Effects of nutrient fertilization and soil tillage on soil CO2 emissions in a long-term grassland experiment

• DOI: 10.1016/j.still.2024.106232
• Publication Date: 2024-07-24T00:57:13Z
• Authors: Jonathan E. Holland; Dario Fornara; Alan Gordon; Christopher J. Bo...
• Keywords: Soil respiration; Soil carbon

A better understanding of how land management might affect soil respiration can greatly help enhancing the long-term sustainability agricultural soils. This study investigated effects two key practices, nutrient fertilization and tillage, on in an intensive grassland system. Data were collected from a experiment established 1970 Northern Ireland, UK. The commenced with eight treatments: unfertilised control, inorganic fertiliser (NPK), types slurry: cattle pig slurry at three application rates. In September 2019 half experimental plots tilled reseeded multi-species sward mixture. Static automated chambers used to measure fluxes CO2 between 2018 2021. Surprisingly, we did not find any significant treatment mean hourly or cumulative emissions. Likewise, there no differences emissions type slurry, rate interaction these factors. However, seasonal changes highly while ploughing had decreasing effect daily but only during establishment period (first nine weeks). Significant relationships flux found for temperature water content. We also relationship short-term organic carbon storage data, which highlights complexity C source-sink dynamics balance. Our brings evidence that regarding impact tillage is short-lived, direct additions small.