Closing maize yield gaps in sub-Saharan Africa will boost soil N2O emissions

By S. Leitner, D. Pelster, C. Werner, L. Merbold, E. Baggs, F. Mapanda, K. Butterbach‐Bahl. Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability, 2020

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In sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), the most important staple crop is maize; the production of which is dominated by smallholder farming systems using low external inputs (<10 kg N ha$^{−1}$) resulting in low crop yields and large yield gaps (difference between actual and potential yields). To assess increases in soil N$_{2}$O emissions when closing maize yield gaps by increased fertilizer use, we reviewed the literature, developed a relationship between yield gaps and soil N$_{2}$O emissions, and used it to scale across SSA. According to our analysis, N$_{2}$O emissions from maize production will increase from currently 255 to 1755 ± 226 Gg N$_{2}$O-N year$^{−1}$ (+589%) if existing maize yield gaps are closed by 75%, increasing total anthropogenic N$_{2}$O emissions for SSA by c. 50%.

Subfields: Ecology, Environmental Engineering, Soil Science

View Paper: https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/0af6685a545346059f5d91099a4fa70c5f43c9b8