Explore the vast range of titles available.

Technologies to reduce net emissions of carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide within the agriculture sector were reviewed to estimate the global potential for mitigation of these radiatively active greenhouse gases. Our estimates of the potential reduction of radiative forcing by the agricultural sector range from 1.15-3.3 Gt C equivalents per year. Of the total potential reduction, approximately 32% could result from reduction in CO2 emissions, 42% of carbon offsets by biofuel production on 15% of existing croplands, 16% from reduced CH4 emissions and 10% from reduced emissions of N2O. Agriculture encompasses large regional differences in management practices and rates of potential adoption of mitigation practices. Acceptability of mitigation options will depend on the extent to which sustainable production will be achieved or maintained and benefits will accrue to farmers. Technologies such as no-till farming and strategic fertilizer placement and timing are now being adopted for reasons other than concern for climate change issues.

Cropping and tillage management can increase atmospheric CO2, N2O, and CH4 concentrations, and contribute to global warming and destruction of the ozone layer. Fluxes of these gases in vented surface chambers, and water‐filled pore space (WFPS) and temperature of survace soil were measured weekly from a long‐term winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)‐fallow rotation system under chemical (no‐tillage) and mechanical tillage (noninversion subtillage at 7 to 10 cm or moldboard plowing to 15 cm) follow management and compared with those from “native” grass sod at Sidney, NE, from March 1993 to July 1995. Cropping, tillage, within‐field location, time of year, soil temperature, and WFPS influenced net greenhouse gas fluxes. Mean annual interrow CO2 emissions from wheat‐fallow ranged from 6.9 to 20.1 kg C ha−1 d−1 and generally increased with intensity and degree of tillage (no‐till least and plow greatest). Nitrous oxide flux averaged <1.2 g N ha−1 d−1 for sod and 1 to 2 g N ha−1 d−1 for wheat‐fallow. Tillage during fallow increased N2O flux by almost 100%. Nitrous oxide emissions were 1.5 to 3.7 times greater from crop row than interrow locations with greatest differences occurring during periods of highest N2O emission. Mean annual N2O flux over the 3 yr of study were 1.54 and 0.76 g N ha−1 d−1 for row and interrow locations. Methane uptake ranged from 5.9 to 9.9 g C ha−1 d−1 and was not influenced by row location. Seasonal CO2 and N2O flux, and CH4 uptake ranked as spring ≥ summer > autumn > winter. Winter periods accounted for 4 to 10% and 3 to 47% of the annual CO2 and N2O flux, respectively, and 12 to 21% of the annual CH4 uptake. Fluxes of CO2 and N2O, and CH4 uptake increased linearly with soil temperature. No‐till fallow exhibited the least threat to deterioration of atmospheric or soil quality as reflected by greater CH4 uptake, decreased N2O and CO2 emissions, and less loss of soil organic C than tilled soils. However, potential for increased C sequestration in this wheat‐fallow system is limited due to reduced C input from intermittent cropping.

Agricultural crop and animal production systems are important sources and sinks for atmospheric methane (CH4). The major CH4 sources from this sector are ruminant animals, flooded rice fields, animal waste and biomass burning which total about one third of all global emissions.

In this paper we discuss three topics concerning N₂O emissions from agricultural systems. First, we present an appraisal of N₂O emissions from agricultural soils (Assessment). Secondly, we discuss some recent efforts to improve N₂O flux estimates in agricultural fields (Measurement), and finally, we relate recent studies which use nitrification inhibitors to decrease N₂O emissions from N-fertilized fields (Mitigation). To assess the global emission of N₂O from agricultural soils, the total flux should represent N₂O from all possible sources; native soil N, N from recent atmospheric deposition, past years fertilization, N from crop residues, N₂O from subsurface aquifers below the study area, and current N fertilization. Of these N sources only synthetic fertilizer and animal manures and the area of fields cropped with legumes have sufficient global data to estimate their input for N₂O production. The assessment of direct and indirect N₂O emissions we present was made by multiplying the amount of fertilizer N applied to agricultural lands by 2% and the area of land cropped to legumes by 4 kg N₂O-N ha⁻¹. No regard to method of N application, type of N, crop, climate or soil was given in these calculations, because the data are not available to include these variables in large scale assessments. Improved assessments should include these variables and should be used to drive process models for field, area, region and global scales. Several N₂O flux measurement techniques have been used in recent field studies which utilize small and ultralarge chambers and micrometeorological along with new analytical techniques to measure N₂O fluxes. These studies reveal that it is not the measurement technique that is providing much of the uncertainty in N₂O flux values found in the literature but rather the diverse combinations of physical and biological factors which control gas fluxes. A careful comparison of published literature narrows the range of observed fluxes as noted in the section on assessment. An array of careful field studies which compare a series of crops, fertilizer sources, and management techniques in controlled parallel experiments throughout the calendar year are needed to improve flux estimates and decrease uncertainty in prediction capability. There are a variety of management techniques which should conserve N and decrease the amount of N application needed to grow crops and to limit N₂O emissions. Using nitrification inhibitors is an option for decreasing fertilizer N use and additionally directly mitigating N₂O emissions. Case studies are presented which demonstrate the potential for using nitrification inhibitors to limit N₂O emissions from agricultural soils. Inhibitors may be selected for climatic conditions and type of cropping system as well as the type of nitrogen (solid mineral N, mineral N in solution, or organic waste materials) and applied with the fertilizers.

An automated system for continuous soil respiration and microbial biomass measurements based on Infra Red Gas Analysis was constructed. The switching device is computer controlled and allows hourly measurements of up to 24 samples when switching intervals of 2.5 min are selected. This allows the use of the substrate-induced respiration method for biomass determination. A software package to run the system was developed.

N₂O-loss rates from two soils were measured over a continuous observation period of 2 years. The two soils, differing in texture (sandy loam and silty loam), are frequently used for intensive crop production. Rates were estimated using a closed soil cover box technique. N₂O-losses obtained were scrutinised with physical, chemical and microbiological properties of the soils as well as with climatic data. Large temporal changes in N₂O-emission rates were found. The data were approximately log-normal distributed. In spring maximal values of 20 g N₂O-N ha⁻¹ d⁻¹ were observed. According to this observation, two situations associated with high flux rates could be distinguished; 1. N₂O- production by soil at spring thaw and 2. N₂O-production within one week after N-fertilizer application. For both soils equal N₂O-losses were found, which are adequate to 1 kg N₂O-N ha⁻¹ per year. From this data was calculated that N₂O-losses ranged from 0.8-1.5% of the applied fertilizer N.

Five soil cover box systems varying in area were used to measure the N₂O emissions from four arable soils. The covered area of the systems ranged from 78 to 576000 cm². The observed N₂O emission rates were approximately log-normal distributed. The greatest influence of variation of N₂O emission rates could be attributed to the factor sampling date/time. The different soil cover box systems were assessed by comparing measured mean N₂O releases, their time courses and spatial variation. The spatial coefficient of variation of N₂O emission rates decreased logarithmically with an increasing radius of the soil cover box system used.

Sugar beet, winter wheat and winter barley were planted within a crop rotation on an arable soil with conventional soil management. Soil samples were taken monthly from different depths of the whole plough layer (0-10, 10-20 and 20-30 cm) during a 56 month period. The samples were analysed for microbial biomass carbon using the substrate-induced respiration technique. Temporal changes in the amount of microbial biomass carbon were observed. Within a year, microbial biomass-C varied from low values (— 15% of total mean) in winter to high values (+15% of total mean) in summer. Relative deviations from the annual means were calculated for each month in the year to demonstrate these fluctuations. Temporal changes in microbial biomass-C depended on the sources of sample variation (5 years, 3 crops, 3 sampling depths). The highest relative deviation from the annual mean microbial biomass-C was attributable to the factor \"year\". Less variations were caused by \"crops\" and \"sampling depth\". Soil microbial biomass-C remained constant during frost periods. From the observed temporal changes, recommendations for a suitable date for soil sampling are given, which allows a representative estimation of the mean annual microbial biomass-C content in arable soils.

The concentration of nitrous oxide in the atmosphere is increasing at the rate of about 0.2%/yr, of which an estimated 1.5 Tg of nitrogen is released directly as N sub(2)O each year as a result of fertilizer applications to agricultural ecosystems. The N sub(2)O production processes are described, as well as the impact of land-use change on N sub(2)O emissions, and N sub(2)O fluxes from agriculture are estimated for extensive agricultural systems and intensive systems. Various mitigation measures are proposed, including: increasing the productivity of existing agricultural lands, improving the productivity of shifting agriculture, increasing the use of crop residues as household fuel, replacement of seasonal or annual crops with tree crops, matching N supply with demand, and the use of N-transformation inhibitors. It is estimated that increasing the efficiency of the use of N supplied as mineral and animal-waste fertilizers could decrease N sub(2)O emissions from agriculture by almost 20%.