The Australian processing tomato industry operates in a global market, where good environmental credentials are important in achieving the best financial returns for growers.In a recent project, AHR has worked with the Australian processing tomato industry to develop ways of reducing environmentally harmful nitrous oxide emissions.The findings of the project are outlines below, and a how-to fact sheet has been produced to provide more detail on how growers can minimise nitrous oxide emissions.

• The growing practices currently used by the Australian processing tomato sector generally produce low nitrous oxide emissions

• Crop establishment is the greatest risk period for nitrous oxide emissions

• Water and nitrogen management are the key to managing nitrous oxide emissions during planting and throughout the growing season

• Applying a greater proportion of the nitrogen fertiliser via trickle irrigation, and less as a basal fertiliser helps reduce nitrous oxide emissions

• Metham sodium application prior to planting reduces nitrous oxide emissions by killing soil microbes

• Adding organic matter is great for the soil condition, but it does increase the risk of nitrous oxide emissions.

Resources

 A factsheet on how to minimise nitrous oxide emissions in the processing tomato industry is available here

The TM12001 final report is available here

A scientific paper published as part of TM12001 is available here

Project number: TM12001