Sward Diversity Modulates Soil Carbon Dynamics After Ploughing Temporary Grassland

Hendrik P. J. Smit (), Hanna Anders, Christof Kluß, Friedhelm Taube, Ralf Loges and Arne Poyda
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Hendrik P. J. Smit: Institute of Crop Science and Plant Breeding, Grass and Forage Science/Organic Agriculture, Christian-Albrechts-University Kiel, Hermann-Rodewald-Straße 9, D-24118 Kiel, Germany
Hanna Anders: Institute of Crop Science and Plant Breeding, Grass and Forage Science/Organic Agriculture, Christian-Albrechts-University Kiel, Hermann-Rodewald-Straße 9, D-24118 Kiel, Germany
Christof Kluß: Institute of Crop Science and Plant Breeding, Grass and Forage Science/Organic Agriculture, Christian-Albrechts-University Kiel, Hermann-Rodewald-Straße 9, D-24118 Kiel, Germany
Friedhelm Taube: Institute of Crop Science and Plant Breeding, Grass and Forage Science/Organic Agriculture, Christian-Albrechts-University Kiel, Hermann-Rodewald-Straße 9, D-24118 Kiel, Germany
Ralf Loges: Institute of Crop Science and Plant Breeding, Grass and Forage Science/Organic Agriculture, Christian-Albrechts-University Kiel, Hermann-Rodewald-Straße 9, D-24118 Kiel, Germany
Arne Poyda: Ministry for Energy Transition, Climate Protection, Environment and Nature Schleswig-Holstein, Mercatorstraße 3, D-24106 Kiel, Germany

Agriculture, 2025, vol. 15, issue 8, 1-16

Abstract: Grasslands are crucial for sequestering carbon underground, but disturbances like ploughing can lead to significant soil organic carbon (SOC) loss as CO 2 , a potent greenhouse gas. Thus, managed grasslands should be maintained to minimize GHG emissions. A field study was carried out to investigate how varying sward diversity influences soil respiration following the ploughing of temporary grassland. This study investigated the extent of CO 2 emissions from different species mixtures immediately after ploughing, as well as C losses when straw was added to plots, over a 142-day period. The species mixture treatments consisted of a binary mixture (BM), a tertiary mixture (TM), and a complex mixture (CM), which were compared to two bare plot treatments, one of which was also ploughed. The highest CO 2 flux occurred immediately after ploughing and was observed in the BM treatment (1.99 kg CO 2 -C ha −1 min −1 ). Accumulated CO 2 emissions ranged from 0.4 to 14.8 t CO 2 ha −1 . The ploughing effect on CO 2 emissions was evident for bare soils, as ploughing increased soil aeration, which enhanced microbial activity and accelerated the decomposition rate of soil organic matter. However, different mixtures did not affect the C turnover rate. Adding straw to treatments resulted in 43% higher CO 2 emissions compared to bare plots. The BM treatment likely induced a higher priming effect, suggesting that the incorporated straw, under different sward residues, influenced CO 2 emissions more than the mechanical disturbance caused by ploughing. Findings suggest that using complex species mixtures can be recommended as a strategy to reduce CO 2 emissions from incorporated biomass and minimize the priming effect of native soil carbon.

Keywords: greenhouse gas; soil fertility; organic farming; multispecies swards; sustainable agriculture (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q1 Q10 Q11 Q12 Q13 Q14 Q15 Q16 Q17 Q18 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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