Abstract
Background and aims
The use of summer cover crops (SCCs) as residue inputs in agricultural systems can lead to a potential environmental trade-off between the amount C and N retained and the emission of N as the potent greenhouse gas, nitrous oxide (N2O). Our objectives were to relate N2O fluxes to the quality of SCCs residues and to select SCCs species with high C and N addition and low N2O emissions.
Methods
We measured SCC biomass production and N2O fluxes after SCCs termination – velvet bean, pearl millet, dwarf pigeonpea, sunn hemp, showy rattlebox and jack bean - under subtropical no-till conditions.
Results
The N2O fluxes in the first 30 days after SCCs termination corresponded to 65% of cumulative N2O emissions measured during 165 days in 2010 and 150 days in 2011. The cumulative N2O emissions varied from 0.46 to 1.38 kg N ha-1 and were not proportional to aboveground biomass N addition. Cumulative N2O emissions were positively correlated to water-soluble C and N and the N content of crop residues and negatively correlated to cellulose and hemicellulose content. The N2O emission factor values varied from 0.24 to 0.64% and did not differ among SCCs.
Conclusions
Sunn hemp and dwarf pigeonpea are the most suitable species for inclusion in crop systems because they combined high C and N input and low N2O emissions.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Aita C, Schirmann J, Pujol SB, Giacomini SJ, Rochette P, Angers DA, Chantigny MH, Gonzatto R, Giacomini DA, Doneda A (2015) Reducing nitrous oxide emissions from a maize-wheat sequence by decreasing soil nitrate concentration: effects of split application of pig slurry and dicyandiamide. Eur J Soil Sci 66:359–368. https://doi.org/10.1111/ejss.12181
Amado TJC, Bayer C, Conceição PC, Spagnollo E, de Campos B-HC, da Veiga M (2006) Potential of carbon accumulation in no-till soils with intensive use and cover crops in southern Brazil. J Environ Qual 35:1599–1607. https://doi.org/10.2134/jeq2005.0233
Baggs E, Stevenson M, Pihlatie M, Regar A, Cook H, Cadish G (2003) Nitrous oxide emissions following application of residues and fertiliser under zero and conventional tillage. Plant Soil 254:361–370. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:102559312
Baggs E, Chebii J, Ndufa J (2006) A short-term investigation of trace gas emissions following tillage and no-tillage of agroforestry residues in western Kenya. Soil Tillage Res 90:69–76. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.still.2005.08.006
Basche AD, Miguez FE, Kaspar TC, Castellano MJ (2014) Do cover crops increase or decrease nitrous oxide emissions? A meta-analysis. J Soil Water Conserv 69:471–482. https://doi.org/10.2489/jswc.69.6.471
Bateman EJ, Baggs EM (2005) Contributions of nitrification and denitrification to N2O emissions from soils at different water-filled pore space. Biol Fertil Soils 41:379–388. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00374-005-0858-3
Bayer C, Dieckow J, Amado TJC, Eltz FLF, Vieira FCB (2009) Cover crop effects increasing carbon storage in a subtropical no-till Sandy Acrisol. Commun Soil Sci Plant Anal 40:1499–1511. https://doi.org/10.1080/00103620902820365
Bayer C, Gomes J, Zanatta JA, Vieira FCB, Piccolo MC, Dieckow J, Six J (2015) Soil nitrous oxide emissions as affected by long-term tillage, cropping systems and nitrogen fertilization in southern Brazil. Soil Tillage Res 146:213–222. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.still.2014.10.011
Blanco-Canqui H, Claassen MM, Presley DR (2012) Summer cover crops fix nitrogen, increase crop yield, and improve soil–crop relationships. Agron J 104:137–147. https://doi.org/10.2134/agronj2011.0240
Bouwman AF (1998) Nitrogen oxides and tropical agriculture. Nature 392(6679):866–867
Bremner JM, Mulvaney CS (1982) Nitrogen-Total. In: Page AL (ed) Methods of soil analysis. Part 2. ASA and SSSA, Madison, pp 595–624. https://doi.org/10.2134/agronmonogr9.2.2ed.c31
Büchi L, Wendling M, Amossé C, Necpalova M, Charles R (2018) Importance of cover crops in alleviating negative effects of reduced soil tillage and promoting soil fertility in a winter wheat cropping system. Agric Ecosyst Environ 256:92–104. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agee.2018.01.005
Chen H, Li X, Hu F, Shi W (2013) Soil nitrous oxide emissions following crop residue addition: a meta-analysis. Glob Chang Biol 19:2956–2964. https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.12274
Davidson EA, Keller M, Erickson HE, Verchot LV, Veldkamp E (2000) Testing a conceptual model of soil emissions of nitrous and nitric oxides: using two functions based on soil nitrogen availability and soil water content, the hole-in-the-pipe model characterizes a large fraction of the observed variation of nitric oxide and nitrous oxide emissions from soils. Bioscience 50:667–680. https://doi.org/10.1641/0006-3568(2000)050[0667:TACMOS]2.0.CO;2
Derpsch R, Franzluebbers AJ, Duiker SW, Reicosky DC, Koeller K, Friedrich T, Sturny WG, Sá JCM, Weiss K (2014) Why do we need to standardize no-tillage research? Soil Tillage Res 137:16–22. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.still.2013.10.002
Frimpong KA, Baggs EM (2010) Do combined applications of crop residues and inorganic fertilizer lower emission of N2O from soil? Soil Use Manag 26:412–424. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1475-2743.2010.00293.x
Gomes J, Bayer C, Costa FD, Piccolo MD, Zanatta JA, Vieira FCB, Six J (2009) Soil nitrous oxide emissions in long-term cover crops-based rotations under subtropical climate. Soil Tillage Res 106:36–44. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.still.2009.10.001
Huang Y, Zou J, Zheng X, Wang Y, Xu X (2004) Nitrous oxide emissions as influenced by amendment of plant residues with different C:N ratios. Soil Biol Biochem 36:973–981. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.soilbio.2004.02.009
Hutchinson GL, Livingston GP (2002) Soil-atmosphere gas exchange. In: Dane JH, Topp GC (eds) Methods of soil analysis. Part 4. SSSA Book Ser. 5. SSSA, Madison, pp 1159–1182
IPCC (2014) Climate change 2014: contribution of working groups I, II and III to the fifth assessment report of the intergovernmental panel on climate change. In: Team CW, Pachauri RK, Meyer LA (eds) Climate change 2014 synthesis report. IPCC, Geneva, Switzerland, Cambridge and New York, p 151
Jabloun M, Schelde K, Tao F, Olesen JE (2015) Effect of temperature and precipitation on nitrate leaching from organic cereal cropping systems in Denmark. Eur J Agron 62:55–64. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eja.2014.09.007
Jantalia C, dos Santos H, Urquiaga S, Boddey R, Alves BR (2008) Fluxes of nitrous oxide from soil under different crop rotations and tillage systems in the south of Brazil. Nutr Cycl Agroecosyst 82:161–173. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10705-008-9178-y
Jensen LS, Salo T, Palmason F, Breland TA, Henriksen TM, Stenberg B, Pedersen A, Lundström C, Esala M (2005) Influence of biochemical quality on C and N mineralisation from a broad variety of plant materials in soil. Plant Soil 273:307–326. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-004-8128-y
Keeney DR, Nelson DW (1982) Nitrogen in inorganic forms. In: Page AL (ed) Methods of soil analysis, part 2. ASA and SSSA, Madison, pp 643–698
Mahama GY, Vara Prasad PV, Roozeboom KL, Nippert JB, Rice CW (2016) Response of maize to cover crops, fertilizer nitrogen rates, and economic return. Agron J 108:17–31. https://doi.org/10.2134/agronj15.0136
Millar N, Baggs E (2004) Chemical composition, or quality, of agroforestry residues influences N2O emissions after their addition to soil. Soil Biol Biochem 36:935–943. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.soilbio.2004.02.008
Millar N, Baggs EM (2005) Relationships between N2O emissions and water-soluble C and N contents of agroforestry residues after their addition to soil. Soil Biol Biochem 37:605–608. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.soilbio.2004.08.016
Miller MN, Zebarth BJ, Dandie CE, Burton DL, Goyer C, Trevors JT (2008) Crop residue influence on denitrification, N2O emissions and denitrifier community abundance in soil. Soil Biol Biochem 40:2553–2562. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.soilbio.2008.06.024
Mitchell DC, Castellano MJ, Sawyer JE, Pantoja J (2013) Cover crop effects on nitrous oxide emissions: role of mineralizable carbon. Soil Sci Soc Am J 77:1765–1773. https://doi.org/10.2136/sssaj2013.02.0074
Mosier AR (1989) Chamber and isotope techniques. In: Andreae MO, Schimel DS (eds) Exchange of Traces Gases between Terrestrial Ecosystems and the Atmosphere: Report of the Dahlem Workshop. Wiley, Berlim, pp 175–187
Muhammad W, Vaughan SM, Dalal RC, Menzies NW (2011) Crop residues and fertilizer nitrogen influence residue decomposition and nitrous oxide emission from a vertisol. Biol Fertil Soils 47:15–23. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00374-010-0497-1
Nelson DW, Sommers LE (1982) Total carbon, organic carbon, and organic matter. In: Page AL (ed) Methods of soil analysis. ASA and SSSA, Madison, pp 539–579. https://doi.org/10.2134/agronmonogr9.2.2ed.c29
Peyrard C, Mary B, Perrin P, Véricel G, Gréhan E, Justes E, Léonard J (2016) N2O emissions of low input cropping systems as affected by legume and cover crops use. Agric Ecosyst Environ 224:145–156. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agee.2016.03.028
Pimentel LG, Weiler DA, Pedroso GM, Bayer C (2015) Soil N2O emissions following cover-crop residues application under two soil moisture conditions. J Plant Nutr Soil Sci 178:631–640. https://doi.org/10.1002/jpln.201400392
Ravishankara A, Daniel JS, Portmann RW (2009) Nitrous oxide (N2O): the dominant ozone-depleting substance emitted in the 21st century. Science 326:123–125. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1176985
Redin M, Guénon R, Recous S, Schmatz R, de Freitas LL, Aita C, Giacomini SJ (2014a) Carbon mineralization in soil of roots from twenty crop species, as affected by their chemical composition and botanical family. Plant Soil 378:205–214. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-013-2021-5
Redin M, Recous S, Aita C, Dietrich G, Skolaude AC, Ludke WH, Schmatz R, Giacomini SJ (2014b) How the chemical composition and heterogeneity of crop residue mixtures decomposing at the soil surface affects C and N mineralization. Soil Biol Biochem 78:65–75. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.soilbio.2014.07.014
Redin M, Recous S, Aita C, Chaves B, Pfeifer IC, Bastos LM, Pilecco GE, Giacomini SJ (2018) Root and shoot contribution to carbon and nitrogen inputs in the topsoil layer in no-tillage crop systems under subtropical conditions. Rev Bras Cienc Solo 42:1–16. https://doi.org/10.1590/18069657rbcs20170355
Sanz-Cobena A, García-Marco S, Quemada M, Gabriel JL, Almendros P, Vallejo A (2014) Do cover crops enhance N2O, CO2 or CH4 emissions from soil in Mediterranean arable systems? Sci Total Environ 466–467:164–174. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2013.07.023
Scopel E, Triomphe B, Affholder F, da SFAM, Corbeels M, Xavier JHV, Lahmar R, Recous S, Bernoux M, Blanchart E, Mendes IC, Tourdonnet S (2013) Conservation agriculture cropping systems in temperate and tropical conditions, performances and impacts. A review. Agron Sustain Dev 33:113–130. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13593-012-0106-9
Soil Survey Staff (2014) Keys to soil taxonomy, 12th edn. USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service, Washington, DC
Van Soest PJ (1963) Use of detergents in the analysis of fibrous feeds I: preparation of fiber residues of low nitrogen content. J Assoc Off Anal Chem 46:825–835
Weier KL, Doran JW, Power JF, Walters DT (1993) Denitrification and the dinitrogen/nitrous oxide ratio as affected by soil water, available carbon, and nitrate. Soil Sci Soc Am J 57:66–72. https://doi.org/10.2136/sssaj1993.03615995005700010013x
Weiler DA, Tornquist CG, Parton W, Santos HP, Santi A, Bayer C (2017) Crop biomass, soil carbon, and nitrous oxide as affected by management and climate: a DayCent application in Brazil. Soil Sci Soc Am J 81:904–914. https://doi.org/10.2136/sssaj2017.01.0024
Zhang J, Müller C, Cai Z (2015) Heterotrophic nitrification of organic N and its contribution to nitrous oxide emissions in soils. Soil Biol Biochem 84:199–209. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.soilbio.2015.02.028
Acknowledgments
This work was supported by the Brazil government through the Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) and Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
Responsible Editor: Elizabeth M Baggs.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Weiler, D.A., Giacomini, S.J., Recous, S. et al. Trade-off between C and N recycling and N2O emissions of soils with summer cover crops in subtropical agrosystems. Plant Soil 433, 213–225 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-018-3831-2
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-018-3831-2