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Assessment of carbon sustainability under different tillage systems in a double rice cropping system in Southern China

  • CARBON FOOTPRINTING
  • Published:
The International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

Adoption of the carbon (C)-friendly and cleaner technology is an effective solution to offset some of the anthropogenic emissions. Conservation tillage is widely considered as an important sustainable technology and for the development of conservation agriculture (CA). Thus, the objective of this study was to assess the C sustainability of different tillage systems in a double rice (Oryza sativa L.) cropping system in southern China.

Methods

The experiment was established with no-till (NT), rotary tillage (RT), and conventional tillage (CT) treatments since 2005. Emission of greenhouse gasses (GHG), C footprint (CF), and ecosystem service through C sequestration in different tillage systems were compared.

Result and discussion

Emission of GHG from agricultural inputs (Mg CO2-eq ha−1 year−1) ranged from 1.81 to 1.97 for the early rice, 1.82 to 1.98 for the late rice, and 3.63 to 3.95 for the whole growing season, respectively. The CF (kg CO2-eq kg−1 of rice year−1) in the whole growing seasons were 1.27, 1.85, and 1.40 [excluding soil organic carbon (SOC) storage] and 0.54, 1.20, and 0.72 (including SOC storage) for NT, RT, and CT, respectively. The value of ecosystem services on C sequestration for the whole growing seasons ranged from ¥3,353 to 4,948 ha−1 year−1 and followed the order of NT > CT > RT. The C sustainability under NT was better than that under RT for the late, but reversed for the early rice. However, NT system had better C sustainability for the whole cropping system compared with CT.

Conclusions

Therefore, NT is a preferred technology to reduce GHG emissions, increase ecosystem service functions of C sequestration, and improve C sustainability in a double rice cropping region of Southern China.

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Acknowledgments

This research was funded by Special Fund for Agro-scientific Research in the Public Interest in China (201103001) and Program for New Century Excellent Talents in University (NECT-13-0567). We would like to express our utmost appreciation to the Soil and Fertilizer Station of Ningxiang County, Hunan Province, and the Carbon Management and Sequestration Center, The Ohio State University, for logistical support.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, Key Laboratory of Farming System, Ministry of Agriculture, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China

    Jian-Fu Xue, Sheng-Li Liu, Zhong-Du Chen, Fu Chen & Hai-Lin Zhang

  2. Carbon Management and Sequestration Center, School of Environment and Natural Resources, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA

    Rattan Lal

  3. Hunan Soil and Fertilizer Institute, Changsha, 410125, China

    Hai-Ming Tang

Authors
  1. Jian-Fu Xue
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  2. Sheng-Li Liu
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  3. Zhong-Du Chen
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  4. Fu Chen
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  5. Rattan Lal
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  6. Hai-Ming Tang
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  7. Hai-Lin Zhang
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Correspondence to Hai-Lin Zhang.

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Responsible editor: Thomas Jan Nemecek

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Xue, JF., Liu, SL., Chen, ZD. et al. Assessment of carbon sustainability under different tillage systems in a double rice cropping system in Southern China. Int J Life Cycle Assess 19, 1581–1592 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11367-014-0768-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11367-014-0768-4

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