Soil and Environmental Variables Influencing Greenhouse Gas Cycling in an Agroecosystem

This study has been carried out to delineate the impact of soil agroecosystems on the emission of greenhouse gases (GHGs). Microorganisms available in soil contribute a significant role in the biogeochemical cycle of nutrients and enrich nutrient availability in the soil. Agricultural soil contributes approximately 60–80% of the total anthropogenic N2O sources, mainly released from chemical fertilizers, manure applications, and farm crop residues. Approximately 161% growth in GHGs through cultivation has been reported in India in the last 50 years. Paddy crops produce more GHGs in comparison to other cereal crops grown worldwide. The statistics indicate paddy crops produce ~23.75 Tg CE ha−1 GHG and the least reported from Cajanus cajan (~2.98 Tg CE ha−1). The total GHG emission globally contributed by soil degassing is ~35% of total CO2, ~47% of total CH4, ~53% of total N2O, and ~21% of total NO of the total annual emissions. The contaminated soil is an indicator of a poor agroecosystem. The degraded agroecosystem observed may be due to poor land management and hence needs a complete focus on land management through crop rotation, which also enriches nutrients in the soil. An unbalanced agroecosystem may cause various environmental challenges, including global warming, one of the major concerns resulting from the emission of GHGs (CO2, CH4, N2O, NO, etc.) into the atmosphere. Hence, it is necessary to sustain an agroecosystem and its environment through crop rotation, one of the very effective methods adopted from ancient times. Further, relevant information is needed for policy and decision-makers to implement sustainable responses.