GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS FROM AGRICULTURAL ACTIVITIES AND THEIR DYNAMICS DURING 1990-2020

Abstract

Ukraine, as a Party of the UN FCCC, cooperates with international organizations in the field of environmental protection, including ensuring the fulfillment of obligations in the field of climate change, namely to reach the level of greenhouse gas emissions in 2030 in the amount of exceeded 60% of the level of 1990. The agricultural sector has a significant contribution to the total emissions of greenhouse gases in Ukraine, which during 1990-2020 fluctuated between 9-14%. In agriculture, the emissions of three greenhouse gases (methane, nitrous oxide and carbon dioxide) are considered, the emissions of which lead to activity in two branches – livestock and plant growing. Livestock is characterized by such processes as enteric fermentation and manure management, which are accompanied by the emission of mainly methane. The key factors that determine the dynamics of greenhouse gas emissions in livestock are the number of agricultural animals and the type of manure management system, which is used to collect, transport, store and use manure. The largest contribution in terms of greenhouse gas emissions is made by the category of enteric fermentation (mainly enteric fermentation of cattle), the share of which during the 1990- 2020 fluctuated mainly in the range of 80-85%, and as of 2020 it decreased to 79.3%. The amount of emissions in plant growing is determined by factors specific to each process, namely: the amount of fertilizers (nitrogen and organic) applied to agricultural soils, the amount of applied liming materials, the amount of N in crop residues, the area of organic soils for crop planting etc. The main greenhouse gas in this area is nitrous oxide, the dynamics of whose emission is generally characterized by two directions – a significant and rapid reduction by more than 60% by 2003 and subsequent gradual growth. The development of different areas of plant growing takes place in different directions and with different intensity, and therefore have different contributions to the total volume of N2O emissions. The largest share of emissions, both in 1990 and in 2020, comes from N application with mineral fertilizers and N application with crop residues.