Environmental parameters and management as factors affecting greenhouse gas emissions from clay soil

ABSTRACT

Greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) drive climate change, with agricultural land significantly contributing, influenced by soil properties. While extensive research exists on environmental and management impacts on GHG emissions across various soils and climates, understanding key factors influencing GHG emissions from clay soil in temperate climates is limited. This study aims to investigate the combination of environmental and management factors reducing N₂O, CO₂, and CH₄ emissions from clay soil in temperate climates. Recognising the potential of reduced tillage and legume-based crop rotations in mitigating GHG emissions, we investigate their impact on soil emissions. The conventionally managed field with spring barley, field beans, winter wheat, and winter rapeseed rotation demonstrates the lowest average N₂O emission (3.7 g N₂O ha⁻¹ d⁻¹), while the field with winter crops in a reduced tillage rotation shows the highest N₂O emission (8.5 g N₂O ha⁻¹ d⁻¹). A rotation with winter crops, beans twice, and barley, under conventional management, demonstrates the highest CO₂ emission (140.2 kg CO₂ ha⁻¹ d⁻¹), while the lowest CO₂ emission is observed in a rotation with winter crops, beans, and barley under reduced tillage management (100.8 kg CO₂ ha⁻¹ d⁻¹). CH₄ assimilation ranges from 3.1 to 5.4 CH₄ g ha⁻¹ d⁻¹ across all rotation and tillage combinations. However, ANCOVA results indicate that the volumes of GHG emissions are significantly influenced by the interaction of environmental and management factors, where precipitation is the most significant factor in the interaction with other environmental factors, soil tillage, and crop residues for N₂O and CO₂ emissions, while CH₄ emissions are influenced by the interaction of air temperature with other environmental factors, soil tillage, and crop residues. This underscores the need to consider both management and relevant environmental factors when evaluating the impact of practices on GHG emissions from clay soil in temperate climates.

KEYWORDS:

• Agriculture
• Cambic Calcisol
• field beans
• Picarro G2508
• spring barley
• tillage
• winter rapeseed
• winter wheat

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank to personnel of Study farm Peterlauki of Latvia University of Life Sciences and Technologies on cooperation performing measurements on a broad multifaceted field experiment.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Correction Statement

This article has been corrected with minor changes. These changes do not impact the academic content of the article.

Additional information

Funding

The research was funded by ‘Improvement of accounting system and methodologies for estimation of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and CO₂ removals from croplands and grasslands’ of the Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Latvia No.10 9.1-11/18/865-E, No.10 9.1-11/19/1748-E, No.10 9.1-11/20/1657-E, No. 10 9.1-11/21/1825-E, and No.0.9.1-11/22/1107-e.

Notes on contributors

Kristine Valujeva

Kristine Valujeva is a Leading Researcher with Scientific Laboratory of Forest and Water Resources at Latvia University of Life Sciences and Technologies. Her research interests include soil, sustainable land management, environmental governance and agricultural policies.

Jovita Pilecka-Ulcugaceva

Jovita Pilecka-Ulcugaceva is a Scientific Assistant with Scientific Laboratory of Forest and Water Resources at Latvia University of Life Sciences and Technologies and concurrently a doctoral candidate at Latvia University of Life Sciences and Technologies. Her research interests include air pollution, soil, and GHG emissions in agriculture.

Madara Darguza

Madara Darguza is a Researcher with Institute of Soil and Plant Science at Latvia University of Life Sciences and Technologies and concurrently a doctoral candidate at Latvia University of Life Sciences and Technologies. Her research interests include soil tillage, crop rotation, crop production.

Kristaps Siltumens

Kristaps Siltumens is a Scientific Assistant with Scientific Laboratory of Forest and Water Resources at Latvia University of Life Sciences and Technologies and concurrently a master student at Latvia University. His research interests include soil and waste management.

Ainis Lagzdins

Ainis Lagzdins is a Leading Researcher with Institute of Landscape Architecture and Environmental Engineering and a Head of Scientific Laboratory of Forest and Water Resources at Latvia University of Life Sciences and Technologies. His research interests include nutrient management, water quality, hydrology, drainage, water management.

Inga Grinfelde

Inga Grinfelde is a Scientific Assistant with Scientific Laboratory of Forest and Water Resources at Latvia University of Life Sciences and Technologies. Her research interests include soil, mitigation of GHG emissions in agriculture, hydrology, and water management.