Greenhouse gas emissions and stocks of soil carbon and nitrogen from a 20-year fertilised wheat-maize intercropping system: a model approach

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Zhang, X., Xu, M., Liu, J., Sun, N., Wang, B. and Wu, L. 2016. Greenhouse gas emissions and stocks of soil carbon and nitrogen from a 20-year fertilised wheat-maize intercropping system: a model approach. Journal of Environmental Management. 167 (1 February), pp. 105-114. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2015.11.014

AuthorsZhang, X., Xu, M., Liu, J., Sun, N., Wang, B. and Wu, L.
Abstract

Accurate modelling of agricultural management impacts on greenhouse gas emissions and the cycling of carbon and nitrogen is complicated due to interactions between various processes and the disturbance caused by field management. In this study, a process-based model, the Soil-Plant-Atmosphere Continuum System (SPACSYS), was used to simulate the effects of different fertilisation regimes on crop yields, the dynamics of soil organic carbon (SOC) and total nitrogen (SN) stocks from 1990 to 2010, and soil CO2 (2007–2010) and N2O (2007–2008) emissions based on a long-term fertilisation experiment with a winter-wheat (Triticum Aestivum L.) and summer-maize (Zea mays L.) intercropping system in Eutric Cambisol (FAO) soil in southern China. Three fertilisation treatments were 1) unfertilised (Control), 2) chemical nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium (NPK), and 3) NPK plus pig manure (NPKM). Statistical analyses indicated that the SPACSYS model can reasonably simulate the yields of wheat and maize, the evolution of SOC and SN stocks and soil CO2 and N2O emissions. The simulations showed that the NPKM treatment had the highest values of crop yields, SOC and SN stocks, and soil CO2 and N2O emissions were the lowest from the Control treatment. Furthermore, the simulated results showed that manure amendment along with chemical fertiliser applications led to both C (1017 ± 470 kg C ha−1 yr−1) and N gains (91.7 ± 15.1 kg N ha−1 yr−1) in the plant-soil system, while the Control treatment caused a slight loss in C and N. In conclusion, the SPACSYS model can accurately simulate the processes of C and N as affected by various fertilisation treatments in the red soil. Furthermore, application of chemical fertilisers plus manure could be a suitable management for ensuring crop yield and sustaining soil fertility in the red soil region, but the ratio of chemical fertilisers to manure should be optimized to reduce C and N losses to the environment.

KeywordsSoil organic matter; Greenhouse gas; Fertilisation; Crop yield; SPACSYS
Year of Publication2016
JournalJournal of Environmental Management
Journal citation167 (1 February), pp. 105-114
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2015.11.014
Open accessPublished as non-open access
Funder project or codeDelivering Sustainable Systems (SS) [ISPG]
Optimisation of nutrients in soil-plant systems: Determining how phosphorus availability is regulated in soils
Output statusPublished
Publication dates
Online23 Nov 2015
Publication process dates
Accepted01 Nov 2015
Copyright licensePublisher copyright
ISSN0301-4797
PublisherAcademic Press Ltd- Elsevier Science Ltd

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