Crop-pasture rotation: A strategy to reduce soil greenhouse gas emissions in the Brazilian Cerrado

Author(s)

Nunes Carvalho, Joao Luis ^[1] ; Raucci, Guilherme Silva ^[2] ; Frazao, Leidivan Almeida ^[3] ; Cerri, Carlos Eduardo P. ^[3] ; Bernoux, Martial ^[4] ; Cerri, Carlos Clemente ^[2]

Affiliation

^[1] Lab Nacl Ciencia & Tecnol Bioetanol CTBE, BR-13083970 Campinas, SP - Brazil

^[2] Univ Sao Paulo, Lab Biogeoquim Ambiental CENA, BR-13400970 Piracicaba, SP - Brazil

^[3] Univ Sao Paulo, Dept Ciencia Solo ESALQ, BR-13418900 Piracicaba, SP - Brazil

^[4] Montpellier SupAgro, IRD, UMR Eco & Sols Funct Ecol & Biogeochem Soils & Ag, Cirad, Inra, F-34060 Montpellier 1 - France

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: AGRICULTURE ECOSYSTEMS & ENVIRONMENT; v. 183, p. 167-175, JAN 15 2014.
• Web of Science Citations: 29

Abstract

The objective of this study was to quantify the soil greenhouse gas (GHG) balance after the conversion of native vegetation (NV) to pasture and agricultural land and the conversion of agriculture to crop-pasture rotation (CPR) by evaluating changes in C stocks and N2O and CH4 fluxes. Soil sampling was carried out in March 2007 and April 2009 and GHG fluxes were sampled nine times between April 2007 and March 2009. The conversion of NV to pasture and agriculture decreased soil C stocks, with loss rates ranging from 0.25 to 0.64 Mg C ha(-1) yr(-1), respectively. The implementation of CPR in,agriculture areas increased soil C stocks by 0.60 Mg ha(-1) yr(-1). N2O emissions were higher in CPR and lower in NV. Emission of 1.03 kg CH4-C ha(-1) yr(-1) was observed in pasture, while in other areas consumption of CH4 was observed. The net GHG emission from the soil, including all GHG expressed in C-equivalent, indicated that the conversion of NV to pasture and agricultural land results in emissions of 0.54 and 0.72 Mg C ha(-1) yr(-1), respectively. In contrast, the adoption of CPR in areas under crop succession was a sink of 0.36 Mg ha(-1) yr(-1). Among the evaluated land use changes, only the implementation of CPR proved to be a good strategy to mitigate soil GHG emissions in Brazilian Cerrado. (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 08/00707-9 - Crop-livestock integration in South-Western of Goiás: impacts in soil carbon and in the greenhouse gas fluxes
• Grantee: Carlos Clemente Cerri
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• FAPESP's process: 06/07110-2 - Crop-cattle farming integration in the southwest of Amazonia and Goiás: impacts on organic matter in the soil and on the flux of greenhouse effect gases
• Grantee: João Luís Nunes Carvalho
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate