Evaluation of the potential of rapeseed as green manure under conditions of elevated temperatures

Abstract

Climate change affects all areas of human life, including agriculture. In agriculture, techniques have been developed and can be widely implemented to capture CO2 from the atmosphere and reduce the carbon footprint of products, and, accordingly, the negative effects of climate change. One such approach is the use of green manure. In this paper, we assessed the CO2 capture potential of rapeseed plants grown at different temperatures (20, 25 and 30°C) based on data on root growth, shoot growth, biomass increase, chlorophyll content and photosynthetic activity, in addition, the impact of rapeseed cultivation and increased temperatures on CO2 emissions from the soil based on respiratory activity data. Elevated temperature (30°C) led to an increase in the length of rapeseed roots by 1.2–1.4 times, a decrease in shoot growth and biomass by 1.3–2.2 times, an intensification of photorespiration, and an increase in CO2 emission from the soil by 1.5–2.5 times.