities are major sources of nitrous oxide (N2O), which is a greenhouse gas. Current technology used to quantify the emission of N2O from fertilizer application in agricultural fields is complex and very expensive. Agrium, a fertilizer company, has developed an innovative polymer-coated urea nitrogen fertilizer, Environmentally Smart Nitrogen (ESN), which meters the release of nitrogen based on soil temperature and moisture. The fertilizer has improved crop production efficiency compared to a conventional urea fertilizer. Agrium considers that a real-time, hand-held system capable of monitoring the emission of N2O in agricultural fields under a variety of soil and climate conditions will increase the adoption and development of controlled-released nitrogen products. A real-time monitoring system would provide an accurate measurement of the concentration and flux of the emitted gas. Based on these measurements, the company can pursue a strategy of reformulating its products to reduce N2O emissions and/or change its instructions for applying fertilizer based on soil and climate conditions. With an accurate method for measuring emissions, the company can help Canada meet its goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions and potentially increase its market share.