Measurement of gaseous emissions from denitrification of applied N-15 .3. Field-measurements

Soil Research ◽  
1995 ◽  
Vol 33 (1) ◽  
pp. 101 ◽  
Author(s):  
UK Avalakki ◽  
WM Strong ◽  
PG Saffigna

Field experiments were conducted during autumn and winter (April-July) at four locations on Vertisol or Alfisol soils on the Darling Downs of Queensland in 1988 and 1989 to determine 15N losses when soil was saturated after applications of 15N labelled nitrate-N prior to sowing winter cereal crops. Losses of applied 15N were quantified by either gas emission or mass balance measurements on microplots (0.043 m2) confined laterally to a depth of 110 or 260 mm. At each field location, two experiments were established, one on a soil containing little visible crop residue where winter cereal had been harvested the previous November and another site containing residues of a recently harvested sorghum crop. Because shallow (110 mm) confinement was found to be unsatisfactory for both gas emission and mass balance measurement of 15N losses, comparison of the two methods was not applicable at one of the four field locations. Loss estimates for the six field sites by accumulating daily gas emissions averaged 80.7 � 33.4% (range 43-132%) of that estimated by mass balance. Loss estimates from peak emission measurements were generally closer to that estimated by mass balance 100.8� 39.9% (range 56-169%). Loss of applied 15N (40 kg N ha-1) when soils were saturated in April was several-fold more (19-29 kg N ha-1)) than that lost when soils were saturated in July (3.9-6.4 kg N ha-1)). Loss of 15N following saturation during July 1988 was similar in magnitude to the quantity of 15N apparently immobilized into soil organic forms (5.8-6.0 kg N ha-1)). Sorghum residues returned in March, or wheat straw added in December prior to a long period of dry weather, promoted loss of 15N applied prior to soil saturation in April or July. Alternatively, where residues of a previous winter cereal had decomposed considerably, loss of applied 15N was much lower than where sorghum residues had been added prior to saturations in April (15.3 cf. 28.6 kg N ha-1)) or July (3.9 cf. 6.4 kg N ha-1)).


Soil Research ◽  
1995 ◽  
Vol 33 (1) ◽  
pp. 77 ◽  
Author(s):  
UK Avalakki ◽  
WM Strong ◽  
PG Saffigna

Measurement of gas emissions from denitrification of applied N has been restricted because of the lack of a convenient method. Recently a method using an electric are to measure 15N contents of dinitrogen (N2) and nitrous oxide (N2;O) in air has been developed. Gas emissions from denitrification of applied 15N were determined using this method for gas analysis of the 15N2 and 15N2O captured beneath an air-tight soil cover. Loss of 15N was calculated from gas emission measurements by two methods, accumulation of daily emissions and from the peak 15N emission value by assuming linear increase and decrease over the period of emissions. Losses estimated at low emissions with incomplete soil saturation were similar (1.9 - 5.6% 15N applied) for the two methods. Losses estimated at higher emissions with complete soil saturation were higher when calculated using peak emission values (14.8 - 28.5%) rather than accumulated daily emissions (9.5 - 18.7%). Losses estimated by emissions were compared with 15N loss estimated by mass balance at the completion of two successive soil saturations. As daily cover duration was shortened, gas emission estimates of loss more closely approximated total gaseous 15N as estimated from unaccounted for 15N in the15N balance. With shortest cover duration (15 min day-1) there was close agreement (94% estimated from peak emissions) with 15N loss estimated by 15N balance. A strategy for quantitatively estimating 15N loss by emission measurements is suggested.



Soil Research ◽  
1995 ◽  
Vol 33 (1) ◽  
pp. 89 ◽  
Author(s):  
UK Avalakki ◽  
WM Strong ◽  
PG Saffigna

Gas emissions of applied 15N were measured beneath a soil cover daily following saturation of Vertisol and Alfisol soils repacked in pots to the original field bulk density and held at three temperatures (5, 15 or 30�C) with or without addition of wheat straw. Collective gas emissions over 57, 43 and 15 days at 5, 15 and 30 degrees C respectively were compared with the 15N loss determined by mass balance. Loss measured by gas emissions (15N2 and 15N2O) ranged from 36% to 152% of the denitrification loss as determined by 15N mass balance. In the absence of added straw, measurement by gas emissions was consistently less than loss by 15N balance. Where straw was added, 15N loss by gas emissions was overestimated, probably because of a smaller headspace (0.3 L) than considered desirable (1-1.5 L) for emission measurements. Potential denitrification rates, in the presence of added straw, were similar for the Vertisol and Alfisol. Decreasing temperature slowed potential rates of denitrification from similar to 2.5 kg ha-1 day-1 at 30 �C to 0.8 kg ha-1 day-1 at 15 �C and 0.4-0.5 kg ha-1 day-1 at 5 �C. Decreasing temperature prolonged the period of waterlogging following a saturating event. Thus, collective loss of 15N was considerable even at the lower rates of denitrification at 5 �C (52-76% over 57 days) or 15 �C (87-92% over 43 days). Straw addition (10.5 t ha-1) to the Vertisol, which contained no visible plant residues from previous crops, more than doubled the losses of applied 15N. In the absence of straw, rates of denitrification and immobilization were similar in magnitude, 0.97, 0.26 and 0.16 kg ha-1 day-1 for 30, 15 and 5 �C respectively. Very rapid loss of appliedha-1 day-1N in the presence of added straw led to decreases in immobilization of applied ha-1 day-1N, highlighting the potential effects of the much higher maximum rates for denitrification than for immobilization. The N2O emissions generally represented the smaller fraction (<25%) of denitrification emissions, becoming smaller as temperature was increased. As a proportion of emissions due to denitrification, N2O emissions were very low (<0.5% Vertisol, <3% Alfisol) in the presence of added straw.



HortScience ◽  
1998 ◽  
Vol 33 (3) ◽  
pp. 498c-498
Author(s):  
A. Fares ◽  
A.K. Alva ◽  
S. Paramasivam

Water and nitrogen (N) are important inputs for most crop production. The main objectives of nitrogen best management practices (NBMP) are to improve N and water management to maximize the uptake efficiency and minimize the leaching losses. This require a complete understanding of fate of N and water mass balance within and below the root zone of the crop in question. The fate of nitrogen applied for citrus production in sandy soils (>95% sand) was simulated using a mathematical model LEACHM (Leaching Estimation And Chemistry Model). Nitrogen removal in harvested fruits and storage in the tree accounted the major portion of the applied N. Nitrogen volatilization mainly as ammonia and N leaching below the root zone were the next two major components of the N mass balance. A proper irrigation scheduling based on continuous monitoring of the soil water content in the rooting was used as a part of the NBMP. More than 50% of the total annual leached water below the root zone was predicted to occur in the the rainy season. Since this would contribute to nitrate leaching, it is recomended to avoid N application during the rainy season.



2000 ◽  
Vol 135 (4) ◽  
pp. 335-346 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. WILCOX ◽  
N. H. PERRY ◽  
N. D. BOATMAN ◽  
K. CHANEY

Yields of arable crops are commonly lower on the crop margins or headlands, but the nature of the relationship between yield and distance from the crop edge has not been clearly defined, nor have the reasons for lower marginal yields. Surveys of 40 winter wheat headlands were carried out in 2 years to determine how yield changed with distance, and what factors might influence this relationship. Two field experiments were also conducted over 3 years in winter cereal headlands, in which the effect of distance was measured under conservation headland and conventional (fully sprayed) management.Yields in the headland surveys varied from 0·8 to 10·2 t/ha. An inverse polynomial regression model was fitted to yield and weed data. Best fits were obtained by using separate parameters for each site. Adjusting yields to take account of weed dry matter improved the non-linear fit between yield and distance from crop edge. Field experiments provided similar results but the non-linear relationship was not as apparent.There was a negative relationship between soil compaction, as measured by a cone penetrometer, and yield in one field experiment, where soil density values were relatively constant. No relationship was found between pattern of nitrogen fertilizer application and yield. Conservation headland management resulted in lower yield at one experimental site, especially in the third year, but not at the other site. Where yields were affected, weed dry matter was higher in conservation headland plots than in fully sprayed plots.Although greater weed competition appears to account for at least part of the observed yield reductions on headlands, the role of other factors, particularly soil compaction, needs further study. Increased weed infestation may be an indirect result of reduced crop competition caused by other adverse conditions.



2021 ◽  
pp. 41-48
Author(s):  
Halina A. Kamyshenka

The results of a statistical assessment of the influence of changing weather and climatic conditions of the territory of Belarus on the productivity of the main winter cereal crops are presented in order to build computational models of productivity. The calculations were made with respect to the climatic component as a predictor, taking into account the deviations of air temperature and precipitation from the long-term climatic norm of months that have the most significant effect on the yield of the studied crops. For winter rye and wheat, adequate models of yield variability have been built. The research results are relevant for solving forecasting problems.



2016 ◽  
Vol 67 (10) ◽  
pp. 1054 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eva Beoni ◽  
Jana Chrpová ◽  
Jana Jarošová ◽  
Jiban Kumar Kundu

A survey of Barley yellow dwarf virus (BYDV) incidence in cereal crops in the Czech Republic over 4 years showed, on average, 13.3% BYDV-positive, randomly tested wheat and barley samples. The cultivated wheat and barley cultivars had different levels of susceptibility to BYDV infection. Field trials were performed with different barley and wheat breeding lines and cultivars, and resistance traits were evaluated after artificial inculcation by the viruliferous aphid vector Rhopalosiphum padi L. with BYDV-PAV. Our results showed high variability of visual symptom score (VSS) and reduction in grain weight per spike (GWS-R) in trials within the tested lines and cultivars. The barley line (WBON 96-123) and cultivars (Wysor, Travira) that contained RYd2 differed significantly from other cultivars in VSS. Line WBON 96-123 and cvv. Wysor and Yatzi showed the lowest GWS-R. Wheat line PSR 3628 and cvv. Altigo, Elan, Sparta, Aladin and Hewit showed significant difference from other cultivars in VSS. PSR 3628, Sparta, and Elan showed the lowest GWS-R. Similar results were obtained from BYDV titre analysis by RT-qPCR corresponding to the VSS and GWS-R traits. A low virus titre corresponded to low VSS and GWS-R. Hence, our results suggest that laborious and time-consuming GWS-R analysis could be replaced in some cases by qPCR-based BYDV titre analysis and, together with VSS evaluation, could enhance the efficiency of resistance assessment.



2017 ◽  
Vol 60 (4) ◽  
pp. 1291-1300 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jessica L. Drewry ◽  
J. Mark Powell ◽  
Christopher Y. Choi

Abstract. The increased global demand for milk and other dairy products over the past decade has heightened concerns about the potential for increased environmental impacts. Accurate measurement of gas emissions from dairy cows is essential to assess the effects of cow diets and other management practices on both the composition and rate of gas emissions. In this article, methodologies are described to instrument, calibrate, and assess the uncertainty of gas emissions by cows housed in chambers that simulate production settings. The supply and exhaust ducts of each chamber were equipped with pitot tubes, temperature and relative humidity probes, and gas samplers to monitor airflow rates, gas composition, and gas emission rates. A Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) instrument was used to quantify gaseous concentrations in the gas samples on a semi-continuous basis. The measurement uncertainty of the rate of gaseous emission from the chambers was quantified, and gas concentration and differential pressure, as measured by the pitot tubes, were identified as the primary parameters contributing to gas emission uncertainties. Mass recovery tests determined that the recovery of methane from each chamber was within 10% of the released mass. Fan operating curves were experimentally determined to identify optimum differential chamber pressures to minimize gas leakage from the chambers. A computational fluid dynamics model was developed to assess air mixing patterns and define steady-state conditions. The model was validated with experimental data of air velocity within each chamber. These procedures will facilitate accurate measurement of gas emissions from housed dairy cows and provide a laboratory to test various gas mitigation treatments. Keywords: Computational fluid dynamics, Dairy, Emission chamber.



2011 ◽  
Vol 62 (12) ◽  
pp. 1067 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. G. Gaynor ◽  
R. J. Lawn ◽  
A. T. James

The response of irrigated soybean to sowing date and to plant population was evaluated in field experiments over three years at Leeton, in the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area (MIA) in southern New South Wales. The aim was to explore the options for later sowings to improve the flexibility for growing soybean in double-cropping rotations with a winter cereal. The experiments were grown on 1.83-m-wide raised soil beds, with 2, 4, or 6 rows per bed (years 1 and 2) or 2 rows per bed only (year 3). Plant population, which was manipulated by changing either the number of rows per bed (years 1 and 2) or the within-row plant spacing (year 3), ranged from 15 to 60 plants/m2 depending on the experiment. Two sowings dates, late November and late December, were compared in years 1 and 3, while in year 2, sowings in early and late January were also included. Three genotypes (early, medium, and late maturity) were grown in years 1 and 2, and four medium-maturing genotypes were grown in year 3. In general, machine-harvested seed yields were highest in the November sowings, and declined as sowing was delayed. Physiological analyses suggested two underlying causes for the yield decline as sowing date was delayed. First and most importantly, the later sown crops flowered sooner after sowing, shortening crop duration and reducing total dry matter (TDM) production. Second, in the late January sowings of the medium- and late-maturing genotypes, harvest index (HI) declined as maturity was pushed later into autumn, exposing the crops to cooler temperatures during pod filling. Attempts to offset the decline in TDM production as sowing was delayed by using higher plant populations were unsuccessful, in part because HI decreased, apparently due to greater severity of lodging. The studies indicated that, in the near term, the yield potential of current indeterminate cultivars at the late December sowing date is adequate, given appropriate management, for commercially viable double-cropping of soybean in the MIA. In the longer term, it is suggested that development of earlier maturing, lodging-resistant genotypes that retain high HI at high sowing density may allow sowing to be delayed to early January.



2015 ◽  
Vol 45 (4) ◽  
pp. 943-965 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter Sutherland ◽  
W. Kendall Melville

AbstractWave breaking removes energy from the surface wave field and injects it into the upper ocean, where it is dissipated by viscosity. This paper presents an investigation of turbulent kinetic energy (TKE) dissipation beneath breaking waves. Wind, wave, and turbulence data were collected in the North Pacific Ocean aboard R/P FLIP, during the ONR-sponsored High Resolution Air-Sea Interaction (HiRes) and Radiance in a Dynamic Ocean (RaDyO) experiments. A new method for measuring TKE dissipation at the sea surface was combined with subsurface measurements to allow estimation of TKE dissipation over the entire wave-affected surface layer. Near the surface, dissipation decayed with depth as z−1, and below approximately one significant wave height, it decayed more quickly, approaching z−2. High levels of TKE dissipation very near the sea surface were consistent with the large fraction of wave energy dissipation attributed to non-air-entraining microbreakers. Comparison of measured profiles with large-eddy simulation results in the literature suggests that dissipation is concentrated closer to the surface than previously expected, largely because the simulations did not resolve microbreaking. Total integrated dissipation in the water column agreed well with dissipation by breaking for young waves, (where cm is the mean wave frequency and is the atmospheric friction velocity), implying that breaking was the dominant source of turbulence in those conditions. The results of these extensive measurements of near-surface dissipation over three field experiments are discussed in the context of observations and ocean boundary layer modeling efforts by other groups.



2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
pp. 1917-1939
Author(s):  
Sebastian O'Shea ◽  
Jonathan Crosier ◽  
James Dorsey ◽  
Louis Gallagher ◽  
Waldemar Schledewitz ◽  
...  

Abstract. The cloud particle concentration, size, and shape data from optical array probes (OAPs) are routinely used to parameterise cloud properties and constrain remote sensing retrievals. This paper characterises the optical response of OAPs using a combination of modelling, laboratory, and field experiments. Significant uncertainties are found to exist with such probes for ice crystal measurements. We describe and test two independent methods to constrain a probe's sample volume that remove the most severely mis-sized particles: (1) greyscale image analysis and (2) co-location using stereoscopic imaging. These methods are tested using field measurements from three research flights in cirrus. For these cases, the new methodologies significantly improve agreement with a holographic imaging probe compared to conventional data-processing protocols, either removing or significantly reducing the concentration of small ice crystals (< 200 µm) in certain conditions. This work suggests that the observational evidence for a ubiquitous mode of small ice particles in ice clouds is likely due to a systematic instrument bias. Size distribution parameterisations based on OAP measurements need to be revisited using these improved methodologies.



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