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

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

Agronomy ◽

10.3390/agronomy9080446 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 9 (8) ◽

pp. 446 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Simona Bosco ◽

Iride Volpi ◽

Daniele Antichi ◽

Giorgio Ragaglini ◽

Christian Frasconi

Keyword(s):

Greenhouse Gas ◽

Co2 Emissions ◽

Crop Rotation ◽

Plant Biomass ◽

Cropping Systems ◽

Ghg Emissions ◽

Agricultural Practices ◽

N2o Emissions ◽

Mediterranean Environment ◽

Foeniculum Vulgare

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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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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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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Effect of Biochar on Soil Greenhouse Gas Emissions at the Laboratory and Field Scales

Soil Systems ◽

10.3390/soilsystems3010008 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 3 (1) ◽

pp. 8 ◽

Cited By ~ 23

Author(s):

Rivka Fidel ◽

David Laird ◽

Timothy Parkin

Keyword(s):

Field Study ◽

Greenhouse Gas Emissions ◽

Greenhouse Gas ◽

Cropping Systems ◽

Cropping System ◽

N2o Emission ◽

N2o Emissions ◽

Gas Emissions ◽

Continuous Corn ◽

The Impact

Biochar application to soil has been proposed as a means for reducing soil greenhouse gas emissions and mitigating climate change. The effects, however, of interactions between biochar, moisture and temperature on soil CO2 and N2O emissions, remain poorly understood. Furthermore, the applicability of lab-scale observations to field conditions in diverse agroecosystems remains uncertain. Here we investigate the impact of a mixed wood gasification biochar on CO2 and N2O emissions from loess-derived soils using: (1) controlled laboratory incubations at three moisture (27, 31 and 35%) and three temperature (10, 20 and 30 °C) levels and (2) a field study with four cropping systems (continuous corn, switchgrass, low diversity grass mix and high diversity grass-forb mix). Biochar reduced N2O emissions under specific temperatures and moistures in the laboratory and in the continuous corn cropping system in the field. However, the effect of biochar on N2O emissions was only significant in the field and no effect on cumulative CO2 emissions was observed. Cropping system also had a significant effect in the field study, with soils in grass and grass-forb cropping systems emitting more CO2 and less N2O than corn cropping systems. Observed biochar effects were consistent with previous studies showing that biochar amendments can reduce soil N2O emissions under specific but not all, conditions. The disparity in N2O emission responses at the lab and field scales suggests that laboratory incubation experiments may not reliably predict the impact of biochar at the field scale.

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Towards a benchmarking tool for minimizing wastewater utility greenhouse gas footprints

Water Science & Technology ◽

10.2166/wst.2012.495 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 66 (11) ◽

pp. 2483-2495 ◽

Cited By ~ 26

Author(s):

L. Guo ◽

J. Porro ◽

K. R. Sharma ◽

Y. Amerlinck ◽

L. Benedetti ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Activated Sludge ◽

Greenhouse Gas ◽

Ghg Emissions ◽

Treatment Plant ◽

N2o Emission ◽

Mitigation Strategies ◽

N2o Emissions ◽

N2o Production ◽

Average Value ◽

And Control

A benchmark simulation model, which includes a wastewater treatment plant (WWTP)-wide model and a rising main sewer model, is proposed for testing mitigation strategies to reduce the system's greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The sewer model was run to predict methane emissions, and its output was used as the WWTP model input. An activated sludge model for GHG (ASMG) was used to describe nitrous oxide (N2O) generation and release in activated sludge process. N2O production through both heterotrophic and autotrophic pathways was included. Other GHG emissions were estimated using empirical relationships. Different scenarios were evaluated comparing GHG emissions, effluent quality and energy consumption. Aeration control played a clear role in N2O emissions, through concentrations and distributions of dissolved oxygen (DO) along the length of the bioreactor. The average value of N2O emission under dynamic influent cannot be simulated by a steady-state model subjected to a similar influent quality, stressing the importance of dynamic simulation and control. As the GHG models have yet to be validated, these results carry a degree of uncertainty; however, they fulfilled the objective of this study, i.e. to demonstrate the potential of a dynamic system-wide modelling and benchmarking approach for balancing water quality, operational costs and GHG emissions.

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Strategies to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions in intensively managed vegetable cropping systems in subtropical Australia

Soil Research ◽

10.1071/sr14355 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 53 (5) ◽

pp. 475 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

M. Rezaei Rashti ◽

W. J. Wang ◽

S. M. Harper ◽

P. W. Moody ◽

C. R. Chen ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Soil Moisture ◽

Greenhouse Gas ◽

Cropping Systems ◽

Pore Space ◽

Cropping System ◽

Mitigation Strategies ◽

Control Treatment ◽

N2o Emissions ◽

Application Rates ◽

Intensively Managed

The greenhouse gas fluxes and effective mitigation strategies in subtropical vegetable cropping systems remain unclear. In this field experiment, nitrous oxide (N2O) and methane (CH4) fluxes from an irrigated lettuce cropping system in subtropical Queensland, Australia, were measured using manual sampling chambers. Four treatments were included: Control (no fertiliser), U100 (100 kg N ha–1 as urea), U200 (200 kg N ha–1 as urea) and N100 (100 kg N ha–1 as nitrate-based fertilisers). The N fertilisers were applied in three splits and irrigation was delivered sparingly and frequently to keep soil moisture around the field capacity. The cumulative N2O emissions from the control, U100, U200 and N100 treatments over the 68-day cropping season were 30, 151, 206 and 68 g N2O-N ha–1, respectively. Methane emission and uptake were negligible. Using N2O emission from the Control treatment as the background emission, direct emission factors for U100, U200 and N100 treatments were 0.12%, 0.09% and 0.04% of applied fertiliser N, respectively. Soil ammonium (NH4+) concentration, instead of nitrate (NO3–) concentration, exhibited a significant correlation with N2O emissions at the site where the soil moisture was controlled within 50%–64% water-filled pore space. Furthermore, soil temperature rather than water content was the main regulating factor of N2O fluxes in the fertilised treatments. Fertiliser type and application rates had no significant effects on yield parameters. Partial N balance analysis indicated that approximately 80% and 52% of fertiliser N was recovered in plants and soil in the treatments receiving 100 kg N ha–1 and 200 kg N ha–1, respectively. Therefore, in combination with frequent and low-intensity irrigation and split application of fertiliser N, substitution of NO3–-based fertilisers for urea and reduction in fertiliser N application rates were considered promising mitigation strategies to maintain yield and minimise N2O emissions during the low rainfall season.

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Greenhouse gas emissions of Canadian beef production in 1981 as compared with 2011

Animal Production Science ◽

10.1071/an15386 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 56 (3) ◽

pp. 153 ◽

Cited By ~ 24

Author(s):

G. Legesse ◽

K. A. Beauchemin ◽

K. H. Ominski ◽

E. J. McGeough ◽

R. Kroebel ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Greenhouse Gas ◽

Crop Yields ◽

Average Daily Gain ◽

Ghg Emissions ◽

N2o Emissions ◽

Beef Production ◽

Slaughter Weight ◽

Ch4 Production ◽

Breeding Herd ◽

The Impact

The present study compared the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and breeding herd and land requirements of Canadian beef production in 1981 and 2011. In the analysis, temporal and regional differences in feed types, feeding systems, cattle categories, average daily gains and carcass weights were considered. Emissions were estimated using life-cycle assessment (cradle to farm gate), based primarily on Holos, a Canadian whole-farm emissions model. In 2011, beef production in Canada required only 71% of the breeding herd (i.e. cows, bulls, calves and replacement heifers) and 76% of the land needed to produce the same amount of liveweight for slaughter as in 1981. Compared with 1981, in 2011 the same amount of slaughter weight was produced, with a 14% decline in CH4 emissions, 15% decline in N2O emissions and a 12% decline in CO2 emissions from fossil fuel use. Enteric CH4 production accounted for 73% of total GHG emissions in both years. The estimated intensity of GHG emissions per kilogram of liveweight that left the farm was 14.0 kg CO2 equivalents for 1981 and 12.0 kg CO2 equivalents for 2011, a decline of 14%. A significant reduction in GHG intensity over the past three decades occurred as a result of increased average daily gain and slaughter weight, improved reproductive efficiency, reduced time to slaughter, increased crop yields and a shift towards high-grain diets that enabled cattle to be marketed at an earlier age. Future studies are necessary to examine the impact of beef production on other sustainability metrics, including water use, air quality, biodiversity and provision of ecosystems services.

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