Ammonium-Based Compound Fertilisers Mitigate Nitrous Oxide Emissions in Temperate Grassland

Nitrogen fertiliser application represents the largest anthropogenic source of nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions, and the magnitude of these emissions is dependent on the type of fertilisers applied in the agroecosystems. Despite N-P-K compound fertilisers being commonly used in agricultural soils, a lack of information exists regarding their effects on N2O emissions. This study aims at examining the effects of different commonly used N-P-K compound fertiliser formulations with contrasting nitrate to ammonium ratios (0.05 to 0.88) on N2O emissions, yield, and nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) in temperate grassland and to compare these variables with common straight N fertilisers. Compound fertilisers with varying NPK inclusion rates (18-6-12, 10-10-20, 24-2.2-4.5, and 27-2.5-5), and calcium ammonium nitrate (CAN) and urea + N-(n-butyl) thiophosphoric triamide (NBPT) were applied at 80 kg N ha−1 to experimental plots in managed grassland on two occasions in a growing season. Fluxes of N2O during the experiment period, yield and NUE following two harvests were measured. The cumulative N2O emission from urea + NBPT, 18-6-12, 10-10-20, and 24-2.2-4.5 treatments were significantly reduced by 44%, 43%, 37%, and 31% compared with CAN treatment under conducive soil moisture condition. Under the same soil condition, 18-6-12 and 10-10-20 treatments showed higher yield, N uptake, and NUE although did not significantly differ from the other fertiliser treatments. Our results suggest that ammonium-based compound fertilisers have a potential to reduce N2O emissions while maintaining yields. Further long-term study is needed to capture the full magnitude of variations in N2O emissions, including ammonia (NH3) volatilization from nitrate and ammonium-based compound fertiliser applications from multiple soil types and under different climatic conditions.

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Ammonium Fertilizer Reduces Nitrous Oxide Emission Compared to Nitrate Fertilizer While Yielding Equally in a Temperate Grassland

Agriculture ◽

10.3390/agriculture11111141 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (11) ◽

pp. 1141

Author(s):

Niharika Rahman ◽

Patrick J. Forrestal

Keyword(s):

Nitrous Oxide ◽

N Uptake ◽

Calcium Nitrate ◽

Temperate Grassland ◽

Nitrous Oxide Emissions ◽

N2o Emissions ◽

Source Selection ◽

Key Factor ◽

Nitrate Fertilizer ◽

One Year

Emissions of nitrous oxide (N2O), a potent greenhouse gas, are a challenge associated with application of nitrogen (N) fertilizers to soil. However, N source selection can play a role in reducing these emissions. Nitrous oxide emissions were measured from ammonium (ammonium sulfate) and nitrate (calcium nitrate) fertilizers over one year in temperate grassland using the closed static chamber method. Nitrogen was applied at a system representative rate of 220 kg ha−1 y−1 in six split applications. Cumulative annual N2O-N emissions were 0.29 kg ha−1 for the control, 1.07 kg ha−1 for the ammonium fertilizer and significantly higher at 2.54 kg ha−1 for the nitrate fertilizer. The annual emission factor (EF) for the ammonium fertilizer was 0.35% vs 1.02% for the nitrate fertilizer, a 66% reduction in the EF for ammonium vs nitrate and a 2.9 times higher EF for nitrate compared with ammonium. No difference in grass yield or N uptake was detected between fertilizers. This study shows that an ammonium fertilizer produces the same yield and N efficiency as a nitrate fertilizer with lower N2O emissions. The results also demonstrate that the nitrate portion of fertilizers is a key factor in N2O emissions in temperate grassland. This work is the first of its kind detailing the annual EF of both a solely ammonium-N and a solely nitrate-N fertilizer we could find.

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Biochar and urease inhibitor mitigate NH3 and N2O emissions and improve wheat yield in a urea fertilized alkaline soil

Scientific Reports ◽

10.1038/s41598-021-96771-0 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Khadim Dawar ◽

Shah Fahad ◽

M. M. R. Jahangir ◽

Iqbal Munir ◽

Syed Sartaj Alam ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Nitrous Oxide ◽

Grain Yield ◽

Block Design ◽

N Uptake ◽

Nitrous Oxide Emissions ◽

N2o Emissions ◽

Urease Inhibitor ◽

Alkaline Soil ◽

Total N ◽

N Assimilation

AbstractIn this study, we explored the role of biochar (BC) and/or urease inhibitor (UI) in mitigating ammonia (NH3) and nitrous oxide (N2O) discharge from urea fertilized wheat cultivated fields in Pakistan (34.01°N, 71.71°E). The experiment included five treatments [control, urea (150 kg N ha−1), BC (10 Mg ha−1), urea + BC and urea + BC + UI (1 L ton−1)], which were all repeated four times and were carried out in a randomized complete block design. Urea supplementation along with BC and BC + UI reduced soil NH3 emissions by 27% and 69%, respectively, compared to sole urea application. Nitrous oxide emissions from urea fertilized plots were also reduced by 24% and 53% applying BC and BC + UI, respectively, compared to urea alone. Application of BC with urea improved the grain yield, shoot biomass, and total N uptake of wheat by 13%, 24%, and 12%, respectively, compared to urea alone. Moreover, UI further promoted biomass and grain yield, and N assimilation in wheat by 38%, 22% and 27%, respectively, over sole urea application. In conclusion, application of BC and/or UI can mitigate NH3 and N2O emissions from urea fertilized soil, improve N use efficiency (NUE) and overall crop productivity.

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Data-driven estimates of global nitrous oxide emissions from croplands

National Science Review ◽

10.1093/nsr/nwz087 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 7 (2) ◽

pp. 441-452 ◽

Cited By ~ 12

Author(s):

Qihui Wang ◽

Feng Zhou ◽

Ziyin Shang ◽

Philippe Ciais ◽

Wilfried Winiwarter ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Nitrous Oxide ◽

Nitrous Oxide Emissions ◽

Anthropogenic Source ◽

N2o Emissions ◽

Intergovernmental Panel ◽

Emission Data ◽

Rate Dependent ◽

Tier 1 ◽

Administrative Units ◽

Tier 3

Abstract Croplands are the single largest anthropogenic source of nitrous oxide (N2O) globally, yet their estimates remain difficult to verify when using Tier 1 and 3 methods of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). Here, we re-evaluate global cropland-N2O emissions in 1961–2014, using N-rate-dependent emission factors (EFs) upscaled from 1206 field observations in 180 global distributed sites and high-resolution N inputs disaggregated from sub-national surveys covering 15593 administrative units. Our results confirm IPCC Tier 1 default EFs for upland crops in 1990–2014, but give a ∼15% lower EF in 1961–1989 and a ∼67% larger EF for paddy rice over the full period. Associated emissions (0.82 ± 0.34 Tg N yr–1) are probably one-quarter lower than IPCC Tier 1 global inventories but close to Tier 3 estimates. The use of survey-based gridded N-input data contributes 58% of this emission reduction, the rest being explained by the use of observation-based non-linear EFs. We conclude that upscaling N2O emissions from site-level observations to global croplands provides a new benchmark for constraining IPCC Tier 1 and 3 methods. The detailed spatial distribution of emission data is expected to inform advancement towards more realistic and effective mitigation pathways.

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Nitrous oxide emissions from maize–wheat field during 4 successive years in the North China Plain

Biogeosciences ◽

10.5194/bg-11-1717-2014 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 11 (7) ◽

pp. 1717-1726 ◽

Cited By ~ 20

Author(s):

Y. Zhang ◽

Y. Mu ◽

Y. Zhou ◽

J. Liu ◽

C. Zhang

Keyword(s):

Nitrous Oxide ◽

North China Plain ◽

North China ◽

Nitrous Oxide Emissions ◽

Anthropogenic Source ◽

N2o Emissions ◽

Wheat Field ◽

The North ◽

The North China Plain ◽

N2o Fluxes

Abstract. Agricultural soil with fertilization is a main anthropogenic source for atmospheric nitrous oxide (N2O). N2O fluxes from a maize–wheat rotation field in the North China Plain (NCP) were investigated for 4 successive years using the static chamber method. The annual N2O fluxes from the control (without fertilization) and fertilization plots were 1.5 ± 0.2 and 9.4 ± 1.7 kg N ha−1 yr−1 in 2008–2009, 2.0 ± 0.01 and 4.0 ± 0.03 kg N ha−1 yr−1 in 2009–2010, 1.3 ± 0.02 and 5.0 ± 0.3 kg N ha−1 yr−1 in 2010–2011, and 2.7 ± 0.6 and 12.5 ± 0.1 kg N ha−1 yr−1 in 2011–2012, respectively. Annual direct emission factors (EFd's) in the corresponding years were 2.4 ± 0.5%, 0.60 ± 0.01%, 1.1 ± 0.09% and 2.9 ± 0.2%, respectively. Significant linear correlation between fertilized-induced N2O emissions (Y, kg N ha−1) during the periods of 10 days after fertilization and rainfall intensities from 4 days before to 10 days after fertilization (X, mm) in the 4 years was found as Y = 0.048X − 1.1 (N = 4, R2 = 0.99, P < 0.05). Therefore, the remarkable interannual variations of N2O emissions and the EFd's were mainly ascribed to the rainfall.

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Nitrous Oxide Emissions in Pineapple Cultivation on a Tropical Peat Soil

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su13094928 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (9) ◽

pp. 4928

Author(s):

Alicia Vanessa Jeffary ◽

Osumanu Haruna Ahmed ◽

Roland Kueh Jui Heng ◽

Liza Nuriati Lim Kim Choo ◽

Latifah Omar ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Nitrous Oxide ◽

Soil Temperature ◽

Peat Soil ◽

Farming Systems ◽

N2o Emission ◽

Nitrous Oxide Emissions ◽

Natural State ◽

N2o Emissions ◽

Wet Season ◽

Peat Soils

Farming systems on peat soils are novel, considering the complexities of these organic soil. Since peat soils effectively capture greenhouse gases in their natural state, cultivating peat soils with annual or perennial crops such as pineapples necessitates the monitoring of nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions, especially from cultivated peat lands, due to a lack of data on N2O emissions. An on-farm experiment was carried out to determine the movement of N2O in pineapple production on peat soil. Additionally, the experiment was carried out to determine if the peat soil temperature and the N2O emissions were related. The chamber method was used to capture the N2O fluxes daily (for dry and wet seasons) after which gas chromatography was used to determine N2O followed by expressing the emission of this gas in t ha−1 yr−1. The movement of N2O horizontally (832 t N2O ha−1 yr−1) during the dry period was higher than in the wet period (599 t N2O ha−1 yr−1) because of C and N substrate in the peat soil, in addition to the fertilizer used in fertilizing the pineapple plants. The vertical movement of N2O (44 t N2O ha−1 yr−1) was higher in the dry season relative to N2O emission (38 t N2O ha−1 yr−1) during the wet season because of nitrification and denitrification of N fertilizer. The peat soil temperature did not affect the direction (horizontal and vertical) of the N2O emission, suggesting that these factors are not related. Therefore, it can be concluded that N2O movement in peat soils under pineapple cultivation on peat lands occurs horizontally and vertically, regardless of season, and there is a need to ensure minimum tilling of the cultivated peat soils to prevent them from being an N2O source instead of an N2O sink.

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Pineapple Residue Ash Reduces Carbon Dioxide and Nitrous Oxide Emissions in Pineapple Cultivation on Tropical Peat Soils at Saratok, Malaysia

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su13031014 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (3) ◽

pp. 1014

Author(s):

Liza Nuriati Lim Kim Choo ◽

Osumanu Haruna Ahmed ◽

Nik Muhamad Nik Majid ◽

Zakry Fitri Abd Aziz

Keyword(s):

Carbon Dioxide ◽

Nitrous Oxide ◽

Peat Soil ◽

Nitrous Oxide Emissions ◽

N2o Emissions ◽

Peat Soils ◽

Closed Chamber ◽

Npk Fertilizers ◽

Npk Fertilizer ◽

Carbon Dioxide Co2

Burning pineapple residues on peat soils before pineapple replanting raises concerns on hazards of peat fires. A study was conducted to determine whether ash produced from pineapple residues could be used to minimize carbon dioxide (CO2) and nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions in cultivated tropical peatlands. The effects of pineapple residue ash fertilization on CO2 and N2O emissions from a peat soil grown with pineapple were determined using closed chamber method with the following treatments: (i) 25, 50, 70, and 100% of the suggested rate of pineapple residue ash + NPK fertilizer, (ii) NPK fertilizer, and (iii) peat soil only. Soils treated with pineapple residue ash (25%) decreased CO2 and N2O emissions relative to soils without ash due to adsorption of organic compounds, ammonium, and nitrate ions onto the charged surface of ash through hydrogen bonding. The ability of the ash to maintain higher soil pH during pineapple growth primarily contributed to low CO2 and N2O emissions. Co-application of pineapple residue ash and compound NPK fertilizer also improves soil ammonium and nitrate availability, and fruit quality of pineapples. Compound NPK fertilizers can be amended with pineapple residue ash to minimize CO2 and N2O emissions without reducing peat soil and pineapple productivity.

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Spatial and temporal variability of nitrous oxide emissions in a mixed farming landscape of Denmark

Biogeosciences ◽

10.5194/bg-9-2989-2012 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 9 (8) ◽

pp. 2989-3002 ◽

Cited By ~ 18

Author(s):

K. Schelde ◽

P. Cellier ◽

T. Bertolini ◽

T. Dalgaard ◽

T. Weidinger ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Land Use ◽

Nitrous Oxide ◽

Agricultural Land ◽

Nitrous Oxide Emissions ◽

Soil Conditions ◽

Spatial And Temporal Variability ◽

N2o Emissions ◽

N2o Production ◽

Mixed Farming ◽

N2o Fluxes

Abstract. Nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions from agricultural land are variable at the landscape scale due to variability in land use, management, soil type, and topography. A field experiment was carried out in a typical mixed farming landscape in Denmark, to investigate the main drivers of variations in N2O emissions, measured using static chambers. Measurements were made over a period of 20 months, and sampling was intensified during two weeks in spring 2009 when chambers were installed at ten locations or fields to cover different crops and topography and slurry was applied to three of the fields. N2O emissions during spring 2009 were relatively low, with maximum values below 20 ng N m−2 s−1. This applied to all land use types including winter grain crops, grasslands, meadows, and wetlands. Slurry application to wheat fields resulted in short-lived two-fold increases in emissions. The moderate N2O fluxes and their moderate response to slurry application were attributed to dry soil conditions due to the absence of rain during the four previous weeks. Cumulative annual emissions from two arable fields that were both fertilized with mineral fertilizer and manure were large (17 kg N2O-N ha−1 yr−1 and 5.5 kg N2O-N ha−1 yr−1) during the previous year when soil water conditions were favourable for N2O production during the first month following fertilizer application. Our findings confirm the importance of weather conditions as well as nitrogen management on N2O fluxes.

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Nitrous oxide emissions in soils fertilized with pig manure: soil processes and strategies of control and mitigation

Research Society and Development ◽

10.33448/rsd-v10i2.12427 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (2) ◽

pp. e23910212427

Author(s):

Vilmar Muller Júnior ◽

Jucinei José Comin ◽

Guilherme Wilbert Ferreira ◽

Jorge Manuel Rodrigues Tavares ◽

Rafael da Rosa Couto ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Nitrous Oxide ◽

Swine Manure ◽

Nitrous Oxide Emissions ◽

Management Systems ◽

Pig Manure ◽

Anthropogenic Emissions ◽

N2o Emissions ◽

Soil Processes ◽

Carbon Dioxide Co2 ◽

Denitrification Process

Nitrous oxide (N2O) is one of the main gases that contributes to the greenhouse effect. With a Global Warming Potential (GWP) 265 times greater than that of carbon dioxide (CO2), over a 100-year horizon, N2O also has the potential for the depreciation of the ozone layer. The activities related to agriculture and livestock are responsible for approximately 60% of the global anthropogenic emissions of this gas to the atmosphere. In Brazil, the sector corresponds to 37% of total emissions. The objectives of this review article were: (i) To verify which are the main processes involved in N2O emissions in soils fertilized with swine manure; (ii) What are the direct emissions on these soils under different management systems, and; (iii) What are the possible strategies for controlling and mitigating N2O emissions. Therefore, an exploratory and qualitative research of articles was carried out using the following keywords: óxido nitroso’, ‘nitrous oxide’, ‘N2O’, ‘nitrogênio’, ‘nitrogen’, ‘suínos, ‘pig, ‘swine’, ‘dejetos’, ‘manure’ and ‘slurry’. Effects of pig diet, manure treatment systems, presence of heavy metals in the soil and moisture content of manure on N2O emissions were verified. Therefore, we recommend integrated studies of the quantitative and qualitative impacts of the levels and sources of nitrogen in the animals' diets on N2O emissions after the application of these wastes to the soil. We also recommend studies related to the effects of copper and zinc contents added to the soil via swine manure on enzymes that catalyze the biotic denitrification process in the soil.

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The nitrification inhibitor DMPP applied to subtropical rice has an inconsistent effect on nitrous oxide emissions

Soil Research ◽

10.1071/sr17022 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 55 (6) ◽

pp. 547 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

Terry J. Rose ◽

Stephen G. Morris ◽

Peter Quin ◽

Lee J. Kearney ◽

Stephen Kimber ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Nitrous Oxide ◽

Nitrification Inhibitor ◽

Nitrous Oxide Emissions ◽

N2o Emissions ◽

Aerobic Rice ◽

Growing Period ◽

Tropical Environments ◽

Peak Flux ◽

Coated Urea ◽

Fertiliser Application

Although there is growing evidence that the nitrification inhibitor 3,4-dimethylpyrazole phosphate (DMPP) can lower soil nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions in temperate environments, there is little evidence of its efficacy in subtropical or tropical environments where temperatures and rainfall intensities are typically higher. We investigated N2O emissions in field-grown aerobic rice in adjacent fields in the 2013–14 and 2014–15 seasons in a subtropical environment. Crops were topdressed with 80 kg nitrogen (N) ha–1 before rainfall, as either urea, urea + DMPP (at 1.6 kg DMPP t–1 urea: ‘urea-DMPP’) or a blend of 50% urea and 50% urea-DMPP in the 2013–14 season, and urea, urea-DMPP or polymer (3 month)-coated urea (PCU) in the 2014–15 season. DMPP-urea significantly (P < 0.05) lowered soil N2O emissions in the 2013–14 season during the peak flux period after N fertiliser application, but had no effect in 2014–15. The mean cumulative N2O emissions over the entire growing period were 190 g N2O-N ha–1 in 2013–14 and 413 g N2O-N ha–1 in 2014–15, with no significant effect of DMPP or PCU. Our results demonstrate that DMPP can lower N2O emissions in subtropical, aerobic rice during peak flux events following N fertiliser application in some seasons, but inherent variability in climate and soil N2O emissions limited the ability to detect significant differences in cumulative N2O flux over the seasonal assessment. A greater understanding of how environmental and soil factors impact the efficacy of DMPP in the subtropics is needed to formulate appropriate guidelines for its use commercially.

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Managing Municipal Wastewater Treatment to Control Nitrous Oxide Emissions from Tidal Rivers

Water ◽

10.3390/w11061255 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 11 (6) ◽

pp. 1255

Author(s):

Chandra Sekhar Akella ◽

S. Murty Bhallamudi

Keyword(s):

Nitrous Oxide ◽

Municipal Wastewater ◽

High Tide ◽

Tidal River ◽

Nitrous Oxide Emissions ◽

N2o Emissions ◽

Municipal Wastewater Treatment ◽

Water Release ◽

Decision Variables ◽

Waste Load

Waste load allocation management models were developed for controlling nitrous oxide emissions from a tidal river. The decision variables were treatment levels at wastewater discharging stations and the rate of upstream water release. The simulation model for N2O emissions from the river was embedded in the optimization model and the problem was solved using the simulated annealing technique. In two of the models, the total cost was minimized, while in the third model, emissions from the river were minimized for a specified constraint on the available money. Proof-of-concept studies, with hypothetical scenarios for contaminant loading but realistic flow conditions corresponding to the Tyne River, UK, were carried out. It was found that the treatment cost could be reduced by 36% by treating wastewater discharges in the upper reaches more during the high tide as compared to during low tide. For the same level of N2O emissions, approximately 16.7% lesser costs could be achieved by not only treating the wastewater but also inducing dilution by releasing more water from the upstream side. It was also found that beyond a limit, N2O emissions cannot be reduced significantly by spending more money on treatment and water release.

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