Y.C. Ma X.W. Kong B. Yang X.L. Zhang X.Y. Yan J.C. Yang Z.Q. Xiong. Net global warming potential and greenhouse gas intensity of annual rice–wheat rotations with integrated soil–crop system management. Agriculture Ecosystems & Environment 2013 164(1): 209–219.

Abstract

The impact of management practices on the net global warming potential (GWP) and greenhouse gas intensity (GHGI) of rice cropping systems is not well documented. A field experiment was established in 2009 to gain insight into the net ecosystem carbon budget and the net GWP and GHGI on the crop seasonal scale over two cycles of rice–wheat rotations. With the local farmer's practices (FP) as the control three integrated soil–crop system management (ISSM) practices at different nitrogen (N) application rates were established – ISSM-N1 ISSM-N2 and ISSM-N3 – for improvement of rice yield and agronomic nitrogen use efficiency (NUE). Compared with the FP the rice yields significantly increased by 8.2% 18% and 31% while the agronomic NUE increased by 68% 74% and 99% for ISSM-N1 ISSM-N2 and ISSM-N3 respectively. Within the three ISSM practices averaged over the two cycles the soil organic carbon sequestration potentials CH₄ and N₂O emissions were estimated to be 0.089–0.67 t C ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹ 166–288 kg CH₄C ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹ and 4.27–5.47 kg N₂ON ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹ respectively. Compared to the net GWPs (8.36 t CO₂eq ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹) and GHGI (0.58 kg CO₂eq kg⁻¹ grain) from the FP the ISSM-N1 and ISSM-N2 reduced both the net GWPs and GHGIs to some extent indicating that GHG mitigation can be simultaneously achieved with improved food production and NUE. Although it produced similar GHGIs the ISSM-N3 increased the net GWPs by 16% compared to the FP indicating that more research