Grass Buffer Strips Improve Soil Health and Mitigate Greenhouse Gas Emissions in Center-Pivot Irrigated Cropping Systems

Sk. Musfiq-Us- Salehin, Rajan Ghimire, Sangamesh V. Angadi and Omololu J. Idowu
Additional contact information
Sk. Musfiq-Us- Salehin: Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM 88003, USA
Rajan Ghimire: Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM 88003, USA
Sangamesh V. Angadi: Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM 88003, USA
Omololu J. Idowu: Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM 88003, USA

Sustainability, 2020, vol. 12, issue 15, 1-15

Abstract: Declining water resources and soil degradation have significantly affected agricultural sustainability across the world. In the southern High Plains of USA, buffer strips of perennial grasses alternating with cultivated corn strips were introduced in center-pivot irrigated crop fields to increase agronomic production and ecosystem services. A study was conducted to evaluate soil carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) dynamics, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and soil health benefits of integrating circular grass buffer strips in the center-pivot irrigated corn production system. Multiple parameters were assessed in the grass buffer strips, and at distances of 1.52, 4.57, and 9.14 m away from the edges of grass strips in corn strips. While grasses in the buffer strips depleted N compared to corn strips, potential C mineralization (PCM) was 52.5% to 99.9% more in grass strips than in corn strips. Soil microbial biomass C (MBC) content was 36.7% to 52.5% greater in grass strips than in corn strips. Grass buffer also reduced carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) and nitrous oxide (N 2 O) emissions from corn strips. Grass buffer strips can improve soil health and sustainability in center-pivot irrigated cropping systems by increasing soil C components and reducing GHG emissions.

Keywords: grass buffer; nutrient cycling; soil organic carbon; water conservation (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/12/15/6014/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/12/15/6014/ (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:jsusta:v:12:y:2020:i:15:p:6014-:d:390236

Access Statistics for this article

Sustainability is currently edited by Ms. Alexandra Wu

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