Using Conservation Tillage to Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions in China

Prof. Li HongwenProf. Li HongwenTaishan Scholar and Specially Engaged Professor of Shandong University of

Technology Conservation Tillage Research Center, MOA ChinaChina Agricultural University

www.cn-ct.net

Who I am?• Dr. Li Hongwen, Professor of CAU;

• Taishan Scholar and specially engaged professor of Shandong University of technology.

• Head of Conservation Tillage Research, Ministry of Agriculture, P.R.C.

• Senior Expert of Conservation Tillage for Ministry of Agriculture and 9 Provinces, P.R.C. Consultants for ADB and GEF projects.

• 12 times of awards and honors from China Centeral government and Ministry of agriculture, Ministry of education, and some provinces.

• Conservation tillage research since 1991.

CTRC

Started from an ACIAR Project with Dr. Jeff Tullberg

1. Machines development for CT2. Ct farming systems3. CT / Wind erosion , Water erosion, Greenhouse

gas emission……4. Weed control for CT5. Measurement of residue cover rate (using Digital

picture )

CTRC

• Only and leading organization on CT in China

• Main support to MOA on CT

• CT field since 1992

• Proved the possibility of CT in China small farm land, small machines

• All the technology and machines are most used in CT areas

CTRC

• Realized double crops conservation tillage in China.

CTRC

• Using CT to reduce wind erosion, water erosion, and greenhouse gas emission.

Dr. Li Hongwen is the chief expert for Beijin conservation tillage

CTRC

• About more than 50% no-till planters in China are from CTRC’s prototypes.

CTRC

Want to know CT in China?

• Visit CTRC;

• Email: lhwen@cau.edu.cn

• With CTRC, you can stand on a high level to do cooperative work.

CT/CA in China

• Accept the idea of CA

• CT cost long time fro Chinese to familiar. In order not to make confused in the concepts

• We treat CA as Connotation of CT

• --Prefer using CT other than CA

Effect of Conservation Tillage on GHG

crop

soil

groundwater

Electric fan

pore

pedestal

Close chamber

crop

soil

groundwater

Electric fan

pore

pedestal

Close chamber

crop

soil

groundwater

Electric fan

pore

crop

soil

groundwater

Electric fan

pore

crop

soil

groundwater

Electric fan

pore

crop

soil

groundwater

Electric fan

pore

crop

soil

groundwater

Electric fan

pore

crop

soil

groundwater

Electric fan

pore

crop

soil

groundwater

Electric fan

pore

pedestal

Close chamber

Double Cropping Area

Single cropping area

North of China

1

Study Sites

Site 1 Wuchuan--- Agro-pastoral region

• Inner Mongolian, 111°42´N, 41°12´E. semi-arid and agro-pastoral region, mean annual precipitation 300-350 mm. Spring wheat.

Tillage

Residue cover

(760kg/ha)

Conventional tillage

No tillage

No cover

Conventional tillage

No tillage

Double Cropping Area

Single cropping area

North of China

Study Sites

2

Site 2 Daxing----Traffic and non traffic

• Beijing (39°45´N, 116°20´E). Annual precipitation 570 mm, double crops of maize and wheat

Conservation Tillage

Traffic Controlled Traffic

Random

Traffic

Double Cropping Area

Single cropping area

North of China

Study Sites

3

Site 3 Luancheng----Double crops area

• Hebei Province(37°50′N, 114°40′E). Semi-humid region, average annual rainfall 550mm. double crops of maize and wheat

Tillage

Residue

Plowed with residue return into soil

Rotary hoe with residue return into soil

No-till with residue cover

Results----Site 1Resi due Covered

0

0. 5

1

1. 5

2

2. 5

3

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Ti me af ter t i l l age (h)

Soil

CO

2 fl

ux (

g m

-2 h

-1) No t i l l Pl ough

Tillage Effect: Significant

1.Tiilage give more CO2 flux,135% and 70%

2. At the beginning after plow, the difference is great,1.96,1.07

Bare Fal l ow

0

0. 5

1

1. 5

2

2. 5

3

3. 5

4

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Ti me af ter t i l l age (h)

Soil

CO

2 fl

ux (

g m

-2 h

-1) No t i l l Pl ough

Effect of Tillage on Cumulative CO2 Flux

117.87 117.9

276.9200.4

Results----Site 2• Traffic and Non Traffic

Under opaque chamber: Controlled traffic give more CO2 at crop zone, 95.04±6.79g/m2d, random traffic 50.91±7.57g/m2d

Transparent chamber: No Significant difference

CO2 NS

CO2 **

No significant difference between Random traffic field and controlled traffic field

Significant between traffic zone and Controlled Traffic

aa

b

Results----Site 3• Double crops area

Conventional Tillage gives more CO2 emission than Rotary tillage and No-till for the whole year. 11.30g/m2, 9.63g/m2, and 7.99 g/m2

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

800

900

1000

5- Apr 20- Apr 5- May 20- May 4- J un 19- J un 4- J ul 19- J ul 3- Aug 18- Aug 2- Sep 17- Sep 2- Oct 17- Oct 1- Nov 16- Nov

date

CO2

flux

mg m

（-2

h-1）

convent i onal t i l l age

Rotary t i l l age

No t i l l age

5/Apr 5/May 4/Jun 4/July 3/Aug 2/Sep 2/Oct 1/Nov

Experiments on Fuel burn Emission

• Fuel burn emission:Daxing district, Beijing

Control traffic / None Controlled traffic

smokemeter

Speed Sensor

fuel meter

Machine

Result 1.Controlled traffic can reduced 9.7L/hm2a fuel consumption

2. If the emission of 2.75Kg CO2 per L fuel, Then CO2 flux 87.7kg/hm2 in controlled traffic and 114.4kg/hm2 in random traffic.

Conclusion & Suggestion

1. Soil tillage can increase CO2 emission. Straw return to field also increase CO2 emission, but , it less than straw burning or breeding----- Conservation tillage can reduce greenhouse gas emission .

2. Conservation tillage, especially controlled traffic significantly decrease fuel consumption, these mean conservation tillage can reduce greenhouse gas emission.

3. Conservation tillage can reduce CO2 20kg/mu (300kg/ha) ， if 10% farmland in northern China (about 6 million ha ) , then Co2 from farmland can be reduced by about 5×104t

4. If 5% farmland in northern China adopt conservation tillage with Controlled traffic, then CO2 from farmland can be reduced by about 8.3×104t only from saving fuel

5. If CO2 reduction only 300kg/ha, and CO2 price is US$50/t, So……., one ha CT, equal to 300kg CO2 reduction, equal to US$15/ha

Conclusion & Suggestion

• It is a new topic in China, above data is only from 2 years experiments.

Future research:

• Influence of fertilizer and herbicide on CO2 emission;

• Using Biochar to to reduce CO2 and N2O emission

One World

One Village