Net Global Warming Potential of Spring Wheat Cropping Systems in a Semiarid Region

Mark A. Liebig, David W. Archer, Jonathan J. Halvorson, Holly A. Johnson, Nicanor Z. Saliendra, Jason R. Gross and Donald L. Tanaka
Additional contact information
Mark A. Liebig: Northern Great Plains Research Laboratory, USDA-ARS, P.O. Box 459, Mandan, ND 58554, USA
David W. Archer: Northern Great Plains Research Laboratory, USDA-ARS, P.O. Box 459, Mandan, ND 58554, USA
Jonathan J. Halvorson: Northern Great Plains Research Laboratory, USDA-ARS, P.O. Box 459, Mandan, ND 58554, USA
Holly A. Johnson: Northern Great Plains Research Laboratory, USDA-ARS, P.O. Box 459, Mandan, ND 58554, USA
Nicanor Z. Saliendra: Northern Great Plains Research Laboratory, USDA-ARS, P.O. Box 459, Mandan, ND 58554, USA
Jason R. Gross: US Forest Service, Silt, CO 81652, USA
Donald L. Tanaka: Northern Great Plains Research Laboratory, USDA-ARS, P.O. Box 459, Mandan, ND 58554, USA

Land, 2019, vol. 8, issue 2, 1-19

Abstract: Investigations of global warming potential (GWP) of semiarid cropping systems are needed to ascertain agriculture’s contributions to climate regulation services. This study sought to determine net GWP for three semiarid cropping systems under no-tillage management in the northern Great Plains of North America: spring wheat ( Triticum aestivum L.)—fallow (SW-F), continuous spring wheat (CSW) and spring wheat—safflower ( Carthamus tinctorius L.)—rye ( Secale cereale L.) (SW-S-R). Management records, coupled with published carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) emission estimates, were used to determine emissions from production inputs and field operations. Static chamber methodology was used to measure soil-atmosphere methane (CH 4 ) and nitrous oxide (N 2 O) fluxes over a 3-year period and changes in profile soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks were determined over 18 years. Carbon dioxide emissions associated with production inputs and field operations were greatest for CSW, intermediate for SW-S-R and lowest for SW-F. All cropping systems were minor CH 4 sinks (≤0.5 kg CH 4 -C ha −1 yr −1 ) and moderate N 2 O sources (1.0 to 2.8 kg N 2 O-N ha −1 yr −1 ). No differences in SOC stocks were observed among cropping systems ( P = 0.78), nor did SOC stocks change significantly from baseline conditions ( P = 0.82). Summing across factors, net GWP was positive for SW-F and CSW, implying net greenhouse gas (GHG) emission to the atmosphere, while net GWP for SW-S-R was negative, implying net GHG uptake. Net GWP, however, did not differ among cropping systems ( P = 0.17). Management practices that concurrently improve N use efficiency and increase SOC stocks are needed for semiarid cropping systems to be net GHG sinks.

Keywords: GRACEnet; Nitrous oxide; soil organic carbon (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q15 Q2 Q24 Q28 Q5 R14 R52 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/8/2/32/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/8/2/32/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jlands:v:8:y:2019:i:2:p:32-:d:204396

Access Statistics for this article

Land is currently edited by Ms. Carol Ma

More articles in Land from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().