Information is needed to mitigate dryland soil greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by using novel management practices. We evaluated the effects of cropping sequence and N fertilization on dryland soil temperature and water content at the 0- to 15-cm depth and surface CO2, N2O, and CH4 fluxes in a Williams loam in eastern Montana. Treatments were no-tilled continuous malt barley (Hordeum vulgaris L.) (NTCB), no-tilled malt barley-pea (Pisum sativum L.) (NTB-P), and conventional-tilled malt barley-fallow (CTB-F) (control), each with 0 and 80 kg N ha-1. Gas fluxes were measured at 3 to 14 d intervals using static, vented chambers from March to November, 2008 to 2011. Soil temperature varied but water content was greater in CTB-F than in other treatments. The GHG fluxes varied with date of sampling, peaking immediately after substantial precipitation (>15 mm) and N fertilization during increased soil temperature. Total CO2 flux from March to November was greater in NTCB and NTB-P with 80 kg N ha-1 than in other treatments from 2008 to 2010. Total N2O flux was greater in NTCB with 0 kg N ha-1 and in NTB-P with 80 kg N ha-1 than in other treatments in 2008 and 2011. Total CH4 uptake was greater with 80 than with 0 kg N ha-1 in NTCB in 2009 and 2011. Because of intermediate level of CO2 equivalent of GHG emissions and known favorable effect on malt barley yield, NTB-P with 0 kg N ha-1 might mitigate GHG emissions and sustain crop yields compared to other treatments in eastern Montana. For accounting global warming potential of management practices, however, additional information on soil C dynamics and CO2 associated with production inputs and machinery use are needed.
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