Plant, Soil and Environment (Dec 2013)

Greenhouse gas emissions from a soil cultivated with wheat (Triticum spp. L.) and amended with castor bean (Ricinus communis L.) or Jatropha curcas L. seed cake: A greenhouse experiment

  • V.M. Ruíz-Valdiviezo,
  • Á. Aguilar-Chávez,
  • M.R. Cárdenas-Aquino,
  • L.D. Mendoza-Urbina,
  • S.C. Reynoso-Martínez,
  • A. Bautista-Cerón,
  • F.A. Gutiérrez-Miceli,
  • J.A. Montes-Molina,
  • L. Dendooven

DOI
https://doi.org/10.17221/368/2013-PSE
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 59, no. 12
pp. 556 – 561

Abstract

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Cultivation of plants, such as castor bean (Ricinus communis L.) or Jatropha curcas L. is set to increase in future as their seeds are used to extract oil for biofuel production. Ricinus communis seed cake (RSC) and J. curcas seed cake (JSC) were applied to soil cultivated with wheat (Triticum spp. L.) while plant growth and emissions of the greenhouse gases, CO2, CH4 and N2O were monitored. Application of RSC or JSC had no significant effect development of the wheat plants. Emissions of CO2 and N2O increased in soil amended with JSC or RSC, especially when larger amounts were applied, but had no effect on emissions of CH4. It was found that application of seed cakes increased emissions of CO2 and N2O, but did not stimulate plant growth.

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