Tillage machinery use methodology

Calculate emissions due to fuel combustion from using tillage machinery.

Overview

Quantifies emissions as a result of tillage machinery use. It considers the intensity of the tillage performed on the field, which maps to equipment used, then is multiplied by the number of passes. All tillage passes occuring throughout the period of time associated with the measured crop will be counted.

Limitations

This methodology does not include the actual production of the machinery or maintenance.

Crop-specific exclusions: Today there are no speciality tillage equipment assumptions for speciality crops, likewise potatoes and beets will have a null value.

The tillage machine used remains the same for all of the passes on a field (e.g. if there are 2 passes and the field is labelled “conventional tillage”, then both pass will use the same conventional tillage equipment’s EF).

Likewise, if there are multiple tillage passes on the field, we do not account for mixed categories within a single field, like: a primary tillage that is deeper/inverted and a secondary tillage at a lighter “reduced” intensity unless a use provides that information directly.

User Inputs

For each measurement there are inputs required. In the case that the user cannot provide the inputs then Regrow will default them.

Inputs required	Description	Unit/Options
Crop	The name of your measured crop. This should be a single crop per measurement. If a cover crop is included in the cultivation cycle of the measured crop, then it will be included in the emissions attributed to the measured crop.	See our list of supported crops
Harvested yield	The harvested fresh yield for your measured crop, before any drying or other losses might occur. This is used as the yield denominator.	kg per hectare
Location	The area used in the production of your measured crop. This should be a single field or single managed unit. Location is used to inform the emissions factors used. In most cases this is a global value for the crop and some select crops x geography this is country-specific.	Country-level or field level
Tillage intensity	Defines the intensity level of the tillage performed on that field in service of the production of the measured crop. Today these are 3 basic categorical levels. There are two choices for providing this information. Entered by the user (MRV/API products) or default via Monitor (Sustainability Insights product).	Conventional Reduced No till
Number of passes	The number of passes over the field.	per ha

Assumptions of on-field tillage activities

Tillage machine type EF/ha x Number of passes/ha = Tillage machinery use emissions

For Sustainability Insights product: Monitor returns a tillage intensity score based on the residue profile of the field: Conventional, Reduced, No tillage, along with number of tillage passes.

For MRV and Inventory API products: The user will provide a tillage depth in centimeters. Assumes >10cm: conventional, =/<10cm: reduced, or no till per event. Assumes one pass per disclosed event.

Emissions factor coefficients

Econinvent v3.11 is the source for emissions coefficients used per tillage intensity type.

Machinery type	Coverage via Ecoinvent	Geographies covered	Dates
If CONVENTIONAL TILLAGE, then:
tillage, ploughing	An average of three to four furrow (depending upon geography) to height-furrow plough, used in loam soil at 15 cm work depth, is considered.	Rest of World, Switzerland, Canada, South Africa	1991-2024
If REDUCED TILLAGE, then:
tillage, rotary cultivator	An average machinery width of 7.8 m, working at a depth of 2.5- 5 cm, is considered. depending upon geography.	Rest of World, Switzerland, Canada, South Africa, United States	various