Enhancing crop system models for C and N balances: long-term scenarios to improve sustainable agricultural management practices

• Grant number: 22/02396-8
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral
• Start date: September 01, 2022
• End date: August 31, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Agronomy - Soil Science
• Principal Investigator: Carlos Eduardo Pellegrino Cerri
• Grantee: Evandro Henrique Figueiredo Moura da Silva
• Host Institution: Escola Superior de Agricultura Luiz de Queiroz (ESALQ). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Piracicaba , SP, Brazil
• Company: Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Escola Politécnica (EP)
• Associated research grant: 20/15230-5 - Research Centre for Greenhouse Gas Innovation - RCG2I, AP.PCPE
• Associated scholarship(s): 22/16715-8 - Improving cropping system model of DSSAT for simulating greenhouse gases emissions for cropping systems in Brazil, BE.EP.PD

Abstract

Soil organic matter is the largest pool of carbon in the biosphere. The knowledge of soil carbon balance could help to forecast the depletion of soil carbon stocks and carbon dioxide (CO2) efflux. The soil carbon balance is directly related to the nutrients supply in the soil, mainly the nitrogen that has importance in global food production, and its impact on the environment related to ammonia (NH3) volatilization. In order to meet the increasing demand for food, feed, fiber and biofuel agriculture areas in Brazil have been expanding strongly since the last decade reaching areas with adverse soil and climatic conditions. The scarcity of available new arable land for production increase raises the importance of agricultural intensification by increasing crop yields. Brazil is one of the largest agricultural producers in the world and has been assumed as a key place for supplying the global future demand for food at reasonable prices. However, the issues of GHG emissions and climate change have put extra pressure on food production that will be addressed with agricultural management practices that add sustainability to the production process. In this direction, recent publications have shown the effect of agricultural soil management on carbon sequestration and reduction of ammonia volatilization under different environmental conditions. These researches could be improved by crop modeling, which have been well tested under temperate conditions, but little has been published dealing with carbon and nitrogen balance processes with data collected from well-designed experiments under tropical and sub-tropical conditions. Cropping System Model (CSM) can be used for simulating effects of soil carbon and nitrogen balance in several crops. Our goal in this research project will to use the crop models that compose Decision Support System for Agrotechnology Transfer (DSSAT) ecosystems, in conjunction with field data, to determine the impact of several agricultural managements on Greenhouse Gases (GHG) emissions reducing under different environments, water availability, soils, crops, tillage practices, and organic amendments; making it possible to generate results on a large scale in time and space. In this way, this project could to contribute with sustainable intensification of agriculture in Brazil, and help to goals of GHG emissions reducing assumed by the country in Paris Agreement. (AU)