The Minister of Agriculture, the Hon. David Carter formally opened the National Centre for itrous Oxide Measurement at Lincoln University today, which will see a tripling in New Zealand&#39;s capacity to easure nitrous oxide greenhouse gas emissions. The new Centre has a capacity to process more than 1000nitrous oxide samples a day, making it one of the best specialist facilities of its type in the world.


Funding of $0.5m for the new facility was provided by the New Zealand Agricultural Greenhouse Gas Research Centre (NZAGRC), located at AgResearch Grasslands in Palmerston North in response to an urgent need to ncrease New Zealand&#39;s nitrous oxide measurement capacity. This funding enabled the upgrading and extension of an existing laboratory to provide a single facility, purpose designed to house nitrous oxide measurement equipment previously distributed across multiple sites.


The National Centre for Nitrous Oxide Measurement has seven gas chromatographs for measuring nitrous oxide, each equipped with an auto-sampler and a computer enabling the rapid processing of large numbers of as samples. Two technical officers are funded to support the Centre. Lincoln University&#39;s Vice-Chancellor,
Professor Roger Field, says the University is &quot;delighted to host this important Centre to enhance our research capacity and to work together with our partners in reducing the environmental impact of pastoral farming&quot;.


Nitrous oxide makes up around one-third of all greenhouse gas emissions from New Zealand agriculture. Professor Hong J. Di, Professor of Soil and Environmental Science at Lincoln University and Principal Investigator of the nitrous oxide mitigation research programme within the NZAGRC says &quot;investment in theNational Centre for Nitrous Oxide Measurement confirms New Zealand&#39;s commitment to reducing nitrous emissions from pastoral agriculture and reinforces our leadership in agricultural greenhouse gas research. Ourwork in the Centre will also complement Lincoln University&#39;s long-standing parallel involvement with the processes and mitigation of nitrate leaching in agricultural soils&quot;.


The Director of the NZAGRC, Dr Harry Clark, says &quot;Our goal is to develop technologies and practices that reduce agricultural emissions and the National Centre for Nitrous Oxide Measurement will enhance NewZealand&#39;s capacity in the nitrous oxide measurement area and facilitate the forging of the national and international partnerships that are necessary to achieve this goal&quot;.


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FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT


Ian Collins
Communications Group, Lincoln University
T: (03) 3252811 ext 8549. 
M: 021 0244 9637 
E: ian.collins@lincoln.ac.nz


Dr Victoria Bradley
Centre Operations Manager, NZAGRC
T: (06) 351 8305
E: victoria.bradley@nzagrc.org.nz


 Lincoln NZAGRC Nitrous Oxide Centre (0.20MB)