Long-term effects of cropping system on N₂O emission potential

TY - JOUR

T1 - Long-term effects of cropping system on N2O emission potential

AU - Petersen, Soren O.

AU - Ambus, Per Lennart

AU - Elsgaard, Lars

AU - Schjonning, Per

AU - Olesen, Jorgen E.

PY - 2013/2/1

Y1 - 2013/2/1

N2 - The potential for N2O emissions outside the main growing season may be influenced by long-term effects of cropping system. This was investigated by collecting intact soil cores (100 cm3, 0-4 cm depth) under winter wheat in three organic cropping systems and a conventional reference within a long-term crop rotation experiment. Average annual inputs of C in crop residues and manure ranged from 1.7 to 3.3 Mg ha-1. A simulated freeze-thaw cycle resulted in a flush of CO2 during the first 48 h, which could be mainly from microbial sources. Other samples were adjusted to approximately -10, -30 or -100 hPa and amended with excess 15NO3- prior to freezing and thawing. Denitrification was the main source of N2O during a 72-h incubation at 22 °C, as judged from N2O and total 15N evolution. Although the input of C in the conventionally managed cropping system was significantly less than in the organic cropping systems, it showed higher N2O evolution at all three matric potentials. Estimates of relative gas diffusivity (DP/D0) in soil from the four cropping systems indicated that C input affected soil aeration. Soil from the two cropping systems with highest C input showed N2O evolution at DP/D0 in excess of 0.02, which is normally considered a threshold for development of anaerobic sites in the soil, presumably because the oxygen demand was also high. The study shows that cropping system affects both soil gas diffusivity and C availability, and that both characteristics significantly influence the N2O emission potential.

AB - The potential for N2O emissions outside the main growing season may be influenced by long-term effects of cropping system. This was investigated by collecting intact soil cores (100 cm3, 0-4 cm depth) under winter wheat in three organic cropping systems and a conventional reference within a long-term crop rotation experiment. Average annual inputs of C in crop residues and manure ranged from 1.7 to 3.3 Mg ha-1. A simulated freeze-thaw cycle resulted in a flush of CO2 during the first 48 h, which could be mainly from microbial sources. Other samples were adjusted to approximately -10, -30 or -100 hPa and amended with excess 15NO3- prior to freezing and thawing. Denitrification was the main source of N2O during a 72-h incubation at 22 °C, as judged from N2O and total 15N evolution. Although the input of C in the conventionally managed cropping system was significantly less than in the organic cropping systems, it showed higher N2O evolution at all three matric potentials. Estimates of relative gas diffusivity (DP/D0) in soil from the four cropping systems indicated that C input affected soil aeration. Soil from the two cropping systems with highest C input showed N2O evolution at DP/D0 in excess of 0.02, which is normally considered a threshold for development of anaerobic sites in the soil, presumably because the oxygen demand was also high. The study shows that cropping system affects both soil gas diffusivity and C availability, and that both characteristics significantly influence the N2O emission potential.

U2 - 10.1016/j.soilbio.2012.08.032

DO - 10.1016/j.soilbio.2012.08.032

M3 - Journal article

SN - 0038-0717

VL - 57

SP - 706

EP - 712

JO - Soil Biology & Biochemistry

JF - Soil Biology & Biochemistry

ER -