Impact of raw pig slurry and pig farming practices on physicochemical parameters and on atmospheric N2O and CH 4 emissions of tropical soils, Uvéa Island (South Pacific)
2014
Roth, E. | Gunkel-Grillon, P. | Joly, L. | Thomas, X. | Decarpenterie, T. | Mappe-Fogaing, I. | Laporte-Magoni, C. | Dumelié, N. | Durry, G.
Emissions of CH₄and N₂O related to private pig farming under a tropical climate in Uvéa Island were studied in this paper. Physicochemical soil parameters such as nitrate, nitrite, ammonium, Kjeldahl nitrogen, total organic carbon, pH and moisture were measured. Gaseous soil emissions as well as physicochemical parameters were compared in two private pig farming strategies encountered on this island on two different soils (calcareous and ferralitic) in order to determine the best pig farming management: in small concrete pens or in large land pens. Ammonium levels were higher in control areas while nitrate and nitrite levels were higher in soils with pig slurry inputs, indicating that nitrification was the predominant process related to N₂O emissions. Nitrate contents in soils near concrete pens were important (≥55 μg N/g) and can thus be a threat for the groundwater. For both pig farming strategies, N₂O and CH₄fluxes can reach high levels up to 1 mg N/m²/h and 1 mg C/m²/h, respectively. CH₄emissions near concrete pens were very high (≥10.4 mg C/m²/h). Former land pens converted into agricultural land recover low N₂O emission rates (≤0.03 mg N/m²/h), and methane uptake dominates. N₂O emissions were related to nitrate content whereas CH₄emissions were found to be moisture dependent. As a result relating to the physicochemical parameters as well as to the gaseous emissions, we demonstrate that pig farming in large land pens is the best strategy for sustainable family pig breeding in Uvéa Islands and therefore in similar small tropical islands.
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