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ARS Home » Northeast Area » Orono, Maine » New England Plant, Soil and Water Research Laboratory » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #217862
Title: Cropping System Impacts on Greenhouse Gas Emissions in the Cool, Humid Northeastern U.S.

Author
item Honeycutt, Charles
item Griffin, Timothy
item Sikora, Lawrence

Submitted to: American Society of Agronomy Abstracts
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 11/3/2007
Publication Date: 11/4/2007
Citation: Honeycutt, C.W., Griffin, T.S., Sikora, L.J. 2007. Cropping System Impacts on Greenhouse Gas Emissions in the Cool, Humid Northeastern U.S.. American Society of Agronomy Abstracts. CD-ROM.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Estimating global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from agriculture requires regional measurements of different production systems. A long-term potato cropping systems experiment in Maine was designed to contribute to the USDA-ARS national project entitled Greenhouse Gas Reduction through Agricultural Carbon Enhancement Network (GRACENet). Emissions of carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, and methane were monitored at approximately weekly intervals in three cropping systems: 1) barley-potato, 2) barley-timothy-potato without compost, and 3) barley-timothy-potato with compost amendment. Carbon dioxide flux in barley was lower for the barley-potato system early in the season, but eventually exceeded that from the other systems. In potato, higher carbon dioxide flux was found in the system with compost. This result, along with the observed spikes in carbon dioxide in late June to early July, appeared related to cultivation and hilling operations in the potato crop. Regardless of cropping system, carbon dioxide flux was still temperature related. Nitrous oxide flux was generally greater in compost amended systems. Very high nitrous oxide flux was observed in potato soil, which is likely related to hilling operations in proximity to the fertilizer bands. Higher nitrous oxide flux in the 3-yr rotations was consistent with higher soil water content in these systems. This research will contribute to national estimates of GHG emissions from agriculture.