Greenhouse gas emission of agricultural inputs on peat soil at corporate and smallholder oil palm farmers

Abstract

Abstract Greenhouse gas emission rate in peat soil under oil palm plantation comes to attractive interest to control the environment. Revealing the indirect emission of the applied input of oil palm cultivation in peat soil in the area, would contribute on the improvement of the greenhouse gas emission data exposure. The objective of this study was to determine greenhouse gas emissions generated from the oil palm cultivation applied inputs. Field observation was conducted in Labuhan Batu, North Sumatra, Indonesia, in 2013-2014, at both corporate and smallholder farmers as well. CO2-eq emission of the applied agricultural inputs was calculated by means of MILCA- JEMAI© application software. CO2 equivalent emissions from applied inputs of corporate peatland oil palm plantation was calculated based on data in 2012 amounted to 1013.7 kg CO2-eq ha1 year1. On smallholder farmers, it showed a 40 lower emission rate but with higher variability at 604 ± 238 kg CO2-eq ha1 year1. At the oil palm corporate, inorganic fertilizer application contributed a higher emission rate, followed by fuel use and pesticide applications. CO2-eq emission rate at smallholder farmers showed a similar pattern for inorganic fertilizer use. However, it showed higher emission from pesticide application rather than fuel use.