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Greenhouse Gas Emissions in Agroecosystems

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A special issue of Agriculture (ISSN 2077-0472).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 October 2019) | Viewed by 37900

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Prof. Dr. Ryusuke Hatano

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Guest Editor

Research Faculty of Agriculture, Hokkaido University, Sapporo 060-8589, Japan
Interests: organic matter management to enable soil carbon storage and improved crop productivity; appropriate land use management of peatlands
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Dr. Yo Toma

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Guest Editor

Research Faculty of Agriculture, Hokkaido University, Hokkaido, Japan
Interests: nutrient cycling; bioresource; plant production; carbon sequestration; organic matter decomposition; greenhouse gas emission; global warming; climate change; organic farming
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Agroecosystems are sources and sinks of greenhouse gases (GHGs), such as CO2, CH4 and N2O. The main pathways for GHG emissions are gas exchange between the plant–soil ecosystem and the atmosphere (direct emission), and emissions through tile drainage and surface runoff to water bodies (indirect emission). Therefore, GHG emissions are governed by plant growth and microbial activities and are influenced by climate factors (precipitation and temperature) and soil environmental factors (soil moisture and soil temperature). Agricultural management practices, such as fertilization, tillage, sowing, harvesting, irrigation and drainage, organic matter management, such as manure application and residue burning and incorporation into soil greatly influence GHG emissions. Land use change markedly changes GHG emissions and also has a great influence on soil carbon stock.

Agriculture and forestry is strongly affected by climate zones and soil types. Therefore, data of GHG emissions measured at actual fields are valuable. The results of examining the differences in soil management, such as fertilization, organic matter management, irrigation and drainage, and so on, will be helpful, not only for the relevant area, but also for the development of technology in different areas. Furthermore, there is little data on indirect GHG emissions, and the elucidation of these mechanisms is also necessary to develop mitigation techniques.

We would like to invite all of you studying GHG emissions in agroecosystems, in different countries and regions, to contribute your papers to this Special Issue.

Prof. Ryusuke Hatano
Dr. Yo Toma
Guest Editors

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Keywords

Greenhouse gas emissions
CO₂, CH₄ and N₂O
Climate and soil environmental factors
Land use and land use change
Agricultural management practices
Soil carbon sequestration

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Published Papers (7 papers)

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Research

17 pages, 1780 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Cut Grasslands Renovated with Full Inversion Tillage, Shallow Tillage, and Use of a Tine Drill in Nasu, Japan

by Akinori Mori

Agriculture 2020, 10(2), 31; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture10020031 - 24 Jan 2020

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 3536

Abstract

To restore the productivity of a deteriorated sward due to weed invasion, renovation (re-sowing) is necessary. However, the renovation method used can affect the sward’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and herbage yield. This study compared the effects of renovation using full inversion tillage (F), shallow tillage (S), or a tine drill (T) on the GHG emissions and herbage yield of a grassland in Nasu, Japan. Two adjacent grasslands were renovated in September 2015 (year 1) and 2016 (year 2). In each year, F, S, and T plots (5 m × 20 m each) were arranged in a randomized complete block design with four replications and then orchardgrass (Dactylis glomerata L.) was seeded. All plots received 40 kg-N ha⁻¹ for renovation and 190 kg-N ha⁻¹ y⁻¹ the following year. Carbon balance (i.e., the difference between C input through crop residue and C output through heterotrophic respiration), methane (CH₄) and nitrous oxide (N₂O) emissions, and herbage yield were measured over a period of 411 or 412 days. Cumulative N₂O emissions were significantly smaller from F and S plots than from T plots, however, there was no significant difference in the sum of GHG emissions (i.e., C balance plus cumulative CH₄ and N₂O emissions) among F, S, and T plots. The cumulative total herbage yields of the F, S, and T plots did not differ significantly from each other. Consequently, the GHG intensity—i.e., the sum of GHG emissions per cumulative total herbage yield—was not significantly different among the F, S, and T plots. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Greenhouse Gas Emissions in Agroecosystems)

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12 pages, 1506 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Soil Respiration Dynamics in Bromus erectus-Dominated Grasslands under Different Management Intensities

by Matteo Francioni, Laura Trozzo, Marco Toderi, Nora Baldoni, Marina Allegrezza, Giulio Tesei, Ayaka Wenhong Kishimoto-Mo, Lucia Foresi, Rodolfo Santilocchi and Paride D’Ottavio

Agriculture 2020, 10(1), 9; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture10010009 - 30 Dec 2019

Cited by 13 | Viewed by 3500

Abstract

Reduction of soil greenhouse gas emissions is crucial to control increases in atmospheric CO₂ concentrations. Permanent grasslands are of considerable importance in climate change mitigation strategies as they cover about 13% of the global agricultural area. However, uncertainties remain for the effects of management practices on soil respiration, especially over the short term. This study investigated the influence of different mowing intensities on soil respiration over the short term for Bromus erectus-dominated grasslands in the central Apennines. From 2016 to 2018, soil respiration, temperature, and moisture were measured under three different management systems: customary management, intensive use, and abandonment. Both soil water content and temperature changed over time, however mowing did not affect soil water content while occasionally altered soil temperature. The intensive use promoted higher seasonal mean soil respiration compared to the abandonment only during the 2016 growing season. Soil temperature was the main driver of soil respiration above a soil water content threshold that varied little among treatments (18.23–22.71%). Below the thresholds, soil moisture was the main driver of soil respiration. These data suggest that different mowing regimes have little influence on soil respiration over the short term in Bromus erectus-dominated grasslands. Thus, more intensive use would not have significative impacts on soil respiration, at least over the short term. Future studies need to clarify the role of root mycorrhizal and microbial respiration in the light of climate change, considering the seasonal redistribution of the rainfall. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Greenhouse Gas Emissions in Agroecosystems)

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18 pages, 1414 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Carbon Sequestration and Contribution of CO₂, CH₄ and N₂O Fluxes to Global Warming Potential from Paddy-Fallow Fields on Mineral Soil Beneath Peat in Central Hokkaido, Japan

by Habib Mohammad Naser, Osamu Nagata, Sarmin Sultana and Ryusuke Hatano

Agriculture 2020, 10(1), 6; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture10010006 - 27 Dec 2019

Cited by 21 | Viewed by 8114

Abstract

Since each greenhouse gas (GHG) has its own radiative capacity, all three gasses (CO₂, CH₄ and N₂O) must be accounted for by calculating the net global warming potential (GWP) in a crop production system. To compare the impact of GHG fluxes from the rice growing and the fallow season on the annual gas fluxes, and their contribution to the GWP and carbon sequestration (CS) were evaluated. From May to April in Bibai (43°18′ N, 141°44′ E), in central Hokkaido, Japan, three rice paddy fields under actual management conditions were investigated to determine CS and the contribution of carbon dioxide (CO₂), methane (CH₄) and nitrous oxide (N₂O) fluxes to GWP. Methane and N₂O fluxes were measured by placing the chamber over the rice plants covering four hills and CO₂ fluxes from rice plants root free space in paddy fields were taken as an indicator of soil microbial respiration (R_m) using the closed chamber method. Soil CS was calculated as the difference between net primary production (NPP) and loss of carbon (C) through R_m, emission of CH₄ and harvest of crop C. Annual cumulative R_m ranged from 422 to 519 g C m⁻² yr⁻¹; which accounted for 54.7 to 55.5% of the rice growing season in particular. Annual cumulative CH₄ emissions ranged from 75.5 to 116 g C m⁻² yr⁻¹ and this contribution occurred entirely during the rice growing period. Total cumulative N₂O emissions ranged from 0.091 to 0.154 g N m⁻² yr⁻¹ and from 73.5 to 81.3% of the total N₂O emissions recorded during the winter-fallow season. The CS ranged from −305 to −365 g C m⁻² yr⁻¹, suggesting that C input by NPP may not be compensate for the loss of soil C. The loss of C in the winter-fallow season was much higher (62 to 66%) than in the growing season. The annual net GWP from the investigated paddy fields ranged from 3823 to 5016 g CO₂ equivalent m⁻² yr⁻¹. Annual GWP_CH4 accounted for 71.9 to 86.1% of the annual net GWP predominantly from the rice growing period. These results indicate that CH₄ dominated the net GWP of the rice paddy. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Greenhouse Gas Emissions in Agroecosystems)

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18 pages, 2422 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Soil N₂O Emissions under Different N Rates in an Oil Palm Plantation on Tropical Peatland

by Auldry Chaddy, Lulie Melling, Kiwamu Ishikura and Ryusuke Hatano

Agriculture 2019, 9(10), 213; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture9100213 - 1 Oct 2019

Cited by 16 | Viewed by 5164

Abstract

(1) Background: Nitrogen (N) fertilization on drained tropical peatland will likely stimulate peat decomposition and mineralization, enhancing N₂O emission from the peat soil. (2) Methods: A field experiment was conducted to quantify the N₂O emissions from soil in an oil palm plantation (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.) located in a tropical peatland in Sarawak, Malaysia, under different rates of N fertilizers. The study was conducted from January 2010 to December 2013 and resumed from January 2016 to December 2017. Nitrous oxide (N₂O) flux was measured every month using a closed chamber method for four different N rates; control—without N (T1), 31.1 kg N ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹ (T2), 62.2 kg N ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹ (T3), and 124.3 kg N ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹ (T4); (3) Results: Application of the N fertilizer significantly increased annual cumulative N₂O emissions for T4 only in the years 2010 (p = 0.017), 2011 (p = 0.012), 2012 (p = 0.007), and 2016 (p = 0.048). The highest average annual cumulative N₂O emissions were recorded for T4 (41.5 ± 28.7 kg N ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹), followed by T3 (35.1 ± 25.7 kg N ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹), T1 (25.2 ± 17.8 kg N ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹), and T2 (25.1 ± 15.4 kg N ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹), indicating that the N rates of 62.2 kg N ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹ and 124.3 kg N ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹ increased the average annual cumulative N₂O emissions by 39% and 65%, respectively, as compared to the control. The N fertilization had no significant effect on annual oil palm yield (p = 0.994). Alternating between low (deeper than −60 cm) and high groundwater level (GWL) (shallower than −60 cm) enhanced nitrification during low GWL, further supplying NO₃⁻ for denitrification in the high GWL, and contributing to higher N₂O emissions in high GWL. The emissions of N₂O ranged from 17 µg N m⁻² hr⁻¹ to 2447 µg N m⁻² hr⁻¹ and decreased when the water-filled pore space (WFPS) was between 70% and 96%, suggesting the occurrence of complete denitrification. A positive correlation between N₂O emissions and NO₃⁻ at 70–96% WFPS indicated that denitrification increased with increased NO₃⁻ availability. Based on their standardized regression coefficients, the effect of GWL on N₂O emissions increased with increased N rate (p < 0.001). Furthermore, it was found that annual oil palm yields negatively correlated with annual N₂O emission and NO₃⁻ for all treatments. Both nitrification and denitrification increased with increased N availability, making both processes important sources of N₂O in oil palm cultivation on tropical peatland.; and (4) Conclusions: To improve understanding of N₂O mitigation strategies, further studies should consider plant N uptake on N₂O emissions, at least until the completion of the planting. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Greenhouse Gas Emissions in Agroecosystems)

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12 pages, 2206 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Seasonal Soil Respiration Dynamics and Carbon-Stock Variations in Mountain Permanent Grasslands Compared to Arable Lands

by Matteo Francioni, Paride D’Ottavio, Roberto Lai, Laura Trozzo, Katarina Budimir, Lucia Foresi, Ayaka Wenhong Kishimoto-Mo, Nora Baldoni, Marina Allegrezza, Giulio Tesei and Marco Toderi

Agriculture 2019, 9(8), 165; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture9080165 - 27 Jul 2019

Cited by 10 | Viewed by 4445

Abstract

Permanent grasslands provide a wide array of ecosystem services. Despite this, few studies have investigated grassland carbon (C) dynamics, and especially those related to the effects of land-use changes. This study aimed to determine whether the land-use change from permanent grassland to arable lands resulted in variations in the soil C stock, and whether such variations were due to increased soil respiration or to management practices. To address this, seasonal variations of soil respiration, sensitivity of soil respiration to soil temperature (Q₁₀), and soil C stock variations generated by land-use changes were analyzed in a temperate mountain area of central Italy. The comparisons were performed for a permanent grassland and two adjacent fields, one cultivated with lentil and the other with emmer, during the 2015 crop year. Soil respiration and its heterotrophic component showed different spatial and temporal dynamics. Annual cumulative soil respiration rates were 6.05, 5.05 and 3.99 t C ha⁻¹ year⁻¹ for grassland, lentil and emmer, respectively. Both soil respiration and heterotrophic soil respiration were positively correlated with soil temperature at 10 cm depth. Derived Q₁₀ values were from 2.23 to 6.05 for soil respiration, and from 1.82 to 4.06 for heterotrophic respiration. Soil C stock at over 0.2 m in depth was 93.56, 48.74 and 46.80 t C ha⁻¹ for grassland, lentil and emmer, respectively. The land-use changes from permanent grassland to arable land lead to depletion in terms of the soil C stock due to water soil erosion. A more general evaluation appears necessary to determine the multiple effects of this land-use change at the landscape scale. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Greenhouse Gas Emissions in Agroecosystems)

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17 pages, 1391 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effects of Green Manure Application and Prolonging Mid-Season Drainage on Greenhouse Gas Emission from Paddy Fields in Ehime, Southwestern Japan

by Yo Toma, Nukhak Nufita Sari, Koh Akamatsu, Shingo Oomori, Osamu Nagata, Seiichi Nishimura, Benito H. Purwanto and Hideto Ueno

Agriculture 2019, 9(2), 29; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture9020029 - 1 Feb 2019

Cited by 24 | Viewed by 6763

Abstract

Green manure application helps maintain soil fertility, reduce chemical fertilizer use, and carbon sequestration in the soil. Nevertheless, the application of organic matter in paddy fields induces CH₄ and N₂O emissions. Prolonging mid-season drainage reduces CH₄ emissions in paddy fields. Therefore, the combined effects of green manure application and mid-season drainage prolongation on net greenhouse gas emission (NGHGE) were investigated. Four experimental treatments were set up over a 2-year period: conventional mid-season drainage with (CMG) and without (CM) green manure and prolonged (4 or 7 days) mid-season drainage with (PMG) and without (PM) green manure. Astragalus sinicus L. seeds were sown in autumn and incorporated before rice cultivation. No significant difference in annual CH₄ and N₂O emissions, heterotrophic respiration, and NGHGE between treatments were observed, indicating that green manure application and mid-season drainage prolongation did not influence NGHGE. CH₄ flux decreased drastically in PM and PMG during mid-season drainage under the hot and dry weather conditions. However, increasing applied carbon increases NGHGE because of increased CH₄ and Rh. Consequently, combination practice of mid-season drainage prolongation and green manure utilization can be acceptable without changing NGHGE while maintaining grain yield in rice paddy fields under organically managed rice paddy fields. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Greenhouse Gas Emissions in Agroecosystems)

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14 pages, 441 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Assessing the Environmental Efficiency of Greek Dairy Sheep Farms: GHG Emissions and Mitigation Potential

by Alexandra Sintori, Angelos Liontakis and Irene Tzouramani

Agriculture 2019, 9(2), 28; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture9020028 - 1 Feb 2019

Cited by 13 | Viewed by 4607

Abstract

One of the main ecological challenges that agricultural and especially livestock production systems face is the adoption of management practices that encourage the mitigation of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, while maintaining their production level. According to the relevant literature, the potential for GHG reduction lies mainly in greater efficiency in meat and dairy production, which suggests that the ecological modernization of livestock farms follows the efficiency/substitution pathway. This study aims to investigate the above assumption and explore the link between the technical efficiency (TE) and environmental efficiency (EE) of livestock farms using data envelopment analysis (DEA). The analysis focuses on dairy sheep farming, since the activity is important for the Greek rural economy while at the same time responsible for half of the country’s agricultural methane emissions. Results indicate that the correlation between technical and environmental efficiency of sheep farms is significant. Environmental efficiency is affected by farm size, specialization and production orientation. Feeding practices, like the ratio of concentrates to forage, also appear to have a positive effect on environmental efficiency. On the other hand, experienced farmers tend to have lower environmental efficiency, which may indicate their reluctance to adopt modern farming practices. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Greenhouse Gas Emissions in Agroecosystems)

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