Soil trace gas fluxes in living mulch and conventional agricultural systems

Peters, Samuel J. W.; Saikawa, Eri; Markewitz, Daniel; Sutter, Lori A.; Avramov, Alexander; Sanders, Zachary P.; Yosen, Benjamin; Wakabayashi, Ken; Andrews, Joshua S.; Hill, Nicholas S.

doi:10.1002/jeq2.20041

Cited by 9 publications

(22 citation statements)

References 59 publications

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“…The quality of trace gas fluxes data was checked by assessing the linearity of the mixing ratio increase inside the closed chamber. Only measurements with R 2 ≥ 0.7 were retained and used in the subsequent statistical analysis (Peters et al, 2020)…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The study site was located at the West Unit of the University of Georgia's J. Phil Campbell Sr. Resource and Education Center in Watkinsville, GA, USA. More details regarding the location of the research station can be found in Peters et al (2020). This site has been established for agricultural research since 1937 (Melancon, 2014).…”

Section: Site Description and Experimental Designmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Living mulch (LM) is a recently emerging intercrop system, using leguminous cover crops maintained throughout the whole growing season (Zemenchik et al, 2000;Andrews et al, 2018). There are also conflicting findings as to whether LM would increase or decrease N 2 O emissions (Gomes et al, 2009;Turner et al, 2016;Peters et al, 2020).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Based on the complexities of how the incorporation of different cover crops may influence three major GHGs, Peters et al (2020) conducted some experiments in 2016 and 2017 to explore these effects. From 2016 to 2017, trace gas fluxes (CO 2 and N 2 O) were measured in between-row (BWR) of maize in crimson clover (CC), cereal rye (CR), LM using white clover, and no cover crop (Tr) systems.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In their study, researchers used a portable infrared gas analyzer (IRGA, 6400XT, Li-Cor) for CO 2 and gas chromatography with mass spectrometry (GC-MS) for CO 2 and N 2 O. Peters et al (2020) found that LM showed both highest CO 2 and N 2 O fluxes in both 2016 and 2017 compared to other treatments. Moreover, significantly higher CO 2 fluxes were observed in BWR of maize, where clover was present, than IR of maize in the LM system in 2016.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Agricultural Greenhouse Gas Fluxes Under Different Cover Crop Systems

Wang¹,

Saikawa²,

Avramov³

et al. 2022

Front. Clim.

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Cultivated lands that support high productivity have the potential to produce a large amount of GHG emissions, including carbon dioxide (CO2), nitrous oxide (N2O), and methane (CH4). Intensive land management practices can stimulate CO2, N2O, and CH4 emissions from the soil. Cover crop establishment is considered as one of the sustainable land management strategies under warm and humid environmental conditions. To better understand how the incorporation of cover crops affect three major GHGs, we compared trace gas fluxes in a no-till maize field over the whole growing season in 2018 in a no cover crop (Tr) system and three cover crop systems: crimson clover (CC), cereal rye (CR), and living mulch (LM) using white clover. In 2019, we further explored potential differences in the three GHGs between in-row (IR) and between-row (BWR) of maize for LM and Tr systems during the early growing season. Measurements were taken using a cavity ring-down spectroscopy gas analyzer in Watkinsville, GA. In 2018, the highest CO2 flux (7.00 μmol m−2 s−1) was observed from BWR of maize for LM. The maximum N2O flux observed in LM on June 20th in 2018 was when soil N increase rate was the largest. Soils served as sinks for CH4 and Tr system served as the smallest CH4 sink compared to the other three cover crop systems. For N2O, the highest fluxes were observed from the TrIR plot (4.13 μmol m−2 hr−1) in 2019 with the greatest N inputs. In 2019, we observed a smaller CH4 sink in TrIR (−0.13 μmol m−2 hr−1) compared to TrBWR (−0.67 μmol m−2 hr−1) due potentially to greater NH4+ inhibition effects on CH4 consumption from greater N fertilizer inputs. The net carbon equivalent (CE) from May 23rd to Aug 16th in 2018, taking into account the three GHG fluxes, soil carbon content, and fertilizer, irrigation, and herbicide application, were 32–97, 35–101, 63–139, and 40–106 kg ha−1 yr−1 for CC, CR, LM, and Tr, respectively. LM had the lowest net CE after removing white clover respiration (−16–60 kg ha−1 yr−1). Our results show that implementing different types of cover crop systems and especially the LM system have some potential to mitigate climate change.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Site Description and Experimental Designmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 3 more Smart Citations

Agricultural Greenhouse Gas Fluxes Under Different Cover Crop Systems

Wang¹,

Saikawa²,

Avramov³

et al. 2022

Front. Clim.

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White clover living mulch enhances soil health vs. annual cover crops

et al. 2021

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Cover crops can improve soil health by increasing soil organic matter, soil porosity, permeability, and crop yield. Yet, land planted to cover crops are often limited by economic constraints. Perennial living mulch (LM) cover crops may provide better benefits to soil health because they are actively growing throughout the year and selfregenerate without reseeding. The objective of this study was to compare the impact of a white clover (Trifolium repens L.) LM vs. annual cover crops on soil health traits. Treatments were established on a Cecil sandy loam soil in the fall of 2014 and annual cover crop treatments re-established each fall of the following 3 yr. White clover re-established in the LM without reseeding. Corn (Zea mays L.) was planted into the treatments in the spring of each year. Soils were sampled at the V4/V5, V12, and R5 stages of corn development and analyzed for chemical traits. Surface soil characteristics were measured after corn harvest in 2018. Soils in the LM system had lower lime buffering capacity and greater pH, base saturation, cation exchange capacity (CEC), Ca, K 2 O, Mg, P 2 O 5 , and total organic C concentrations than other treatments. Soil NH 3 and NO 3 had seasonal fluctuations associated with mineral N fertilizer and were lower in the LM treatment. After 3 yr, the soil bulk density was lower and porosity, water infiltration, and labile C were greater in surface soils from the LM treatment than in the surface soils of the other treatments. Use of a perennial LM cover crops expedited soil health regeneration compared to other treatments.

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Cover cropping and conservation tillage improve soil health in the southeastern United States

2022

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Conservation agricultural systems have a long history of development and use in the southeastern United States, but they are still not the norm on the landscape. Literature from the region suggests that a diversity of soil properties can be improved with cover cropping and conservation tillage, but results are not always consistent. Our objectives were to (a) review recent research on conservation tillage and cover cropping in the region and (b) compile and synthesize recent data from a diversity of farms along a conventional to conservation gradient. As part of recent on‐farm trials focused on soil N availability, we analyzed soil organic C and N fractions and routine soil nutrient characteristics from a total of 196 fields in corn (Zea mays L.), wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), and barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) production in three physiographic regions of the Coastal Plain (n = 71 fields), Piedmont (n = 77 fields), and Appalachians (n = 48 fields) in North Carolina, South Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Virginia. These data allowed us to establish first estimates of threshold optima for soil organic C and N fractions and other inorganic nutrients. On‐farm data confirmed the literature review that conservation tillage resulted in greater stratification of soil organic C and N and nutrient concentrations. Soil health improvement could be inferred along the gradient from inversion tillage to no tillage without cover cropping to no tillage with cover cropping. This collection of recent literature and on‐farm data can be a useful starting point for establishing target limits and assessing soil health conditions on farms in the region.

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Soil trace gas fluxes in living mulch and conventional agricultural systems

Cited by 9 publications

References 59 publications

Agricultural Greenhouse Gas Fluxes Under Different Cover Crop Systems

Agricultural Greenhouse Gas Fluxes Under Different Cover Crop Systems

White clover living mulch enhances soil health vs. annual cover crops

Cover cropping and conservation tillage improve soil health in the southeastern United States

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