Potential of Modified Reduced Tillage with Cover/Green Manure Crop for Climate Change Mitigation in a Smallholder Rainfed Farming System

Nabeeha Javed, Shahzada Sohail Ijaz (), Qaiser Hussain, Muhammad Ansar, Abdulwahed Fahad Alrefaei, Bader O. Almutairi, Wajid Zaman () and Munazza Yousra
Additional contact information
Nabeeha Javed: Institute of Soil & Environmental Sciences, PMAS Arid Agricultural University, Rawalpindi 46000, Pakistan
Shahzada Sohail Ijaz: Institute of Soil & Environmental Sciences, PMAS Arid Agricultural University, Rawalpindi 46000, Pakistan
Qaiser Hussain: Institute of Soil & Environmental Sciences, PMAS Arid Agricultural University, Rawalpindi 46000, Pakistan
Muhammad Ansar: Department of Agronomy, PMAS Arid Agricultural University, Rawalpindi 46000, Pakistan
Abdulwahed Fahad Alrefaei: Department of Zoology, College of Science, King Saud University, P.O. Box 2455, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
Bader O. Almutairi: Department of Zoology, College of Science, King Saud University, P.O. Box 2455, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
Wajid Zaman: Department of Life Sciences, Yeungnam University, Gyeongsan 38541, Republic of Korea
Munazza Yousra: Land Resources Research Institute, NARC, Islamabad 45500, Pakistan

Sustainability, 2024, vol. 16, issue 11, 1-16

Abstract: Soil can function as a reservoir and a source of greenhouse gases (GHGs), contingent on its management. This study assesses the potential of a modified reduced tillage (MRT) approach involving the use of cover or green manure crops as a substitute for crop residues to mitigate GHG emissions from soil within smallholder rainfed farming systems. A two-year field experiment with different tillage techniques (moldboard plow, tine cultivator, and modified reduced tillage) and crop rotations (summer fallow–wheat and cover/green manure–wheat) was conducted at Rawalpindi, Pakistan. The results showed that MRT reduced carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) and nitrous oxide (N 2 O) emissions by 8% and 15.3%, respectively, from soil while maintaining consistently higher soil moisture than conventional tillage techniques. The modified reduced tillage reduced the global warming potential (GWP) and greenhouse gas intensity (GHGI) by 15.8% and 20.7%, respectively. The net ecosystem exchange (NEE) was unaffected by the tillage systems. Therefore, adopting the MRT technique and incorporating green manure is a viable strategy for curtailing GHG emissions from soil, particularly in the context of smallholder rainfed farming systems. Extended, multi-year studies under various climate scenarios and agronomic practices are needed to understand the long-term impacts of MRT and crop rotations on GHG emissions.

Keywords: greenhouse gases; smallholder rainfed farming; dryland; reduced tillage; global warming potential; greenhouse gas intensity (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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