REGULAR ARTICLE The effect of different tillage and residue management practices on soil characteristics, inorganic N dynamics and emissions of N 2 O, CO 2 and CH 4 in the central highlands of Mexico: a laboratory study L. Patiño-Zúñiga & J. A. Ceja-Navarro & B. Govaerts & M. Luna-Guido & K. D. Sayre & L. Dendooven Received: 7 February 2008 / Accepted: 7 July 2008 / Published online: 15 August 2008 # Springer Science + Business Media B.V. 2008 Abstract Conservation agriculture in its version of permanent raised bed planting with crop residue retention increases yields and improves soil character- istics, e.g. aggregate distribution, organic matter content, so it remained to be seen how greenhouse gas emissions and dynamics of C and N might be altered. The objective of this study was to investigate how conservation agriculture with permanent raised beds, tied ridges, i.e. dykes within the furrows to prevent water run-off, and residue retention affected greenhouse gas emissions. A field experiment was started in 1999 comparing permanent and conven- tionally tilled raised beds with different residue management under rain fed conditions. Soil was characterized and emissions of CH 4 ,N 2 O and CO 2 and dynamics of NH 4 + , NO 2 − and NO 3 − were monitored in a laboratory experiment. The crop and tied ridges had no effect on soil characteristics and dynamics of C and N. Tilled beds reduced the water holding capacity (WHC) 1.1 times and increased conductivity 1.3 times compared to soil under non- tilled beds with retention of all crop residues. The WHC, organic C, soil microbial biomass and total N were ≥1.1 larger in soil from nontilled beds where the crop residue was retained compared to where it was removed after only 6 years. The emission of CO 2 was 1.2 times and production of NO 3 − 1.8 times larger in nontilled beds where the crop residue was retained compared to where it was removed. The CO 2 emission was 1.2 times and the emission of N 2 O after 1 day 2.3 times larger in soil under tilled beds compared to nontilled beds with full residue retention, while the increase in concentration of NO 3 − was 0.05 mg N kg −1 soil in the former and 2.38 in the latter. We found that permanent raised bed planting with crop residue retention decreased emissions of N 2 O and CO 2 compared to soil under conventionally tilled raised beds. Production of NO 3 − is larger in soil with permanent raised bed planting with crop residue retention compared to conventionally tilled raised beds. Keywords Conservation agriculture . C and N mineralization . Methane oxidation . Microbial biomass . Nitrous oxide emission . Water content Plant Soil (2009) 314:231–241 DOI 10.1007/s11104-008-9722-1 Responsible Editor: Ute Skiba. L. Patiño-Zúñiga : J. A. Ceja-Navarro : M. Luna-Guido : L. Dendooven (*) Laboratory of Soil Ecology, Department of Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Cinvestav, Avenida Instituto Politécnico Nacional 2508, C.P. 07360 México, D.F., México e-mail: dendoove@cincestav.mx B. Govaerts : K. D. Sayre International Maize and Wheat Improvement Centre (CIMMYT), Apdo. Postal 6–641, 06600 Mexico, D.F., Mexico