Mitigation of GHG Emissions from Soils Fertilized with Livestock Chain Residues
Using livestock residues as alternative fertilizers is a sustainable practice which recycles nutrients that would otherwise be lost. However, organic fertilizers may have a large impact on N<sub>2</sub>O emissions, offsetting the beneficial effects of C sequestration. After four years fr...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2022-06-01
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| Series: | Agronomy |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4395/12/7/1593 |
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| author | Alessandra Lagomarsino Massimo Valagussa Carla Scotti Lamberto Borrelli Claudia Becagli Alberto Tosca |
| author_facet | Alessandra Lagomarsino Massimo Valagussa Carla Scotti Lamberto Borrelli Claudia Becagli Alberto Tosca |
| author_sort | Alessandra Lagomarsino |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Using livestock residues as alternative fertilizers is a sustainable practice which recycles nutrients that would otherwise be lost. However, organic fertilizers may have a large impact on N<sub>2</sub>O emissions, offsetting the beneficial effects of C sequestration. After four years from biochar application, greenhouse gas fluxes were monitored for two years from a Maize field fertilized with digestate, slurry, or urea, with and without biochar. The objectives of the present study were to assess (i) the climate feedback of using residues from the livestock chain as alternative fertilizers and (ii) the contribution of biochar in mitigating GHGs emissions, while increasing the organic C in soil. Digestate was shown to have the highest impact on CO<sub>2</sub> and N<sub>2</sub>O emissions from soil, with respect to mineral fertilization (+29 and +142%), more than slurry (+21 and −5%), whereas both residues positively affected CH<sub>4</sub> uptake (+5 and +14%, respectively). The maximum N<sub>2</sub>O peaks occurred between 7–20 days after fertilization, accounting for 61% of total emissions, on average. Biochar was effective in reducing N<sub>2</sub>O emissions derived from mineral fertilization and digestate (−54% and −17%, respectively). An excess of labile organic matter and N induced the highest CO<sub>2</sub> emissions and N<sub>2</sub>O peaks, independent of—or even triggered by—biochar. Mitigation of GHG emissions, from soils fertilized with livestock chain residue, can be obtained using biochar, but with limitations dependent on (i) the quantity of organic matter added, (ii) its quality, and (iii) the time from application: those aspects that deserve further investigations. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T03:48:01Z |
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| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2073-4395 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T03:48:01Z |
| publishDate | 2022-06-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Agronomy |
| spelling | doaj.art-05e97af14890438a8241945cf82ccee42023-12-03T14:30:42ZengMDPI AGAgronomy2073-43952022-06-01127159310.3390/agronomy12071593Mitigation of GHG Emissions from Soils Fertilized with Livestock Chain ResiduesAlessandra Lagomarsino0Massimo Valagussa1Carla Scotti2Lamberto Borrelli3Claudia Becagli4Alberto Tosca5Centro di Ricerca Agricoltura e Ambiente, Consiglio per la Ricerca in Agricoltura e l’Analisi dell’Economia Agraria, via di Lanciola 12/A, 50125 Firenze, ItalyMAC Minoprio Analisi e Certificazioni SRL, 22070 Vertemate, ItalyCentro di Ricerca Zootecnia e Acquacoltura, Consiglio per la Ricerca in Agricoltura e l’Analisi dell’Economia Agraria, 20075 Lodi, ItalyCentro di Ricerca Zootecnia e Acquacoltura, Consiglio per la Ricerca in Agricoltura e l’Analisi dell’Economia Agraria, 20075 Lodi, ItalyCentro di Ricerca Agricoltura e Ambiente, Consiglio per la Ricerca in Agricoltura e l’Analisi dell’Economia Agraria, via di Lanciola 12/A, 50125 Firenze, ItalyFondazione Minoprio, Viale Raimondi 54, 22070 Vertemate, ItalyUsing livestock residues as alternative fertilizers is a sustainable practice which recycles nutrients that would otherwise be lost. However, organic fertilizers may have a large impact on N<sub>2</sub>O emissions, offsetting the beneficial effects of C sequestration. After four years from biochar application, greenhouse gas fluxes were monitored for two years from a Maize field fertilized with digestate, slurry, or urea, with and without biochar. The objectives of the present study were to assess (i) the climate feedback of using residues from the livestock chain as alternative fertilizers and (ii) the contribution of biochar in mitigating GHGs emissions, while increasing the organic C in soil. Digestate was shown to have the highest impact on CO<sub>2</sub> and N<sub>2</sub>O emissions from soil, with respect to mineral fertilization (+29 and +142%), more than slurry (+21 and −5%), whereas both residues positively affected CH<sub>4</sub> uptake (+5 and +14%, respectively). The maximum N<sub>2</sub>O peaks occurred between 7–20 days after fertilization, accounting for 61% of total emissions, on average. Biochar was effective in reducing N<sub>2</sub>O emissions derived from mineral fertilization and digestate (−54% and −17%, respectively). An excess of labile organic matter and N induced the highest CO<sub>2</sub> emissions and N<sub>2</sub>O peaks, independent of—or even triggered by—biochar. Mitigation of GHG emissions, from soils fertilized with livestock chain residue, can be obtained using biochar, but with limitations dependent on (i) the quantity of organic matter added, (ii) its quality, and (iii) the time from application: those aspects that deserve further investigations.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4395/12/7/1593biochardigestateslurrysustainable managementclimate change mitigation |
| spellingShingle | Alessandra Lagomarsino Massimo Valagussa Carla Scotti Lamberto Borrelli Claudia Becagli Alberto Tosca Mitigation of GHG Emissions from Soils Fertilized with Livestock Chain Residues Agronomy biochar digestate slurry sustainable management climate change mitigation |
| title | Mitigation of GHG Emissions from Soils Fertilized with Livestock Chain Residues |
| title_full | Mitigation of GHG Emissions from Soils Fertilized with Livestock Chain Residues |
| title_fullStr | Mitigation of GHG Emissions from Soils Fertilized with Livestock Chain Residues |
| title_full_unstemmed | Mitigation of GHG Emissions from Soils Fertilized with Livestock Chain Residues |
| title_short | Mitigation of GHG Emissions from Soils Fertilized with Livestock Chain Residues |
| title_sort | mitigation of ghg emissions from soils fertilized with livestock chain residues |
| topic | biochar digestate slurry sustainable management climate change mitigation |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4395/12/7/1593 |
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