Agent-Based Modeling of Low-Emission Fertilizer Adoption for Dairy Farm Decarbonisation using Empirical Farm Data
To understand complex system dynamics in dairy farming requires tools that capture farm heterogeneity, social interactions, and cumulative environmental impacts. This study proposes an agent-based modelling(ABM) framework to simulate nitrogen management and low-emission fertiliser adoption across 295 Irish dairy farms over a 15-year period. Using empirical data, the model replicates farm communication through a social network, where adoption probabilities are driven by social contagion, farm-scale factors, and policy interventions such as subsidies and carbon taxes. The framework computes sectoral greenhouse gas emissions, cumulative abatement, and private-social costs, with Monte Carlo and sensitivity analyses quantifying uncertainty. The model achieved high predictive accuracy (R2 = 0.979, RMSE = 0.0274) and was validated against observed adoption data using a Kolmogorov-Smirnov test (D = 0.2407, p < 0.001). Adoption dynamics were fitted to Rogers logistic curves, reproducing a realistic saturation plateau (91%) while acknowledging structural laggard effects. By conceptualizing decarbonization as a socio-technical evolution rather than a purely monetary calculation, this study establishes an exploratory policy framework for evaluating the diffusion of climate strategies prior to implementation.