Influence of bioenergy crop Jatropha curcas amendment on soil biogeochemistry in a tropical vertisol

• Published in: Mitigation and adaptation strategies for global change 2015-12, Vol.20 (8), p.1459-1470
• Main Authors: Kollah, Bharati, Dubey, Garima, Dunfield, Peter, Mohanty, Santosh Ranjan
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Alternative energy sources; Atmospheric Sciences; Biogeochemistry; Biomass; Carbon dioxide; Climate change; Climate Change Management and Policy; Earth and Environmental Science; Earth Sciences; Energy crops; Environmental Management; Greenhouse effect; Greenhouse gases; Jatropha curcas; Leaves; Methane; Soil sciences; Soils; Tropical environments
• ISSN: 1381-2386; 1573-1596
• DOI: 10.1007/s11027-014-9555-6

Experiments were carried out to determine how the incorporation of biomass from the bioenergy crop Jatropha curcas into a tropical vertisol affects the biogeochemical processes important for greenhouse gas (GHG) fluxes, specifically methane (CH 4 ) production, carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) production, and CH 4 consumption. Leaf biomass of J. curcas was incorporated at 0.1, 0.5, and 1 % ( w / w ) into soil maintained under 60 % of moisture-holding capacity (MHC). Biomass addition significantly stimulated potential CH 4 and CO 2 production while inhibiting potential CH 4 consumption. When 1 % of J. curcas biomass was added to soil, potential CH 4 production increased nearly 50-fold over 60 days, from 2.45 μg CH 4  g −1 soil day −1 in unamended soil to 115 μg g −1  day −1 in soil containing leaf biomass. Soil CO 2 production also doubled when the J. curcas biomass was added. The potential CH 4 consumption rate of soil was inhibited almost completely by 1 % of added biomass. The culturable methanotroph population was positively correlated with the CH 4 consumption rate ( r  = 0.961, p