Brian K. Northup

Growing season variability in carbon dioxide exchange of irrigated and rainfed soybean in the southern United States

Measurement of carbon dynamics of soybean (Glycine max L.) ecosystems outside Corn Belt of the United States (U.S.) is lacking. This study examines the seasonal variability of net ecosystem CO2 exchange (NEE) and its components (gross primary production, GPP and ecosystem respiration, ER), and relevant controlling environmental factors between rainfed (El Reno, Oklahoma) and irrigated (Stoneville, Mississippi) soybean fields in the southern U.S. during the 2016 growing season. Grain yield was about 1.6tha-1 for rainfed soybean and 4.9tha-1 for irrigated soybean. The magnitudes of diurnal NEE (~2-weeks average) reached seasonal peak values of -23.18 and -34.78μmolm-2s-1 in rainfed and irrigated soybean, respectively, approximately two months after planting (i.e., during peak growth). Similar thresholds of air temperature (Ta, slightly over 30°C) and vapor pressure deficit (VPD, ~2.5kPa) for NEE were observed at both sites. Daily (7-day average) NEE, GPP, and ER reached seasonal peak values of -4.55, 13.54, and 9.95gCm-2d-1 in rainfed soybean and -7.48, 18.13, and 14.93gCm-2d-1 in irrigated soybean, respectively. The growing season (DOY 132-243) NEE, GPP, and ER totals were -54, 783, and 729gCm-2, respectively, in rainfed soybean. Similarly, cumulative NEE, GPP, and ER totals for DOY 163-256 (flux measurement was initiated on DOY 163, missing first 45days after planting) were -291, 1239, and 948gCm-2, respectively, in irrigated soybean. Rainfed soybean was a net carbon sink for only two months, while irrigated soybean appeared to be a net carbon sink for about three months. However, grain yield and the magnitudes and seasonal sums of CO2 fluxes for irrigated soybean in this study were comparable to those for soybean in the U.S. Corn Belt, but they were lower for rainfed soybean.

Carbon dioxide and water vapor fluxes in winter wheat and tallgrass prairie in central Oklahoma

Winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and tallgrass prairie are common land cover types in the Southern Plains of the United States. During the last century, agricultural expansion into native grasslands was extensive, particularly managed pasture or winter wheat. In this study, we measured carbon dioxide (CO2) and water vapor (H2O) fluxes from winter wheat and tallgrass prairie sites in Central Oklahoma using the eddy covariance in 2015 and 2016. The objective of this study was to contrast CO2 and H2O fluxes between these two ecosystems to provide insights on the impacts of conversion of tallgrass prairie to winter wheat on carbon and water budgets. Daily net ecosystem CO2 exchange (NEE) reached seasonal peaks of -9.4 and -8.8 g C m-2 in 2015 and -6.2 and -7.5 g C m-2 in 2016 at winter wheat and tall grass prairie sites, respectively. Both sites were net sink of carbon during their growing seasons. At the annual scale, the winter wheat site was a net source of carbon (56 ± 13 and 33 ± 9 g C m-2 year-1 in 2015 and 2016, respectively). In contrast, the tallgrass prairie site was a net sink of carbon (-128 ± 69 and -119 ± 53 g C m-2 year-1 in 2015 and 2016, respectively). Daily ET reached seasonal maximums of 6.0 and 5.3 mm day-1 in 2015, and 7.2 and 8.2 mm day-1 in 2016 at the winter wheat and tallgrass prairie sites, respectively. Although ecosystem water use efficiency (EWUE) was higher in winter wheat than in tallgrass prairie at the seasonal scale, summer fallow contributed higher water loss from the wheat site per unit of carbon fixed, resulting into lower EWUE at the annual scale. Results indicate that the differences in magnitudes and patterns of fluxes between the two ecosystems can influence carbon and water budgets.