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Methodologies and Applications to Assess the Nexus between Agriculture, Environment and Health

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A special issue of International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (ISSN 1660-4601). This special issue belongs to the section "Environmental Science and Engineering".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 December 2019) | Viewed by 68163

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Prof. Dr. Pier Paolo Miglietta

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Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences and Technologies, University of Salento, Lecce, Italy
Interests: agricultural economics; management and policy; biosystem engineering; life cycle assessment; water resource management; environmental and natural resource economics
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Domenico Morrone

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Department of Management, Finance and Technology, LUM-“Giuseppe Degennaro” University, 70010 Casamassima, Italy
Interests: sustainability; green marketing; agrifood; energy; consumer behaviour
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Pierluigi Toma

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Università degli Studi di Roma "La Sapienza"
Interests: efficiency; productivity; quantitative methods; econometrics; operational research

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The fields of nutrition, public health and sustainable agriculture have historically developed as distinct, non-overlapping disciplines. However, it is increasingly clear that public health dietary guidelines around diet cannot be met without a simultaneous focus on sustainable agriculture and food production.

Agricultural sustainability is essential for the continued viability of communities and territories. New innovations in agri-food production and land preservation are needed. Current approaches used for crop production, breeding, fisheries or silviculture need to be examined in the light of natural resource availability.

There is an urgent need for modifications in the primary sector firm management, so as to adapt to the changing socio-economic and climatic conditions, and to improve efficiency, productivity, and security. The aim, intended as a societal challenge, is to find a balance between the economic and managerial practices and the environmental, social and health needs.

This Special Issue seeks to demonstrate the important role that quantitative approaches can play for measuring sustainability. It is intended to propose strategies for approaching public health nutritional goals and thus enhance our ability to develop sustainable primary and food systems from environmental, economic and social perspectives.

Dr. Pier Paolo Miglietta
Dr. Domenico Morrone
Dr. Pierluigi Toma
Guest Editors

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Keywords

Primary sector sustainability assessment and management
Life cycle assessment
Footprint assessment
Resource use efficiency
Agricultural productivity
Agricultural economics
Agri-food quality
Agricultural sustainable policy
Environmental research
Water-food-energy nexus
Quantitative tools
Operations management
Food and drink environments
Nutritional quality
Food safety
Agriculture and health: production linkage
Agrochemicals

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Published Papers (13 papers)

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Research

15 pages, 2210 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Circular Model in Disposal with Municipal Waste. A Case Study of Slovakia

by Henrieta Pavolová, Roman Lacko, Zuzana Hajduová, Zuzana Šimková and Martin Rovňák

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2020, 17(6), 1839; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17061839 - 12 Mar 2020

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 3451

Abstract

Mineral resources are life and driving force of the European Union. It is gaining awareness not only in the EU dependent on imports, but also in the world. In the context of the growing population and the growing demands of economies for natural resources, this type of material management has a significant negative impact on the environment. The main aim of the study was to justify the model of circular economy on the national level, based on the disparities between the regions of Slovak republic. To meet the objective, mostly one-factor analysis was implemented. The circular model, which is based on the partial replacement of primary raw materials by secondary ones, should, on the one hand, limit the depletion of natural resources and, on the other hand, reduce the amount of waste produced. The presented work focuses on the issue of sustainable development, which is closely related to the circular economy, and then explains the circular economy model, including the differences from the linear arrangement and possible obstacles to its implementation for the specific conditions of the Slovak republic. From the results, it is clear that the proposed circular model would be helpful to improve the inefficiencies and disparities on the regional and national level. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Methodologies and Applications to Assess the Nexus between Agriculture, Environment and Health)

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10 pages, 961 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Links between Human Diets and Health and Climate Outcomes in the World’s Macro-Regions during the Last 50 Years

by Christian Fischer and Pier Paolo Miglietta

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2020, 17(4), 1219; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17041219 - 13 Feb 2020

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 6262

Abstract

Globally, traditional food security fears have been supplemented by concerns about food system sustainability that link current agricultural production practices to damages of environmental ecosystems and the world’s climate, thus threatening the natural resource base of future generations. This paper aims at creating a better understanding of the evolution of diet sustainability from 1961 to 2013. Data from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations were used to investigate the situation for the world as a whole as well as for its macro-regions Africa, Asia, the Americas, Europe and Oceania. We define diet sustainability by (a) the share of daily per capita calorie intake derived from vegetable/plant products and (b) the variety of vegetable/plant products consumed, measured by the Simpson diversity index. Moreover, total calorie consumption is considered. Then the correlations between diet sustainability and (a) macro-regional life expectancy rates and (b) food system greenhouse gas emissions are calculated. The results show that diet sustainability has not changed much during the last 50 years. Moreover, the nexus between diets and health and climate outcomes is not fully evident at the macro-regional level. Therefore, Malthus 2.0, i.e., scientific food pessimism, should be avoided. In particular, the limitations of dietary contributions to human and planetary health ought to be more widely acknowledged. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Methodologies and Applications to Assess the Nexus between Agriculture, Environment and Health)

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17 pages, 961 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effects of Biochar Application on Soil Organic Carbon Composition and Enzyme Activity in Paddy Soil under Water-Saving Irrigation

by Shihong Yang, Xi Chen, Zewei Jiang, Jie Ding, Xiao Sun and Junzeng Xu

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2020, 17(1), 333; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17010333 - 3 Jan 2020

Cited by 57 | Viewed by 5040

Abstract

Rice water-saving irrigation technology can remarkably reduce irrigation water input and maintain high yield; however, this technology can also accelerate the decomposition of soil organic matter in paddy fields. The spatial and temporal distributions of soil organic carbon (SOC), water-soluble organic carbon (WSOC), and soil microbial biomass carbon (SMBC) under different water-carbon regulation scenarios were analyzed on the basis of field experiments in the Taihu Lake region in China to explore the effects of biochar application on SOC and its components in water-saving irrigation paddy fields. The response of soil catalase (CAT) and invertase (INV) to biochar application in water-saving irrigated rice fields was clarified. The results showed that water-saving irrigation reduced the SOC content by 5.7% to 13.3% but increased WSOC and SMBC contents by 13.8% to 26.1% and 0.9% to 11.1%, respectively, as compared with flooding irrigation. Nonflooding management promoted the oxidative decomposition of soil organic matter. Two years after straw biochar was added, paddy soil SOC content under water-saving irrigation was increased by 4.0% to 26.7%. The WSOC and SMBC contents were also increased by 4.0% to 52.4% and 7.0% to 40.8%, respectively. The high straw biochar addition rate exhibited great impact on SOC. Remarkable correlations among SOC, WSOC, and SMBC were observed, indicating that the addition of straw biochar improved soil labile C, such as WSOC and SMBC, which promoted SOC transformation and stability in paddy soil under water-saving irrigation. Soil CAT and INV were related to SOC conversion. In conclusion, the combination of water-saving irrigation and straw biochar addition was beneficial to the improvement of soil properties and fertility of paddy fields. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Methodologies and Applications to Assess the Nexus between Agriculture, Environment and Health)

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14 pages, 599 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Study of the Spatio-Temporal Differentiation of Factors Influencing Carbon Emission of the Planting Industry in Arid and Vulnerable Areas in Northwest China

by Yujie Huang, Yang Su, Ruiliang Li, Haiqing He, Haiyan Liu, Feng Li and Qin Shu

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2020, 17(1), 187; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17010187 - 26 Dec 2019

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2993

Abstract

Due to the importance of understanding the relationship between agricultural growth and environmental quality, we analyzed how high-quality agricultural development can affect carbon emissions in Northwest China. Based on the concept of the environmental Kuznets curve, this study uses provincial panel data from 1993 to 2017 to make empirical analyses inflection point changes and spatio-temporal differences in agricultural carbon emissions. The highlights of our findings are as follows: (1) In Northwest China, there is an inverse N-shape curve, and the critical values are 3578 yuan/hm² and 45,738 yuan/hm², respectively. (2) For 2017, the agricultural economic intensity was 50,670 yuan/hm², exceeding the critical value (high inflection point) of 45,738 yuan/hm². (3) Ningxia, Gansu, and Qinghai have not reached the turning point. Having comparable climate, natural conditions, and overall environmental factors, these three provinces would reach the turning point at similar time periods. (4) The average value in agricultural carbon emission intensity in the region is 767.79 kg/hm², and the order based on intensity is Xinjiang > Shaanxi > Ningxia > Gansu > Qinghai. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Methodologies and Applications to Assess the Nexus between Agriculture, Environment and Health)

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11 pages, 1502 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Analysis of the Agricultural Economy and Agricultural Pollution Using the Decoupling Index in Chengdu, China

by Sipan Li, Qunxi Gong and Shaolei Yang

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2019, 16(21), 4233; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph16214233 - 31 Oct 2019

Cited by 18 | Viewed by 6240

Abstract

The development of the agricultural economy has brought the agricultural pollution, and agricultural pollution has restrained the growth of the agricultural economy and endangered public health. Since the Economic Reform opened up, China has promulgated many policies that have benefited farmers, developed the agricultural economy, and improved agricultural material levels. However, the growth in the agricultural economy has also resulted in significant environmental pollution from pesticides, agricultural fertilizers and agricultural plastic film. Agricultural pollution can affect public health, therefore it is necessary to study the relationship between agricultural economy and agricultural pollution. In this paper, the relationship between the agricultural economy and agricultural pollution is studied by using decoupling index method, taking Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China as an example, and verified by the data of 2008–2017 years of Chengdu. It was found that the decoupling index for pesticide use and per capita gross agricultural production showed “strong decoupling” ideal states in six years. From 2009–2017, the value of it increased from 0.065743–1.597385, and its decoupling state gradually transited to stable strong decoupling. The chemical fertilizer use was found to have a “strong decoupling” ideal state in five years. The value of it decreased from 1.028854–(−0.512702), while its state gradually changed to strong decoupling. However, agricultural plastic film only has one “strong decoupling” state with its value of decoupling index changed from −0.380824–(−0.250250). The increased use of plastic film has resulted in increased agricultural pollution. The research results show that growing with the development of Chengdu’s agricultural economy, the use of pesticides and fertilizers has been decreasing. Chengdu’s agricultural economy and agricultural pollution were found to have a healthy and coordinated development. The development of agricultural economy has not caused much damage to the agricultural environment. In addition, with the decline of agricultural pollution, public health problems will also be reduced. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Methodologies and Applications to Assess the Nexus between Agriculture, Environment and Health)

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16 pages, 3155 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Spatial-Temporal Characteristics of Agriculture Green Total Factor Productivity in China, 1998–2016: Based on More Sophisticated Calculations of Carbon Emissions

by Xiaocang Xu, Xiuquan Huang, Jun Huang, Xin Gao and Linhong Chen

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2019, 16(20), 3932; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph16203932 - 16 Oct 2019

Cited by 93 | Viewed by 5793

Abstract

Environmental costs should be taken into account when measuring the achievements of China’s agricultural development, since the long-term extensive development of agriculture has caused huge environmental pollution. This study took agricultural carbon emissions as an undesired output to estimate the agricultural development efficiency in 31 provinces of China from 1998 to 2016, based on the green total factor productivity, as assessed by the slacks-based measure directional distance function and constructing the global Malmquist–Luenberger index. We measured agricultural carbon emissions in terms of five aspects: agricultural materials, rice planting, soil, livestock and poultry farming, and straw burning, and then compared the green total factor productivity index and the total factor productivity index. The study came to the following conclusions: (1) the green technology efficiency change was smaller than the technology efficiency change at first, but the gap between them is narrowing with time, such that the former is now larger than the latter; (2) the green technology efficiency was in a declining state and the green technology progress was increasing, promoting the green total factor productivity growth, from 1998 to 2016; and (3) China’s agricultural green total factor productivity increased by 4.2% annually in the east, 3.4% annually in the central region, and 2.5% annually in the west. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Methodologies and Applications to Assess the Nexus between Agriculture, Environment and Health)

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12 pages, 744 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Post-Adversities Recovery and Profitability: The Case of Italian Farmers

by Donatella Porrini, Giulio Fusco and Pier Paolo Miglietta

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2019, 16(17), 3189; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph16173189 - 1 Sep 2019

Cited by 15 | Viewed by 2958

Abstract

Insurance represents one of the main instruments, together with other risk management mechanisms, to face the adverse effects produced by natural calamity that, despite their growing intensity and the enormous costs, are still perceived as “exceptional”. Risk management is an important part of farming, and it is a concern for those governments which aim at achieving their agricultural policy targets. In this context, crop insurance can also represent a financial mitigation tool for farmers to face climate change consequences. This study is focused on the Italian case analyzing the evolution of public support and its effect on risk management policy in agriculture. Our research, based on panel data regressions, provides two different levels of analysis. The first one evaluates how the reimbursed value issued by insurance companies in favor of agricultural firms, as recovery from natural adversities, affects farmers’ profitability. The second one evaluates how the reimbursed value is used in farm management. The results of the analysis demonstrating the significance of insurance variables and their positive effect on the profitability of the farms, represent a strong advance in the farm risk management field Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Methodologies and Applications to Assess the Nexus between Agriculture, Environment and Health)

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22 pages, 6571 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Changes in Olive Urban Forests Infected by Xylella fastidiosa: Impact on Microclimate and Social Health

by Teodoro Semeraro, Elisa Gatto, Riccardo Buccolieri, Marzia Vergine, Zhi Gao, Luigi De Bellis and Andrea Luvisi

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2019, 16(15), 2642; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph16152642 - 24 Jul 2019

Cited by 22 | Viewed by 5252

Abstract

This paper is devoted to the analysis of the impact of changes in olive urban forests affected by Xylella fastidiosa on ecosystem services. The focus is on microclimate and thermal comfort evaluated by two indices: the temperature of equivalent perception (TEP) and the predicted mean vote (PMV), which take into account both microclimate parameters and personal factors (heat resistance of clothing and human activity). The work has been carried out through (i) a qualitative analysis of the potential ecosystem services changes caused by temporary transition from olive groves to uncultivated soil, (ii) a study of the potential change of land use from monumental olive groves to other types of use, and (iii) a quantitative analysis on microclimate impact due to the loss of ecosystem services in two selected neighborhoods located in the Apulia region and chosen due to their proximity to the urban context. The analysis revealed that (i) direct effects on ecosystem services are principally linked with regulation functions and cultural services, (ii) a critical loss of cultural value of monumental olive groves occurred in the two neighborhoods, (iii) such a loss may lead to an increase of TEP and PMV, indicating a decrease of thermal comfort in the whole neighborhoods. Thus, it is necessary to plan the replanting policies of the use of the areas affected by X. fastidiosa not only in terms of agricultural planning but also in terms of landscape, urban planning, and human well-being. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Methodologies and Applications to Assess the Nexus between Agriculture, Environment and Health)

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17 pages, 2193 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effects of Integrated Rice-Frog Farming on Paddy Field Greenhouse Gas Emissions

by Kaikai Fang, Xiaomei Yi, Wei Dai, Hui Gao and Linkui Cao

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2019, 16(11), 1930; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph16111930 - 31 May 2019

Cited by 18 | Viewed by 5329

Abstract

Integrated rice-frog farming (IRFF), as a mode of ecological farming, is fundamental in realizing sustainable development in agriculture. Yet its production of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions remains unclear. Here, a randomized plot field experiment was performed to study the GHG emissions for various farming systems during the rice growing season. The farming systems included: conventional farming (CF), green integrated rice-frog farming (GIRF), and organic integrated rice-frog farming (OIRF). Results indicate that the cumulative methane (CH₄) emissions from the whole growth period were divergent for the three farming systems, with OIRF having the highest value and CF having the lowest. For nitrous oxide (N₂O) emissions, the order is reversed. IRFF significantly increased the dissolved oxygen (DO), soil redox potential (Eh), total organic carbon (TOC) content, and soil C:N ratio, which is closely related to GHG emissions in rice fields. Additionally, the average emissions of carbon dioxide (CO₂) from soils during rice growing seasons ranged from 2312.27 to 2589.62 kg ha⁻¹ and showed no significant difference in the three treatments. Rice yield in the GIRF and OIRF were lower (2.0% and 16.7%) than the control. The CH₄ emissions contributed to 83.0–96.8% of global warming potential (GWP). Compared to CF, the treatment of GIRF and OIRF increased the GWP by 41.3% and 98.2% during the whole growing period of rice, respectively. IRFF significantly increased greenhouse gas intensity (GHGI, 0.79 kg CO₂-eq ha⁻¹ grain yield), by 91.1% over the control. Compared to the OIRF, GIRF decreased the GHGI by approximately 39.4% (0.59 kg CO₂-eq ha⁻¹ grain yield), which was 44.2% higher than that of the control. The results of structural equation model showed that the contribution of fertilization to CH₄ emissions in paddy fields was much greater than that of frog activity. Moreover, frog activity could decrease GWP by reducing CH₄ emissions from rice fields. And while GIRF showed a slight increase in GHG emissions, it could still be considered as a good strategy for providing an environmentally-friendly option in maintaining crop yield in paddy fields. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Methodologies and Applications to Assess the Nexus between Agriculture, Environment and Health)

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11 pages, 1005 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Factors Associated with Leptospirosis in Domestic Cattle in Salakphra Wildlife Sanctuary, Thailand

by Nantawan Yatbantoong and Rattanawat Chaiyarat

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2019, 16(6), 1042; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph16061042 - 22 Mar 2019

Cited by 17 | Viewed by 4103

Abstract

Leptospirosis found in cattle (Bos taurus indicus) has potentially increased in economic impact. The objective was to investigate the factors associated with leptospirosis in cattle in the protected area. We investigated the seroprevalence of leptospirosis in cattle in Salakphra Wildlife Sanctuary, Thailand. Serum was collected to investigate the seroprevalence by agglutination test and their associated factors. From a total of 513 samples, antibodies against Leptospira were detected in 92.2% of samples. Within a total of 42 herds, the serovar with the highest prevalence was L interrogans serovar Tarassovi (92.9%). Most leptospirosis was found in medium-sized herds with the highest concentrations in cattle farms close to cities (52.4%, p < 0.05). Seroprevalence was associated with herd size, raising pattern in the dry and wet seasons, grazing distance, number of years that cattle were kept in the farm, the introduction of new cattle into the farm, and keeping some pets in the farm. The results of the study suggest that keeping cattle in larger herds, raising pattern and distance, keeping period, and introducing new cattle and having pets impart potential risk of increasing leptospirosis exposure. These results indicate that cattle are important hosts of Leptospira in Thailand and may act as sentinels of Leptospira infection for wildlife and people in the protected areas. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Methodologies and Applications to Assess the Nexus between Agriculture, Environment and Health)

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19 pages, 2368 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Farmers’ Rural-To-Urban Migration, Influencing Factors and Development Framework: A Case Study of Sihe Village of Gansu, China

by Libang Ma, Meimei Chen, Xinglong Che and Fang Fang

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2019, 16(5), 877; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph16050877 - 10 Mar 2019

Cited by 30 | Viewed by 5231

Abstract

Farmers are the major participants in rural development process and their willingness to settle in urban areas directly affects the implementation of rural revitalization strategy. Based on Ostrom’s institutional analysis and development (IAD) framework, we analyzed farmers’ willingness to settle in urban areas and its influencing factors by binary Logistic regression and cluster analysis of survey data of 190 rural households in Sihe village of Gansu Province of China. The results show that: (1) In Sihe village, farmers’ willingness to settle in urban areas was low in general and influenced by their neighbors’ decisions or behaviors. Households willing and unwilling to migrate to urban areas both presented significant spatial agglomeration. (2) The factors influencing farmers’ willingness to settle in urban areas were analyzed from six aspects: individual characteristics, family characteristics, residence characteristics, cognitive characteristics, institutions, and constraints. The main influencing factors were found to be age, occupation, number of non-agricultural workers in the family, household cultivated land area, annual household income, house building materials, degree of satisfaction with social pension, homestead and contracted land subsidies, income constraints, and other constraints. (3) Individual heterogeneity and difference in economic basis determined the difference in farmers’ willingness to settle in urban areas. Institutions and constraints played different roles in the migration willingness of different groups of farmers (Note: More details on the sample as well as further interpretation and discussion of the surveys are available in the associated research article (“Village-Scale Livelihood Change and the Response of Rural Settlement Land Use: Sihe Village of Tongwei County in Mid-Gansu Loess Hilly Region as an Example” (Ma, L.B.; Liu, S.C.; Niu, Y.W.; Chen, M.M., 2018)). Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Methodologies and Applications to Assess the Nexus between Agriculture, Environment and Health)

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21 pages, 6600 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Characterizing Spatiotemporal Dynamics of CH₄ Fluxes from Rice Paddies of Cold Region in Heilongjiang Province under Climate Change

by Tangzhe Nie, Zhongxue Zhang, Zhijuan Qi, Peng Chen, Zhongyi Sun and Xingchao Liu

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2019, 16(5), 692; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph16050692 - 26 Feb 2019

Cited by 20 | Viewed by 3874

Abstract

Paddy fields have become a major global anthropogenic CH₄ emission source, and climate change affects CH₄ emissions from paddy ecosystems by changing crop growth and the soil environment. It has been recognized that Heilongjiang Province has become an important source of CH₄ emission due to its dramatically increased rice planting area, while less attention has been paid to characterize the effects of climate change on the spatiotemporal dynamics of CH₄ fluxes. In this study, we used the calibrated and validated Long Ashton Research Station Weather Generator (LARS-WG) model and DeNitrification-DeComposition (DNDC) model to simulate historical and future CH₄ fluxes under RCP 4.5 and RCP 8.5 of four global climate models (GCMs) in Heilongjiang Province. During 1960–2015, the average CH₄ fluxes and climatic tendencies were 145.56 kg C/ha and 11.88 kg C/ha/(10a), respectively. Spatially, the CH₄ fluxes showed a decreasing trend from west to east, and the climatic tendencies in the northern and western parts were higher. During 2021–2080, the annual average CH₄ fluxes under RCP 4.5 and RCP 8.5 were predicted to be 213.46 kg C/ha and 252.19 kg C/ha, respectively, and their spatial distributions were similar to the historical distribution. The average climatic tendencies were 13.40 kg C/ha/(10a) and 29.86 kg C/ha/(10a), respectively, which decreased from west to east. The simulation scenario analysis showed that atmospheric CO₂ concentration and temperature affected CH₄ fluxes by changing soil organic carbon (SOC) content and plant biomass. This study indicated that a paddy ecosystem in a cold region is an important part of China’s greenhouse gas emission inventory in future scenarios. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Methodologies and Applications to Assess the Nexus between Agriculture, Environment and Health)

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12 pages, 2041 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effects of Biochar Amendment on CO₂ Emissions from Paddy Fields under Water-Saving Irrigation

by Shihong Yang, Zewei Jiang, Xiao Sun, Jie Ding and Junzeng Xu

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2018, 15(11), 2580; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph15112580 - 18 Nov 2018

Cited by 26 | Viewed by 4530

Abstract

The role of carbon pool of biochar as a method of long-term C sequestration in global warming mitigation is unclear. A two-year field study was conducted to investigate the seasonal variations of CO₂ emissions from water-saving irrigation paddy fields in response to biochar amendment and irrigation patterns. Three biochar treatments under water-saving irrigation and one biochar treatment under flooding irrigation were studied, and the application rates were 0, 20, 40, and 40 t ha⁻¹ and labeled as CI + NB (controlled irrigation and none biochar added), CI + MB (controlled irrigation and medium biochar added), CI + HB (controlled irrigation and high biochar added), and FI + HB (flood irrigation and high biochar added), respectively. Results showed that biochar application at medium rates (20 t ha⁻¹) decreased CO₂ emissions by 1.64–8.83% in rice paddy fields under water-saving irrigation, compared with the non-amendment treatment. However, the CO₂ emissions from paddy fields increased by 4.39–5.43% in the CI + HB treatment, compared with CI + NB. Furthermore, the mean CO₂ emissions from paddy fields under water-saving irrigation decreased by 2.22% compared with flood irrigation under the same amount of biochar application (40 t ha⁻¹). Biochar amendment increased rice yield and water use efficiency by 9.35–36.30% and 15.1–42.5%, respectively, when combined with water-saving irrigation. The CO₂ emissions were reduced in the CI + MB treatment, which then increased rice yield. The CO₂ emissions from paddy fields were positively correlated with temperature. The highest value of the temperature sensitivity coefficient (Q₁₀) was derived for the CI + MB treatment. The Q₁₀ was higher under water-saving irrigation compared with flooding irrigation. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Methodologies and Applications to Assess the Nexus between Agriculture, Environment and Health)

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