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Assessment of Methane and Nitrous Oxide Fluxes from Paddy Field by Means of Static Closed Chambers Maintaining Plants Within Headspace
Published on: September 6, 2018
Nitrous oxide emissions from corn-soybean systems in the midwest
Timothy B Parkin1, Thomas C Kaspar
1USDA-ARS, National Soil Tilth Laboratory, Ames, IA 50011, USA. parkin@nstl.gov
Journal of Environmental Quality
|July 11, 2006
Summary
Soil nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions from corn and soybean systems were measured. Tillage and cover crops did not significantly impact N2O fluxes, though corn plots emitted more N2O than soybean plots.
Area of Science:
- Agricultural Science
- Environmental Science
- Soil Science
Background:
- Nitrous oxide (N2O) is a potent greenhouse gas with significant agricultural sources.
- Understanding N2O emissions from cropping systems is crucial for climate change mitigation strategies.
- Tillage practices and cover cropping are management strategies that can influence soil N2O emissions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To quantify soil N2O emissions under different tillage and cover cropping systems in a corn-soybean rotation.
- To compare measured N2O fluxes with estimates from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) default emission factor.
Main Methods:
- Field measurements of N2O fluxes were conducted over two years (2003-2005) in central Iowa.
- Three management systems were evaluated: full-width tillage, no-till, and no-till with a rye cover crop.
- Gas samples were collected using vented chambers and analyzed for N2O concentration over time.
Main Results:
- No significant differences in N2O fluxes were observed between tillage and cover crop treatments in either year.
- Corn plots consistently showed significantly higher N2O emissions than soybean plots.
- Measured N2O emissions were approximately three times higher than estimates using the IPCC default emission factor.
Conclusions:
- Tillage and cover cropping had minimal impact on soil N2O emissions in this central Iowa corn-soybean system.
- Corn cultivation represents a larger source of N2O emissions compared to soybean cultivation.
- The IPCC default emission factor likely underestimates actual N2O emissions from similar agricultural systems.
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