Multilocation changes in soil carbon stocks from sugarcane straw removal for bioenergy production in Brazil

Author(s)

Tenelli, Sarah ^{[1, 2]} ; Bordonal, Ricardo Oliveira ^[1] ; Cherubin, Mauricio Roberto ^[3] ; Cerri, Carlos Eduardo Pellegrino ^[3] ; Carvalho, Joao Luis Nunes ^[1]

Affiliation

^[1] Brazilian Ctr Res Energy & Mat LNBR CNPEM, LNBR CNPEM Brazilian Biorenewables Natl Lab, Giuseppe Maximo Scolfaro St 10000, BR-13083100 Campinas, SP - Brazil

^[2] UNICAMP Univ Campinas, Interdisciplinary PhD Program Bioenergy, Campinas, SP - Brazil

^[3] Univ Sao Paulo, ESALQ USP Coll Agr Luiz Queiroz, Dept Soil Sci, Piracicaba, SP - Brazil

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: Global Change Biology Bioenergy; v. 13, n. 7, p. 1099-1111, JUL 2021.
• Web of Science Citations: 1

Abstract

Sugarcane (Saccharum spp.) straw has been identified as a valuable asset for bioenergy production, but it is also a primary carbon input for sustaining soil resources. Therefore, excessive removal of this crop residue can potentially decrease soil organic carbon (SOC) and have negative environmental consequences. Most crop residue management studies focus on site-specific responses which are important, but do not provide comprehensive assessments across the multiple edaphoclimatic conditions needed by decision makers to guide sustainable sugarcane straw management. Temporal modifications in SOC stocks induced by straw removal were quantified in 10 field experiments located in south-central of Brazil. Each field experiment was arranged in a randomized block design with four replications, including four straw removal rates: total (TR), high (HR), low (LR) and no removal (NR). Soil sampling was performed to a 30 cm depth at the trial establishment (baseline) and after 2 and 4 consecutive years of straw removal. The data indicate that about 19% and 25% of the C added via straw were retained in areas of sandy and clay soils, respectively, and show that excessive removal rates depleted SOC stocks across the evaluated sites. Furthermore, regardless of removal rate, maintenance of straw on sandy soils was not sufficient to sustain SOC stocks, which were depleted by 2.3, 1.9, 1.5, and 1.4 Mg ha(-1) year(-1) for the TR, HR, LR, and NR. Our measured data provide scientific information to support policy and management decisions for straw-derived bioenergy in Brazil. They also suggest straw removal from clay soils will be less deleterious to SOC stocks than from sandy soils, where removal should be avoided. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 18/09845-7 - Implications of expansion and management intensification on soil ecosystem services
• Grantee: Maurício Roberto Cherubin
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• FAPESP's process: 16/50403-2 - Valorizing the decentralized biomass production chain for advanced biofuel production: development and evaluation of thermochemical routes integrated with biomass production and biochemical routes
• Grantee: Antonio Maria Francisco Luiz Jose Bonomi
• Support Opportunities: Research Grants - Research Partnership for Technological Innovation - PITE
• FAPESP's process: 17/23978-7 - Soil carbon dynamics and greenhouse gas balance: implications of sugarcane straw removal for bioenergy production
• Grantee: Ricardo de Oliveira Bordonal
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants