IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/agisys/v104y2011i6p451-458.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Does the adoption of zero tillage reduce greenhouse gas emissions? An assessment for the grains industry in Australia

Author

Listed:
  • Maraseni, T.N.
  • Cockfield, G.

Abstract

The Australian Government has recommended that farmers move from cultivation-based dryland farming to reduced or zero tillage systems. The private benefits could include improvements in yields and a decrease in costs while the public benefits could include a reduction in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions due to a diminution in the use of heavy machinery. The aim of this study is to estimate and compare total on-farm GHG emissions from conventional and zero tillage systems based on selected grain crop rotations in the Darling Downs region of Queensland, Australia. The value chain was identified, including all inputs, and emissions. In addition, studies of soil carbon sequestration and nitrous oxide emissions under the different cropping systems were reviewed. The value chain analysis revealed that the net effect on GHG emissions by switching to zero tillage is positive but relatively small. In addition though, the review of the sequestration studies suggests that there might be soil-based emissions that result from zero tillage that are being under-estimated. Therefore, zero tillage may not necessarily reduce overall GHG emissions. This could have major implication on current carbon credits offered from volunteer carbon markets for converting conventional tillage to reduced tillage system.

Suggested Citation

  • Maraseni, T.N. & Cockfield, G., 2011. "Does the adoption of zero tillage reduce greenhouse gas emissions? An assessment for the grains industry in Australia," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 104(6), pages 451-458, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:agisys:v:104:y:2011:i:6:p:451-458
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0308521X1100031X
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Uwe A. Schneider & Pete Smith, 2008. "Greenhouse Gas Emission Mitigation and Emission Intensities in Agriculture," Working Papers FNU-164, Research unit Sustainability and Global Change, Hamburg University, revised Jul 2008.
    2. Graham, Paul W. & Williams, David J., 2003. "Optimal technological choices in meeting Australian energy policy goals," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 25(6), pages 691-712, November.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Adilet Sugirbay & Kaiyuan Zhao & Guangyao Liu & Guangrui Hu & Jun Chen & Zhasulan Mustafin & Ruslan Iskakov & Nurbol Kakabayev & Marat Muratkhan & Valery Khan & Yu Chen & Shuo Zhang, 2023. "Double Disc Colter for a Zero-Till Seeder Simultaneously Applying Granular Fertilizers and Wheat Seeds," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 13(5), pages 1-15, May.
    2. Torres, Carlos M.M. Eleto & Kohmann, Marta M. & Fraisse, Clyde W., 2015. "Quantification of greenhouse gas emissions for carbon neutral farming in the Southeastern USA," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 137(C), pages 64-75.
    3. Kumar, Anjani & Takeshima, Hiroyuki & Thapa, Ganesh & Adhikari, Naveen & Saroj, Sunil & Karkee, Madhab & Joshi, P.K., 2020. "Adoption and diffusion of improved technologies and production practices in agriculture: Insights from a donor-led intervention in Nepal," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 95(C).
    4. Massam, G. & Kragt, Marit Ellen & Burton, Michael P., 2013. "Community values for the benefits of carbon farming: a choice experiment study," 2013 Conference (57th), February 5-8, 2013, Sydney, Australia 152167, Australian Agricultural and Resource Economics Society.
    5. Sindhwani, Rahul & Singh, Punj Lata & Behl, Abhishek & Afridi, Mohd. Shayan & Sammanit, Debaroti & Tiwari, Aviral Kumar, 2022. "Modeling the critical success factors of implementing net zero emission (NZE) and promoting resilience and social value creation," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 181(C).
    6. Lokuge, Nimanthika & Anders, Sven, 2022. "Carbon-Credit Systems in Agriculture: A Review of Literature," SPP Technical Papers, The School of Public Policy, University of Calgary, vol. 15(12), April.
    7. Tek Maraseni & Guangnan Chen & Thomas Banhazi & Jochen Bundschuh & Talal Yusaf, 2015. "An Assessment of Direct on-Farm Energy Use for High Value Grain Crops Grown under Different Farming Practices in Australia," Energies, MDPI, vol. 8(11), pages 1-14, November.
    8. Krishna, Vijesh V. & Veettil, Prakashan C., 2014. "Productivity and efficiency impacts of conservation tillage in northwest Indo-Gangetic Plains," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 127(C), pages 126-138.
    9. Pasquale Garofalo & Anna Rita Bernadette Cammerino, 2025. "Modeling the Performance of a Continuous Durum Wheat Cropping System in a Mediterranean Environment: Carbon and Water Footprint at Different Sowing Dates, Under Rainfed and Irrigated Water Regimes," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 15(3), pages 1-30, January.
    10. Lina Liu & Jiansheng Qu & Feng Gao & Tek Narayan Maraseni & Shaojian Wang & Suman Aryal & Zhenhua Zhang & Rong Wu, 2024. "Land Use Carbon Emissions or Sink: Research Characteristics, Hotspots and Future Perspectives," Land, MDPI, vol. 13(3), pages 1-24, February.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Huarui Gong & Jing Li & Zhen Liu & Yitao Zhang & Ruixing Hou & Zhu Ouyang, 2022. "Mitigated Greenhouse Gas Emissions in Cropping Systems by Organic Fertilizer and Tillage Management," Land, MDPI, vol. 11(7), pages 1-18, July.
    2. Oliver Lazarus & Sonali McDermid & Jennifer Jacquet, 2021. "The climate responsibilities of industrial meat and dairy producers," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 165(1), pages 1-21, March.
    3. David Bryngelsson & Fredrik Hedenus & Daniel J. A. Johansson & Christian Azar & Stefan Wirsenius, 2017. "How Do Dietary Choices Influence the Energy-System Cost of Stabilizing the Climate?," Energies, MDPI, vol. 10(2), pages 1-13, February.
    4. Telmo José Mendes & Diego Silva Siqueira & Eduardo Barretto Figueiredo & Ricardo de Oliveira Bordonal & Mara Regina Moitinho & José Marques Júnior & Newton La Scala Jr., 2021. "Soil carbon stock estimations: methods and a case study of the Maranhão State, Brazil," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 23(11), pages 16410-16427, November.
    5. Ancuta Isbasoiu & Pierre-Alain Jayet & Stéphane De Cara, 2021. "Increasing food production and mitigating agricultural greenhouse gas emissions in the European Union: impacts of carbon pricing and calorie production targeting," Environmental Economics and Policy Studies, Springer;Society for Environmental Economics and Policy Studies - SEEPS, vol. 23(2), pages 409-440, April.
    6. De Rosa, Luca & Castro, Rui, 2020. "Forecasting and assessment of the 2030 australian electricity mix paths towards energy transition," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 205(C).
    7. Shihong Yang & Zewei Jiang & Xiao Sun & Jie Ding & Junzeng Xu, 2018. "Effects of Biochar Amendment on CO 2 Emissions from Paddy Fields under Water-Saving Irrigation," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(11), pages 1-12, November.
    8. Karner, Katrin & Schmid, Erwin & Schneider, Uwe A. & Mitter, Hermine, 2021. "Computing stochastic Pareto frontiers between economic and environmental goals for a semi-arid agricultural production region in Austria," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 185(C).
    9. Tang, Kai & Hailu, Atakelty & Kragt, Marit E. & Ma, Chunbo, 2018. "The response of broadacre mixed crop-livestock farmers to agricultural greenhouse gas abatement incentives," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 160(C), pages 11-20.
    10. Connor, Melanie & de Guia, Annalyn H. & Quilloy, Reianne & Van Nguyen, Hung & Gummert, Martin & Sander, Bjoern Ole, 2020. "When climate change is not psychologically distant – Factors influencing the acceptance of sustainable farming practices in the Mekong river Delta of Vietnam," World Development Perspectives, Elsevier, vol. 18(C).
    11. Franco-Luesma, Samuel & Álvaro-Fuentes, Jorge & Plaza-Bonilla, Daniel & Arrúe, José Luis & Cantero-Martínez, Carlos & Cavero, José, 2019. "Influence of irrigation time and frequency on greenhouse gas emissions in a solid-set sprinkler-irrigated maize under Mediterranean conditions," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 221(C), pages 303-311.
    12. Anna Kocira & Mariola Staniak & Marzena Tomaszewska & Rafał Kornas & Jacek Cymerman & Katarzyna Panasiewicz & Halina Lipińska, 2020. "Legume Cover Crops as One of the Elements of Strategic Weed Management and Soil Quality Improvement. A Review," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 10(9), pages 1-41, September.
    13. Kerstin Jantke & Martina J. Hartmann & Livia Rasche & Benjamin Blanz & Uwe A. Schneider, 2020. "Agricultural Greenhouse Gas Emissions: Knowledge and Positions of German Farmers," Land, MDPI, vol. 9(5), pages 1-13, April.
    14. Kathrin Hasler & Hans-Werner Olfs & Onno Omta & Stefanie Bröring, 2016. "Drivers for the Adoption of Eco-Innovations in the German Fertilizer Supply Chain," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 8(8), pages 1-18, July.
    15. Miomir Jovanović & Ljiljana Kašćelan & Aleksandra Despotović & Vladimir Kašćelan, 2015. "The Impact of Agro-Economic Factors on GHG Emissions: Evidence from European Developing and Advanced Economies," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 7(12), pages 1-21, December.
    16. Maraseni, Tek Narayan & Cockfield, Geoff, 2015. "The financial implications of converting farmland to state-supported environmental plantings in the Darling Downs region, Queensland," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 135(C), pages 57-65.
    17. Zhao, Rongqin & Liu, Ying & Tian, Mengmeng & Ding, Minglei & Cao, Lianhai & Zhang, Zhanping & Chuai, Xiaowei & Xiao, Liangang & Yao, Lunguang, 2018. "Impacts of water and land resources exploitation on agricultural carbon emissions: The water-land-energy-carbon nexus," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 72(C), pages 480-492.
    18. Kemal Sarica & İlkay Dellal & Esin Tetik Kollugil & Erdinc Ersoy, 2023. "GHG Emission Mitigation of Turkish Agriculture Sector: Potential and Cost Assessment," Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies for Global Change, Springer, vol. 28(7), pages 1-22, October.
    19. Wang, Wen, 2015. "Intégrer l'agriculture dans les politiques d'atténuation chinoises," Economics Thesis from University Paris Dauphine, Paris Dauphine University, number 123456789/14999 edited by Perthuis, Christian de.
    20. Nolan, Tahlia, 2024. "Is pivoting offshore the right policy for achieving decarbonisation in the state of Victoria, Australia's electricity sector?," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 190(C).

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:agisys:v:104:y:2011:i:6:p:451-458. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/agsy .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.