Feeding soil microbes sugar can soak up greenhouse gas
Xu Y, Zhao D, Zang H, Olesen JE, Luo Y
Soil Health
The compost and cover crop residue you dig into garden beds isn't just feeding plants, it may be quietly reprogramming soil microbes to trap a greenhouse gas nearly 300 times more potent than carbon dioxide.
Soil doesn't just release nitrous oxide, a powerful greenhouse gas; it can also pull it back out of the air. Researchers discovered that when soil has plenty of easily digestible carbon (like what comes from compost or plant residue) compared to nitrogen, microbes finish the job of breaking down nitrous oxide completely instead of leaving it behind. Boosting that carbon supply cut net emissions by as much as half in cropland soils tested across China.
Key Findings
The ratio of gross nitrous oxide uptake to emission varied widely (0.28 to 0.79) depending on soil's labile carbon to inorganic nitrogen ratio
Higher dissolved organic carbon to dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DOC/DIN) ratios promoted complete denitrification, cutting N2O emissions by up to 51%
Elevated DOC/DIN increased electron supply, boosted oxygen-depleting respiration, and enhanced abundance of the nosZ gene responsible for converting N2O to harmless nitrogen gas
chevron_right Technical Summary
Scientists found that adding simple carbon sources like sugars to farm soil can turn it into a sponge that absorbs the potent greenhouse gas nitrous oxide instead of releasing it, cutting emissions by up to 51%.
Abstract Preview
Original paper
Unlocking soil nitrous oxide sink through labile carbon.
Nitrous oxide (N2O), a potent greenhouse gas and the dominant ozone-depleting substance, is primarily emitted from soils. Understanding atmosphere-to-soil N2O uptake is crucial for harnessing the s...
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