Soil CO2 as a Function of Soil Properties and Tillage Systems on Loamy Soil in Lithuania

Investigations of CO2 emissions in the context of different tillage systems are relevant not only for studying the effects of climate change but also for evaluating the sustainability of soil management. To better understand the influence of soil physico-chemical properties on CO2 emissions, an experiment was conducted to measure the direct and indirect effects of these soil properties on CO2 efflux. Soil CO2 efflux is measured using a closed chamber method (LI-COR LI-8100A) under various tillage in two soil textures. Our research revealed that soil temperature, water content, soil organic carbon, total nitrogen, available phosphorus and pH significantly affected the soil–atmosphere CO2 exchange rate. Soil CO2, volumetric water content and soil temperature were higher in loam soil than in sandy loam soil. Soil CO2 efflux was 8.6% lower in conventional tillage than under reduced and no tillage. Total nitrogen and soil organic carbon contents are dependent on tillage and decreased from no tillage to conventional tillage. Soil agrochemical properties such as SOC, total nitrogen, available phosphorus, available potassium and soil pH were higher evaluated in loam soil than in sandy loam soil. The results of this research are valuable contributions to knowledge on soil management in relation to CO2 emissions on morainic loamy soil.