Greenhouse gas emissions, carbon stocks and productivity following organic amendments – comparison of impacts in non-saline and salt-affected soils

Abstract

Understanding the impact of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and carbon stock is crucial for effective climate change assessment and agroecosystem management. However, little is known about the effects of organic amendments on GHG emissions and dynamic changes in carbon stocks in salt-affected soils. To fill this research gap, we conducted a pot experiment with four treatments including control (without fertilization), biochar, vermicompost, and compost on non-saline and salt-affected soils, with the application on a carbon equivalent basis. Our results revealed that the addition of vermicompost significantly increased soil organic carbon content by 18% in non-saline soil and 52% in salt-affected soil compared to the control leading to improvements in crop productivity by 73% in non-saline soil and 53% in salt-affected soil. However, the highest carbon dioxide emissions were observed in vermicompost- and compost-treated soils, leading to an increase in emissions of 46% in non-saline soil and 74% in salt-affected soil compared to the control. The compost treatment resulted in the highest nitrous oxide emissions, with an increase of 57% in non-saline soil and 62% in salt-affected soil compared to the control. In saline and non-saline soils treated with vermicompost, the global warming potential was recorded as 267% and 81% more than the control, respectively. All treatments, except biochar in non-saline soil, showed increased net GHG emissions due to organic amendment application. However, biochar reduced net emissions by 12% in non-saline soil. The application of organic amendments increased soil organic carbon content and crop yield in both non-saline and salt-affected soils. In conclusion, biochar is most effective among all tested organic amendments at increasing soil organic carbon content in both normal and salt-affected soils, which could have potential benefits for soil health and crop production.