The aim of paper is a comparative analysis of on-farm greenhouse gas emissions across family farm types and farm size classes using FADN data in Lithuania. To achieve this, Lithuanian FADN data of 2014 were used for the analysis. The research draws on a sample of 1304 family farms. The methodology is based on an adaptation of the IPCC guidelines using Lithuanian emission factors from Lithuania’s National Inventory Report and the activity data of family farms derived from Lithuanian FADN. The GHG emissions were analysed per farm (t CO2eq farmE-1) and per hectare (CO2eq haE-1 of UAA). The research found out that the major sources of GHG emissions are related to the use of chemical fertilizers on farms comprising 52.6% of the total emissions from family farms. The performed analysis shows that GHG emissions per farm depended on the farm size and ranged from 63.3 t CO2eq farmE-1 to 479.6 t CO2eq farmE-1, on farm size class less than 30 ha UAA and from 500 ha UAA or over, respectively. The GHG emissions on family farms totalled 184.2 t CO2eq farmE-1 and ranged from 5.8 t CO2eq farm E-1 to 234.6 t CO2eq farmE-1, in the permanent crops farms and in the specialist dairying farms, respectively.

Since the middle of the last century rapid intensification of agricultural production systems has resulted in dramatic increase in fertilizer consumption as fertilizer has been considered as one of the most important factors for increased yields. However, not all the nutrient ions in a fertilizer applied to soil are taken up by crops, thus certain amount of the applied fertilizer is lost from agricultural fields leading to increases in nitrogen surplus, nitrogen losses to the environment and harmful impacts on biodiversity, air and water quality. This study aims to focus on crop fertilisation planning which is based on the knowledge of physical and chemical properties of soil and involves performing soil tests, designing a fertilisation plan and its practical implementation as well as calculating the balance of N, and to evaluate crop fertilisation planning as a tool for achieving balanced economic and environmental benefits in crop farming, which play an important role in efficient farming. In this study, the authors have analysed current situation in Latvia regarding requirements for fertilization planning in crop farms and have assessed potential costs and benefits from fertilisation planning. The research finds out that total cost of introducing of fertilisation planning ranges from 34 to 22 EUR haE-1, however, fertilisation planning is a neutral measure where costs are compensated by savings from N inputs which ranges from 10 to 40 kg N haE-1.Fertilisation planning generates environmental benefits, i.e. – reduces direct N2 O emissions from agricultural soils by 47 – 187 kg CO2eq haE-1 through reduced N fertilizer inputs.