Effects of Biochar Application Two Years Later on N2O and CH4 Emissions from RiceVegetable Rotation in a Tropical Region of China

Abstract

The effects of biochar application on soil nitrous oxide （N2O） and methane （CH4） emissions in a typical rice-vegetable rotation system in Hainan after two years were investigated. The aim was to clarify the long-term effects of biochar on greenhouse gas emissions under this model， and it provided a theoretical basis for N2O and CH4 emission reduction in rice-vegetable rotation systems in tropical regions of China. Four treatments were set up in the field experiment， including no nitrogen fertilizer control （CK）； nitrogen， phosphorus， and potassium fertilizer （CON）； nitrogen， phosphorus， and potassium fertilizer combined with 20 t·hm-2 biochar （B1）； and nitrogen， phosphorus， and potassium fertilizer combined with 40 t·hm-2 biochar （B2）. The results showed that： ① compared with that in the CON treatment， the B1 and B2 treatments significantly reduced N2O emissions by 32% and 54% in the early rice season （P < 0.05， the same below）， but the B1 and B2 treatments significantly increased N2O emissions by 31% and 81% in the late rice season. The cumulative emissions of N2O in the pepper season were significantly higher than those in the early and late rice seasons， and the B1 treatment significantly reduced N2O emissions by 35%. There was no significant difference between the B2 and CON treatments. ② Compared with that in the CON treatment， B1 and B2 significantly reduced CH4 emissions by 63% and 65% in the early rice season， and the B2 treatment significantly increased CH4 emissions by 41% in the late rice season. There was no significant difference between the B1 and CON treatments. There was no significant difference in cumulative CH4 emissions between treatments in the pepper season. ③ The late rice season contributed to the main global warming potential （GWP） of the rice-vegetable rotation system， and CH4 emissions determined the magnitude of GWP and greenhouse gas emission intensity （GHGI）. After two years of biochar application， B1 reduced the GHGI of the whole rice-vegetable rotation system， and B2 increased the GHGI and reached a significant level. However， the B1 and B2 treatments significantly reduced GHGI in the early rice season and pepper season， and only the B2 treatment increased GHGI in the late rice season. ④ Compared with that in the CON treatment， the B1 and B2 treatments significantly increased the yield of early rice by 33% and 51%， and the B1 and B2 treatments significantly increased the yield of pepper season by 53% and 81%. In the late rice season， there was no significant difference in yield except for in the CK treatment without nitrogen fertilizer. The results showed that the magnitude of greenhouse gas emissions in the tropical rice-vegetable rotation system was mainly determined by CH4 emissions in the late rice season. After two years of biochar application， only low biochar combined with nitrogen fertilizer had a significant emission reduction effect， but high and low biochar combined with nitrogen fertilizer increased the yield of early rice and pepper crops continuously.