Influence of Tillage Systems on Soil Bulk Density and Carbon Dioxide Emissions in the Mediterranean Context

The estimation of soil wet bulk density (ρn) and dry bulk density (ρb) using the novel digital electromechanical system (DES) has provided information about important parameters for the assessment of soil quality and health with a direct application for agronomists. The evaluation of the DES performance is particularly appropriate for different tillage methods, mulching systems, and fertilizers used to increase soil fertility and productivity, but currently, there is a lack of information, particularly in the arid areas in underdeveloped countries. Therefore, the main aim of this study was the application of a novel digital electromechanical system (DES) to evaluate bulk density, wet (ρn) and dry (ρb), under different soil treatments according to the variations in thermal efficiencies (ηth), microwave penetration depths (MDP), and specific energy consumption (Qcon) in an experimental area close to Baghdad (Iraq). The experimental design consisted of 72 plots, each 4 m2. The agronomic practices included two different tillage systems (disc plough followed by a spring disk and mouldboard plough followed by a spring disk) and twelve treatments involving mulching plastic sheeting combined with fertilizers, to determine their effect on the measured soil ρn and ρb and the DES performance in different soils. The results indicated that soil ρn and ρb varied significantly with both the tillage systems and the mulching systems. As expected, the soil ρn and ρb, MDP, and Qcon increased with an increase in the soil depth. Moreover, the tillage, soil mulching, and soil depth value significantly affected ηth and Qcon. A strong relationship was identified between the soil tillage and MDP for different soil treatments, leading to the changes in soil ρb and the soil dielectric constant (ε’).

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Rewetting strategies to reduce nitrous oxide emissions from European peatlands

Communications Earth & Environment ◽

10.1038/s43247-020-00017-2 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 1 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Haojie Liu ◽

Nicole Wrage-Mönnig ◽

Bernd Lennartz

Keyword(s):

Carbon Dioxide ◽

Nitrous Oxide ◽

Bulk Density ◽

Peat Soil ◽

Soil Bulk Density ◽

Nitrous Oxide Emissions ◽

The Status ◽

Suggested Strategy ◽

Peatland Rewetting ◽

Business As Usual

Abstract Nitrous oxide (N2O) is approximately 265 times more potent than carbon dioxide (CO2) in atmospheric warming. Degraded peatlands are important sources of N2O. The more a peat soil is degraded, the higher the N2O-N emissions from peat. In this study, soil bulk density was used as a proxy for peat degradation to predict N2O-N emissions. Here we report that the annual N2O-N emissions from European managed peatlands (EU-28) sum up to approximately 145 Gg N year−1. From the viewpoint of greenhouse gas emissions, highly degraded agriculturally used peatlands should be rewetted first to optimally reduce cumulative N2O-N emissions. Compared to a business-as-usual scenario (no peatland rewetting), rewetting of all drained European peatlands until 2050 using the suggested strategy reduces the cumulative N2O-N emissions by 70%. In conclusion, the status of peat degradation should be made a pivotal criterion in prioritising peatlands for restoration.

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Carbon dioxide emissions under different soil tillage systems in mechanically harvested sugarcane

Environmental Research Letters ◽

10.1088/1748-9326/8/1/015014 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 8 (1) ◽

pp. 015014 ◽

Cited By ~ 51

Author(s):

A M Silva-Olaya ◽

C E P Cerri ◽

N La Scala Jr ◽

C T S Dias ◽

C C Cerri

Keyword(s):

Carbon Dioxide ◽

Carbon Dioxide Emissions ◽

Soil Tillage ◽

Tillage Systems

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SOIL BULK DENSITY ESTIMATION FOR TILLAGE SYSTEMS AND SOIL TEXTURES

Transactions of the ASAE ◽

10.13031/2013.17328 ◽

1998 ◽

Vol 41 (6) ◽

pp. 1601-1610 ◽

Cited By ~ 22

Author(s):

Y. Chen ◽

S. Tessier ◽

J. Rouffignat

Keyword(s):

Bulk Density ◽

Density Estimation ◽

Soil Bulk Density ◽

Tillage Systems

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Soil Bulk Density and Potato Tuber Yield as Influenced by Tillage Systems and Working Depths

Greener Journal of Agricultural Sciences ◽

10.15580/gjas.2014.2.020314087 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 4 (2) ◽

pp. 046-051 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

K Abrougui ◽

◽

S Chehaibi ◽

H.H Boukhalfa ◽

I Chenini ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Potato Tuber ◽

Bulk Density ◽

Tuber Yield ◽

Soil Bulk Density ◽

Tillage Systems

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Dependence of agrochemical and agrophysical properties of leached chernozem on soil treatment system

Siberian Herald of Agricultural Science ◽

10.26898/0370-8799-2021-5-1 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 51 (5) ◽

pp. 5-19

Author(s):

A. L. Pakul ◽

G. V. Bozhanova ◽

V. N. Pakul

Keyword(s):

Nitrogen Content ◽

Bulk Density ◽

Nitrate Nitrogen ◽

Control Level ◽

Processing System ◽

Soil Bulk Density ◽

Soil Treatment ◽

Tillage Systems ◽

Leached Chernozem ◽

Tillage System

The results of research on the dependence of agrochemical and agrophysical properties of leached chernozem on the system of soil treatment are presented. The work was performed in 2015–2019 in a long-term stationary ﬁeld experiment in crops of spring soft wheat Siberian Alliance. The soil of the experimental site is medium-powered medium-humus heavy-loamy leached chernozem. Wheat was preceded by clean fallow, green fallow (rape), green fallow (cloverleaf). The following tillage systems were studied: deep moldboard (control), deep combined, minimum combined, minimum moldboard. There is an advantage in nitrate nitrogen content in the soil before sowing, in the phase of tillering and earing of wheat on the preceding cereal fallow (rape) when using the minimum tillage system (in autumn the break crop BDT-3 is planted). The eﬀect of the tillage system on the nitrate nitrogen content in the soil in the phase of bushing of wheat - 15,5%, conditions of the year - 12,9, the interaction of these factors - 20,1% was determined. A positive relationship between the content of nitrate nitrogen in the soil and the amount of mobile phosphorus on the precursor green fallow (rape), r = 0.7118-0.8917 (R = 0.9500), was detected. High P2O5 content (from 150 mg/kg and above) was recorded on average for 5 years during the earing phase of wheat - 145.0 to 165.6 mg/kg. Maximum P2O5 values were detected for green fallow (rape) under minimum combined and minimum moldboard systems. A signiﬁcant increase in exchangeable potassium content over the control average for 2015-2019 was observed with the deep combined tillage system - 5.0 mg/kg (NSR05). With the other tillage systems studied, the ﬁgures were at the control level. Higher soil pedality coeﬃcients were revealed with a deep moldboard processing system (control) - 2.54, a minimum combined - 2.47, a minimum moldboard - 2.23 according to the predecessor green fallow (rapeseed); for green fallow (melilot) - 2.98 (deep moldboard). With an increase in the pedality coeﬃcient, there was a decrease in the soil bulk density index, r = -0.3499 (R = 0.5760). A tendency was revealed towards a decrease in the soil bulk density to 0.98 g/cm3 according to the predecessor green fallow (rapeseed) with minimization of soil cultivation: combined moldboard and minimum moldboard; with a deep moldboard (control) - 1.02 g / cm3. As a result of the correlation analysis, it was found that with an increase in the soil bulk density, the content of P2O5, r = –0.4898, K2O, r = –0.2530, decreases.

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Soil organic carbon in no-tillage systems of different ages in Southwest Mato Grosso, Brazil

Revista Brasileira de Engenharia Agrícola e Ambiental ◽

10.1590/1807-1929/agriambi.v25n4p250-255 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 25 (4) ◽

pp. 250-255

Author(s):

Renata M. Severiano ◽

Maria A. P. Pierangeli ◽

Nilton de S. Santos ◽

Vinícius Xavier

Keyword(s):

Organic Carbon ◽

Soil Organic Carbon ◽

Bulk Density ◽

Soil Bulk Density ◽

Carbon Stocks ◽

Native Vegetation ◽

No Tillage ◽

Tillage Systems ◽

Mato Grosso ◽

Tillage System

ABSTRACT The objectives of this study were to evaluate the effect of the no-tillage system on soil bulk density, soil organic carbon, and carbon stocks in Plinthic subgroups and Oxisols, located in Pontes and Lacerda, State of Mato Grosso, Brazil. The treatments were native vegetation and no-tillage systems established for 3, 8, 10, and 12 years. To analyse soil organic carbon, soils were sampled in each area, with three repetitions, at layers of 0-0.05; 0.05-0.10; 0.10-0.20; 0.20-0.40; 0.40-0.60; 0.60-1.00; 1.00-1.50 and 1.50-2.00 m. For soil bulk density, undisturbed samples were collected at layers of 0-0.20 and 0.20-0.40 m. Compared with areas of native vegetation, soil bulk density values after 12 years increased by 25% in Oxisols and 30% in the Plinthic subgroups. In Oxisols and Plinthic subgroups, respectively, organic carbon concentration was, on average, 20.57, 25.04 g kg-1 under native vegetation; 16.82, 16.59 g kg-1 after 3 years of no-tillage; 13.31, 4.96 g kg-1 after 8 years; 16.52, 14.39 g kg-1 after 10 years; and 17.97, 18.53 g kg-1 after 12 years. In both soils, the no-tillage system contributed to an increase in carbon stocks over the years, but not at depth, being generally limited to the top 0.20 m of the soils. Compared to native vegetation, after 12 years of no-tillage, carbon stocks decreased at a rate of 0.075 Mg ha-1 year-1 in the Plinthic subgroups and increased by 2.3 Mg ha-1 year-1 in Oxisols.

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Balancing Waste and Nutrient Flows Between Urban Agglomerations and Rural Ecosystems: Biochar for Improving Crop Growth and Urban Air Quality in The Mediterranean Region

Atmosphere ◽

10.3390/atmos11050539 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 11 (5) ◽

pp. 539

Author(s):

Anastasia Zabaniotou ◽

Katerina Stamou

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Carbon Dioxide ◽

Air Quality ◽

Carbon Dioxide Emissions ◽

Mediterranean Region ◽

Crop Production ◽

Large Scale ◽

Field Experiments ◽

Urban Agglomerations ◽

The Mediterranean

Mediterranean ecosystems are threatened by water and nutrient scarcity and continuous loss of soil organic carbon. Urban agglomerations and rural ecosystems in the Mediterranean region and globally are interlinked through the flows of resources/nutrients and wastes. Contributing to balancing these cycles, the present study advocates standardized biochar as a soil amendment, produced from Mediterranean suitable biowaste, for closing the nutrient loop in agriculture, with parallel greenhouse gas reduction, enhancing air quality in urban agglomerations, mitigating climate change. The study’s scope is the contextualization of pyrolytic conditions and biowaste type effects on the yield and properties of biochar and to shed light on biochar’s role in soil fertility and climate change mitigation. Mediterranean-type suitable feedstocks (biowaste) to produce biochar, in accordance with biomass feedstocks approved for use in producing biochar by the European Biochar Certificate, are screened. Data form large-scale and long-period field experiments are considered. The findings advocate the following: (a) pyrolytic biochar application in soils contributes to the retention of important nutrients for agricultural production, thereby reducing the use of fertilizers; (b) pyrolysis does not release carbon dioxide to the atmosphere, contributing positively to the balance of carbon dioxide emissions to the atmosphere, with carbon uptake by plant photosynthesis; (c) biochar stores carbon in soils, counterbalancing the effect of climate change by sequestering carbon; (d) there is an imperative need to identify the suitable feedstock for the production of sustainable and safe biochar from a range of biowaste, according to the European Biochar Certificate, for safe crop production.

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