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BNIPasture

Project aim

BNIPasture is a joint research project between Ireland and New Zealand which aims to accelerate the potential of Biological Nitrification Inhibition (BNI) capacity in temperate grassland species, particularly perennial ryegrass and plantain, to reduce nitrous oxide emissions (N20) from ruminant production systems. Forage plants naturally perform BNI to a varying degree and this project aims to create new knowledge for establishing mixed swards of perennial ryegrass and plantain with elevated BNI expression. The project will identify the genetic variation for BNI trait expression between forage species and varieties and validate the trait’s expression and impacts on real-world environments using plant, soil, microbial, N2O, and systems science.

Measurement of N20 flux using Licor smart chamber (Jebril Amanor Teagasc Johnstown Castle)

Measurement of N20 flux using Licor smart chamber by Jebril Amanor at Teagasc Johnstown Castle

Objectives

  1. Identifying robust BNI sources and indicators in ryegrass adapted to Ireland.
  2. Investigating soil, nitrogen and plant species interaction effects on BNI expression in ryegrass and plantain.
  3. Understanding the effect of BNI plant induced changes in animal urination patterns on N2O emissions.
  4. Refining N2O emission factors, FracLeach and FracGasM for BNI pasture.

Tasks

  1. Knowledge transfer and dissemination
  2. Identifying robust sources and indicators of BNI in perennial ryegrass
  3. Identifying biomarkers for BNI expression and investigating soil interactions with BNI expression in ryegrass
  4. Investigating synergies between mixed swards of perennial ryegrass and plantain to optimise BNI and reduce N20 emissions
  5. Understanding the effect of plantain on ruminant urination patterns and subsequent N20 emissions
  6. Refining N20 emissions factors for plantain containing pastures
Lysimeter study investigating nitrogen loss from grassland swards (Teagasc Johnstown Castle)

Lysimeter study investigating nitrogen loss from grassland swards at Teagasc Johnstown Castle

Perennial ryegrass being assessed for differences in BNI (Gautam Shrestha AgResearch)

Perennial ryegrass being assessed for differences in BNI at Gautam Shrestha AgResearch

Root exudate collection (Saman Bowatte AgResearch)

Root exudate collection at Saman Bowatte AgResearch

Resources

Webinar: Potential of plantain as an approach to mitigate nitrous oxide emissions

Watch a webinar from Teagasc, New Zealand Ag Emissions Centre and AgResearch, where leading scientists explore plantain as a mitigation strategy in pasture-based systems, including practical considerations for farmers and advisors.

Project team

Dr. Bridget Lynch – Project co-ordinator (Ireland)
Dr. Saman Bowatte – Project co-ordinator (New Zealand), Task 4 lead
Dr. Tomás Tubritt – Task 1 lead (Ireland)
Dr. Cecile De Klein – Task 1 lead (New Zealand)
Prof. Trevor Hodkinson – Task 2 lead
Dr. Susanne Barth – Task 3 lead
Dr. William Burchill – Task 5 lead
Dr. Jiafa Luo – Task 6 lead
Yahaya Jebril Amanor – Task 6 researcher
Dr. Gautam Shrestha – Task 3 and 4 researcher
Shirley Nicols – Task 4 researcher
Dr. Pablo Ribeiro
Peter Harper – Task 5 PhD student
Dr. Keren Ding – Task 6 researcher

Collaborators

Bioeconomy Science Institute AgResearch Group – Visit the Bioeconomy Science Institute AgResearch BNIPasture webpage
University College Cork
Trinity College Dublin

Funding

The funding for this project was provided by the Ireland – New Zealand Joint Research Call 2023