Measuring and Mitigating GHGs: Maize

The report analyzes the GHG emissions of maize production, noting an average on-farm emission of 0.6 kgCO2e/kg maize. It identifies land-use change, nitrogen fertilizer application, and tillage practices as primary emission drivers. The document highlights significant regional variability, with high emissions intensity often correlating with low yields in countries like Nigeria. Proposed mitigation efforts include preventing habitat conversion, adopting no-till or strip-till farming, and optimizing nitrogen fertilizer use through nitrification inhibitors.

• On-farm GHG emissions for maize average approximately 0.6 kgCO2e/kg, though they vary widely from 0.12 to 4.2 kgCO2e/kg. When including post-farm processes such as drying, milling, transport, and packaging, total emissions from production to retail are about 1.3 kgCO2e/kg maize.
• Land-use change (LUC) is a significant but variable emission source; while maize is not a primary driver of deforestation compared to soy or oil palm, the conversion of habitats like prairies is common. In some specific cases, such as in Angola, LUC contributions can reach 11 kgCO2e/kg maize.
• Nitrogen-based fertilizers are a major source of soil emissions, specifically nitrous oxide (N2O). Direct and indirect emissions average 0.1 kgCO2e/kg maize, with nearly half originating from synthetic fertilizers.
• Tillage practices significantly influence soil carbon and emissions. Conventional tillage for rain-fed maize shows average farm-gate emissions of 1.4 kgCO2e/kg, whereas no-till systems report much lower emissions between 0.1 and 0.2 kgCO2e/kg maize.
• GHG intensity varies by country and often correlates with yield; for example, Nigeria has a high GHG intensity of 1.6 kgCO2e/kg maize with a low yield of 1.7 t/ha, while the U.S. has a lower intensity of 0.4 kgCO2e/kg maize with a higher yield of 10.9 t/ha.
• Key mitigation opportunities include the use of nitrification inhibitors, which can reduce N2O emissions by an average of 32% to 38%, and the optimization of nitrogen application, which in some cases can be reduced by over 50% without significantly impacting yields.

APA

Parajuli, R., Chaudhuri, A., Moberg, E., & Thoma, G. (2022). Measuring and Mitigating GHGs: Maize. WWF International. https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/168/1bzhog8yjf_MOBERG_GHG_Brief_MAIZE_09_22_v5.pdf

Chicago

Parajuli, Ranjan, Anushree Chaudhuri, Emily Moberg, and Greg Thoma. Measuring and Mitigating GHGs: Maize. WWF International, 2022. https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/168/1bzhog8yjf_MOBERG_GHG_Brief_MAIZE_09_22_v5.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Parajuli |first1=Ranjan |last2=Chaudhuri |first2=Anushree |last3=Moberg |first3=Emily |last4=Thoma |first4=Greg |title=Measuring and Mitigating GHGs: Maize |publisher=WWF International |date=10 September 2022 |url=https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/168/1bzhog8yjf_MOBERG_GHG_Brief_MAIZE_09_22_v5.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{parajuli2022measuring, author = {Parajuli, Ranjan and Chaudhuri, Anushree and Moberg, Emily and Thoma, Greg}, title = {{Measuring and Mitigating GHGs: Maize}}, institution = {WWF International}, year = {2022}, month = sep, url = {https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/168/1bzhog8yjf_MOBERG_GHG_Brief_MAIZE_09_22_v5.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }