Just released: Cassava farming systems and greenhouse gas emissions on Cambodian soils

As part of the CrosyeN project, a second article from Vira Leng’s PhD thesis—funded by the ASSET‑FFEM project—has just been published. The paper focuses on the impact of long‑term cassava‑based conservation agriculture systems on soil greenhouse gas emissions in Cambodia. This new contribution strengthens the scientific understanding of how conservation agriculture, when applied to cassava production, can influence GHG fluxes, soil functioning and the sustainability of tropical agroecosystems.

As part of the study, the research team measured nitrous oxide (N₂O) and methane (CH₄) emissions over two full years in a long‑term field experiment in Cambodia, comparing several cassava‑based cropping systems. Using changes in soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks—estimated through a diachronic (10‑year) approach and corrected for equivalent soil mass—they were also able to calculate net carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions and the overall greenhouse gas (GHG) balance.

The results show that cassava grown under conservation agriculture principles provides a substantial net climate‑mitigation benefit, despite a temporary increase in N₂O emissions following cover‑crop termination, and without any significant yield penalty compared with conventional tillage.

This is one of the very first studies demonstrating that cassava can be cultivated in a way that is far more sustainable for soils, the climate and food security.