PhD research presentation at the workshop of the Climate Food and Farming Network, Dec. 2-4 at Aarhus University, Foulum. The Climate Food and Farming Network is an initiative of Copenhagen U., Aarhus U., and the CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security.

1. PhD Thesis:
Greenhouse gases emissions in
sugarcane in Tucumán, Argentina:
incidence of trash burning and
nitrogen fertilization.
Ing. Agr. Jorge Chalco Vera
EEA Famaillá INTA-CONICET
ARGENTINA

2. One of the most important sources of
anthropogenic GHG emissions is
agriculture, producing 12-14% of the total
GHG generated by humans (IPCC, 2006)
60 to 80% of the total emissions of N2O in
the world comes from agricultural soils
(Cameron et al., 2000; Wrage et al., 2004)
Therefore, the study of fertilization is
important.
Argentinean agricultural and livestock
sectors produce 44% of the total GHG
emissions generated in the country
Fundación Bariloche, 2005
However, these estimates were calculated using the international
global factors proposed by IPCC, NOT WITH SPECIFIC LOCAL
ONES.

3. Treatments
Native forest
Sugarcane without trash burning
after harvest
Without
nitrogen
fertilization
With
nitrogen
fertilization
Sugarcane with trash burning
after harvest
Without
nitrogen
fertilization
With
nitrogen
fertilization

4. 1.6 m

5. Closed vented chambers
Protocol from USDA-ARS GRACEnet (Parkin et al., 2010).
Close vented chambers
circular
Iron Anchor
Height (cm) Area (cm2)
15
201.1
Volum (cm3)
3015.9
PVC Headspace

6. Measurements
Soil and air thermometers
Chronometer
Vacuum pump
Evacuated vials

7. Other Measurements
Detail of logger
Soil borer
Soil N-NO3 and N-NH4
content and humidity
Probes:
«Loggers»

8. Determination of soil microbial activity
Fluorescein diacetate hydrolysis method. (Schnürer J. et al ., 1982)

9. Flame ionization detector
CO2 and CH4
Electron capture detector
N2O
Gas Chromatography
Linear and non-linear
regression models are
used
to
obtain
the
emissions factors.

10. Quantify GHG emissions from sugarcane in Tucumán, generating specific and local
emission factors. For this:
a) Determine the CO2, CH4 and N2O emission factors for sugarcane in Tucumán.
b) Define the contribution of traditional agricultural practices of sugarcane (burning
and fertilization) to GHG emissions.
c) Compare the emissions in systems with different anthropogenic modifications
(sugarcane cultivation) and a system without human disturbance (native forest).
d) Determine the main soil, environmental and microbiological factors behind the
emissions.
e) Infer on possible crop management strategies that could serve as mitigation tools.

12. Regarding the proposed project under the CLIFF grant in 2014
Host institution: Center for International
Forestry Research (CIFOR), Nairobi-Kenya
Directed by: Mariana Rufino -Senior Scientist
in Forest and Environment
Advisor researcher: Klaus Butterbach-Bahl
The objective is to evaluate the potential GHG emissions in
soil chronosequence studies
The idea is to do a research GHG emissions in sugarcane in
western Kenya, where there is an ongoing project. I will work in
the field and in the lab, and I will learn all the techniques to do
sampling and analyses.

13. Thank you very much!!

16. Soil nitrate and ammonium contents.
Technique: distillation by steam
Brenmer, 1965; Keeney and Nelson, 1982