Crop rotation and sequence effects on temporal variation of CO2 emissions after long-term no-till application

Abstract

Production, transport, and emission of CO₂ from soil to the atmosphere are directly influenced by soil temperature and moisture conditions, exhibiting a high variability over time due to the influence of climate events and soil management practices. Thus, this study aimed to investigate the effect of summer and off-season crop residues on the temporal variation of soil CO₂ emission (FCO₂), soil temperature (Tsoil), and soil moisture (Msoil) under a no-till system that has been managed with the same crop arrangement for >16 years. The experiment was conducted in strips with three replications. Treatments consisted of summer crop sequences maize monoculture, soybean monoculture, and soybean-maize rotation, as well as off-season crops maize, millet, pigeon pea, grain sorghum, and crotalaria. Sixteen assessments of FCO₂, Tsoil, and Msoil were carried out over 51 days. A significant effect of the interaction between time and summer crop sequences (F = 1.44; p = 0.02) and between time and off-season crops (F = 2.26; p < 0.01) was observed for FCO₂. Moreover, a triple interaction was observed between summer crop sequences, off-season crops, and time for Msoil (F = 1.83; p < 0.01) and Tsoil (F = 1.32; p = 0.01). The values of FCO₂ and Msoil were high on days 229 and 230 due to precipitations in the study area. The relationship between FCO₂ and Msoil was positive in all the assessed management, and about 60% of FCO₂ variation over the study period could be explained by soil water content variation.

Keywords: Cover crop; Crop residues; Crop sequence; Soil moisture; Soil respiration.