Summary
This two-year field study in the Swiss Rhine Valley demonstrated that covering drained agricultural peatland with approximately 40 cm of mineral soil substantially reduces N₂O emissions from intensively managed grassland. The mineral soil coverage reduced annual N₂O-N emissions from 20.5 ± 2.7 kg ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹ to 2.3 ± 0.4 kg ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹, with reductions evident in both fertilisation-induced peaks and background emissions. The findings suggest that mineral soil coverage represents a viable management strategy for mitigating greenhouse gas emissions whilst sustaining agricultural productivity on organic soils.
UK applicability
The United Kingdom has significant peatland resources under agricultural management, particularly in Scotland, Northern England, and parts of Wales. This approach may be applicable to UK drained agricultural peatlands, though UK soil and climate conditions, peat depth variability, and regulatory frameworks around peatland management would require site-specific evaluation.
Key measures
Annual nitrous oxide (N₂O) emissions (kg N ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹); fertilisation-induced N₂O peaks; background N₂O emissions; mineral soil cover thickness (~40 cm)
Outcomes reported
The study quantified annual N₂O emissions from an intensively managed grassland on drained peatland under two conditions: with and without mineral soil coverage. N₂O emissions were continuously monitored over two years using an automatic time-integrating chamber system.
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