Fluxes of nitrous oxide (N2O), methane (CH4) and carbon dioxide (CO2) from a soil cultivated with sugar cane under different management practices

Author(s)

Eráclito Rodrigues de Sousa Neto

• Document type: Doctoral Thesis
• Press: Piracicaba.
• Institution: Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Centro de Energia Nuclear na Agricultura (CENA/STB)
• Defense date: 2012-12-07

Examining board members

Luiz Antonio Martinelli; Bruno José Rodrigues Alves; Carlos Eduardo Pellegrino Cerri; Takashi Muraoka

• Advisor: Luiz Antonio Martinelli

Abstract

Recently, the production and use of biofuels have increased rapidly and have been considered as one of the alternatives in relation to the use of fossil fuels. This rapid increase has raised many questions about the real impact of biofuels on the environment. Brazil is considered the world\'s largest producer of sugar cane and part of this production is used to produce ethanol. However, with the expansion and intensification of areas cultivated with sugar cane, there is an increase in the use of nitrogen fertilizers and residues of the ethanol industry such as vinasse and filter cake. The use of such residues as a source of nutrients has been adopted as an alternative to reduce the use of mineral fertilizers and the greenhouse gas emissions (N2O, CH4 and CO2). The aim of this study was to estimate greenhouse gas emissions from the soil cultivates with sugar cane in plant stage with use of organic compounds (vinasse and filter cake), and mineral nitrogen as fertilizers (urea). The experiment was conducted in the city of Jau, Sao Paulo, in an Oxisol. The collections started in May 2010 and lasted until March 2011. Fluxes were measured using the static chambers method. The design of this experiment consisted of six treatments in four blocks (replicates) with five plots per block (treatments), as follows: (T1) addition of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) via mineral fertilizers; (T2) addition of P and K via mineral fertilizers, and no N; (T3) addition of mineral N and P, and K via filter cake; (T4) addition of mineral N and P, and K via vinasse, (T5) addition of mineral N, P and K, and filter cake and vinasse, and (T0) without any addition. Intensive collections were made immediately after planting and application of the mineral fertilizers and organic compounds in the days 1, 2, 5, 6, 8, 12, 17, 20, 24, 28 and 32. After the period of intensive sampling, samples were collected monthly. Elevated emissions of N2O-N and CO2-C were observed during the period of intensive sampling, from the treatments where the mineral fertilizers associated with organic compounds were applied. CH4-C fluxes were mostly negative indicating a consumption of this gas by the soil. The use of organic compounds associated with mineral fertilizers in this study increased the emission of CO2-C and N2O-N. The N2O-N emission factor for these treatments is higher than estimated by the IPCC (1%) (AU)