|
|
|
Net energy yield and carbon footprint of summer corn under different N fertilizer rates in the North China Plain |
WANG Zhan-biao, WEN Xin-ya, ZHANG Hai-lin, LU Xiao-hong, CHEN Fu |
College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, China Agricultural University/Key Laboratory of Farming System, Ministry of Agriculture, Beijing 100193, P.R.China |
|
|
摘要 Excessive use of N fertilizer in intensive agriculture can increase crop yield and at the same time cause high carbon (C) emissions. This study was conducted to determine optimized N fertilizer application for high grain yield and lower C emissions in summer corn (Zea mays L.). A field experiment, including 0 (N0), 75 (N75), 150 (N150), 225 (N225), and 300 (N300) kg N ha–1 treatments, was carried out during 2010–2012 in the North China Plain (NCP). The results showed that grain yield, input energy, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and carbon footprint (CF) were all increased with the increase of N rate, except net energy yield (NEY). The treatment of N225 had the highest grain yield (10 364.7 kg ha–1) and NEY (6.8%), but the CF (0.25) was lower than that of N300, which indicates that a rate of 225 kg N ha–1 can be optimal for summer corn in NCP. Comparing GHG emision compontents, N fertilizer (0–51.1%) was the highest and followed by electricity for irrigation (19.73–49.35%). We conclude that optimazing N fertilizer application rate and reducing electricity for irrigation are the two key measures to increase crop yield, improve energy efficiency and decrease GHG emissions in corn production.
Abstract Excessive use of N fertilizer in intensive agriculture can increase crop yield and at the same time cause high carbon (C) emissions. This study was conducted to determine optimized N fertilizer application for high grain yield and lower C emissions in summer corn (Zea mays L.). A field experiment, including 0 (N0), 75 (N75), 150 (N150), 225 (N225), and 300 (N300) kg N ha–1 treatments, was carried out during 2010–2012 in the North China Plain (NCP). The results showed that grain yield, input energy, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and carbon footprint (CF) were all increased with the increase of N rate, except net energy yield (NEY). The treatment of N225 had the highest grain yield (10 364.7 kg ha–1) and NEY (6.8%), but the CF (0.25) was lower than that of N300, which indicates that a rate of 225 kg N ha–1 can be optimal for summer corn in NCP. Comparing GHG emision compontents, N fertilizer (0–51.1%) was the highest and followed by electricity for irrigation (19.73–49.35%). We conclude that optimazing N fertilizer application rate and reducing electricity for irrigation are the two key measures to increase crop yield, improve energy efficiency and decrease GHG emissions in corn production.
|
Received: 16 March 2015
Accepted:
|
Fund: This work was supported by the National Basic Research Program of China (973 Program, 2010CB951502) and the Special Fund for Agro-Scientific Research in the Public Interest in China (201103001). |
Corresponding Authors:
CHEN Fu, Tel/Fax: +86-10-62733316,E-mail: chenfu@cau.edu.cn
E-mail: chenfu@cau.edu.cn
|
About author: These authors contributed equally to this study |
Cite this article:
WANG Zhan-biao, WEN Xin-ya, ZHANG Hai-lin, LU Xiao-hong, CHEN Fu.
2015.
Net energy yield and carbon footprint of summer corn under different N fertilizer rates in the North China Plain. Journal of Integrative Agriculture, 14(8): 1534-1541.
|
BSI (British Standards Institution). 2011. Specification for theAssessment of the Life Cycle Greenhouse Gas Emissions ofGoods and Services. Publicly Available Specification-PAS2050, London, UK. p. 36.Cheng K, Pan G X, Smith P, Luo T, Li L Q, Zhang J W, ZhangX H, Han X J, Yan M. 2011. Carbon footprint of China’scrop production - An estimation using agro statistics dataover 1993-2007 AgricultureEcosystems and Environment,142, 231-237Cole C V, Duxbury J, Freney J, Heinemeyer O, Minami K, MosierA, Paustian K, Rosenberg N, Sampson N, Sauerbeck D,Zhao Q. 1997. Global estimates of potential mitigation ofgreenhouse gas emissions by agriculture. Nutrient Cyclingin Agroecosystems, 49, 221-228Connor D J, Loomis R S, Cassman K G. 2011. Crop Ecology:Productivity and Management in Agricultural Systems.Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK.Farrell A E, Plevin R J, Turner B T, Jones A D, O’Hare M,Kammen D M. 2006. Ethanol can contribute to energy andenvironmental goals. Science, 311, 506-508Finkbeiner M. 2009. Carbon footprint opportunities and threats.The International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment, 14,91-94Gan Y T, Liang C, Chai Q, Lemke R L, Campbell C A,Zentner R P. 2014. Improving farming practices reducethe carbon footprint of spring wheat production. NatureCommunications, 5012, doi: 10.1038/ncomms6012Gan Y T, Liang C, Hamel C, Cutforth H, Wang H. 2011.Strategies for reducing the carbon footprint of field cropsfor semiarid areas. Agronomy Sustainable Development,31, 643-656Gan Y T, Liang C, May W, Malhi S S, Niu J Y, Wang X Y. 2012.Carbon footprint of spring barley in relation to precedingoilseeds and N fertilization. The International Journal ofLife Cycle Assessment, 17, 635-645Van Groenigen J W, Velthof G L, Oenema O, Van Groenigen KJ, Van Kessel C. 2010. Towards an agronomic assessmentof N2O emissions: A case study for arable crops. EuropeanJournal of Soil Science, 61, 903-913Hillier J, Hawes C, Squire G, Hilton A, Wale S, Smith P. 2009.The carbon footprints of food crop production. InternationalJournal of Agricultural Sustainability, 7, 107-118Ji X H, Zheng S X, Lu Y H, Liao Y L. 2006. Dynamics offloodwater nitrogen and its runoff loss, urea and controlledrelease nitrogen fertilizer application regulation in rice.Scientia Agricultural Sinica, 12, 2521-2530 (in Chinese)Ju X T, Xing G X, Chen X P, Zhang S L, Zhang L J, Liu X J, CuiZ L, Yin B, Christie P, Zhu Z L, Zhang F S. 2009. Reducingenvironmental risk by improving N management in intensiveChinese agricultural systems. Proceedings of the NationalAcademy of the Sciences of the United States of America,106, 3041-3046Lapitan R L, Wanninkhof R, Mosier A R. 1999. Methods forstable gas flux determination in aquatic and terrestrialsystems. Developments in Atmospheric Science, 24, 29-66Liebig M A, Tanaka D L, Krupinsky J M, Merrill S D, HansonJ D. 2007. Dynamic cropping systems: Contributions toimprove agroecosystem sustainability. Agronomy Journal,99, 899-903Liu X J, Duan L, Mo J M, Du E Z, Shen J L, Lu X K, Zhang Y,Zhou X B, He C E, Zhang F S. 2011. Nitrogen deposition andits ecological impacts in China: An overview. EnvironmentalPollution, 159, 2251-2264Lynas M. 2007. Carbon Counter. Harper Collins Publishers,Glasgow, UK.Ma B L, Liang B C, Biswas D K, Morrison M J, McLaughlin N B.2012. The carbon footprint of maize production as affectedby nitrogen fertilizer and maize-legume rotations. NutrientCycling in Agroecosystems, 94, 15-31Monteny G J, Bannink A, Chadwick D. 2006. Greenhouse gasabatement strategies for animal husbandry. AgricultureEcosystem and Environment, 112, 163-170Nakano T, Sawamoto T, Morishita T, Inoue G, Hatano R.2004. A comparison of regression methods for estimatingsoil-atmosphere diffusion gas fluxes by a closed-chambertechnique. Soil Biology Biochemistry, 36, 107-113Patricio G, Kenneth G C. 2012. High-yield maize with largenet energy yield and small global warming intensity.Proceedings of the National Academy of the Sciences ofthe United States of America, 109, 1074-1079Pimentel D, Pimentel M. 1999. Energy use in grain and legumeproduction. In: Pimentel D, Pimentel M, eds., Food Energyand Society. Reviseded. University Pressof Colorado,Niwot, CO. pp. 107-130Pramod J, Rattan R K. 2002. Enhancing use efficiency ofurea-nitrogen by combining use of nitrification inhibitorswith irrigation sequence in wheat. Fertilizer New, 47, 45-48Rees W E. 1992. Ecological footprints and appropriated carryingcapacity: What urban economics leaves out? Environmentand Urbanization, 4, 121-130Richter A, Burrows, J P, Nüss H, Granier C, Niemeier U.2005. Increase in troposphere nitrogen dioxide over Chinaobserved from space. Nature, 437, 129-132Robertson G P, Grace P R. 2004. Greenhouse gas fluxes intropical and temperate agriculture: The need for a full-costaccounting of global warming potentials. EnvironmentDevelopment and Sustainability, 6, 51-63 West T O, Marland G. 2002. A synthesis of carbon sequestration,carbon emissions, and net carbon flux in agriculture:Comparing tillage practices in the United States. Agriculture,Ecosystems and Environment, 91, 217-232Wiedmann T, Minx J. 2008. Ecological Economics ResearchTrends. Nova Science Publishers, New York, USA.Wiedmann T, Minx J, Barrett J, Wackernagel M. 2006. Allocatingecological footprints to final consumption categories withinput-output analysis. Ecological Economics, 56, 28-48Wu T Y, Schoenau J J, Li F M, Qian P Y, Malhi S S, Shi Y C, XuF L. 2004. Influence of cultivation and fertilization on totalorganic carbon and carbon fractions in soils from the LoessPlateau of China. Soil and Tillage Research, 77, 59-68Ye Y S, Liang X Q, Chen Y X, Liu J, Gu J T, Guo R, Li L. 2013.Alternate wetting and drying irrigation and controlled-releasenitrogen fertilizer in late-season rice. Effects on dry matteraccumulation, yield, water and nitrogen use. Field CropsResearch, 144, 212-224Zhang H L, Bai X L, Xue J F, Chen Z D, Tang H M, Chen F.2013. Emissions of CH4 and N2O under different tillagesystems from double-cropped paddy fields in southernChina. PLOS ONE, 8, e65277.Zhang M Y, Chen F, Zhang H L. 2011. Effects of tillagetreatments on energy-use efficiency of winter wheat andsummer corn cropping systems in north China. In: 2011International Conference on Remote Sensing, Environmentand Transportation Engineering. IEEE, San Francisco, USA.pp. 7549-7552Zhang W F, Dou Z X, He P, Ju X T, Powlson D, Chadwick D,Norse D, Lu Y L, Zhang Y, Wu L, Chen X P, Cassman K G,Zhang F S. 2013. New technologies reduce greenhouse gasemissions from nitrogenous fertilizer in China. Proceedingsof the National Academy of the Sciences of the UnitedStates of America, 110, 8375-8380Zheng X, Wang M, Wang Y, Shen R, Li J, Heyer J, Kogge M,Li L T, Jin J S. 1998. Comparison of manual and automaticmethods for measurement of methane emissions fromrice paddy fields. Advances in Atmospheric Sciences, 15,569-579 |
No Suggested Reading articles found! |
|
|
Viewed |
|
|
|
Full text
|
|
|
|
|
Abstract
|
|
|
|
|
Cited |
|
|
|
|
|
Shared |
|
|
|
|
|
Discussed |
|
|
|
|