Fertilizer use drives the majority of Iowa's agricultural greenhouse gas emissions - Investigate Midwest

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Fertilizer use drives the majority of Iowa's agricultural greenhouse gas emissions - Investigate Midwest

Iowa’s farmlands are hotbeds for greenhouse gases, with nitrous oxide accounting for 59% of agricultural emissions in 2022. These emissions are primarily driven by nitrogen fertilizer applications and animal manure, according to the Environmental Protection Agency’s Greenhouse Gas Inventory Data Explorer.In recent years, Iowa farmers have significantly increased fertilizer use, purchasing 5.27 million metric tons in the 2022 crop year — a 45% in…