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Study region This study used data collected from three cropland sites (two in Manitoba and one in Prince Edward Island) in Canada. Study focus In efforts to accurately describe the water dynamics in agricultural soils, most of the agri-hydrological models developed are highly complex, such that they require detailed input data, of which most of them are not always measured or otherwise readily available. However, the comprehensive and complex representations of the processes may not be justified when data is scarce. Thus, this study developed a soil water budget model that could describe the movement of water through Canadian agricultural soils using a few parameters only. The model was developed by selecting algorithms from various existing models, whose data requirements are readily available in literature and public Canadian databases. New hydrological insights The model developed in this study can simulate evapotranspiration, runoff, deep percolation, and soil moisture content for various seasons (i.e., growing, non-growing/dormant, and pre-planting/post-harvest) with minimum data requirement, which addresses the limited availability of data in the country for crop and hydrological modeling. Moreover, the model is simple and easy to use, and can work without calibration. It was tested using three site-specific datasets, and results show that despite its simplicity, its overall performance was comparable with those of other agricultural models that use cascade flow framework for hydrology.

The long-term understanding of the carbon budget of cropping systems needs to consider varying meteorological conditions, site/soil conditions, crop selection, and management decisions. On the Canadian Prairies, a variety of crops are used in yearly rotation, often not repeating the same crop within a 3-year period. We measured net ecosystem production (NEP) in two cropping systems in southern Manitoba, Canada, for the 2006–2016 period. One system had continuous annual crops, whereas the other had a perennial phase for 4 years. NEP was calculated using the flux-gradient method, where the carbon dioxide gradient was measured with a tunable-diode laser analyser and the transfer coefficient was based on momentum similarity theory with inputs from sonic anemometer-thermometers. NEP varied from −100 (source) to +300 (sink) g C m−2y−1 among four adjacent 4-ha fields and 10 years, depending on annual crop (corn, faba, spring wheat, barley, rapeseed, soybean) and environmental conditions. There was no period of 3 years or greater when NEP in the continuous annual crop rotation was different from carbon neutral. Inserting a 4-year perennial phase of an alfalfa/grass mix created a statistically significant carbon sink for NEP (P = 0.04), but the perennial period itself was carbon neutral. Enhanced ecosystem respiration was observed following termination of the perennial crop. Harvest practices varied from no harvest (in the establishment year of the perennial crop), grain removal only, grain + straw removal, and straight cutting of green biomass for silage. Once harvest removals were included, 3 of the 4 fields were carbon neutral, but one annual field had net carbon losses for some periods. Ecosystem respiration averaged about twice as large as harvest removals. Net carbon (mean ±S.E.) over the 11-year period for the annual cropping system (−78 ± 51 g C m−2 y−1) was not different from the annual-perennial system (−48 ± 47 g C m−2 y−1).

Consumptive use of shallow groundwater by phreatophytic vegetation is a significant part of the water budget in many regions, particularly in riparian areas. The influence of vegetation type on groundwater level fluctuations and evapotranspiration has rarely been quantified for contrasting plant communities concurrently although it has implications for downstream water yield and quality. Hourly groundwater evapotranspiration (ETG) rates were estimated for grass and tree riparian vegetation in southwestern Manitoba, Canada using two modified White methods. Groundwater table depth was monitored in four 21 m transects of five 3 m deep monitoring wells in the riparian zone of a stream reach including tree (Acer negundo; boxelder) and grass (Bromus inermis; smooth brome) dominated segments. The average depths to the groundwater table from the surface were 1.4 m and 1 m for the tree and grass segments, respectively, over the two-year study. During rain free periods of the growing season ETG was estimated for a total of 70 days in 2014 and 79 days in 2015 when diurnal fluctuations were present in groundwater level. Diurnal groundwater level fluctuations were observed during dry periods under both segments, however, ETG was significantly higher (p

Precision farming methods such as variable rate or site-specific nitrogen (N) fertilizer application based on field management zones may represent a mechanism to mitigate soil nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions. To investigate the impact of site-specific N fertilization on soil N2O fluxes a study was conducted from spring 2013 through summer 2015 on no-till cropland under canola (Brassica napus) production near Brandon, Manitoba, Canada. The static chamber method was used to measure soil N2O fluxes across three management zones (low yield, average yield, and high yield) with three N application rates (50%, 100%, and 150% of target seed yields for each management zone) and unfertilized control treatments. A machine-learning approach (random forest analysis) for analyzing soil N2O fluxes confirmed conditions related to soil temperature, moisture, and nitrate availability were the most important predictors of individual flux events. Similarly, soil N availability and moisture content were found to be the most important variables in regression models of cumulative growing season emissions. Nitrogen fertilizer-induced N2O emission factors were lower for the high yield management zone (≈0.1% both growing seasons) compared to the low yield management zone (0.9% in 2013 and 0.2% in 2015) confirming that variable rate application can mitigate N2O fluxes from cropland soils. The high yield zones had the lowest emission factors despite receiving 50% more fertilizer than field average target yields suggesting more efficient crop N use in these areas with greater production potential. Conversely, the low yield zones had higher emission factors despite receiving 50% less fertilizer than field average target yields indicating a greater environmental burden associated with annual cropping these portions of the agricultural landscape. More studies are required to investigate the generality of these findings for different crops, soils and climatic conditions.

© 2016 Elsevier B.V. Across a global network of eddy covariance flux towers, two relatively new open-path infrared gas analyzers (IRGAs), the IRGASON and the EC150, are increasingly used to measure net carbon dioxide (CO2) fluxes (Fc_OP). Differences in net CO2fluxes derived from open- and closed-path IRGAs in general remain poorly constrained. In particular, the performance of the IRGASON and the EC150 for measuring Fc_OPhas not been characterized yet. These IRGAs measure CO2absorption, which is scaled with air temperature and pressure before converting it to instantaneous CO2density. This sensor-internal conversion is based on a slow-response thermistor air temperature measurement. Here, we test if the high-frequency temperature attenuation causes selectively systematic Fc_OPerrors that scale with kinematic temperature fluxes. First, we examine the relationship between wintertime Fc_OPand kinematic temperature fluxes for eight northern ecosystems. Second, we investigate how residuals between Fc_OPand CO2fluxes from co-located closed-path IRGAs (FC_CP) are related to kinematic temperature fluxes for three different ecosystem types (i.e., boreal forest, grassland, and irrigated cropland). We find that kinematic temperature fluxes, but not mean ambient air temperatures or CO2flux regime, consistently determine the absolute magnitude of Fc_OPerrors. This selectively systematic bias causes the most pronounced relative Fc_OPerrors to occur when “true” CO2fluxes are low and kinematic temperature fluxes are high (e.g., northern ecosystems during the winter). The smallest relative errors occur during periods with large “true” CO2fluxes and low kinematic temperature fluxes. To address this bias, we replace the slow-response air temperature in the absorption-to-CO2density conversion with a fast-response air temperature derived from sonic anemometer measurements. The use of the fast-response air temperature improves the agreement between half-hourly Fc_OPand FC_CPfor all open- versus closed-path IRGA comparisons. Additionally, cumulative Fc_OPand Fc_CPsums are more comparable as differences drop from 63 %–13 % to 20 %–8 %. The improved IRGASON and EC150 performance enhances the ability and confidence to synthesize flux measurements across multiple sites including these two relatively new IRGAs.

Understanding spatial patterns of soil phosphorus is critical for efficient nutrient management and for the design of soil sampling in agricultural watersheds. This study describes patterns of soil test phosphorus (Olsen-P) concentration and variability for undulating/dissected agricultural landscapes in southwestern Manitoba under a range of management systems (no-input organic, organic with manure application, no-till, fertilized and tilled). Sampling occurred at 504 locations located in 16 small watersheds draining eight different fields. At a regional scale, most variance in Olsen-P for the 0–15 cm depth was associated with differences among fields (0.344 [log (mg kg− 1)]2, 47%). However, significant variance (0.263 [log (mg kg− 1)]2, 36%) was associated with differences among sampling plots within each field. Olsen-P for the 15–60 cm depth was lower and variance was more strongly associated with differences in field. Among-field differences in Olsen-P for 0–15 cm were strongly associated with management. Elevated Olsen-P was observed for fields that historically received application of fertilizer or manure in combination with tillage and lower Olsen-P was observed for low input organic and no-till fields. For six of eight fields sampled, a high proportion of variance in Olsen-P at the 0–15 cm depth was predicted by the Topographic Wetness Index (TWI) (r2 = 0.46–0.96, p

a b s t r a c t We analyzed net CO2 exchange data from 13 flux tower sites with 27 site-years of measurements over maize and wheat fields across midcontinent North America. A numerically robust "light-soil temperature- VPD"-based method was used to partition the data into photosynthetic assimilation and ecosystem respiration components. Year-round ecosystem-scale ecophysiological parameters of apparent quantum yield, photosynthetic capacity, convexity of the light response, respiration rate parameters, ecological light-use efficiency, and the curvature of the VPD-response of photosynthesis for maize and wheat crops were numerically identified and interpolated/extrapolated. This allowed us to gap-fill CO2 exchange com- ponents and calculate annual totals and budgets. VPD-limitation of photosynthesis was systematically observed in grain crops of the region (occurring from 20 to 120 days during the growing season, depend- ing on site and year), determined by the VPD regime and the numerical value of the curvature parameter of the photosynthesis-VPD-response, � VPD. In 78% of the 27 site-years of observations, annual gross pho- tosynthesis in these crops significantly exceeded ecosystem respiration, resulting in a net ecosystem production of up to 2100 g CO2 m−2 year−1. The measurement-based photosynthesis, respiration, and net ecosystem production data, as well as the estimates of the ecophysiological parameters, provide an empirical basis for parameterization and validation of mechanistic models of grain crop production in

Agricultural soils are a significant anthropogenic source of nitrous oxide (N 2 O) to the atmosphere. Despite likely having large emissions of N 2 O, there are no continuous multi-year studies of emissions from poorly drained floodplain soil. In the present study, the micrometeorological flux of N 2 O ( F N ) was measured over three years (2006–2008) in a maize ( Zea mays L.)/faba ( Vicia faba minor L.)/spring-wheat ( Triticum aestivum L.) rotation in the Red River Valley, Manitoba, Canada on a gleyed humic verticol soil. Comparison of newly established reduced and intensive tillage treatments showed no difference in F N within the constraints of the high variability between duplicate plots. The annual gap-filled Σ F N across tillage treatments was 5.5, 1.4, and 4.3 kg N ha −1 in the maize, faba, and spring-wheat crop years, respectively. Emissions from fertilizer N addition and soil thaw the following spring was responsible for the greater Σ F N in the maize and spring-wheat years. Using four approaches to approximate background Σ F N resulted in estimates of 3.5–3.8% and 1.4–1.8% of applied fertilizer N emitted as N 2 O for the maize and spring-wheat crops, respectively. The CO 2 global warming potential equivalent of Σ F N over the three study years was an emission of 5.4 Mg CO 2 -equiv. ha −1 which adds to the previously determined C balance emission of 11.6 Mg CO 2 -equiv. ha −1 .

Heterotrophic respiration from agricultural soils can be differentiated as originating from microbial decomposition of recent litter inputs or crop residue carbon (CRC) and resident soil organic carbon (SOC) pools of varying age and stages of decomposition. Our objective was to determine the relative contributions of these pools to respiration in a northern agroecosystem where the non-growing season is long. A tunable diode laser trace gas analyzer was used to determine atmospheric stable C isotope ratio (δ13C) values and 12CO2 and 13CO2 fluxes over an agricultural field in the Red River Valley of southern Manitoba, Canada. Measurement campaigns were conducted in the fall of 2006 and spring of 2007 following harvest of a maize (C4) crop from soil having SOC derived from previous C3 crops. Stable CO2 isotopologue gradients were measured from the center of four 200 × 200 m experimental plots, and fluxes were calculated using the aerodynamic flux gradient method. The soil in two of the experimental plots underwent intensive tillage, while the other two plots were managed using a form of reduced tillage. Approximately 70% and 20–30% of the total respiration flux originated from the maize C4-CRC during the fall of 2006 and spring of 2007, respectively. At least 25% of the maize residue was lost to respiration during this non-growing period. No difference in the partitioning of heterotrophic respiration into that derived from CRC and SOC was detected between the intensive tillage and recently established reduced tillage treatments at the site.

Net carbon dioxide ecosystem exchange (NEE) was measured over three years (2006–2008) in a maize/faba/spring-wheat crop rotation in the Red River Valley of southern Manitoba, Canada using the flux-gradient method. The turbulent transfer coefficients were obtained using a similarity-theory, eddy-covariance based aerodynamic method and the carbon dioxide vertical gradient was measured with a tunable diode laser analyzer. The system measured 30-min-average fluxes over each of four plots sequentially to test reduced and intensive tillage treatments. Annual cumulative NEE was −720, 70 and −2400 kg C ha −1 yr −1 in the maize, faba and spring-wheat crop years, respectively. Enhanced respiration in the faba year was largely responsible for the loss, whereas the large gain in the spring-wheat year was a combination of high photosynthetic activity and reduced respiration. The three years experienced sequentially cooler and wetter years that likely affected the crops. After accounting for harvest removals, the net ecosystem loss was 510, 3140 and −480 (gain) kg C ha −1 yr −1 for the respective crop years, summing to a three-year loss of 3170 kg C ha −1 . A recent conversion from intensive tillage to a reduced tillage practice showed no difference because of relatively large variability among the four plots.

Net ecosystem carbon dioxide exchange was measured in two contrasting peatlands in northern Alberta, Canada using the eddy covariance technique during the growing season (May–October). Sphagnum spp. made up approximately 66% of the total LAI (1.52 m2 m−2) at the poor fen and the total N content of Sphagnum capitula was 7.8 mg g−1 at the peak of the growing season. In contrast, the dominant plant species at the extreme-rich fen site, the perennial sedge, Carex lasiocarpa, accounted for approximately 60% of the total LAI (1.09 m2 m−2), and had leaf total N content of 19.3 mg g−1 at peak biomass. In addition, the peak aboveground biomass was higher at the poor fen (230.9 g m−2) than at the extreme-rich fen (157.1 g m−2). Both sites had maximum daily rates of net CO2 uptake of approximately 5 μmol m−2 s−1, and typical nighttime rates of CO2 loss of approximately 2 μmol m−2 s−1 during the peak of the growing season. Calculations of maximum photosynthetic and respiratory capacity were consistently higher at the extreme-rich fen. The poor fen was a net sink for CO2 during 4 of the 6 months (peaking at 44 g C m−2 in July), while only slight net losses of CO2 (3 g C m−2) occurred in May and September. In contrast, the extreme-rich fen was calculated to be a significant net sink for CO2 only during 2 months of the growing season (peaking at 30 g C m−2 in August), while significant net losses of CO2 occurred in May (8 g C m−2) and in October (13 g C m−2). The plant species at the poor fen site were active earlier and later in the growing season, while it took longer for C. lasiocarpa to develop leaf tissue, and leaf senescence and reduction in photosynthetic activity occurred earlier in the fall at the extreme-rich fen. When integrated over the 6-month growing season, the poor fen was a net sink (90 g C m−2) that was three times larger than the extreme-rich fen (31 g C m−2). The ratio of cumulative total ecosystem respiration to gross primary production was 0.7 at the poor fen and 0.9 at the extreme-rich fen.

Peatlands cover about 21% of the landscape and contain about 80% of the soil carbon stock in western Canada. However, the current rates of carbon accumulation and the environmental controls on ecosystem photosynthesis and respiration in peatland ecosystems are poorly understood. As part of Fluxnet-Canada, we continuously measured net ecosystem carbon dioxide exchange (NEE) using the eddy covariance technique in a treed fen dominated by stunted Picea mariana and Larix laricina trees during August 2003–December 2004. The total carbon stock in the ecosystem was approximately 51,000 g C m −2 , with only 540 g C m −2 contributed by live above ground vegetation. The NEE measurements were used to parameterize simple physiological models to assess temporal variation in maximum ecosystem photosynthesis ( A max ) and ecosystem respiration rate at 10 °C ( R 10 ). During mid-summer the ecosystem had a relatively high A max (approx. 30 μmol m −2 s −1 ) with relatively low R 10 (approx. 4 μmol m −2 s −1 ). The peak mid-day NEE uptake rate during July and August was 10 μmol m −2 s −1 . The ecosystem showed large seasonal variation in photosynthetic and respiratory activity that was correlated with shifts in temperature, with both spring increases and fall decreases in A max well predicted by the mean daily air temperature averaged over the preceding 21 days. Leaf-level gas exchange and spectral reflectance measurements also suggested that seasonal changes in photosynthetic activity were primarily controlled by shifts in temperature. Ecosystem respiration was strongly correlated with changes in ecosystem photosynthesis during the growing season, suggesting important links between plant activity and mycorrhizae and microbial activity in the shallow layers of the peat. Only very low rates of respiration were observed during the winter months. During 2004, the peatland recorded a net annual gain of 144 g C m −2 year −1 , the result of a difference between gross photosynthesis of 713 and total ecosystem respiration of 569 g C m −2 year −1 .