EO4AgroClimate: Earth Observation-based and Agro-tech Solutions for Australian Climate Smart Agriculture

Agriculture is the second largest contributor to GHG emissions in Australia, accounting for ~13% of total GHG emissions in 2019 (National Inventory Report, 2019). Of this, nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions contribute ~3%, emitted from fertilizer use and manure production. By contrast, methane (CH4) emissions contribute ~10% illustrating the importance of CH4 emission reduction. Fires also affect vegetation carbon balance (as well as other GHGs such as CH4 and N2O) and are already increasing in frequency and intensity in Australia due to climate change with implications for agriculture. Even if other sectors decarbonise, these agricultural emissions will remain and form the bulk of Australia's contribution to climate change. Future emissions will be dependent upon how agricultural activity is likely to alter, which will be influenced by population, dietary changes and import/export profiles. The project will explore how agro-tech and Earth Observation (EO)-based solutions can support a transition to climate smart agriculture (CSA) across Australia which would realise reduced emissions and increased resilience to climate change in agricultural systems. The project will investigate the key agriculturally relevant GHGs (CO2 & CH4) but with a focus on CH4 emissions given the current high profile of this particular GHG and the importance of Australian agriculture in contributing to CH4 emissions. The project will explore how EO-based technology can be developed to monitor changes in agricultural emissions and emissions from fires, as well as carbon uptake by vegetation and support a transition to lower agriculture emissions resulting from the implementation of CSA techniques. The project will also review alternative agro-tech CSA farming methods that might enhance resilience to climate change, and assess the barriers and opportunities to implementing these methods via stakeholder engagement.