Oral presentations 1.1 Trinidad Room PEATLANDS AND ECONOMY (1)

Abstract

Peatlands store a large share of the world’s soil organic carbon and are widespread in Northern and
Central European countries. Drainage is a precondition for traditional agricultural production on
organic soils. Drainage increase peat mineralization and changes the physical and chemical soil
quality. Only a few decades after initial drainage, agricultural systems on drained organic soils start
experiencing a high risk of crop failure. Decreased hydraulic conductivities lead to decreased
infiltration, ponding, and finally to abandonment as drainage will not be effective anymore. Another
problem is the low trafficability.
The aim of the first experiment is to investigate if the addition of foundry sand to the top soil will
improve the trafficability and how it will affect the CO2 emission. In the Swedish part of the EU-funded
PEATWISE project, a field experiment (randomized block design, 3x3) was set up at a former
cultivated, but now abandoned, fen peat located at Bälinge Mossar (60.03N, 17.43E). We compare
trafficability, yield, oxygen concentration in the soil and CO2 emission from plots sown with Timothy
(Phleum pratense) treated with 0 cm, 2.5 cm or 5 cm foundry sand. The sand was applied in the
autumn of 2015 and mixed in the top 10 cm of the soil. CO2 emissions were measured with automatic
chambers (ADC BioScientific, UK) taking 12 measurements per day in frames where we removed the
vegetation.
The results from the autumn of 2015 (15/9-1/11) showed that the CO2 emissions were highest from
the plots without sand addition (3.4 μmol m-2 s-1) and lowest from the plots where 5 cm sand was
added (1.4 μmol m-2s-1). The emission from the 2.5 cm treatment was 1.8 μmol m-2 s-1. During
2016 (4/5 – 27/9), the emissions were lowest from the plots treated with 5 cm foundry sand (4.26
μmol m-2s-1), and highest from the plots with 2.5 cm sand (6.10 μmol m-2s-1). The untreated plot
had an average CO2 emission of 5.09 μmol m-2s-1. The 5 cm plots had lowest emission 2017 as well,
emitting an average of 4.53 μmol CO2 m-2s-1 whereas the 2.5 cm treatment emitted 4.87 μmol CO2
m-2s-1 and the 0 cm treatment 5.92 μmol CO2 m-2s-1.
It seems that the addition of foundry sand changes the properties (physical and chemical) of the soil
which reduce the CO2 emission and increase the yield.
I will also present the first results from a new field trial at the same site, where the addition of lime at
a rate of 10 t/ha and 20 t/ha is compared to a control. This is part of an EU-funded project called
MAGGE-pH.

Full text

www.ipsjubileesymposium.nl | 12
1 Oral presentations
1.1 Trinidad Room PEATLANDS AND ECONOMY (1)
Chair Hannu Salu, vice chair - Sakari Sarkkola
Peatlands for Agriculture, Peatlands for Forestry, Peatlands and Climate Change
Trinidad Room 1: 9:00 - 9:15
1.1.1 GHG emissions from a Swedish field trial adding sand and lime to the soil.
Berglund, Örjan. Berglund, Kerstin
Örjan Berglund orjan.berglund@slu.se Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden
Peatlands for Agriculture
GHG emissions, sand addition, lime
Peatlands store a large share of the world’s soil organic carbon and are widespread in Northern and
Central European countries. Drainage is a precondition for traditional agricultural production on
organic soils. Drainage increase peat mineralization and changes the physical and chemical soil
quality. Only a few decades after initial drainage, agricultural systems on drained organic soils start
experiencing a high risk of crop failure. Decreased hydraulic conductivities lead to decreased
infiltration, ponding, and finally to abandonment as drainage will not be effective anymore. Another
problem is the low trafficability.
The aim of the first experiment is to investigate if the addition of foundry sand to the top soil will
improve the trafficability and how it will affect the CO2 emission. In the Swedish part of the EU-funded
PEATWISE project, a field experiment (randomized block design, 3x3) was set up at a former
cultivated, but now abandoned, fen peat located at Bälinge Mossar (60.03N, 17.43E). We compare
trafficability, yield, oxygen concentration in the soil and CO2 emission from plots sown with Timothy
(Phleum pratense) treated with 0 cm, 2.5 cm or 5 cm foundry sand. The sand was applied in the
autumn of 2015 and mixed in the top 10 cm of the soil. CO2 emissions were measured with automatic
chambers (ADC BioScientific, UK) taking 12 measurements per day in frames where we removed the
vegetation.
The results from the autumn of 2015 (15/9-1/11) showed that the CO2 emissions were highest from
the plots without sand addition (3.4 μmol m-2 s-1) and lowest from the plots where 5 cm sand was
added (1.4 μmol m-2s-1). The emission from the 2.5 cm treatment was 1.8 μmol m-2 s-1. During
2016 (4/5 – 27/9), the emissions were lowest from the plots treated with 5 cm foundry sand (4.26
μmol m-2s-1), and highest from the plots with 2.5 cm sand (6.10 μmol m-2s-1). The untreated plot
had an average CO2 emission of 5.09 μmol m-2s-1. The 5 cm plots had lowest emission 2017 as well,
emitting an average of 4.53 μmol CO2 m-2s-1 whereas the 2.5 cm treatment emitted 4.87 μmol CO2
m-2s-1 and the 0 cm treatment 5.92 μmol CO2 m-2s-1.
It seems that the addition of foundry sand changes the properties (physical and chemical) of the soil
which reduce the CO2 emission and increase the yield.
I will also present the first results from a new field trial at the same site, where the addition of lime at
a rate of 10 t/ha and 20 t/ha is compared to a control. This is part of an EU-funded project called
MAGGE-pH.