Update of emission factors for nitrous oxide from agricultural soils on the basis of measurements in the Netherlands

Emissions of nitrous oxide (N2O) in the Netherlands are reported to the UNFCCC on the basis of a country specific methodology. In this study we have identified and analysed the values for emission factors in measurement from in the Netherlands in the period 1993 – 2003. The overall averaged emission factor extracted from over 86 series of one year measurements on nitrous oxide emission from agricultural fields in the Netherlands is 1.1% and a weighed average for soil types is 1.01%. The average for mineral soils is 0.88%. The calculated emission factors are lower than the value suggested by the IPCC for EF1 for fertilizer and animal manure of 1.25%. We recommend to use a value of 1.0% for EF1 and to use corrections of EF1 in reporting the use of fertilizers without nitrate (0.5%), for subsurface application of manure (1.5%) and for fertilizer, manure and urine on organic soils (2.0%