Trace gas analyzer for climate-smart agriculture research

气候变化正在破坏许多使大规模农业成为可能的自然过程的稳定，对加拿大农业的未来构成了主要风险。与此同时，农业是气候变化的主要贡献者--温室气体(GHG)排放的净来源。需要进行研究，以同时适应气候变化和减少温室气体排放；可持续农业系统的碳足迹是激励朝着这两个目标取得进展的一个很有前途的战略。然而，在加拿大种植最密集的地区的碳足迹数据方面，存在一个紧迫的缺口：在萨斯喀彻温省，没有关于种植制度净碳足迹的直接年度数据(只有高度不确定的建模估计)。直接评估农作物的碳足迹需要测量全年的二氧化碳(CO2)和一氧化二氮(N2O)通量。然而，由于缺乏适当的设备，草原上长期的二氧化碳和N2O通量测量一直很少。我们请求支持购买具有空气中N2O和CO2混合比高频测量能力的痕量气体分析仪，该分析仪由安装在便携式外壳中的光学和电子系统组成，专为坚固的野外微气象测量而设计，包括严寒的冬天。所要求的设备还包括一个采样系统，以允许在四个4公顷的地块上采用通量梯度方法，这一方法非常适合不同管理系统的长期全年排放比较研究。有了这里要求的设备，我们建议建立一个新的长期N2O和CO2通量测量计划，使用微气象学方法在萨斯喀彻温省进行全年气候智能农业研究。该项目将致力于研究加拿大种植最广泛的作物，如小麦和油菜籽的碳足迹，该地区位于一个潜在的冻融导致N2O排放的热点地区。我们在土壤生物地球化学循环、农业生态系统和微气象学方面的互补专业知识非常适合所要求的设备的长期运行。延迟采购拟议设备将严重限制我们解决碳足迹评估的紧迫数据缺口的能力，同时还将重点放在基础研究问题(例如，监管温室气体封存的机制)和应用管理建议(例如，如何最好地减少年度碳足迹)上。我们与不同利益攸关方(例如，政府、行业团体)的联系将确保排放结果与可持续性指标以及省级和国家温室气体排放清单相关。

Climate change is destabilizing many of the natural processes that make large-scale agriculture possible, presenting a principal risk to the future of agriculture in Canada. At the same time, agriculture is a major contributor to climate change-a net source of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Research is needed to simultaneously adapt to the changing climate and mitigate GHG emissions; carbon footprinting of sustainable agricultural systems is a promising strategy to incentivise progress towards both goals. However, there is an urgent gap when it comes to carbon footprint data for Canada's most intensively cropped region: in Saskatchewan, there is no direct annual data on net carbon footprints of cropping systems (only modelled estimates which are highly uncertain). Direct assessment of the carbon footprint for crops requires measurements of carbon dioxide (CO2) and nitrous oxide (N2O) fluxes year-¬round. However, long-term CO2 and N2O flux measurements on the prairies have been scarce due to lack of proper equipment. We are requesting support to purchase a trace gas analyzer with capabilities for high frequency measurement of N2O and CO2 mixing ratios in air, comprised of optical and electronic systems mounted in a portable enclosure, designed for rugged, field micrometeorological measurements, including harsh winters. The requested equipment also includes a sampling system to allow a flux¬ gradient approach over four 4 ha plots, an approach ideally suited for long-term year-round comparative emission studies from different management systems. With the equipment requested here, we propose to establish a new long-term N2O and CO2 flux measurement program using micrometeorology methods for year-round climate-smart agricultural research in Saskatchewan. This program will be dedicated to study carbon footprints from Canada's most widely grown crops such as wheat and canola, situated in an area that is potentially a hot spot for freeze-thaw induced N2O emissions. Our complementary expertise in soil biogeochemical cycling, agro¬ecosystems, and micrometeorology is ideally suited for the long-term operation of the requested equipment. Delays in acquiring the proposed equipment will severely limit our ability to address the urgent data gap for carbon footprint assessments while also focusing on fundamental research questions (e.g., mechanisms that regulate GHG sequestration) and applied management recommendations (e.g., how to best reduce annual carbon footprints). Our connections with various stakeholders (e.g., governments, industry groups) will ensure emission results will be relevant for sustainability metrics, and provincial and national GHG emission inventories.