REPLACING SLASH AND BURN PRACTICES WITH SLASH AND COMPOSTING TO REDUCE CARBON DIOXIDE EMISSIONS FROM DEGRADED PEATLAND
<p>Slash and burn are commonly practiced in opening new field in tropical peatland. This method, if uncontrolled, may cause peat fires and increase CO<sub>2</sub> emissions. Therefore, alternative method of peatland preparation for agriculture is needed. The study aimed to obtain peatland preparation technologies to prevent peat fires and reduce CO<sub>2</sub> emissions. The study was conducted at degraded peatland in Kalampangan, Central Kalimantan from June to October 2017. Split plot design with three replications was used. The main plot was the type of land arrangement, i.e. without and with raised beds. The subplot was the type of land preparation, i.e. slash and burn, slash followed by composting the weeds, slash and make the weeds as mulches, and slash followed by composting the weeds and accompanied by plastic mulch. Soil characteristics, fires vulnerability, and CO<sub>2</sub> emissions were measured before and after land preparation. Results showed that slash and composting reduced CO<sub>2</sub> emission from cultivated peatland. Slash and burn resulted 4.98 t CO<sub>2</sub> ha<sup>-1</sup> emissions per season, which is four times higher than slash followed by composting that produced 1.20 t CO<sub>2</sub> ha<sup>-1</sup> per season. Groundwater level, redox potential (Eh), soil pH, and soil water content affected CO<sub>2</sub> emissions. Groundwater level and water content negatively correlated with CO<sub>2</sub> emissions. The shallow water level and the high water content, the lower is CO<sub>2</sub> emissions. The Eh and soil pH positively correlated with CO<sub>2</sub> emissions. The high positive value of Eh indicates that the soil was in high oxidative conditions, resulting in high CO<sub>2</sub> emissions.</p><p align="center"> </p>