Kontext

The widespread use of mineral nitrogen fertilizers such as calcium ammonium nitrate and urea in Austria leads to significant environmental impacts. Firstly, these fertilizers contribute to annual emissions averaging 50 kt CO2e, as reported by the greenhouse gas inventory. Thus, reducing their application would mitigate agricultural greenhouse gas emissions. Secondly, the highly soluble nitrogen compound nitrate (NO3) from these fertilizers significantly contaminates groundwater, with several areas currently exceeding threshold values, necessitating restrictions on fertilization measures. Addressing this issue while sustaining agricultural production is a crucial objective.

The project aims to introduce an innovative solution within practical conditions in Austrian agriculture. Based on literature from Switzerland, the CULTAN method demonstrates potential for mitigating nitrate leaching risks. However, comparable results under Austrian field conditions are currently lacking. While CULTAN offers environmental benefits depending on fertilizer application frequency tailored to crop needs, its impact on grain quality remains uncertain under Austrian conditions. Moreover, employing carbon-free fertilizers in CULTAN could notably reduce CO2 emissions compared to conventional fertilizers. Despite the potential benefits, uncertainties persist regarding the cost-effectiveness of CULTAN under diverse Austrian field conditions.

Previous projects like GIS-ELA 1 and 2, in conjunction with the TerraZo internet platform, have primarily focused on standard fertilization. These efforts have shown promising results in reducing fertilizer input and associated emissions. Additionally, site-specific fertilization, as demonstrated by Sinabell, Kastenhofer, and Prankl (2023), proves economically advantageous. While CULTAN fertilization shows promise in further reducing emissions, its cost-benefit ratio under various field conditions in Austria remains to be determined.

Additional comments

The planned EIP project offers several concrete benefits for agricultural practice:

• Many agricultural enterprises currently need to reduce fertilization in areas with groundwater contamination to lower nitrate (NO3) levels. CULTAN fertilization combined with site-specific fertilization presents another option for reducing contamination. The project delivers robust results representative of Austrian field conditions under practical circumstances.
• The project demonstrates the potential reduction in greenhouse gas emissions achievable by replacing standard fertilization with CULTAN fertilization. This is crucial for estimating the emission reduction potential of this technique and allows for extrapolation to Austria.
• The active involvement of farmers in the project provides reliable cost data collected under practical conditions. Consequently, it enables accurate estimation of additional costs and extra labor.
• Farmers interested in reducing their carbon footprint without completely changing their operational processes (e.g., switching from conventional to organic farming) can use the project's results to adjust their production processes and quantify the specific benefits. The expected additional costs for each farm can be derived from the results and compared against the achievable benefits.
• Farms already implementing site-specific fertilization learn from the project how to integrate this innovative fertilization method into their operational workflows.