Use of isotopic discrimination to evaluate the contribution from above and belowground plant parts to provide carbon to the soil

• Grant number: 13/13451-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research
• Start date: August 19, 2013
• End date: April 30, 2014
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Agronomy - Soil Science
• Principal Investigator: João Luís Nunes Carvalho
• Grantee: João Luís Nunes Carvalho
• Host Investigator: Evan H. Delucia
• Host Institution: Centro Nacional de Pesquisa em Energia e Materiais (CNPEM). Ministério da Ciência, Tecnologia e Inovação (Brasil). Campinas , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, United States

Abstract

Mechanized harvesting and maintenance of straw on the soil surface changed the sugarcane sector in Brazil. Among these modifications, emphasis has been given to the input of crop residues, and a consequent increase in soil carbon (C) stocks. The straw and roots are the main C inputs, and currently there is no knowledge of the participation of these plant compartments in supplying C to the soil. This lack of information is associated mainly to the difficulty of root system assessment and its potential of C incorporation in the soil. This project is based on the hypothesis that the correct evaluation of the straw and roots in supply carbon to the soil will help in decision-making how much straw should be left on the soil aiming at sustainability of sugarcane production. The aim of this project is divided into three stages: i) to evaluate equipment and methodologies to in-field evaluation of CO2 loses, the origin of these losses and estimate the contribution of straw and roots in supply C to the soil in areas cultivated with Miscathus and Switchgrass at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC); ii) after this period abroad, the main aim will be to bring these methodologies to be used in sugarcane areas in Brazil; iii) finally, it is expected that this project will be the beginning of an exchange program between researchers at UIUC and CTBE. This project will take eight months' duration, of which three months will be used for field activities and the remaining time for data interpretation and exploitation of results from previous projects and ongoing research by the group coordinated by Dr Evan DeLucia at UIUC. (AU)

Scientific publications

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

CARVALHO, JOAO L. N.; HUDIBURG, TARA W.; FRANCO, HENRIQUE C. J.; DELUCIA, EVAN H.. Contribution of above- and belowground bioenergy crop residues to soil carbon. Global Change Biology Bioenergy, v. 9, n. 8, p. 1333-1343, AUG 2017. (13/13451-0, 02/10534-8)