Preventing of global climate change by sequestering atmospheric carbon using biotechnology is one of the most important environmental challenges of our time. The creation of plantations with carbon-superabsorbing plants, such as Cannabis sativa L., is considered as one of the possible solution to this problem. Such plants stimulate soil microbial biomass and contribute to microbial carbon emission but sequester so much carbon in their own biomass that the balance of these processes becomes negative. The question of the carbon footprint of these biotechnologies under conditions of elevated ambient temperatures remains unknown so far. In this study, the C. sativa cultivation at a temperature of 15 оС, typical for the growing season in Central Russia, as well as at elevated temperatures of 20 and 30 оС, is realized in a greenhouse. It was found that carbon dioxide emission from the control soil (without plants) at the three specified temperatures is 1.88, 2.71 and 2.59 g CO2·m-2, respectively, while C. sativa cultivation increases the emissions by 113, 110 and 124% compared to control, respectively. Organic carbon content does not change during the growing season, while microbial and plant biomass increases with temperature. When calculating the carbon balance, it was found that ΔСО2 is –9067.64, –8587.08 and –11496.8 kg·ha-1 at 15, 20 and 30 оС, respectively. This allows recommending the C. sativa cultivation for atmospheric carbon sequestration both now and in the future when the average annual temperatures increase.
ISSN 1995-4301
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