Introduction
For environmental, economic and social sustainability, farmers need to efficiently and effectively manage all farm inputs and outputs, including air emissions. For instance, airborne emissions of ammonia from manure or fertilizer application signify a loss of nitrogen, a valuable crop nutrient. This represents an economic loss for the farmer.
Ammonia emissions may also have environmental implications; ammonia can degrade water quality in lakes and ponds, leading to destructive algae blooms. In addition, social impacts may result when ammonia forms microscopic particles that lead to respiratory problems for people.
Managing agricultural airborne emissions is part of a complex balancing act. In this section, Alberta farmers can find resources to help them manage airborne emissions from livestock production and crop production on their farms.