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Life Cycle Greenhouse Gas Emissions in Maize No-Till Agroecosystems in Southern Brazil Based on a Long-Term Experiment

Author

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  • Guilherme Rosa da Silva

    (Department of Soil Science, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, 7712 Bento Gonçalves Ave., Porto Alegre 91540-000, RS, Brazil)

  • Adam J. Liska

    (Department of Biological Systems Engineering, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE 68583, USA)

  • Cimelio Bayer

    (Department of Soil Science, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, 7712 Bento Gonçalves Ave., Porto Alegre 91540-000, RS, Brazil)

Abstract

Brazilian agriculture is constantly questioned concerning its environmental impacts, particularly greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. This research study used data from a 34-year field experiment to estimate the life cycle GHG emissions intensity of maize production for grain in farming systems under no-tillage (NT) and conventional tillage (CT) combined with Gramineae (oat) and legume (vetch) cover crops in southern Brazil. We applied the Feedstock Carbon Intensity Calculator for modeling the “field-to-farm gate” emissions with measured annual soil N 2 O and CH 4 emissions data. For net CO 2 emissions, increases in soil organic C (SOC) were applied as a proxy, where the CT combined with oat was a reference. The life cycle GHG emissions intensity for maize was negative under NT farming systems with Gramineae and legume cover crops, −0.7 and −0.1 kg CO 2 e kg −1 of maize, respectively. CT with oats as a cover crop had a GHG intensity of 1.0 kg CO 2 e kg −1 of maize and 2.2 Mg CO 2 e ha −1 . NT with cover crops increased SOC (0.7 C Mg ha −1 yr −1 , 0–100 cm) and contributed to the mitigation of life cycle GHG emissions of maize production. This research shows that NT with cover crops is a sustainable solution for farming in southern Brazil.

Suggested Citation

  • Guilherme Rosa da Silva & Adam J. Liska & Cimelio Bayer, 2024. "Life Cycle Greenhouse Gas Emissions in Maize No-Till Agroecosystems in Southern Brazil Based on a Long-Term Experiment," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(10), pages 1-14, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:16:y:2024:i:10:p:4012-:d:1392149
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Houshyar, Ehsan & Grundmann, Philipp, 2017. "Environmental impacts of energy use in wheat tillage systems: A comparative life cycle assessment (LCA) study in Iran," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 122(C), pages 11-24.
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