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No-till reduces global warming potential in a subtropical Ferralsol

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Abstract

Aims

For tropical and subtropical soils, information is scarce regarding the global warming potential (GWP) of no-till (NT) agriculture systems. Soil organic carbon (OC) sequestration is promoted by NT agriculture, but this may be offset by increased nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions. We assessed the GWP of a NT as compared to conventional tillage (CT) in a subtropical Brazilian Ferralsol.

Methods

From September 2008 to September 2009 we used static chambers and chromatographic analyses to assess N2O and methane (CH4) soil fluxes in an area previously used for 3–4 years as a field-experiment. The winter cover crop was ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum Lam.) while in summer it was silage maize (Zea mays L.).

Results

The accumulated N2O emission for NT was about half that of CT (1.26 vs 2.42 kg N ha−1 year−1, P = 0.06). Emission peaks for N2O occurred for a month after CT, presumably induced by mineralization of residual nitrogen. In both systems, the highest N2O flux occurred after sidedressing maize with inorganic nitrogen, although the flux was lower in NT than CT (132 vs 367 μg N m−2 h−1, P = 0.05), possibly because some of the sidedressed nitrogen was immobilized by ryegrass residues on the surface of the NT soil. Neither water-filled pore space (WFPS) nor inorganic nitrogen (NH +4 and NO −3 ) correlated with N2O fluxes, although at some specific periods relationships were observed with inorganic nitrogen. Soils subjected to CT or NT both acted as CH4 sinks during most of the experiment, although a CH4 peak in May (autumn) led to overall CH4 emissions of 1.15 kg CH4-C ha−1 year−1 for CT and 1.08 kg CH4-C ha−1 year−1 for NT (P = 0.90). The OC stock in the 0–20 cm soil layer was slightly higher for NT than for CT (67.20 vs 66.49 Mg ha−1, P = 0.36). In the 0–100 cm layer, the OC stock was significantly higher for NT as compared to CT (234.61 vs 231.95 Mg ha−1, P = 0.01), indicating that NT resulted in the sequestration of OC at a rate of 0.76 Mg ha−1 year−1. The CO2 equivalent cost of agronomic practices was similar for CT (1.72 Mg CO2eq ha−1 year−1) and NT (1.62 Mg CO2eq ha−1 year−1). However, NT reduced the GWP relative to CT (−0.55 vs 2.90 Mg CO2eq ha−1 year−1), with the difference of −3.45 Mg CO2eq ha−1 year−1 (negative value implies mitigation) being driven mainly by OC sequestration. The greenhouse gas intensity (GHGI, equivalent to GWP/silage yield) was lower for NT than CT (−31.7 vs 171.1 kg CO2eq Mg−1 for silage maize).

Conclusion

As compared to CT, greenhouse gas emissions from a subtropical soil can be mitigated by NT by lowering N2O emissions and, principally, sequestration of CO2-C.

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Acknowledgments

The authors thank CNPq (National Council of Scientific and Technological Development), for providing financial support to the study (Grants Universal 476613/2009-4, Universal 478000/2009-0 and Repensa 555563/2010-3) and scholarships to J.T.P. (MSc), J.D. (PQ), C.B. (PQ), A.M. (PQ), M.T. (Post-Doc) and M.P. (IC); and Luis Carlos Costa, for helping in field activities.

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Author notes

  1. Volnei Pauletti

    Present address: Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciência do Solo & Departamento de Solos e Engenharia Agrícola, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Rua dos Funcionários 1540, 80035-050, Curitiba, PR, Brazil

  2. Jonatas Thiago Piva

    Present address: Programa de Pós-Graduação em Agronomia (Produção Vegetal), Universidade Federal do Paraná, 80035-050, Curitiba, PR, Brazil

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciência do Solo & Departamento de Solos e Engenharia Agrícola, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Rua dos Funcionários 1540, 80035-050, Curitiba, PR, Brazil

    Jonatas Thiago Piva, Jeferson Dieckow & Maico Pergher

  2. Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciência do Solo & Departamento de Solos, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, 91501-970, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil

    Cimélio Bayer

  3. Centro Nacional de Pesquisa em Floresta, Empresa Brasileira de Pesquisa Agropecuária, 83411-000, Colombo, PR, Brazil

    Josiléia Acordi Zanatta

  4. Programa de Pós-Graduação em Agronomia (Produção Vegetal) & Departamento de Fitotecnia e Fitosanitarismo, Universidade Federal do Paraná, 80035-050, Curitiba, PR, Brazil

    Anibal de Moraes

  5. Fundação ABC para Assistência e Divulgação Técnica Agropecuária, 84166-990, Castro, PR, Brazil

    Volnei Pauletti

  6. Centro de Pesquisa Agropecuária Oeste, Empresa Brasileira de Pesquisa Agropecuária, 79804-970, Dourados, MS, Brazil

    Michely Tomazi

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  1. Jonatas Thiago Piva
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Correspondence to Jeferson Dieckow.

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Piva, J.T., Dieckow, J., Bayer, C. et al. No-till reduces global warming potential in a subtropical Ferralsol. Plant Soil 361, 359–373 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-012-1244-1

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