scholarly journals Contributions of agricultural plants and soils to N<sub>2</sub>O emission in a farmland

2011 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 5505-5535 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Li ◽  
X. Lee ◽  
Q. Yu ◽  
X. Tong ◽  
Z. Qin ◽  
...  

Abstract. The goal of this study was to quantify the roles of plants and soil in the N2O budget of a cropland in North China. Plant and soil N2O fluxes were measured with transparent and dark plant chambers and soil chambers, respectively, in three adjacent fields of fertilized cotton, fertilized maize and unfertilized soybean. During the observation period, the soil flux was 448 ± 89, 230 ± 74 and 90 ± 14 μg N2O m−2 h−1 in cotton, maize and soybean fields, respectively. The plant flux was 54 ± 43 and 16 ± 41 μg N2O m−2 h−1, about 10 % and 26 % to the total ecosystem flux, for the cotton and the soybean field, respectively. Ignoring the contribution of plants would cause an obvious underestimation on the ecosystem N2O flux. The influence of sunlight on plant N2O flux was insignificant. However, in the cotton field, the responses of the plant N2O flux to air temperature and soil ammonium content were significant under sunlight but insignificant under darkness, suggesting that stomatal activity might influence the release process. In the cotton field, temperature sensitivity of plant N2O emission was 1.13, much lower than the value of soil flux (5.74). No relationship was found between plant N2O flux and soil nitrate content. It was implied that nitrate reduction in plants might not be the main source of plant N2O emission under field conditions. The seasonal patterns of the soil and plant N2O emissions were similarly affected by fertilization, indicating that plants might serve as a passive conduit transporting N2O produced in the soil.

2009 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 651-685 ◽  
Author(s):  
D.-G. Kim ◽  
T. M. Isenhart ◽  
T. B. Parkin ◽  
R. C. Schultz ◽  
T. E. Loynachan

Abstract. Transport and fate of dissolved nitrous oxide (N2O) in groundwater and its significance to nitrogen dynamics within agro-ecosystems are poorly known in spite of significant potential of N2O to global warming and ozone depletion. Increasing denitrification in riparian buffers may trade a reduction in nitrate (NO3−) transport to surface waters for increased N2O emissions resulting from denitrification-produced N2O dissolved in groundwater being emitted into the air when groundwater flows into a stream or a river. This study quantifies the transport and fate of NO3− and dissolved N2O moving from crop fields through riparian buffers, assesses whether groundwater exported from crop fields and riparian buffers is a significant source of dissolved N2O emissions, and evaluates the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) methodology to estimate dissolved N2O emission. We measured concentrations of NO3−; chloride (Cl−); pH; dissolved N2O, dissolved oxygen (DO), and organic carbon (DOC) in groundwater under a multi-species riparian buffer, a cool-season grass filter, and adjacent crop fields located in the Bear Creek watershed in central Iowa, USA. In both the multi-species riparian buffer and the cool-season grass filter, concentrations of dissolved N2O in the groundwater did not change as it passed through the sites, even when the concentrations of groundwater NO3− were decreased by 50% and 59%, respectively, over the same periods. The fraction of N lost to leaching and runoff (0.05) and the modified N2O emission factor, [ratio of dissolved N2O flux to N input (0.00002)] determined for the cropped fields indicate that the current IPCC methodology overestimates dissolved N2O flux in the sites. A low ratio between dissolved N2O flux and soil N2O emission (0.0003) was estimated in the cropped fields. These results suggest that the riparian buffers established adjacent to crop fields for water quality functions (enhanced denitrification) decreased NO3− and were not a source of dissolved N2O. Also, the flux of dissolved N2O from the cropped field was negligible in comparison to soil N2O emission in the crop fields.


2012 ◽  
Vol 36 (6) ◽  
pp. 1814-1819 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vanina Rosa Noemi Cosentino ◽  
Patricia Lilia Fernandez ◽  
Santiago Andrés Figueiro Aureggi ◽  
Miguel Angel Taboada

The correct use of closed field chambers to determine N2O emissions requires defining the time of day that best represents the daily mean N2O flux. A short-term field experiment was carried out on a Mollisol soil, on which annual crops were grown under no-till management in the Pampa Ondulada of Argentina. The N2O emission rates were measured every 3 h for three consecutive days. Fluxes ranged from 62.58 to 145.99 ∝g N-N2O m-2 h-1 (average of five field chambers) and were negatively related (R² = 0.34, p < 0.01) to topsoil temperature (14 - 20 ºC). N2O emission rates measured between 9:00 and 12:00 am presented a high relationship to daily mean N2O flux (R² = 0.87, p < 0.01), showing that, in the study region, sampling in the mornings is preferable for GHG.


Forests ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 251 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kerou Zhang ◽  
Haidong Wu ◽  
Mingxu Li ◽  
Zhongqing Yan ◽  
Yong Li ◽  
...  

Forest nitrous oxide (N2O) emission plays an important role in the greenhouse gas budget of forest ecosystems. However, spatial variability in N2O fluxes complicates the determination of key factors of N2O fluxes at different scales. Based on an updated database of N2O fluxes and the main edaphic factors of global forests, the magnitude of N2O fluxes from forests and the relationships between edaphic factors and N2O fluxes at different scales were analyzed. According to the results, the average annual N2O flux of the global forest was 142.91 ± 14.1 mg N m−2 year−1. The range of total forest estimated N2O emission was 4.45–4.69 Tg N in 2000. N2O fluxes from forests with different leaf traits (broadleaved and coniferous) have significant differences in magnitude, whereas the leaf habit (evergreen and deciduous) was an important characteristic reflecting different patterns of N2O seasonal variations. The main factors affecting N2O fluxes on the global scale were ammonium (NH4+) and nitrate (NO3−) concentrations. With an increasing scale (from the site scale to the regional scale to the global scale), the explanatory power of the five edaphic factors to N2O flux decreased gradually. In addition, the response curves of N2O flux to edaphic factors were diversified among different scales. At both the global and regional scales, soil hydrothermal condition (water filled pore space (WFPS) and soil temperature) might not be the main spatial regulation for N2O fluxes, whereas soil nutrient factors (particularly NO3− concentration) could contribute more on N2O flux spatial variations. The results of site-control analysis demonstrated that there were high spatial heterogeneity of the main N2O controls, showing N2O fluxes from low latitude forests being more likely associated with soil WFPS and temperature. Thus, our findings provide valuable insights into the regulatory edaphic factors underlying the variability in N2O emissions, when modeling at different scales.


2013 ◽  
Vol 641-642 ◽  
pp. 197-200
Author(s):  
Hui Liu

N2O emissions have been increasing in recent years due to intensive agricultural practices. This study was conducted to evaluate N2O emissions from a subtropical paddy field of south China with closed static chamber and a gas chromatograph in situ in the second crop season. Gas samples were taken simultaneously from rice-involved and rice-free plots. It showed that diurnal variation of N2O emission was more regular at the booting stage. The diurnal mean N2O flux of rice-involved plot was higher than that of rice-free plot during flooding time but lower during the drying time. It showed no significant correlation between N2O flux and temperature. The N2O flux was affected by soil water regime. Rice paddy field in growing season is a N2O source to atmosphere.


2010 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 4539-4563 ◽  
Author(s):  
X. R. Wei ◽  
M. D. Hao ◽  
X. H. Xue ◽  
P. Shi ◽  
A. Wang ◽  
...  

Abstract. Nitrous oxide (N2O) is an important greenhouse gas. N2O emissions from soils vary with fertilization and cropping practices. The response of N2O emission to fertilization of agricultural soils plays an important role in global N2O emission. The objective of this study was to assess the seasonal pattern of N2O fluxes and the annual N2O emissions from a rain-fed winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) field in the Loess Plateau of China. A static flux chamber method was used to measure soil N2O fluxes from 2006 to 2008. The study included 5 treatments with 3 replications in a randomized complete block design. Prior to initiating N2O measurements the treatments had received the same fertilization for 22 years. The fertilizer treatments were unfertilized control (CK), manure (M), nitrogen (N), nitrogen + phosphorus (NP), and nitrogen + phosphorus + manure (NPM). Soil N2O fluxes in the highland winter wheat field were highly variable temporally and thus were fertilization dependent. The highest fluxes occurred in the warmer and wetter seasons. Relative to CK, M slightly increased N2O flux while N, NP and NPM treatments significantly increased N2O fluxes. The fertilizer induced increase in N2O flux occurred mainly in the first 30 days after fertilization. The increases were smaller in the relatively warm and dry year than in the cold and wet year. Combining phosphorous and/or manure with mineral N fertilizer partly offset the nitrogen fertilizer induced increase in N2O flux. N2O fluxes at the seedling stage were mainly controlled by nitrogen fertilization, while fluxes at other plant growth stages were influenced by plant and environmental conditions. The cumulative N2O emissions were always higher in the fertilized treatments than in the non-fertilized treatment (CK). Mineral and manure nitrogen fertilizer enhanced N2O emissions in wetter years compared to dryer years. Phosphorous fertilizer offset 0.78 and 1.98 kg N2O ha−1 increases, while manure + phosphorous offset 0.67 and 1.64 kg N2O ha−1 increases by N fertilizer for the two observation years. Our results suggested that the contribution of single N fertilizer on N2O emission was larger than that of NP and NPM and that manure and phosphorous had important roles in offsetting mineral N fertilizer induced N2O emissions. Relative to agricultural production and N2O emission, manure fertilization (M) should be recommended while single N fertilization (N) should be avoided for the highland winter wheat due to the higher biomass and grain yield and less N2O flux and annual emission in M than in N.


2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (14) ◽  
pp. 5674
Author(s):  
Junxiang Cheng ◽  
Ligang Xu ◽  
Mingliang Jiang ◽  
Jiahu Jiang ◽  
Yanxue Xu

Littoral wetlands are globally important for sustainable development; however, they have recently been identified as critical hotspots of nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions. N2O flux from subtropical littoral wetlands remains unclear, especially under the current global warming environment. In the littoral zone of Lake Poyang, a simulated warming experiment was conducted to investigate N2O flux. Open-top chambers were used to raise temperature, and the static chamber-gas chromatograph method was used to measure N2O flux. Results showed that the littoral zone of Lake Poyang was an N2O source, with an average flux rate of 8.9 μg N2O m−2 h−1. Warming significantly increased N2O emission (13.8 μg N2O m−2 h−1 under warming treatment) by 54% compared to the control treatment. N2O flux in the spring growing season was also significantly higher than that of the autumn growing season. In addition, temperature was not significantly related to N2O flux, while soil moisture only explained about 7% of N2O variation. These results imply that N2O emission experiences positive feedback effect on the ongoing warming of the climate, and abiotic factors (e.g., soil temperature and soil moisture) were not main controls on N2O variation in this littoral wetland.


2010 ◽  
Vol 7 (10) ◽  
pp. 3301-3310 ◽  
Author(s):  
X. R. Wei ◽  
M. D. Hao ◽  
X. H. Xue ◽  
P. Shi ◽  
R. Horton ◽  
...  

Abstract. Nitrous oxide (N2O) is an important greenhouse gas. N2O emissions from soils vary with fertilization and cropping practices. The response of N2O emission to fertilization of agricultural soils plays an important role in global N2O emission. The objective of this study was to assess the seasonal pattern of N2O fluxes and the annual N2O emissions from a rain-fed winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) field in the Loess Plateau of China. A static flux chamber method was used to measure soil N2O fluxes from 2006 to 2008. The study included 5 treatments with 3 replications in a randomized complete block design. Prior to initiating N2O measurements the treatments had received the same fertilization for 22 years. The fertilizer treatments were unfertilized control (CK), manure (M), nitrogen (N), nitrogen + phosphorus (NP), and nitrogen + phosphorus + manure (NPM). Soil N2O fluxes in the highland winter wheat field were highly variable temporally and thus were fertilization dependent. The highest fluxes occurred in the warmer and wetter seasons. Relative to CK, m slightly increased N2O flux while N, NP and NPM treatments significantly increased N2O fluxes. The fertilizer induced increase in N2O flux occurred mainly in the first 30 days after fertilization. The increases were smaller in the relatively warm and dry year than in the cold and wet year. Combining phosphorous and/or manure with mineral N fertilizer partly offset the nitrogen fertilizer induced increase in N2O flux. N2O fluxes at the seedling stage were mainly controlled by nitrogen fertilization, while fluxes at other plant growth stages were influenced by plant and environmental conditions. The cumulative N2O emissions were always higher in the fertilized treatments than in the non-fertilized treatment (CK). Mineral and manure nitrogen fertilizer enhanced N2O emissions in wetter years compared to dryer years. Phosphorous fertilizer offset 0.50 and 1.26 kg N2O-N ha−1 increases, while manure + phosphorous offset 0.43 and 1.04 kg N2O-N ha−1 increases by N fertilizer for the two observation years. Our results suggested that the contribution of single N fertilizer on N2O emission was larger than that of NP and NPM and that manure and phosphorous had important roles in offsetting mineral N fertilizer induced N2O emissions. Relative to agricultural production and N2O emission, manure fertilization (M) should be recommended while single N fertilization (N) should be avoided for the highland winter wheat due to the higher biomass and grain yield and lower N2O flux and annual emission in m than in N.


Atmosphere ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (12) ◽  
pp. 465 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kiwamu Ishikura ◽  
Untung Darung ◽  
Takashi Inoue ◽  
Ryusuke Hatano

This study investigated spatial factors controlling CO2, CH4, and N2O fluxes and compared global warming potential (GWP) among undrained forest (UDF), drained forest (DF), and drained burned land (DBL) on tropical peatland in Central Kalimantan, Indonesia. Sampling was performed once within two weeks in the beginning of dry season. CO2 flux was significantly promoted by lowering soil moisture and pH. The result suggests that oxidative peat decomposition was enhanced in drier position, and the decomposition acidify the peat soils. CH4 flux was significantly promoted by a rise in groundwater level, suggesting that methanogenesis was enhanced under anaerobic condition. N2O flux was promoted by increasing soil nitrate content in DF, suggesting that denitrification was promoted by substrate availability. On the other hand, N2O flux was promoted by lower soil C:N ratio and higher soil pH in DBL and UDF. CO2 flux was the highest in DF (241 mg C m−2 h−1) and was the lowest in DBL (94 mg C m−2 h−1), whereas CH4 flux was the highest in DBL (0.91 mg C m−2 h−1) and was the lowest in DF (0.01 mg C m−2 h−1), respectively. N2O flux was not significantly different among land uses. CO2 flux relatively contributed to 91–100% of GWP. In conclusion, it is necessary to decrease CO2 flux to mitigate GWP through a rise in groundwater level and soil moisture in the region.


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 ◽  
...  

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.


Soil Research ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 54 (5) ◽  
pp. 604 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. D. Schwenke ◽  
B. M. Haigh

Summer crop production on slow-draining Vertosols in a sub-tropical climate has the potential for large emissions of soil nitrous oxide (N2O) from denitrification of applied nitrogen (N) fertiliser. While it is well established that applying N fertiliser will increase N2O emissions above background levels, previous research in temperate climates has shown that increasing N fertiliser rates can increase N2O emissions linearly, exponentially or not at all. Little such data exists for summer cropping in sub-tropical regions. In four field experiments at two locations across two summers, we assessed the impact of increasing N fertiliser rate on both soil N2O emissions and crop yield of grain sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L.) or sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) in Vertosols of sub-tropical Australia. Rates of N fertiliser, applied as urea at sowing, included a nil application, an optimum N rate and a double-optimum rate. Daily N2O fluxes ranged from –3.8 to 2734g N2O-Nha–1day–1 and cumulative N2O emissions ranged from 96 to 6659g N2O-Nha–1 during crop growth. Emissions of N2O increased with increased N fertiliser rates at all experimental sites, but the rate of N loss was five times greater in wetter-than-average seasons than in drier conditions. For two of the four experiments, periods of intense rainfall resulted in N2O emission factors (EF, percent of applied N emitted) in the range of 1.2–3.2%. In contrast, the EFs for the two drier experiments were 0.41–0.56% with no effect of N fertiliser rate. Additional 15N mini-plots aimed to determine whether N fertiliser rate affected total N lost from the soil–plant system between sowing and harvest. Total 15N unaccounted was in the range of 28–45% of applied N and was presumed to be emitted as N2O+N2. At the drier site, the ratio of N2 (estimated by difference)to N2O (measured) lost was a constant 43%, whereas the ratio declined from 29% to 12% with increased N fertiliser rate for the wetter experiment. Choosing an N fertiliser rate aimed at optimum crop production mitigates potentially high environmental (N2O) and agronomic (N2+N2O) gaseous N losses from over-application, particularly in seasons with high intensity rainfall occurring soon after fertiliser application.


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