Carbon, nitrogen and Greenhouse gases budgets over a four years crop rotation in northern France

• Published in: Plant and soil Vol. 343; no. 1/2; pp. 109 - 137
• Main Authors: Loubet, Benjamin, Laville, Patricia, Lehuger, Simon, Larmanou, Eric, Fléchard, Christophe, Mascher, Nicolas, Genermont, Sophie, Roche, Romain, Ferrara, Rossana M., Stella, Patrick, Personne, Erwan, Durand, Brigitte, Decuq, Céline, Flura, Dominique, Masson, Sylvie, Fanucci, Olivier, Rampon, Jean-Noël, Siemens, Jan, Kindler, Reimo, Gabrielle, Benoit, Schrumpf, Marion, Cellier, Pierre
• Format: Journal Article Conference Proceeding
• Language: English
• Published: Dordrecht Springer 01-06-2011; Springer Netherlands; Springer Nature B.V; Springer Verlag
• Subjects: Agricultural ecology; Agricultural ecosystems; Agricultural land; Agricultural practices; Agricultural soils; Agronomy. Soil science and plant productions; Air pollution; Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Atmospheric carbon dioxide; Biological and medical sciences; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Budget; Carbon; Carbon dioxide; Cereal crops; Corn; Crop rotation; Cropping systems; Cropping systems. Cultivation. Soil tillage; Ecology; Ecosystems; Emissions; Farm buildings; Forest soils; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; General agronomy. Plant production; Generalities. Cropping systems and patterns; Grassland soils; Greenhouse gases; Hordeum vulgare; Leaching; Life Sciences; Nitrogen; Nitrogen balance; Nitrogen oxides; Nitrous oxide; Photochemicals; Plant Physiology; Plant Sciences; Regular Article; Slurries; Soil respiration; Soil Science & Conservation; Soil-plant relationships. Soil fertility; Soil-plant relationships. Soil fertility. Fertilization. Amendments; Triticum aestivum; Vegetal Biology; Zea mays; France; Europe; Western Europe; Germany; Barley; O fluxes; NO fluxes; Maize; NH; Mustard; Wheat; volatilization; N; Monocotyledones; Nitrogen compounds; C4-Type; Temperate zone; Cereal crop; Triticum; Gramineae; Greenhouse gas; Volatilization; Angiospermae; C3-Type; Non metal; Nitrogen oxide; Vegetals; Zea mays; Hordeum vulgare; Cropping system; Flux; Group IVA element; Carbon; Group VA element; Ammonia; Inorganic nitrogen; Crop rotation; Spermatophyta; Nitrogen protoxide; Soil plant relation; NH3 volatilization; N2O FLUXES; NH3 VOLATILIZATION; BARLEY; BRASSICA ALBA; MAIZE; WHEAT; MOUTARDE BLANCHE; MUSTARD; NO FLUXES
• ISSN: 0032-079X; 1573-5036
• DOI: 10.1007/s11104-011-0751-9

Croplands mainly act as net sources of the greenhouse gases carbon dioxide (CO2) and nitrous oxide (N2O), as well as nitrogen oxide (NO), a precursor of troposheric ozone. We determined the carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) balance of a four-year crop rotation, including maize, wheat, barley and mustard, to provide a base for exploring mitigation options of net emissions. The crop rotation had a positive net ecosystem production (NEP) of 4.4±0.7 Mg C ha-1 y-1 but represented a net source of carbon with a net biome production (NBP) of -1.3±1.1 Mg C ha-1 y-1. The nitrogen balance of the rotation was correlated with the carbon balance and resulted in net loss (–24±28 kg N ha-1 y-1). The main nitrogen losses were nitrate leaching (–11.7±1.0 kg N ha-1 y-1) and ammonia volatilization (–9 kg N ha-1 y-1). Dry and wet depositions were 6.7±3.0 and 5.9±0.1 kg N ha-1 y-1, respectively. Fluxes of nitrous (N2O) and nitric (NO) oxides did not contribute significantly to the N budget (N2O: -1.8±0.04; NO: -0.7±0.04 kg N ha-1 y-1) but N2O fluxes equaled 16% of the total greenhouse gas balance. The link between the carbon and nitrogen balances are discussed. Longer term experiments would be necessary to capture the trends in the carbon and nitrogen budgets within the variability of agricultural ecosystems.