Soil N<sub>2</sub>O emissions after perennial legume termination in an alfalfa-wheat crop rotation system under Mediterranean conditions
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.4081/ija.2020.1613Keywords:
Greenhouse gases, soil tillage, crop residues, nitrogen.Abstract
Agricultural activities are potential sources of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and nitrous oxide (N2O) is one of the most important non-carbon-dioxide GHGs. Perennial legumes such as alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) have potential roles for reduction of soil GHG emissions as part of crop rotation systems. However, the implications of perennial legume termination by tillage and subsequent soil incorporation of the residues for reduced GHG emissions have been poorly examined in Mediterranean environments. With the aim to assess the magnitude of soil N2O emissions (important for the definition of mitigation strategies) after perennial legume termination in alfalfa-wheat crop rotation systems in a Mediterranean environment, we defined the hypothesis that alfalfa termination by tillage with incorporation of the crop residues will increase soil N2O emissions during the subsequent wheat season. To test this hypothesis, closed static chambers were used in a field–plot experiment, using a complete randomised block design with three replicates. Soil N2O emissions were monitored across 33 sampling dates from October 2017 to July 2018, as a comparison between an original 6-year-old alfalfa field (‘continuous alfalfa’) and alfalfa termination followed by wheat (‘alfalfa+ wheat’). The soil N2O emission fluxes varied markedly across the treatments and throughout the monitoring period (from – 0.02±0.01 to 0.53±0.14 g N-N2O ha–1 h–1, and from 0.02±0.07 to 0.37±0.11 g N-N2O ha–1 h–1 for continuous alfalfa and alfalfa+wheat, respectively), generally following the changes in soil temperature. Several soil N2O emission peaks were recorded for both treatments, which mainly coincided with rainfall and with increased soil water content. In the 2 months following alfalfa termination, alfalfa+wheat showed higher cumulative weekly soil N2O emissions compared to continuous alfalfa. Following alfalfa termination for alfalfa+wheat, the increased cumulative weekly soil N2O emissions appeared to be due to asynchrony between nitrogen (N) released into the soil from mineralisation of the alfalfa residues and N uptake by the wheat. Despite these initial high soil N2O emissions for alfalfa+wheat, the seasonal cumulative soil N2O emissions were not significantly different (0.77±0.09 vs 0.85±0.18 kg N-N2O ha–1 for continuous alfalfa and alfalfa+wheat, respectively). These data suggest that legume perennial crop termination in alfalfa–wheat rotation systems does not lead to significant loss of N2O from the soil. The alfalfa termination by tillage performed in autumn might, on the one hand, have slowed the mineralisation process, and might, on the other hand, have synchronised the N release by the mineralised crop residues, with the N uptake by the wheat reducing the soil N2O emissions.
Highlights
- Soil N2O emissions peak after alfalfa termination and rainfall.
- Soil N2O emissions increase after spring alfalfa mowing.
- Seasonal cumulative soil N2O emissions are similar for alfalfa and alfalfa followed by wheat.
- Mitigation effects of perennial legume on soil N2O emissions are not lost after termination by tillage under alfalfa-wheat rotation.
Downloads
References
Abalos D, Brown SE, Vanderzaag AC, Gordon RJ, Dunfield KE, Wagner-Riddle C, 2016. Micrometeorological measurements over 3 years reveal differences in N2O emissions between annual and perennial crops. Glob. Chang. Biol. 22:1244-55.
Agnelli A, Allegrezza M, Biondi E, Cocco S, Corti G, Pirchio F, 2008. Pedogenesi e paesaggio vegetale: il ruolo dell’esposizione. Fitosociologia 45:23-8.
Aguilera E, Lassaletta L, Sanz-Cobena A, Garnier J, Vallejo A, 2013. The potential of organic fertilizers and water management to reduce N2O emissions in Mediterranean climate cropping systems. A review. Agr. Ecosyst. Environ. 164:32-52.
Ãlvaro-Fuentes J, Arrúe JL, Cantero-MartÃnez C, López MV, 2008. Aggregate breakdown during tillage in a Mediterranean loamy soil. Soil Till. Res. 101:62-8.
Autret B, Beaudoin N, Rakotovololona L, Bertrand M, Grandeau G, Gréhan E, Ferchaud F, Mary B, 2019. Can alternative cropping systems mitigate nitrogen losses and improve GHG balance? Results from a 19-year experiment in northern France. Geoderma 342:20-33.
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. 69:471-82.
Borer B, Tecon R, Or D, 2018. Spatial organization of bacterial populations in response to oxygen and carbon counter-gradients in pore networks. Nat. Commun. 9:1-11.
Bosco S, Volpi I, Nassi o Di Nasso N, Triana F, Roncucci N, Tozzini C, Villani R, Laville P, Neri S, Mattei F, Virgili G, Nuvoli S, Fabbrini L, Bonari E, 2015. LIFE+IPNOA mobile prototype for the monitoring of soil N2O emissions from arable crops: first-year results on durum wheat. Ital. J. Agron. 10:669.
Budimir K, Trombetta MF, Francioni M, Toderi M, D’Ottavio P, 2018. Slaughter performance and carcass and meat quality of Bergamasca light lambs according to slaughter age. Small Ruminant Res. 164:1-7.
Butterbach-bahl K, Baggs EM, Dannenmann M, Kiese R, Zechmeister-Boltenstern S, 2013. Nitrous oxide emissions from soils: how well do we understand the processes and their controls? Philos. T. R. Soc. B 368.
Cayuela ML, Aguilera E, Sanz-Cobena A, Adams DC, Abalos D, Barton L, Ryals R, Silver WL, Alfaro MA, Pappa VA, Smith P, Garnier J, Billen G, Bouwman L, Bondeau A, Lassaletta L, 2017. Direct nitrous oxide emissions in Mediterranean climate cropping systems: emission factors based on a meta-analysis of available measurement data. Agr. Ecosyst. Environ. 238:25-35.
Delogu G, Cattivelli L, Pecchioni N, De Falcis D, Maggiore T, Stanca AM, 1998. Uptake and agronomic efficiency of nitrogen in winter barley and winter wheat. Eur. J. Agron. 9:11-20.
Erice G, Sanz-Sáez A, Aranjuelo I, Irigoyen JJ, Aguirreolea J, Avice J-C, Sánchez-DÃaz M, 2011. Photosynthesis, N2 fixation and taproot reserves during the cutting regrowth cycle of alfalfa under elevated CO2 and temperature. J. Plant Physiol. 168:2007-14.
Forster P, Ramaswamy V, Artaxo P, Berntsen T, Betts R, Fahey DW, Haywood J, Lean J, Lowe DC, Myhre G, Nganga J, Prinn R, Raga G, Schulz M, Van Dorland R, 2007: Changes in Atmospheric Constituents and in Radiative Forcing. In: Climate Change 2007: The Physical Science Basis. Contribution of Working Group I to the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change [Solomon S, Qin D, Manning M, Chen Z, Marquis M, Averyt KB, Tignor M, Miller HL (eds.)]. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK and New York, USA, pp 129-234.
Francioni M, D'Ottavio P, Lai R., Trozzo L, Budimir K, Foresi L, Kishimoto-Mo AW, Baldoni N, Allegrezza M, Tesei G, Toderi M, 2019. Seasonal soil respiration dynamics and carbon-stock variations in mountain permanent grasslands compared to arable lands. Agriculture 9:165.
Francioni M, Lai R, D'Ottavio P, Trozzo L, Kishimoto-Mo AW, Budimir K, Baldoni N, Toderi M, 2020. Soil respiration dynamics in forage-based and cereal-based cropping systems in central Italy. Sci. Agr. 77, e20180096.
Gelfand I, Shcherbak I, Millar N, Kravchenko AN, Robertson GP, 2016. Long-term nitrous oxide fluxes in annual and perennial agricultural and unmanaged ecosystems in the upper Midwest USA. Glob. Change Biol. 22:3594-607.
Ghimire R, Norton U, Bista P, Obour AK, Norton JB, 2017. Soil organic matter, greenhouse gases and net global warming potential of irrigated conventional, reduced-tillage and organic cropping systems. Nutr. Cycl. Agroecosys. 107:49-62.
Gomes J, Bayer C, de Souza Costa F, de Cássia Piccolo M, Zanatta JA, Vieira FCB, Six J, 2009. Soil nitrous oxide emissions in long-term cover crops-based rotations under subtropical climate. Soil Till. Res. 106:36-44.
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. 36:973-81.
Jensen ES, Peoples MB, Boddey RM, Gresshoff PM, Hauggard-Nielsen H, Alves BJR, Morrison MJ, 2012. Legumes for mitigation of climate change and the provision of feedstock for biofuels and biorefineries. A review. Agron. Sustain. Dev. 32:329-364
Kim DG, Hernandez-Ramirez G, Giltrap D, 2013. Linear and nonlinear dependency of direct nitrous oxide emissions on fertilizer nitrogen input: a meta-analysis. Agr. Ecosyst. Environ. 168:53-65.
Koga N, Shimoda S, Iwata Y, 2017. Biochar impacts on crop productivity and greenhouse gas emissions from an Andosol. J. Environ. Qual. 46:27-35.
Krauss M, Ruser R, Müller T, Hansen S, Mäder P, Gattinger A, 2017. Impact of reduced tillage on greenhouse gas emissions and soil carbon stocks in an organic grass-clover ley - winter wheat cropping sequence. Agr. Ecosyst. Environ. 239:324-33.
Lesschen JP, Velthof GL, De Vries W, Kros J, 2011. Differentiation of nitrous oxide emission factors for agricultural soils. Environ. Pollut. 159:3215-22.
Li L peng, Liu Y ying, Luo S guo, Peng X long, 2012. Effects of nitrogen management on the yield of winter wheat in cold area of northeastern China. J. Integr. Agr. 11:1020-5.
Liu YN, Li YC, Peng ZP, Wang YQ, Ma SY, Guo LP, Lin E Da, Han X, 2015. Effects of different nitrogen fertilizer management practices on wheat yields and N2O emissions from wheat fields in north China. J. Integr. Agr. 14:1184-91.
Malhi SS, Lemke R, Schoenau JJ, 2010. Influence of time and method of alfalfa stand termination on yield, seed quality, N uptake, soil properties and greenhouse gas emissions under different N fertility regimes. Nutr. Cycl. Agroecosys. 86:17-38.
Monaci E, Polverigiani S, Neri D, Bianchelli M, Santilocchi R, Toderi M, D’Ottavio P, Vischetti C, 2017. Effect of contrasting crop rotation systems on soil chemical and biochemical properties and plant root growth in organic farming: first results. Ital. J. Agron. 12:364-74.
Paetz A, Wilke BM, 2005. Soil sampling and storage. In: Margesin R, Schinner F (ed.) Manual of soil analysis: monitoring and assessing soil bioremediation. Springer-Verlag, Berlin, DE, pp 1-45.
Parkin TB, Venterea RT, 2010. Chapter 3. Chamber-based trace gas flux measurements. Sampling protocols. In: USDA-ARS GRACEnet project protocols, Beltsville, MD, pp 1-39.
Reay DS, Davidson EA, Smith KA, Smith P, Melillo JM, Dentener F, Crutzen PJ, 2012. Global agriculture and nitrous oxide emissions. Nat. Clim. Chang. 2:410-6.
Sanz-Cobena A, Lassaletta L, Aguilera E, Prado A del, Garnier J, Billen G, Iglesias A, Sánchez B, Guardia G, Abalos D, Plaza-Bonilla D, Puigdueta-Bartolomé I, Moral R, Galán E, Arriaga H, Merino P, Infante-Amate J, Meijide A, Pardo G, Ãlvaro-Fuentes J, Gilsanz C, Báez D, Doltra J, González-Ubierna S, Cayuela ML, Menéndez S, DÃaz-Pinés E, Le-Noë J, Quemada M, Estellés F, Calvet S, van Grinsven HJM, Westhoek H, Sanz MJ, Gimeno BS, Vallejo A, Smith P, 2017. Strategies for greenhouse gas emissions mitigation in Mediterranean agriculture: a review. Agr. Ecosyst. Environ. 238:5-24.
Signor D, Cerri CEP, 2013. Nitrous oxide emissions in agricultural soils: a review. Pesqui. Agropecuária Trop. 43:322-38.
Smith P, Bustamante M, Ahammad H, Clark H, Dong H, Elsiddig EA, Haberl H, Harper R, House J, Jafari M, Masera O, Mbow C, Ravindranath NH, Rice CW, Robledo Abad C, Romanovskaya A, Sperling F, Tubiello F, 2014. Agriculture, Forestry and Other Land Use (AFOLU) In: Climate Change 2014: Mitigation of Climate Change Contribution of Working Group III to the Fifth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change [Edenhofer O, Pichs-Madruga R, Sokona Y, Farahani E, Kadner S, Seyboth K, Adler A, Baum I, Brunner S, Eickemeier P, Kriemann B, Savolainen J, Schlömer S, von Stechow C, Zwickel T, Minx JC (eds)]. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK and New York, USA.
Smith DW, 2014. Soil survey staff: keys to soil taxonomy. 12th ed. Natural Resources Conservation Service, Washington, DC, USA.
Stehfest E, Bouwman L, 2006. N2O and NO emission from agricultural fields and soils under natural vegetation: summarizing available measurement data and modeling of global annual emissions. Nutr. Cycl. Agroecosys. 74:207-28.
Syakila A, Kroeze C, 2011. The global nitrous oxide budget revisited. Greenh. Gas Meas. Manag. 1:17-26.
Tenuta M, Amiro BD, Gao X, Wagner-Riddle C, Gervais M, 2019. Agricultural management practices and environmental drivers of nitrous oxide emissions over a decade for an annual and an annual-perennial crop rotation. Agr. Forest. Meteorol. 276:107636.
Tesfaye M, Silverstein KAT, Bucciarelli B, Samac DA, Vance CP, 2006. The Affymetrix Medicago GeneChip array is applicable for transcript analysis of alfalfa (Medicago sativa). Funct. Plant Biol. 33:783-8.
Toderi M, Francioni M, Seddaiu G, Roggero PP, Trozzo L, D’Ottavio P, 2017. Bottom-up design process of agri-environmental measures at a landscape scale: evidence from case studies on biodiversity conservation and water protection. Land Use Policy 68:295-305.
Toma Y, Hatano R, 2007. Effect of crop residue C:N ratio on N2O emissions from gray lowland soil in Mikasa, Hokkaido, Japan. Soil Sci. Plant Nutr. 53:198-205.
Van Den Bossche A, De Bolle S, De Neve S, Hofman G, 2009. Effect of tillage intensity on N mineralization of different crop residues in a temperate climate. Soil Till. Res. 103:316-24.
Van Groenigen JW, Velthof GL, Oenema O, Van Groenigen KJ, Van Kessel C, 2010. Towards an agronomic assessment of N2O emissions: a case study for arable crops. Eur. J. Soil Sci. 61:903-13.
Volpi I, Laville P, Bonari E, Nassi o Di Nasso N, Bosco S, 2018. Nitrous oxide mitigation potential of reduced tillage and N input in durum wheat in the Mediterranean. Nutr. Cycl. Agroecosys. 111:189-201.
Wang W, Fang J, 2009. Soil respiration and human effects on global grasslands. Global. Planet. Change 67:20-8.
Wang J, Pan X, Liu Y, Zhang X, Xiong Z, 2012. Effects of biochar amendment in two soils on greenhouse gas emissions and crop production. Plant soil 360:287-98.
Wei XR, Hao MD, Xue XH, Shi P, Horton R, Wang A, Zang YF, 2010. Nitrous oxide emission from highland winter wheat field after long-term fertilization. Biogeosciences 7:3301-10.
Westphal M, Tenuta M, Entz MH, 2018. Nitrous oxide emissions with organic crop production depends on fall soil moisture. Agr. Ecosyst. Environ. 254:41-9.
Willer H, Lernoud J, 2017. The World of Organic Agriculture. Statistics and Emerging Trends 2017. Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL), Frick, CH and IFOAM - Organics International, Bonn, DE. Version 1.3 of February 20, 2017.
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
PAGEPress has chosen to apply the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC 4.0) to all manuscripts to be published.
