Mitigating the impacts of intensive agriculture on lowland organic soils
Lead Research Organisation:
Bangor University
Department Name: Sch of Environment and Natural Resources
Abstract
Abstracts are not currently available in GtR for all funded research. This is normally because the abstract was not required at the time of proposal submission, but may be because it included sensitive information such as personal details.
Organisations
Publications
Wen Y
(2021)
Livestock-induced N2O emissions may limit the benefits of converting cropland to grazed grassland as a greenhouse gas mitigation strategy for agricultural peatlands
in Resources, Conservation and Recycling
Wen Y
(2019)
Microbial utilization of low molecular weight organic carbon substrates in cultivated peats in response to warming and soil degradation
in Soil Biology and Biochemistry
Studentship Projects
| Project Reference | Relationship | Related To | Start | End | Student Name |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NE/M009106/1 | 30/09/2015 | 31/03/2024 | |||
| 1938558 | Studentship | NE/M009106/1 | 30/09/2017 | 31/12/2021 |
| Description | My project set out to understand if we can preserve cultivate peat soils whilst at the same time maintaining the current levels of food production. I am looking at different ways we can preserve these important soils, the options I have so far looked at are 1) increasing the water table and 2) adding crop residue left over from crops that are grown as cover crop. The use of increased water table has proved to be successful as it led to decreased greenhouse gas flux. However, adding crop residue worsened the situation. This further complicates the situation as the use of cover crop and addition of crop residue has been promoted as a solution the to the problem of cultivated peat loss. A follow experiment is going to investigate the legacy of the crop residue in the next growing season. I will have results of this follow-on experiment later this year. |
| Exploitation Route | The outcomes, helps us understand how cultivated peat soils respond to increased fresh organic matter. The addition of fresh organic matter has been long promoted as a mitigation measure to peat loss. However, this notion is not supported my the findings from this project. Understanding the best approach to prevent peat loss requires evidence. The outcomes from this experiment will hopefully help farms decide how they will best manage the precious peat soils. Whilst cover crops can help with wind erosion, their residue is not good for cultivated peat soils. |
| Sectors | Agriculture Food and Drink Environment |