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Mulching and tillage effects on GHG emissions and properties of an Alfisol in Central Ohio

Ann Varughese, Merrie
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1322596901

Abstract Details

2011, Master of Science, Ohio State University, Environmental Science.
No-tillage (NT) management in conjunction with crop residue retention on soil has been promoted as a practice capable of enhancing the soil quality as well as offsetting greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions because of its ability to sequester carbon in soils. Therefore, the objective of this study was to evaluate the long term effects of application wheat (Triticum aestivum) residue mulch under NT and conventional tillage (CT) on GHG emissions, soil physical and chemical properties in an ongoing experiment in Central Ohio. Treatments included three rates of mulch at 0 Mg ha-1 yr-1 (M0), 8 Mg ha-1 yr-1 (M8) and 16 Mg ha-1 yr-1 (M16) without crop cultivation. All treatments were replicated thrice and laid out according to a completely randomized design. The data presented showed that application of straw mulch under NT can reduce GHG emissions compared to CT. The average diurnal CO2 fluxes were lower under NT (8.58g CO2-C m-2 d-1) compared to CT (9.69g CO2-C m-2 d-1). The effects of plowing on N2O flux, although not significant, indicated a trend of higher N2O fluxes under NT (0.27 mg m-2 d-1) than CT (0.21 mg m-2 d-1). Similarly, there was no definite trend among tillage treatments with regards to CH4 flux. However, NT was more of a sink for CH4 while CT treatments were sources. CO2 and N2O fluxes were significantly affected by mulch treatments, but mulching did not significantly affect CH4 flux. Furthermore, the application of mulch directly influences chemical and physical properties of the soil. The current study shows that the application of mulch conserves soil moisture, reduces bulk density, moderates soil temperature, reduces soil salinity and enhances soil aggregation. Results suggest that mulching in conjunction with NT has positive effects on temperate agricultural soils, yet further research needs to be conducted to provide additional insight on the over-all impact and interactions between management regimes and GHG emissions, especially in relation to soil properties and climate factors.
Dr. Rattan Lal, PhD (Advisor)
Dr. Craig Davis, PhD (Committee Member)
Dr. Martin Shipitalo, PhD (Committee Member)
133 p.
Agriculture
Greenhouse Gas emissions; No-till; Mulching; Soil quality

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Ann Varughese, M. (2011). Mulching and tillage effects on GHG emissions and properties of an Alfisol in Central Ohio [Master's thesis, Ohio State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1322596901

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Ann Varughese, Merrie. Mulching and tillage effects on GHG emissions and properties of an Alfisol in Central Ohio. 2011. Ohio State University, Master's thesis. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1322596901.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Ann Varughese, Merrie. "Mulching and tillage effects on GHG emissions and properties of an Alfisol in Central Ohio." Master's thesis, Ohio State University, 2011. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1322596901

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

osu1322596901
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This open access ETD is published by The Ohio State University and OhioLINK.