Understanding the carbon source/sink functions of paddy soils: a challenge for sustainable rice cropping systems
Speaker
Dr. Daniel Said Pullicino - Soil Biogeochemistry, Dept. of Agricultural, Forest and Food Sciences, University of Torino
Date
Sep 10, 2018 - Time:
14:00
Aula A - Cà Vignal 1 - Strada Le Grazie 15, Verona
Rice is the most important staple food crop of the world’s population feeding about 3.23 billion people, with 159 Mha under cultivation globally. In around 75% of this land, rice is grown in flooded paddies that result in anoxic soil conditions throughout a major part of the cropping period. Redox processes in these ecosystems govern the biogeochemical cycling of carbon (C), and related ecological functions. In fact, paddy soils representing the largest man-made wetland on earth, may serve as both a source and sink of atmospheric C and thus play an important, but still not well understood, role in global C cycling.
Rice paddies are estimated to contribute between 5-19% of global methane emissions, an important greenhouse gas (GHG) implicated in global warming. On the other hand, wetland rice soils also conserve a large proportion of the global terrestrial C stocks (ca. 10 Pg) confirming their importance as C sinks. Although C cycling and GHG emissions are known to be influenced by different factors, the alternating redox conditions that characterize these soils are mainly responsible for their highly complex biogeochemistry.
During this seminar I intend to give an overview, as well as some recent research insights into our understanding of the key drivers controlling belowground biotic and abiotic soil processes controlling the C source/sink functions of rice paddies, and how agronomic management practices can favour the environmental sustainability of temperate rice cropping systems.
L'evento si svolge nell'ambito dei seminari organizzati per la selezione di candidati al reclutamento per il Dipartimento di eccellenza.
Rice paddies are estimated to contribute between 5-19% of global methane emissions, an important greenhouse gas (GHG) implicated in global warming. On the other hand, wetland rice soils also conserve a large proportion of the global terrestrial C stocks (ca. 10 Pg) confirming their importance as C sinks. Although C cycling and GHG emissions are known to be influenced by different factors, the alternating redox conditions that characterize these soils are mainly responsible for their highly complex biogeochemistry.
During this seminar I intend to give an overview, as well as some recent research insights into our understanding of the key drivers controlling belowground biotic and abiotic soil processes controlling the C source/sink functions of rice paddies, and how agronomic management practices can favour the environmental sustainability of temperate rice cropping systems.
L'evento si svolge nell'ambito dei seminari organizzati per la selezione di candidati al reclutamento per il Dipartimento di eccellenza.
- Data pubblicazione
- Aug 28, 2018
- Contact person
- Paola Dominici
- Department
- Biotechnology
