Integrating organic fertilizers in maize-mung bean intercropping: implications for soil carbon dynamics and greenhouse gas reduction
Author(s)
Date Issued
2024
Type
article
Volume
130
Issue
2
Start Page
197
End Page
211
Abstract
Organic fertilizers have great potential to
improve crop production while reducing greenhouse
gas (GHG) emissions in agroecosystems. To study
their effect on GHG emissions, a field experiment
over a two-year period (2021 and 2022) was carried
out to quantify carbon dioxide (
CO2) and nitrous
oxide (
N2O) emissions. Experimental treatments
included: (i) two types of organic fertilizers [wheat
residue (WR) and sheep manure (SM)]; and (ii) three
cropping systems [monocropping of maize (Zea mays
L., Ma) and mung bean (Vigna radiata (L.) R. Wilczek,
Mu), and their intercropping (Ma + Mu)]. Total
crop biomass and its carbon (C) and nitrogen (N)
content, soil CO2
and N2O
emissions, soil temperature
and moisture were measured. The results showed
that Ma + Mu_WR significantly reduced cumulative
CO2
emissions by 36% and 28% compared to the Ma_
WR and Mu_WR, respectively. Similarly, Ma + Mu_
SM reduced soil CO2
emissions by 38% and 70%