Sustainable and Climate Resilient Biobased Solutions Tested in Microcosm Experiments For Their Effect on CO₂ Emissions

¹ National Institute for Research and Development in Environmental Protection, 294 Splaiul Independentei, 060031, Bucharest, Romania
² PhD student, Doctoral School of Biotechnical Systems Engineering, National University of Science and Technology POLITEHNICA of Bucharest, Romania

^* Corresponding author: natalia_andreea92@yahoo.com

Abstract

This study discusses the role of bio-stimulants, respectively alginate-derived beads, as an adaptation strategy in relation to GHGs, supporting soil carbon sequestration and nutrient cycling. Considering the current climate crisis, bio-stimulants enhance the resilience of agricultural ecosystems and facilitate the transition towards a low-emission regenerative agriculture. It has been observed that S₀ recorded the lowest CO₂ emissions, with the maximum values ranging from 0.4125 g m^-2 h^-1 to 2.1418 g m^-2 h^-1, while the highest CO₂ emissions were recorded for the AZ and AZI treatments. The AZ treatment showed a range of CO₂ emissions between 1.1379 g m^-2 h^-1 and 3.0539 g m⁻² h⁻¹, the latter representing the highest emission value observed throughout the entire monitoring period. AZI registered higher CO2 values than S0, ranging between 0.2083 g m^-2 h^-1 and 1.8368 g m^-2 h^-1, while S₀ had a more spread distribution between 0.0548 g m^-2 h^-1 to 2.1352 g m^-2 h^-1. Nonetheless, results indicate that the soil on which the alginate-zeolite suspension was applied had the highest water retention capacity, while the control pot registered the lowest values for soil moisture, emphasizing the climate resilience capacity to the dependent parameters, also considering the soil emission component of carbon balance.