Assessing the Short-Term Effects of No-Till on Crop Yield, Greenhouse Gas Emissions, and Soil C and N Pools in a Cover-Cropped, Biodynamic Mediterranean Vineyard

Background and Aims. No-till is considered a core practice of conservation and climate-smart agriculture. Nevertheless, recent evidence suggests that the benefits of this practice for climate change mitigation might be overestimated, particularly in the short term. Methods and Results. In a three-ye...

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Main Authors: Cristina Lazcano, Noelymar Gonzalez-Maldonado, Erika H. Yao, Connie T. F. Wong, Mia Falcone, Jean Dodson Peterson, L. Federico Casassa, Bwalya Malama, Charlotte Decock
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2022-01-01
Series:Australian Journal of Grape and Wine Research
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2022/8100818
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author Cristina Lazcano
Noelymar Gonzalez-Maldonado
Erika H. Yao
Connie T. F. Wong
Mia Falcone
Jean Dodson Peterson
L. Federico Casassa
Bwalya Malama
Charlotte Decock
author_facet Cristina Lazcano
Noelymar Gonzalez-Maldonado
Erika H. Yao
Connie T. F. Wong
Mia Falcone
Jean Dodson Peterson
L. Federico Casassa
Bwalya Malama
Charlotte Decock
author_sort Cristina Lazcano
collection DOAJ
description Background and Aims. No-till is considered a core practice of conservation and climate-smart agriculture. Nevertheless, recent evidence suggests that the benefits of this practice for climate change mitigation might be overestimated, particularly in the short term. Methods and Results. In a three-year field experiment, we investigated the environmental and agronomic performance of this practice by looking at changes in soil physical properties, C and N pools, as well as vine yield and grape quality. No-till increased stratification in the distribution of active soil C (POXC), further accentuating the already existing difference between top and subsoil. No-till also slightly reduced the daily efflux of CO2 from the soil during the rainy season, showing that these plots were less prone to lose C than tilled plots. Nonetheless, no-till did not increase total soil C stocks. This, together with the lack of differences in cumulative N2O emissions, resulted in similar global warming potential in till and no-till plots. Vine yield and grape quality remained unchanged in the no-till compared to the tilled plots. Conclusions. Even though no-till did not result in short-term climate change mitigation, results of this study suggest changes in the ecological processes leading to C accumulation and mineralization and that may result in future C sequestration. There were no deleterious effects of no-till on grape yield and quality. Significance of the Study. This study shows that reducing tillage intensity in vineyards is a feasible strategy from an agronomic standpoint.
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spelling doaj-art-4cad2dea1e3148878f2c2a72676e7cd92025-08-20T03:34:18ZengWileyAustralian Journal of Grape and Wine Research1755-02382022-01-01202210.1155/2022/8100818Assessing the Short-Term Effects of No-Till on Crop Yield, Greenhouse Gas Emissions, and Soil C and N Pools in a Cover-Cropped, Biodynamic Mediterranean VineyardCristina Lazcano0Noelymar Gonzalez-Maldonado1Erika H. Yao2Connie T. F. Wong3Mia Falcone4Jean Dodson Peterson5L. Federico Casassa6Bwalya Malama7Charlotte Decock8Department of LandDepartment of LandDepartment of LandDepartment of LandNatural Resources Management and Environmental Sciences DepartmentDepartment of Viticulture and EnologyWine and Viticulture DepartmentNatural Resources Management and Environmental Sciences DepartmentNatural Resources Management and Environmental Sciences DepartmentBackground and Aims. No-till is considered a core practice of conservation and climate-smart agriculture. Nevertheless, recent evidence suggests that the benefits of this practice for climate change mitigation might be overestimated, particularly in the short term. Methods and Results. In a three-year field experiment, we investigated the environmental and agronomic performance of this practice by looking at changes in soil physical properties, C and N pools, as well as vine yield and grape quality. No-till increased stratification in the distribution of active soil C (POXC), further accentuating the already existing difference between top and subsoil. No-till also slightly reduced the daily efflux of CO2 from the soil during the rainy season, showing that these plots were less prone to lose C than tilled plots. Nonetheless, no-till did not increase total soil C stocks. This, together with the lack of differences in cumulative N2O emissions, resulted in similar global warming potential in till and no-till plots. Vine yield and grape quality remained unchanged in the no-till compared to the tilled plots. Conclusions. Even though no-till did not result in short-term climate change mitigation, results of this study suggest changes in the ecological processes leading to C accumulation and mineralization and that may result in future C sequestration. There were no deleterious effects of no-till on grape yield and quality. Significance of the Study. This study shows that reducing tillage intensity in vineyards is a feasible strategy from an agronomic standpoint.http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2022/8100818
spellingShingle Cristina Lazcano
Noelymar Gonzalez-Maldonado
Erika H. Yao
Connie T. F. Wong
Mia Falcone
Jean Dodson Peterson
L. Federico Casassa
Bwalya Malama
Charlotte Decock
Assessing the Short-Term Effects of No-Till on Crop Yield, Greenhouse Gas Emissions, and Soil C and N Pools in a Cover-Cropped, Biodynamic Mediterranean Vineyard
Australian Journal of Grape and Wine Research
title Assessing the Short-Term Effects of No-Till on Crop Yield, Greenhouse Gas Emissions, and Soil C and N Pools in a Cover-Cropped, Biodynamic Mediterranean Vineyard
title_full Assessing the Short-Term Effects of No-Till on Crop Yield, Greenhouse Gas Emissions, and Soil C and N Pools in a Cover-Cropped, Biodynamic Mediterranean Vineyard
title_fullStr Assessing the Short-Term Effects of No-Till on Crop Yield, Greenhouse Gas Emissions, and Soil C and N Pools in a Cover-Cropped, Biodynamic Mediterranean Vineyard
title_full_unstemmed Assessing the Short-Term Effects of No-Till on Crop Yield, Greenhouse Gas Emissions, and Soil C and N Pools in a Cover-Cropped, Biodynamic Mediterranean Vineyard
title_short Assessing the Short-Term Effects of No-Till on Crop Yield, Greenhouse Gas Emissions, and Soil C and N Pools in a Cover-Cropped, Biodynamic Mediterranean Vineyard
title_sort assessing the short term effects of no till on crop yield greenhouse gas emissions and soil c and n pools in a cover cropped biodynamic mediterranean vineyard
url http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2022/8100818
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