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12 pages, 1571 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effect of Compost Derived from Urban Waste on Chard (Beta vulgaris L., var cycla) Yield and Soil GHG Fluxes in a Mediterranean Agricultural System

by Simona Castaldi, Teresa Bertolini, Andrea Vannini, Sara Marinari and Gabriele Chilosi

Atmosphere 2023, 14(2), 246; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos14020246 - 26 Jan 2023

Viewed by 1550

Abstract

The use of recycled materials as soil amendments and fertilizers is an important priority in the agronomic sector to valorize waste from a circular economic perspective and reduce waste disposal, reduce dependence on external inputs, and provide better climate change mitigation options. In [...] Read more.

The use of recycled materials as soil amendments and fertilizers is an important priority in the agronomic sector to valorize waste from a circular economic perspective and reduce waste disposal, reduce dependence on external inputs, and provide better climate change mitigation options. In this study, we evaluated the agroecological performance of compost derived from recycled organic matrices of urban waste (mixed composted amendment, MCA) of the metropolitan area of Rome. MCA is available in big quantities and might represent an interesting option to substitute conventional mineral nitrogen fertilizer (CF). The effect of MCA, CF, and a combination of both (MIX 1:1) was tested on crop yield and greenhouse gas emissions in a field trial on a common Mediterranean crop (Swiss chart, one season, two crop cycles). The MCA effect on crop yield was positive and comparable to CF and MIX treatments, while MCA treatment showed the lower soil mineral nitrogen (N) content. GHG emissions in the MCA treatment were comparable to those observed in CF and MIX, being overall quite low. The soil acted as a weak net CH₄ sink in all treatments (−12.6 ± 6.1 μg CH₄ m⁻² h⁻¹); no differences in CO₂ emissions between MCA and CF or MIX treatments were observed (range 0.1−0.2 g m⁻² h⁻¹). The N₂O emission intensity of MCA was slightly lower than MIX and CF treatments (0.09, 0.011, and 0.011 g N₂O kg⁻¹ crop dry weight, respectively). Overall, MCA seemed a valid alternative to CF for the tested agro-environmental indicators in the spring/summer Mediterranean conditions. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Agricultural Activities)

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16 pages, 2264 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Soil Respiration and Organic Carbon Response to Biochar and Their Influencing Factors

by Ruxin Zhang, Zhongyi Qu, Lu Liu, Wei Yang, Liping Wang, Junjie Li and Dongliang Zhang

Atmosphere 2022, 13(12), 2038; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos13122038 - 4 Dec 2022

Cited by 10 | Viewed by 3268

Abstract

Biochar application is an important measure to regulate SOC. However, the effects of biochar application on soil respiration and SOC fraction of the saline soil have been scarcely investigated. Therefore, in this study, we monitored the annual SOC, nutrients, temperature, water content, and [...] Read more.

Biochar application is an important measure to regulate SOC. However, the effects of biochar application on soil respiration and SOC fraction of the saline soil have been scarcely investigated. Therefore, in this study, we monitored the annual SOC, nutrients, temperature, water content, and respiration rate under three maize-straw-derived biochar application doses (0, 15, and 30 t∙hm⁻²). Biochar enriched the soil in terms of fast-acting potassium and phosphorus, alkali-hydrolyzable N,

{NO}_{3}^{-}

-N, and

{NH}_{4}^{+}

-N to varying degrees. One-time biochar application in the trial year continued to fertilizer retention in the following year. Mineral-associated organic carbon and SOC contents increased with time after biochar application, whereas the changes in particulate organic carbon content were the opposite; soil respiration rate was reduced by 7.7–14.7%, and the reduction increased with the dose as well in successive years. The soil respiration rate and soil temperature showed a significant linear correlation, but the application of a high amount of biochar reduced the correlation between the two. Considering the soil respiration rate and physicochemical properties, the best biochar application rate for saline soil is suggested to be 30 t∙hm⁻². This study is of great significance for soil carbon sequestration, emission reduction in saline areas, and the realization of a “carbon peak” in the sense of farmland. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Agricultural Activities)

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24 pages, 382 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Agricultural Production, Renewable Energy Consumption, Foreign Direct Investment, and Carbon Emissions: New Evidence from Africa

by Nneka Maris Chidiebere-Mark, Robert Ugochukwu Onyeneke, Ifeyinwa Josephine Uhuegbulem, Daniel Adu Ankrah, Louis Uchenna Onyeneke, Basil Ngozichukwu Anukam and Maureen Obiageli Chijioke-Okere

Atmosphere 2022, 13(12), 1981; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos13121981 - 27 Nov 2022

Cited by 21 | Viewed by 3657

Abstract

This paper explores the nexus between agricultural production, renewable energy, foreign direct investment (FDI), and carbon emissions in Africa, where there is limited evidence on the topic. Relying on panel data covering thirty-one African countries obtained from the World Bank World Development Indicators [...] Read more.

This paper explores the nexus between agricultural production, renewable energy, foreign direct investment (FDI), and carbon emissions in Africa, where there is limited evidence on the topic. Relying on panel data covering thirty-one African countries obtained from the World Bank World Development Indicators and FAOSTAT databases, we answered the question of whether agricultural production (proxied by livestock production, fertilizer consumption, and land under cereal cultivation), the use of renewable energy, and FDI increase or reduce carbon emissions. Using the panel autoregressive distributed lag model for analysis, our results show that net FDI, fertilizer consumption, livestock production significantly increased carbon emissions, both in the short run and long run. Meanwhile, renewable energy use consumption significantly decreased carbon emissions, both in the short run and long run. Specifically, a 1% increase in net FDI increased total carbon emissions by 0.003% in the short run and by 0.01% in the long run. Renewable energy consumption significantly decreased carbon emissions, both in the short run and long run. A 1% increase in renewable energy consumption decreased total carbon emissions by 0.16% in the short run and by 0.22% in the long run. Additionally, fertilizer consumption and livestock production significantly increased carbon emissions in the short run and long run. A 1% increase in fertilizer consumption increased total carbon emissions by 0.01% in the short run and by 0.04% in the long run, while a 1% increase in livestock production increased total carbon emissions by 0.20% in the short run and by 0.56% in the long run. The findings call for investment in renewable energy technologies and consumption while advocating for large-scale uptake of climate-smart agriculture, and environmentally friendly targeted foreign direct investments on the continent. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Agricultural Activities)

15 pages, 5505 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Net Ecosystem CO₂ Exchange in Mountain Grasslands Is Seriously Endangered by the Temperature Increase in the Eastern Pyrenees

by Mercedes Ibañez and Maria Teresa Sebastià

Atmosphere 2022, 13(12), 1980; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos13121980 - 27 Nov 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1584

Abstract

Mediterranean mountain grasslands, including the Pyrenees, are highly vulnerable to climate change, due to the increasing temperatures and heat weaves frequency, among other factors. However, the effects of the increased temperatures on CO₂ fluxes in those ecosystems have been barley explored. To [...] Read more.

Mediterranean mountain grasslands, including the Pyrenees, are highly vulnerable to climate change, due to the increasing temperatures and heat weaves frequency, among other factors. However, the effects of the increased temperatures on CO₂ fluxes in those ecosystems have been barley explored. To address this gap of knowledge, we established the FLUXPYR-ECOFUN micrometeorological flux network, which included three eddy covariance flux stations in grasslands along a management and a climatic gradient (montane to subalpine) at the Pyrenees; we aimed at assessing interactions among environmental and phenological drivers on CO₂ fluxes, with special attention at the role of temperature as CO₂ flux driver under the different climatic and management conditions across the studied gradient. Our results showed that temperature drove CO₂ dynamics along the studied gradient in different ways. At the subalpine grassland net CO₂ uptake was linearly enhanced by temperature and CO₂ fluxes had not reached a temperature shifting point yet (according to the segmented linear models) at which the net uptake would become CO₂ emissions. This suggests that in the short term, and under the incoming enhanced temperatures, sub-alpine grasslands in the Pyrenees might increase their net CO₂ uptake, although the mid long-term uptake may be compromised. On the contrary, the montane grasslands already presented CO₂ emissions at the highest temperatures, most likely driven by a decrease in the greenness and photosynthesis, which suggests that montane grasslands are expected to reduce their CO₂ sink capacity under the increasing temperatures. Overall, mountain grasslands in the mid- to long-term in the Pyrenees may experience a reduction in their net CO₂ uptake capacity under the current climate change scenario. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Agricultural Activities)

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12 pages, 2231 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Assessment of Methane Emission and the Factors That Influence It, from Three Rice Varieties Commonly Cultivated in the State of Puducherry

by Dhanuja Chandrasekaran, Tabassum-Abbasi, Tasneem Abbasi and Shahid Abbas Abbasi

Atmosphere 2022, 13(11), 1811; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos13111811 - 31 Oct 2022

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1778

Abstract

India being the world’s second largest cultivator of paddy, it is very important that the extent of the resulting methane emissions is estimated, and steps are taken to minimize these emissions. Peninsular India is a prime rice-producing region; however, no significant information is [...] Read more.

India being the world’s second largest cultivator of paddy, it is very important that the extent of the resulting methane emissions is estimated, and steps are taken to minimize these emissions. Peninsular India is a prime rice-producing region; however, no significant information is available on the contribution of this region to methane emissions, nor are there available studies that show the effect of cultivars, growth seasons, soil characteristics, etc., on methane emissions. As one of the attempts to cover this knowledge gap, emissions of methane from paddy fields, situated in four villages of Puducherry, India, involving three rice cultivars, three soil types and two growth seasons have been studied. All the fields had a continuously flooded pattern of irrigation with water supplied at a rate of 11,500–20,000 m³/ha. Whereas the cultivars ADT 39 and ADT 45 generated the highest methane flux during their reproductive phase, with lesser emission during the vegetative phase and much less during maturity, CO 45 exhibited copious methane emissions during the vegetative phase, with several orders of magnitude lesser emission during the reproductive and the maturity phases. These trends were independent of the location of the field and soil type, though the absolute and the relative values of the emissions varied from location to location. Irrespective of the cultivar, the quantities of methane emission increased linearly with soil temperature across the day but decreased exponentially as soil pH increased beyond 7. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Agricultural Activities)

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16 pages, 1505 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Responses of Soil N₂O and CO₂ Emissions and Their Global Warming Potentials to Irrigation Water Salinity

by Qi Wei, Xintong Li, Jiegang Xu, Hongxia Dai, Bin Li, Junzeng Xu, Qi Wei and Kechun Wang

Atmosphere 2022, 13(11), 1777; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos13111777 - 28 Oct 2022

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 1521

Abstract

Irrigation using marginal quality water (brackish, saline, or treated wastewater, with a salinity of 2–8 g L⁻¹) instead of fresh water alters the soil carbon and nitrogen cycle, and thus, soil greenhouse gas emissions. To reveal the responses of soil nitrous [...] Read more.

Irrigation using marginal quality water (brackish, saline, or treated wastewater, with a salinity of 2–8 g L⁻¹) instead of fresh water alters the soil carbon and nitrogen cycle, and thus, soil greenhouse gas emissions. To reveal the responses of soil nitrous oxide (N₂O) and carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions and their global warming potentials (GWPs) to irrigation water salinity, a pot experiment was conducted at three levels (2, 5, and 8 g L⁻¹, namely S2, S5, and S8). The results show that the cumulative soil CO₂ emissions were reduced with increases in the irrigation water salinity and were 11.6–28.1% lower than those from the fresh water-irrigated treatment (CK). The cumulative N₂O emissions from S2 and S8 decreased by 22.7% and 39.6% (p < 0.05), respectively, in comparison to CK, whereas those from S5 increased by 87.7% (p < 0.05). The cumulative GWPs from S2 and S8 were 19.6% and 44.1% lower than those from CK, while those from S5 were significantly higher (p < 0.05). These findings indicate that reducing the salinity of brackish water from 5 to 2 g L⁻¹ before using it for irrigation is a potential strategy to mitigate soil GHGs and solve water resource scarcity. The response of soil greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to salinity may be significantly different among irrigation water salinity ranges. The results have an important guiding significance for exploring greenhouse gas emission reduction measures, and sustainable utilization models of water and soil resources. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Agricultural Activities)

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15 pages, 1394 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effects of Supplementary Irrigation on Soil Respiration of Millet Farmland in a Semi-Arid Region in China

by Xiaoli Gao, Nan Zhao, Yuhui Lu, Xuan Han and Zhiping Yang

Atmosphere 2022, 13(10), 1584; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos13101584 - 28 Sep 2022

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 1662

Abstract

Carbon dioxide (CO₂) is recognized as key part of evaluating the soil environment, and the soil respiration rate is an effective indicator of CO₂ emission. To explore the influence and coupling mechanism of irrigation on the soil respiration of millet [...] Read more.

Carbon dioxide (CO₂) is recognized as key part of evaluating the soil environment, and the soil respiration rate is an effective indicator of CO₂ emission. To explore the influence and coupling mechanism of irrigation on the soil respiration of millet farmland in the Northern Shanxi Province in China, conventional rainfed (CK) and supplementary irrigation (W1) at the late jointing stage were conducted. The soil respiration rate and carbon emission flux in millet farmland under different treatments were observed. The relationship between soil respiration rate and soil physical–chemical properties and the crop growth index was further analyzed. The result showed that the soil respiration rate and carbon emission flux of W1 were higher than those of CK treatment. The comparison of the linear regression correlation between soil respiration rate and soil physical–chemical properties revealed that the major regulating factors of the soil respiration rate were soil moisture (<10.6%) followed by soil pH, soil moisture (>10.6%), soil temperature, and finally soil organic matter content. There are uncertainties regarding the soil moisture content variation range in soil respiration. Moreover, supplementary irrigation promoted the growth indexes, yield, and irrigation water use efficiency in millet farmland. Further research with less irrigation treatment is necessary for exploring an optimization model of water use efficiency and low carbon dioxide emissions in millet fields, which would be helpful to realize agricultural water utilization and a “carbon peak” in the sense of farmland. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Agricultural Activities)

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12 pages, 2308 KiB

Open AccessArticle

WHCNS-Veg Modelling of N₂O, NH₃ and NO₃⁻ Dynamics in a Vegetable Production System under Different Fertilization and Irrigation Regimes

by Guihua Li, Haikuan Xie, Jianfeng Zhang and Hu Li

Atmosphere 2022, 13(8), 1289; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos13081289 - 13 Aug 2022

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 1945

Abstract

Greenhouse vegetable production in China not only increases farmers’ income, but also increases the risk of nitrogen losses due to excessive water and fertilizer input. Nitrogen losses, including the potent greenhouse gas nitrous oxide (N₂O), are driven by water content, soil [...] Read more.

Greenhouse vegetable production in China not only increases farmers’ income, but also increases the risk of nitrogen losses due to excessive water and fertilizer input. Nitrogen losses, including the potent greenhouse gas nitrous oxide (N₂O), are driven by water content, soil temperature and pH; regulated by available organic carbon and inorganic nitrogen (N); and affected by management. Therefore, a process-based model was applied to explain the complex interaction of the factors affecting N losses in the form of N₂O, NH₃ and NO₃⁻ from a greenhouse vegetable production system in a northeast suburb of Beijing, China. We designed four treatments: two equal N input treatments with one flooding (FP) and the other drip irrigation (FPD) and two equal water input treatments (drip irrigation) with one 100% chemical N input (FPD) and the other 50% N input (OPTD). The last one was CK treatment (flooding without chemical N). We calibrated the WHCNS-veg model using year-round measurements of soil temperature, N₂O emission, NH₃volatilization, NO₃⁻ distribution and yields for greenhouse cucumber–tomato cultivation under farmers’ practice (flooding + 100% chemical N, FP). Then, we validated the model using the data sets under drip irrigation (70% of flooding amount + 100% chemical N, FPD), reduced chemical N by 50% (drip + 50% chemical N, OPTD) and CK treatment. The WHCNS-veg model was able to capture the above processes under different treatments. Annual N₂O emissions were 5.47 and 3.76kg N ha⁻¹ for the cucumber and tomato seasons under FP, respectively. Compared to FP, drip irrigation (FPD) decreased N₂O emissions by 19.0% and 45.5% in the two seasons, respectively. Compared to FPD, applying a lower rate of N (OPTD) further reduced N₂O emissions by 13.7% and 40.5%, respectively. According to the model simulation, N₂O emission was mainly controlled by nitrification/denitrification in the cucumber/tomato seasons, respectively. Compared to FP, drip irrigation (FPD) increased NH₃ volatilization by 54.2% in the cucumber season, while in the tomato season, there were no significant differences inNH₃ volatilization under the three fertilizer treatments. The nitrate leaching levels were 48.5 and 81.0 kg N ha⁻¹ for the two seasons under FP treatment. Drip irrigation (FPD) decreased NO₃⁻ leaching by 20.6% in the cucumber season. Drip irrigation (FPD) and/or reducing chemical N (OPTD) did not compromise vegetable yields. In all, WHCNS-veg performed well in simulating N₂O, NH₃ and NO₃⁻ dynamics from the greenhouse vegetable field, which means that the model can be used to manage water and nitrogen precisely in greenhouse vegetable production systems by scenario analysis, and drip irrigation and/or lower N input can be applied in this area to secure yield and reduce N losses. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Agricultural Activities)

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