While increasing SOC through GC leys can improve soil health and mitigate climate change, it may also elevate N₂O emissions due to greater carbon and nitrogen availability.

Meng Kong integrated field measurements, laboratory experiments, and biogeochemical modeling to examine how measurement methods, GC proportions, management practices, and environmental factors affect the estimation of N₂O emissions.

The new findings contribute to the development of climate-smart crop rotations and support the use of process-based modeling to predict the balance between carbon sequestration and greenhouse gas emissions in temperate agroecosystems.

The PhD study was completed at the Department of Agroecology, Faculty of Technical Sciences, Aarhus University.

This summary was prepared by the PhD student.

Time: Wednesday, 28 January 2026 at 12:00
Place: Auditorium, Aarhus University, Blichers Allé 20, 8830 Tjele
Title of PhD thesis: Nitrous Oxide Emissions in Relation to Carbon Sequestration in Mixed Grass–Clover Arable Crop Rotations
Contact information: Meng Kong, e-mail: mk@agro.au.dk, tel.: +45 93508942
Members of the assessment committee:
Professor Per Lennart Ambus, Department of Geosciences and Natural Resource Management, Copenhagen University, Denmark
Professor Peter Dörsch, Soil and Water Science Section, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Norway
Senior Researcher Anne Grete Kongsted (chair), Department of Agroecology, Aarhus University, Denmark
Main supervisor:
Professor, Jørgen Eriksen, Department of Agroecology, Aarhus University, Denmark
Co-supervisor:
Tenure Track Assistant Professor, Christian Dold, Department of Agroecology, Aarhus University, Denmark
Language: The PhD dissertation will be defended in English

The defence is public.
The PhD thesis is available for reading at the Graduate School of Technical Sciences/GSTS, Ny Munkegade 120, building 1521, 8000 Aarhus C.