Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Soil Cultivated with Vegetables in Crop Rotation under Integrated, Organic and Organic Conservation Management in a Mediterranean Environment

A combination of organic and conservation approaches have not been widely tested, neither considering agronomic implications nor the impacts on the environment. Focussing on the effect of agricultural practices on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from soil, the hypothesis of this research is that the organic conservation system (ORG+) may reduce emissions of N2O, CH4 and CO2 from soil, compared to an integrated farming system (INT) and an organic (ORG) system in a two-year irrigated vegetable crop rotation set up in 2014, in a Mediterranean environment. The crop rotation included: Savoy cabbage (Brassica oleracea var. sabauda L. cv. Famosa), spring lettuce (Lactuca sativa L. cv. Justine), fennel (Foeniculum vulgare Mill. cv. Montebianco) and summer lettuce (L. sativa cv. Ballerina). Fluxes from soil of N2O, CH4 and CO2 were measured from October 2014 to July 2016 with the flow-through non-steady state chamber technique using a mobile instrument equipped with high precision analysers. Both cumulative and daily N2O emissions were mainly lower in ORG+ than in INT and ORG. All the cropping systems acted as a sink of CH4, with no significant differences among treatments. The ORG and ORG+ systems accounted for higher cumulative and daily CO2 emissions than INT, maybe due to the stimulating effect on soil respiration of organic material (fertilizers/plant biomass) supplied in ORG and ORG+. Overall, the integration of conservation and organic agriculture showed a tendency for higher CO2 emissions and lower N2O emissions than the other treatments, without any clear results on its potential for mitigating GHG emissions from soil.

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Characterizing Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Global Warming Potential of Wheat-Maize Cropping Systems in Response to Organic Amendments in Eutric Regosols, China

Atmosphere ◽

10.3390/atmos11060614 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 11 (6) ◽

pp. 614

Author(s):

Hamidou Bah ◽

Xiao Ren ◽

Yanqiang Wang ◽

Jialiang Tang ◽

Bo Zhu

Keyword(s):

Global Warming ◽

Greenhouse Gas ◽

Global Warming Potential ◽

Cropping Systems ◽

Inorganic Nitrogen ◽

Ghg Emissions ◽

Organic Amendments ◽

Mineral Fertilizers ◽

N2o Emissions ◽

Pig Slurry

Characterizing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and global warming potential (GWP) has become a key step in the estimation of atmospheric GHG concentrations and their potential mitigation by cropland management. However, the impacts of organic amendments on GHG, GWP, and yield-scaled GWP on cropland have not been well documented. Here, we investigate four amendment treatments (no amendment, mineral fertilizers, and pig slurry or crop residue combined with mineral fertilizers) during a two-year field experiment in rain-fed wheat-maize cropping systems. The results show that the average annual cumulative methane (CH4) flux ranged from −2.60 to −2.97 kg·C·ha−1 while nitrous oxide (N2O) flux ranged from 0.44 to 4.58 kg·N·ha−1 across all four treatments. N2O emissions were significantly correlated with soil inorganic nitrogen (i.e., NH4+-N and NO3−-N), and soil dissolved organic carbon (DOC) during both the winter wheat and summer maize seasons. On average, organic amendments combined with mineral fertilizers increased the annual GWP by 26–74% and yield-scaled GWP by 19–71% compared to those under only mineral fertilizers application. This study indicates that the fertilization strategy for Eutric Regosols can shift from only mineral fertilizers to organic amendments combined with mineral fertilizers, which can help mitigate GHG emissions and GWP while maintaining crop yields.

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Grass Buffer Strips Improve Soil Health and Mitigate Greenhouse Gas Emissions in Center-Pivot Irrigated Cropping Systems

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su12156014 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 12 (15) ◽

pp. 6014 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Sk. Musfiq-Us- Salehin ◽

Rajan Ghimire ◽

Sangamesh V. Angadi ◽

Omololu J. Idowu

Keyword(s):

Greenhouse Gas ◽

Cropping Systems ◽

Soil Health ◽

Ghg Emissions ◽

Microbial Biomass C ◽

High Plains ◽

N2o Emissions ◽

Buffer Strips ◽

Center Pivot ◽

Grass Buffer

Declining water resources and soil degradation have significantly affected agricultural sustainability across the world. In the southern High Plains of USA, buffer strips of perennial grasses alternating with cultivated corn strips were introduced in center-pivot irrigated crop fields to increase agronomic production and ecosystem services. A study was conducted to evaluate soil carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) dynamics, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and soil health benefits of integrating circular grass buffer strips in the center-pivot irrigated corn production system. Multiple parameters were assessed in the grass buffer strips, and at distances of 1.52, 4.57, and 9.14 m away from the edges of grass strips in corn strips. While grasses in the buffer strips depleted N compared to corn strips, potential C mineralization (PCM) was 52.5% to 99.9% more in grass strips than in corn strips. Soil microbial biomass C (MBC) content was 36.7% to 52.5% greater in grass strips than in corn strips. Grass buffer also reduced carbon dioxide (CO2) and nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions from corn strips. Grass buffer strips can improve soil health and sustainability in center-pivot irrigated cropping systems by increasing soil C components and reducing GHG emissions.

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A comprehensive dataset for global, regional and national greenhouse gas emissions by sector 1970–2019

10.5194/essd-2021-228 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Jan C. Minx ◽

William F. Lamb ◽

Robbie M. Andrew ◽

Josep G. Canadell ◽

Monica Crippa ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Land Use ◽

Greenhouse Gas Emissions ◽

Greenhouse Gas ◽

Co2 Emissions ◽

Ghg Emissions ◽

N2o Emissions ◽

Ghg Emission ◽

High Confidence ◽

Gas Emissions ◽

Emission Growth

Abstract. To track progress towards keeping warming well below 2 °C, as agreed upon in the Paris Agreement, comprehensive and reliable information on anthropogenic sources of greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) is required. Here we provide a dataset on anthropogenic GHG emissions 1970–2019 with a broad country and sector coverage. We build the dataset from recent releases of the “Emissions Database for Global Atmospheric Research” (EDGAR) for CO2 emissions from fossil fuel combustion and industry (FFI), CH4 emissions, N2O emissions, and fluorinated gases, and use a well-established fast-track method to extend this dataset from 2018 to 2019. We complement this with data on net CO2 emissions from land use, land-use change and forestry (LULUCF) from three bookkeeping models. We provide an assessment of the uncertainties in each greenhouse gas at the 90 % confidence interval (5th–95th percentile) by combining statistical analysis and comparisons of global emissions inventories with an expert judgement informed by the relevant scientific literature. We identify important data gaps: CH4 and N2O emissions could be respectively 10–20 % higher than reported in EDGAR once all emissions are accounted. F-gas emissions estimates for individual species in EDGARv5 do not align well with atmospheric measurements and the F-gas total exceeds measured concentrations by about 30 %. However, EDGAR and official national emission reports under the UNFCCC do not comprehensively cover all relevant F-gas species. Excluded F-gas species such as chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) or hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) are larger than the sum of the reported species. GHG emissions in 2019 amounted to 59 ± 6.6 GtCO2eq: CO2 emissions from FFI were 38 ± 3.0 Gt, CO2 from LULUCF 6.6 ± 4.6 Gt, CH4 11 ± 3.3 GtCO2eq, N2O 2.4 ±1.5 GtCO2eq and F-gases 1.6 ± 0.49 GtCO2eq. Our analysis of global, anthropogenic GHG emission trends over the past five decades (1970–2019) highlights a pattern of varied, but sustained emissions growth. There is high confidence that global anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions have increased every decade. Emission growth has been persistent across different (groups of) gases. While CO2 has accounted for almost 75 % of the emission growth since 1970 in terms of CO2eq as reported here, the combined F-gases have grown at a faster rate than other GHGs, albeit starting from low levels in 1970. Today, F-gases make a non-negligible contribution to global warming – even though CFCs and HCFCs, regulated under the Montreal Protocol and not included in our estimates, have contributed more. There is further high confidence that global anthropogenic GHG emission levels were higher in 2010-2019 than in any previous decade and GHG emission levels have grown across the most recent decade. While average annual greenhouse gas emissions growth slowed between 2010–2019 compared to 2000–2009, the absolute increase in average decadal GHG emissions from the 2000s to the 2010s has been the largest since the 1970s – and within all human history as suggested by available long-term data. We note considerably higher rates of change in GHG emissions between 2018 and 2019 than for the entire decade 2010–2019, which is numerically comparable with the period of high GHG emissions growth during the 2000s, but we place low confidence in this finding as the majority of the growth is driven by highly uncertain increases in CO2-LULUCF emissions as well as the use of preliminary data and extrapolation methodologies for these most recent years. While there is a growing number of countries today on a sustained emission reduction trajectory, our analysis further reveals that there are no global sectors that show sustained reductions in GHG emissions. We conclude by highlighting that tracking progress in climate policy requires substantial investments in independent GHG emission accounting and monitoring as well as the available national and international statistical infrastructures. The data associated with this article (Minx et al. 2021) can be found at https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.5053056.

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Effect of Organic Amendment Addition on Soil Properties, Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Grape Yield in Semi-Arid Vineyard Agroecosystems

Agronomy ◽

10.3390/agronomy11081477 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (8) ◽

pp. 1477

Author(s):

Antonio Marín-Martínez ◽

Alberto Sanz-Cobeña ◽

Mª Angeles Bustamante ◽

Enrique Agulló ◽

Concepción Paredes

Keyword(s):

Soil Fertility ◽

Soil Properties ◽

Greenhouse Gas ◽

Co2 Emissions ◽

Organic Amendments ◽

Organic N ◽

N2o Emissions ◽

The Impact ◽

Semi Arid ◽

Grape Yield

In semi-arid vineyard agroecosystems, highly vulnerable in the context of climate change, the soil organic matter (OM) content is crucial to the improvement of soil fertility and grape productivity. The impact of OM, from compost and animal manure, on soil properties (e.g., pH, oxidisable organic C, organic N, NH4+-N and NO3−-N), grape yield and direct greenhouse gas (GHG) emission in vineyards was assessed. For this purpose, two wine grape varieties were chosen and managed differently: with a rain-fed non-trellising vineyard of Monastrell, a drip-irrigated trellising vineyard of Monastrell and a drip-irrigated trellising vineyard of Cabernet Sauvignon. The studied fertiliser treatments were without organic amendments (C), sheep/goat manure (SGM) and distillery organic waste compost (DC). The SGM and DC treatments were applied at a rate of 4600 kg ha−1 (fresh weight, FW) and 5000 kg ha−1 FW, respectively. The use of organic amendments improved soil fertility and grape yield, especially in the drip-irrigated trellising vineyards. Increased CO2 emissions were coincident with higher grape yields and manure application (maximum CO2 emissions = 1518 mg C-CO2 m−2 d−1). In contrast, N2O emissions, mainly produced through nitrification, were decreased in the plots showing higher grape production (minimum N2O emissions = −0.090 mg N2O-N m−2 d−1). In all plots, the CH4 fluxes were negative during most of the experiment (−1.073−0.403 mg CH4-C m−2 d−1), indicating that these ecosystems can represent a significant sink for atmospheric CH4. According to our results, the optimal vineyard management, considering soil properties, yield and GHG mitigation together, was the use of compost in a drip-irrigated trellising vineyard with the grape variety Monastrell.

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Evaluation of a Novel Poultry Litter Amendment on Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Atmosphere ◽

10.3390/atmos12050563 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 (5) ◽

pp. 563

Author(s):

Kelsey Anderson ◽

Philip A. Moore ◽

Jerry Martin ◽

Amanda J. Ashworth

Keyword(s):

Air Quality ◽

Greenhouse Gas ◽

Co2 Emissions ◽

Management Practices ◽

Block Design ◽

Poultry Litter ◽

Ghg Emissions ◽

Nitrous Oxide Emissions ◽

Gaseous Emissions ◽

Poultry Facilities

Gaseous emissions from poultry litter causes production problems for producers as well as the environment, by contributing to climate change and reducing air quality. Novel methods of reducing ammonia (NH3) and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in poultry facilities are needed. As such, our research evaluated GHG emissions over a 42 d period. Three separate flocks of 1000 broilers were used for this study. The first flock was used only to produce litter needed for the experiment. The second and third flocks were allocated to 20 pens in a randomized block design with four replicated of five treatments. The management practices studied included an unamended control; a conventional practice of incorporating aluminum sulfate (referred to as alum) at 98 kg/100 m2); a novel litter amendment made from alum mud, bauxite, and sulfuric acid (alum mud litter amendment, AMLA) applied at different rates (49 and 98 kg/100 m2) and methods (surface applied or incorporated). Nitrous oxide emissions were low for all treatments in flocks 2 and 3 (0.40 and 0.37 mg m2 hr−1, respectively). The formation of caked litter (due to excessive moisture) during day 35 and 42 caused high variability in CH4 and CO2 emissions. Alum mud litter amendment and alum did not significantly affect GHGs emissions from litter, regardless of the amendment rate or application method. In fact, litter amendments such as alum and AMLA typically lower GHG emissions from poultry facilities by reducing ventilation requirements to maintain air quality in cooler months due to lower NH3 levels, resulting in less propane use and concomitant reductions in CO2 emissions.

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Quantifying the Effects of Biochar Application on Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Agricultural Soils: A Global Meta-Analysis

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su12083436 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 12 (8) ◽

pp. 3436 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Qi Zhang ◽

Jing Xiao ◽

Jianhui Xue ◽

Lang Zhang

Keyword(s):

Greenhouse Gas Emissions ◽

Greenhouse Gas ◽

Crop Yield ◽

Radiative Forcing ◽

Specific Activity ◽

C:N Ratio ◽

Ghg Emissions ◽

N2o Emissions ◽

Response Ratio ◽

Gas Emissions

Agricultural disturbance has significantly boosted soil greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions such as methane (CH4), carbon dioxide (CO2), and nitrous oxide (N2O). Biochar application is a potential option for regulating soil GHG emissions. However, the effects of biochar application on soil GHG emissions are variable among different environmental conditions. In this study, a dataset based on 129 published papers was used to quantify the effect sizes of biochar application on soil GHG emissions. Overall, biochar application significantly increased soil CH4 and CO2 emissions by an average of 15% and 16% but decreased soil N2O emissions by an average of 38%. The response ratio of biochar applications on soil GHG emissions was significantly different under various management strategies, biochar characteristics, and soil properties. The relative influence of biochar characteristics differed among soil GHG emissions, with the overall contribution of biochar characteristics to soil GHG emissions ranging from 29% (N2O) to 71% (CO2). Soil pH, the biochar C:N ratio, and the biochar application rate were the most influential variables on soil CH4, CO2, and N2O emissions, respectively. With biochar application, global warming potential (impact of the emission of different greenhouse gases on their radiative forcing by agricultural practices) and the intensity of greenhouse gas emissions (emission rate of a given pollutant relative to the intensity of a specific activity) significantly decreased, and crop yield greatly increased, with an average response ratio of 23%, 41%, and 21%, respectively. Our findings provide a scientific basis for reducing soil GHG emissions and increasing crop yield through biochar application.

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A comparison between vegetable intercropping systems and monocultures in greenhouse gas emissions under organic management

10.5194/egusphere-egu2020-13415 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Virginia Sánchez-Navarro ◽

Mariano Marcos-Pérez ◽

Raúl Zornoza

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Greenhouse Gas ◽

Cropping Systems ◽

Ghg Emissions ◽

Experimental Period ◽

C Sequestration ◽

Organic Management ◽

Soil C ◽

Dynamic Chamber ◽

Cucumis Melo L

Legume crops have been proposed as a way of reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions because both, their rhizosphere behaviour and their ability to fix atmospheric N reducing the need of external N fertilizer. Moreover, the establishment of organic agriculture has been proposed as a sustainable strategy to enhance the delivery of ecosystem services, including mitigation of climate change by decreases in GHG emissions and increases in soil C sequestration. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of the association between cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L.) and melon (Cucumis melo L.) growing in different intercropping patterns on soil CO2 and N2O emissions compared to cowpea and melon monocultures under organic management as a possible strategy for climate change mitigation. Soil CO2 and N2O emissions were weekly measured in melon and cowpea rows using the dynamic chamber method during one cropping cycle in 2019. Results indicated that melon growing as monoculture was related to increases in O cumulative emissions (0.431 g m-2) compared to the average of the rest of treatments (0.036 g m-2). Cowpea growing as monoculture was related to decreases in CO2 cumulative emissions (390 g m-2) compared with the other treatments (512 g m-2 average). However, N2O and CO2 emission patterns did not directly follow soil moisture patterns in the experimental period, with no significant correlations. Finally there were no significant differences among intercropping treatments with regard to NO2 and CO2 emissions. Further measurements are needed to monitor the evolution of GHG emissions under these cropping systems and confirm the trend observed.

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Smallholder African farms in western Kenya have limited greenhouse gas fluxes

Biogeosciences Discussions ◽

10.5194/bgd-12-15301-2015 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 12 (18) ◽

pp. 15301-15336 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

D. E. Pelster ◽

M. C. Rufino ◽

T. Rosenstock ◽

J. Mango ◽

G. Saiz ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Greenhouse Gas ◽

Crop Production ◽

Crop Yields ◽

N Uptake ◽

Ghg Emissions ◽

Sub Saharan Africa ◽

N2o Emissions ◽

Vegetation Types ◽

Western Kenya ◽

The Impact

Abstract. Few field studies examine greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from African agricultural systems resulting in high uncertainty for national inventories. We provide here the most comprehensive study in Africa to date, examining annual CO2, CH4 and N2O emissions from 59 plots, across different vegetation types, field types and land classes in western Kenya. The study area consists of a lowland area (approximately 1200 m a.s.l.) rising approximately 600 m to a highland plateau. Cumulative annual fluxes ranged from 2.8 to 15.0 Mg CO2-C ha−1, −6.0 to 2.4 kg CH4-C ha−1 and −0.1 to 1.8 kg N2O-N ha−1. Management intensity of the plots did not result in differences in annual fluxes for the GHGs measured (P = 0.46, 0.67 and 0.14 for CO2, N2O and CH4 respectively). The similar emissions were likely related to low fertilizer input rates (≤ 20 kg ha−1). Grazing plots had the highest CO2 fluxes (P = 0.005); treed plots were a larger CH4 sink than grazing plots (P = 0.05); while N2O emissions were similar across vegetation types (P = 0.59). This case study is likely representative for low fertilizer input, smallholder systems across sub-Saharan Africa, providing critical data for estimating regional or continental GHG inventories. Low crop yields, likely due to low inputs, resulted in high (up to 67 g N2O-N kg−1 aboveground N uptake) yield-scaled emissions. Improving crop production through intensification of agricultural production (i.e. water and nutrient management) may be an important tool to mitigate the impact of African agriculture on climate change.

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Responses of Low-Cost Input Combinations on the Microbial Structure of the Maize Rhizosphere for Greenhouse Gas Mitigation and Plant Biomass Production

Frontiers in Plant Science ◽

10.3389/fpls.2021.683658 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 ◽

Author(s):

Caio Augusto Yoshiura ◽

Andressa Monteiro Venturini ◽

Lucas Palma Perez Braga ◽

Aline Giovana da França ◽

Maria do Carmo Catanho Pereira de Lyra ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Greenhouse Gas ◽

Biomass Production ◽

Plant Biomass ◽

Control Plant ◽

Ghg Emissions ◽

Control Treatment ◽

Lignocellulose Degradation ◽

Microbial Composition ◽

Maize Stover ◽

Plant Biomass Production

The microbial composition of the rhizosphere and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions under the most common input combinations in maize (Zea mays L.) cultivated in Brazil have not been characterized yet. In this study, we evaluated the influence of maize stover coverage (S), urea-topdressing fertilization (F), and the microbial inoculant Azospirillum brasilense (I) on soil GHG emissions and rhizosphere microbial communities during maize development. We conducted a greenhouse experiment and measured methane (CH4), carbon dioxide (CO2), and nitrous oxide (N2O) fluxes from soil cultivated with maize plants under factorial combinations of the inputs and a control treatment (F, I, S, FI, FS, IS, FIS, and control). Plant biomass was evaluated, and rhizosphere soil samples were collected at V5 and V15 stages and DNA was extracted. The abundance of functional genes (mcrA, pmoA, nifH, and nosZ) was determined by quantitative PCR (qPCR) and the structure of the microbial community was assessed through 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing. Our results corroborate with previous studies which used fewer input combinations and revealed different responses for the following three inputs: F increased N2O emissions around 1 week after application; I tended to reduce CH4 and CO2 emissions, acting as a plant growth stimulator through phytohormones; S showed an increment for CO2 emissions by increasing carbon-use efficiency. IS and FIS treatments presented significant gains in biomass that could be related to Actinobacteria (19.0%) and Bacilli (10.0%) in IS, and Bacilli (9.7%) in FIS, which are the microbial taxa commonly associated with lignocellulose degradation. Comparing all factors, the IS (inoculant + maize stover) treatment was considered the best option for plant biomass production and GHG mitigation since FIS provides small gains toward the management effort of F application.

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Comparison of energy and greenhouse gas balances of biogas with other transport biofuel options based on domestic agricultural biomass in Finland

Agricultural and Food Science ◽

10.2137/145960608786118857 ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 17 (3) ◽

pp. 240 ◽

Cited By ~ 22

Author(s):

H. L. TUOMISTO ◽

J. HELENIUS

Keyword(s):

Greenhouse Gas ◽

Energy Input ◽

Ghg Emissions ◽

Raw Material ◽

Energy Output ◽

Published Data ◽

N2o Emissions ◽

Organic Farm ◽

Unit Energy ◽

Life Cycle Perspective

Biofuels have been promoted as a way to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, but it is questionable whether they indeed do so. The study compared energy and GHG balances of transport biofuels produced in Finnish conditions. Energy and GHG balances were calculated from a life cycle perspective for biogas when timothy-clover and reed canary grass silages and green manure of an organic farm were used as a raw material. The results were compared with published data on barley-based ethanol, rape methyl ester (biodiesel) and biowaste-based biogas. The energy input for biogas was 2237% of the output depending on the raw material. The GHG emissions from field-based biogas were 2136% of emissions from fossil-based fuels. The largest energy input was used in the processing of the biofuels while most of the greenhouse gases were emitted during farming. The GHG emissions of the field-based biogas were emitted mainly from fuels of farming machinery, nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions of the soil and the production of ensiling additives. The energy efficiency was most sensitive to the methane yield, and GHG emissions to the N2O emissions. Biogas had clearly lower energy input and GHG emissions per unit energy output than domestic barley-based ethanol and biodiesel.;

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