Conservation agriculture can provide a low-cost competitive option to mitigate global warming with reduction or elimination of soil tillage and increase soil organic carbon (SOC). Most studies have evaluated the impact of zero till (ZT) only on surface soil layers (down to 30 cm), and few studies have been performed on the potential for C accumulation in deeper layers (0-100 cm) of tropical and subtropical soils. In order to determine whether the change from conventional tillage (CT) to ZT has induced a net gain in SOC, three long-term experiments (15-26 years) on free-draining Ferralsols in the subtropical region of South Brazil were sampled and the SOC stocks to 30 and 100 cm calculated on an equivalent soil mass basis. In rotations containing intercropped or cover-crop legumes, there were significant accumulations of SOC in ZT soils varying from 5 to 8 Mg ha À1 in comparison with CT management, equivalent to annual soil C accumulation rates of between 0.04 and 0.88 Mg ha À1 . However, the potential for soil C accumulation was considerably increased (varying from 0.48 to 1.53 Mg ha À1 yr À1 ) when considering the soil profile down to 100 cm depth. On average the estimate of soil C accumulation to 100 cm depth was 59% greater than that for soil C accumulated to 30 cm. These findings suggest that increasing sampling depth from 30 cm (as presently recommended by the IPCC) to 100 cm, may increase substantially the estimates of potential CO 2 mitigation induced by the change from CT to ZT on the free-draining Ferralsols of the tropics and subtropics. It was evident that that legumes which contributed a net input of biologically fixed N played an important role in promoting soil C accumulation in these soils under ZT, perhaps due to a slow-release of N from decaying surface residues/roots which favored maize root growth.

( 15, 29, 43, 59, 71, 82, 112, and 182 days. Remaining dry matter amounts (DM)

Avaliou-se a produção de matéria seca (MS), bem como as concentrações de nitrogênio, fósforo, potássio e carbono do tecido vegetal. O cultivo consorciado de plantas de cobertura proporcionou produção de matéria seca estatisticamente semelhante àquela da aveia e do nabo em culturas isoladas e superior à da ervilhaca. O acúmulo de N na fitomassa dos tratamentos envolvendo consórcio de aveia + ervilhaca não diferiu daquele da ervilhaca isolada e, na média dos três anos, foi superior ao da aveia isolada em 32 kg ha -1 de N. Consorciando aveia + ervilhaca, houve um aumento médio de 67 % na relação C/N da fitomassa, em relação à ervilhaca. As plantas de cobertura proporcionaram maior produção de MS e foram mais eficientes no acúmulo de N, P e K do que a vegetação espontânea do pousio invernal. Os resultados indicaram que o consórcio de aveia + ervilhaca e de aveia + nabo no outono/inverno proporcionou maior

Simulation models are extensively used to predict agricultural productivity and greenhouse gas emissions. However, the uncertainties of (reduced) model ensemble simulations have not been assessed systematically for variables affecting food security and climate change mitigation, within multi-species agricultural contexts. We report an international model comparison and benchmarking exercise, showing the potential of multi-model ensembles to predict productivity and nitrous oxide (N O) emissions for wheat, maize, rice and temperate grasslands. Using a multi-stage modelling protocol, from blind simulations (stage 1) to partial (stages 2-4) and full calibration (stage 5), 24 process-based biogeochemical models were assessed individually or as an ensemble against long-term experimental data from four temperate grassland and five arable crop rotation sites spanning four continents. Comparisons were performed by reference to the experimental uncertainties of observed yields and N O emissions. Results showed that across sites and crop/grassland types, 23%-40% of the uncalibrated individual models were within two standard deviations (SD) of observed yields, while 42 (rice) to 96% (grasslands) of the models were within 1 SD of observed N O emissions. At stage 1, ensembles formed by the three lowest prediction model errors predicted both yields and N O emissions within experimental uncertainties for 44% and 33% of the crop and grassland growth cycles, respectively. Partial model calibration (stages 2-4) markedly reduced prediction errors of the full model ensemble E-median for crop grain yields (from 36% at stage 1 down to 4% on average) and grassland productivity (from 44% to 27%) and to a lesser and more variable extent for N O emissions. Yield-scaled N O emissions (N O emissions divided by crop yields) were ranked accurately by three-model ensembles across crop species and field sites. The potential of using process-based model ensembles to predict jointly productivity and N O emissions at field scale is discussed.

The effects of plant litter characteristics on its decomposition in soil or at the soil surface is of primary importance for adequate management of nutrients and carbon (C) in agro-ecosystems.

There is a lack of information on how placement in soil and nitrification inhibitors affects nitrous oxide (NO) and ammonia (NH) emissions from pig slurry (PS) applied under no-till (NT) conditions. Our objective was to determine the impact of injecting PS and treating it with the nitrification inhibitor dicyandiamide (DCD) on NH and NO emissions from soils under NT in subtropical southern Brazil. The emissions of these gases were compared for shallow (∼ 10 cm) injection and surface broadcasting of PS with and without DCD (8.1-10.0 kg ha; 6.5-8.4% of applied NH-N). Measurements were made at two sites during two summer growing seasons under NT corn crops. Injection reduced NH volatilization by 70% but increased NO emissions 2.4-fold (from 2628 to 6198 g NO N ha) compared with surface broadcast application. Adding DCD to PS inhibited nitrification and reduced NO emissions by an average of 28% (730 g NO-N ha) for surface broadcast and 66% (4105 g NO-N ha) for injection but did not increase NH volatilization. Consequently, NO emission factors were much higher for injection (3.6%) than for surface broadcast (1.3%) application and were reduced (0.9%) when DCD was added to injected PS. In conclusion, the injection of DCD-treated slurry is a recommendable practice for reducing NH and NO emissions when applying PS on NT corn in southern Brazil.

RESUMOO cultivo de plantas de cobertura, no outono/inverno, na região do Planalto do Rio Grande Sul contribui para o sucesso do sistema plantio direto. No entanto, informações relativas à produção de fitomassa e decomposição de resíduos dessas espécies ainda são escassas para a região, sobretudo para espécies consorciadas. O experimento foi conduzido em Não-Me-Toque, RS, em um Latossolo Vermelho distrófico típico, avaliando-se nove tratamentos, sendo quatro constituídos por plantas de cobertura em culturas puras [centeio (Secale cereale L.), aveia-preta (Avena strigosa Schreb), ervilha forrageira (Pisum sativum subesp. arvense) e nabo forrageiro (Raphanus sativus L. var. oleiferus Metzg)] e cinco por consórcios [(centeio + ervilha forrageira, centeio + nabo forrageiro, aveia + nabo forrageiro, centeio + ervilhaca (Vicia sativa L.) e aveia + ervilhaca)]. A dinâmica de decomposição dos resíduos culturais das plantas de cobertura foi avaliada em bolsas de decomposição, as quais foram distribuídas na superfície do solo e coletadas aos sete, 14, 21, 28, 57, 117 e 164 dias. O consórcio entre leguminosas e crucífera com gramíneas resultou em maior produção de fitomassa em relação ao cultivo destas em culturas puras. O nitrogênio (N) acumulado na parte aérea dos consórcios formados por ervilha forrageira e nabo com centeio e aveia foi semelhante ao da leguminosa e da crucífera em culturas puras e superou em 220,4 % os valores de N observados para as gramíneas em culturas puras. Por meio do consórcio entre as espécies de cobertura foi possível reduzir a taxa de decomposição dos resíduos culturais, em comparação com as culturas puras da leguminosa e da crucífera.Termos de indexação: mineralização, plantio direto, adubação verde, consorciação.

Resumo -O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar a liberação de P e K de resíduos culturais de aveia-preta, ervilhaca comum e nabo forrageiro e de consórcios de aveia e ervilhaca, em plantio direto. Os resíduos culturais foram dispostos em bolsas de nylon com 20x20 cm e malha de 0,5 mm, as quais foram distribuídas na superfície do solo e coletadas após 15, 29, 43, 59, 71, 82, 112 e 182 dias. Em cada coleta o material foi secado a 65ºC, determinando-se as quantidades remanescentes de matéria seca e a sua concentração em P e potássio. Aos valores observados para as quantidades remanescentes de P (Pr) e K (Kr) foi ajustado o modelo assintótico [(Pr e Kr = Ae -kt + (100 -A)] a partir do qual estimou-se a taxa (k) de liberação de P e K e a proporção desses nutrientes dos compartimentos lábil (A) e recalcitrante (100 -A) dos resíduos culturais. A taxa de liberação do K foi 4,5 vezes maior do que a do fósforo. A quantidade de P remanescente na fase inicial da decomposição foi inversamente proporcional à concentração do P solúvel em água dos resíduos culturais. Nos resíduos culturais do consórcio aveia + ervilhaca, o P e o K foram liberados mais lentamente do que o observado nessas espécies em cultivo solteiro. Esses resultados indicam um maior potencial de sincronismo entre a demanda de P e K pelas culturas comerciais e a liberação desses nutrientes dos resíduos culturais provenientes de consórcios entre aveia e ervilhaca do que dos provenientes do cultivo isolado de ervilhaca.Termos para indexação: Avena strigosa, Vicia sativa, Raphanus sativus, resíduos de cultura. Phosphorus and potassium release during decomposition of crops residues in no-tillage systemAbstract -The objective of this work was to evaluate the release of P and K from residues of single oat, vetch and forage radish and from mixtures of oat and vetch, under no-tillage system. The residues were placed in 0.5 mm mesh nylon bags (20x20 cm), which were placed on soil surface and taken out at 15, 29, 43, 59, 71, 82, 112 and 182 days after. At each sampling date the material was dried at 65ºC and the amount of dry matter remaining and its concentration of P and potassium were determined. It was adjusted the asymptotic model [(Pr and Kr = Ae -kt + (100 -A)] to observed values for the remaining P and K (Pr and Kr) which was used to estimate the rate (k) of P and K release and the proportion of these nutrients of the labile (A) and recalcitrant (100 -A) pools of crop residues. The rate of K release was 4.5 times greater than was for phosphorus. The amount of remaining P in the initial phase of the decomposition was inversely proportional to the concentration of water soluble P in the residues. In the residues of the oat + vetch mixture the P and K release were slower than the observed for single species. These results indicate a greater potential of synchrony between commercial crops P and K demand and P and K release from residues of oat + vetch mixture as compared to single vetch. IntroduçãoNa última década, com o avanço da área cultivada sob sistema plantio d...