Silicate agrominerals mitigate greenhouse gas emissions and enhance soil carbon in tropical pasture of the Brazilian Cerrado

Abstract

The mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions in livestock farming is one of the main chal- lenges for agriculture in the Cerrado biome. Among promising practices, the use of soil remineralizers (REM) stands out as a sustainable and complementary alternative to con- ventional fertilizers. This study evaluated the effects of applying REM derived from basalt and biotite schist on emissions of N2O, CO2 and CH4, the global warming potential (GWP), as well as on soil carbon and nitrogen in Urochloa brizantha cv. BRS Paiaguás pasture. The experiment was conducted in randomized blocks with five treatments (control, KCl, basalt8.33 Mg ha−1, basalt 40 Mg ha−1 , and biotite schist 151 Mg ha−1). Results indicated thatKCl and high-dose basalt (40 Mg ha−1) promoted greater accumulated N2O emissions and higher GWP values. In contrast, biotite schist reduced N2O emissions and showed the lowest GWP (81.67 kg CO2 eq. ha−1), while basalt at a moderate dose (8.33 Mg ha−1)increased soil C and N stocks. It is concluded that soil remineralizers, especially those derived from biotite schist, represent viable alternatives to reduce environmental impacts and promote the sustainability of tropical agricultural systems in Cerrado biome.