Short-term soil carbon dioxide (CO2) emission after application of conventional and reduced tillage for red clover in Western Slovakia

Abstract

Tillage systems have impact on soil properties, crop growth and through this directly and indirectly influence the cropland CO₂ emission and therefore the global warming. In Slovakia, the wider adoption of conservation practices has barriers such as large acreage of compacted soils, the absence of detailed regionalization of suitable soils for such practices and the scientific evaluation of its application on sustainable soil productivity and environment protection. This study evaluated the short-termeffect of conventional tillage (CT) and reduced tillage (RT) with (N1) and without (N0) N fertilizer application on soil CO₂ emission from cropland planted with a red clover (Trifoliumpratense) during 40 days in 2013 on a tillage field experiment initiated in 1994. CO₂ flux, soil temperature, and soil water contentwere monitored during the studied period in western Slovakia.Results of this study showed that there wasn’t significant difference (p< 0.05) in soil CO₂ between conventional tillage and reduced tillage for both, not fertilized and fertilized plots. Averaged 40 days CO₂ emissions were greater in reduced tillage as compared to conventional tillage for both fertilization levels. A linear regression between CO₂ emission and soil temperature in conventionally and reduced tilled plots showed that soil temperature (r = 0.88-0.94; P <0.05) and not the soil moisture was a controlling factor. The highest CO₂ emission were recorded on the CT and RT plots during the first two weeks after tillage, showing that the tillage resulted in a rapid physical release of CO₂.

Keywords

• CO2 emission, conventional tillage, reduced tillage, red clover

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