Effect of straw retention on carbon footprint under different cropping sequences in Northeast China

Qiulai Song,Jie Zhu,Yanjiang Feng,Xiannan Zeng,Yongcai Lai,Yu Sun,Zhenping Gong,Qi Wang

doi:10.1007/s11356-021-14316-4

Abstract

Inappropriate farm management practices can lead to increased agricultural inputs and changes in atmospheric greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, impacting climate change. This study was initiated in 2012 to assess the potential for straw retention to mitigate the negative environmental impact of various cropping systems on the Songnen Plain using the life cycle assessment (LCA) method combined with field survey data. Straw retention (STR) and straw removal (STM) treatments were established in continuous corn (CC) and corn-soybean rotation (CS) systems in a split-plot experiment. The effects of straw retention on the carbon footprint (CF) of cropland under different cropping systems were compared. The CF under CC was 2434–2707 kg CO2 ha−1 year−1, 49–57% higher than that under CS. Nitrogen fertilizer produced the most CO2, accounting for 66–80% of the CF. The carbon balances of the CC and CS systems with STR were positive, with annual carbon sequestrations of 9633 and 2716 kg CO2 ha−1 year−1, respectively. The carbon balance (CB) of CC-STR was 255% higher than that of CS-STR. This study demonstrates that STR under CC cultivation is an environmentally friendly practice for agricultural production, can help achieve high-yield and low-carbon production in rainfed cropland, and can support the sustainable development of grain production in Northeast China.

Highlights

Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are the most critical factors influencing global climate change, and climate change poses a serious threat to the natural environment and human economic development (IPCC 2013)
The CO2-equivalent emissions estimated based on N2O produced by nitrogen fertilizer and straw application were the greatest contributors to the carbon footprint (CF) (Fig. 2)
Diesel consumption by agricultural machinery operations from sowing to harvesting produced considerable carbon emissions. In both continuous corn (CC) and corn-soybean rotation (CS), carbon emissions from diesel consumption were higher under straw removal (STM) (226–246 kg CO2 ha−1 year−1) than under Straw retention (STR) (165– 180 kg CO2 ha−1 year−1)

Summary

Introduction

Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are the most critical factors influencing global climate change, and climate change poses a serious threat to the natural environment and human economic development (IPCC 2013). Differences inputs of chemical fertilizers, human activities, and fuels create variation in carbon emissions from agricultural inputs under different management practices, indirectly influencing the energy consumption and carbon cycling of systems (Li et al 2002; Lal 2004; Larsen and Hertwich 2011; Wang et al 2015a; Zhang et al 2015; Meier et al 2020). The carbon footprint (CF), the impact of carbon emissions on the global environment, is an assessment of direct or indirect CO2 emissions caused by particular activities or estimated cumulatively during the life cycles of particular products (Peters 2010; Duan et al 2011; Adewale et al 2019). The factors influencing CFs include the CO2 emissions from farmland soil and crops and indirect CO2 emissions from the production, storage, and transportation of agricultural production materials (Liu et al 2016; Lal et al 2019)

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Conclusion