Summary
This year-long field experiment evaluated how maize crop residue inputs at two levels, combined with bare fallow or cover crops (barley or vetch), affected greenhouse gas emissions and nitrogen dynamics in a maize rotation under irrigated semiarid conditions. The findings highlight a trade-off: lower maize residue input increased N2O emissions during the cover crop phase (43% higher), whilst higher residue input subsequently increased emissions after maize fertilisation (170% higher), suggesting that residue management practices warrant careful calibration to minimise net climate impact. The study indicates that cover crop benefits for soil quality may be partially offset by elevated CO2 emissions and variable N2O dynamics depending on residue management and irrigation timing.
Regional applicability
The study was conducted under irrigated semiarid conditions in Spain, which differs substantially from typical United Kingdom temperate rainfall patterns and soil types. The findings on cover crop greenhouse gas dynamics may have limited direct transferability to UK rainfed systems, though the methodological approach to measuring residue input effects on nitrogen cycling and emissions could inform UK arable management research. The irrigation-dependent experimental design particularly limits applicability to most UK cropping regions.
Key measures
N2O, CH4 and CO2 fluxes; soil mineral nitrogen content; maize grain yield; nitrogen use efficiency
Outcomes reported
The study measured nitrous oxide, methane and carbon dioxide fluxes, soil mineral nitrogen, crop yields and nitrogen use efficiency across cover crop–cash crop rotations with varying maize residue inputs under irrigated semiarid conditions. Results showed that maize residue input level and cover crop type significantly influenced greenhouse gas emissions and nitrogen availability during intercrop and cash crop phases.
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