The effect of cattle slurry in combination with nitrate and the nitrification inhibitor dicyandiamide on in situ nitrous oxide and dinitrogen emissions

Abstract. A field study was conducted to determine the effect of the nitrification inhibitor dicyandiamide (DCD) on N2O and N2 emissions after cattle slurry (CS) application in the presence of nitrate fertiliser on seven different occasions (between March 2009 and March 2011). N2O emissions from CS in the presence of NO3 fertiliser were very high (0.4–8.7% of applied N) over a 20 day period, under mild moist conditions. Emissions were significantly larger from the CS treatment compared to an NH4+-N source, supplying the same rate of N as in the slurry. This study supports the view that organic fertilisers should not be applied at the same time as nitrate based fertilisers, as significant increases in N2O emissions occur. The average N2O mole fraction (N2O/(N2O = N2)) over all seven application dates was 0.34 for CSNO3 compared to 0.24 for the NH4ClNO3 treatment, indicating the dominance of N2 emissions. The rate of nitrification in CSNO3 was slower than in NH4ClNO3 and DCD was found to be an effective nitrification inhibitor in both treatments. However, as N2O emissions were found to be predominantly associated with the NO3 pool, the effect of DCD in lowering N2O emissions is limited in the presence of a NO3 fertiliser. To obtain the maximum cost-benefit of DCD in lowering N2O emissions, under mild moist conditions, its application should be restricted to ammonium based organic or synthetic fertilisers.

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The effect of cattle slurry in combination with nitrate and the nitrification inhibitor dicyandiamide on in situ nitrous oxide and dinitrogen emissions

Biogeosciences ◽

10.5194/bg-9-4909-2012 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 9 (12) ◽

pp. 4909-4919 ◽

Cited By ~ 15

Author(s):

K. L. McGeough ◽

R. J. Laughlin ◽

C. J. Watson ◽

C. Müller ◽

M. Ernfors ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Ammonium Nitrate ◽

Nitrification Inhibitor ◽

Cost Benefit ◽

N2o Emissions ◽

Cattle Slurry ◽

Calcium Ammonium Nitrate ◽

Maximum Cost ◽

Organic Fertilisers ◽

Very High

Abstract. A field study was conducted to determine the effect of the nitrification inhibitor dicyandiamide (DCD) on N2O and N2 emissions after cattle slurry (CS) application in the presence of nitrate (NO3) fertiliser on seven different occasions (between March 2009 and March 2011). N2O emissions from CS in the presence of NO3 fertiliser were very high (0.4–8.7% of applied N) over a 20-day period, under mild moist conditions. Emissions were significantly larger from the CS treatment compared to an NH4&plus;-N source, supplying the same rate of N as in the slurry. This study supports the view that organic fertilisers should not be applied at the same time as nitrate-based fertilisers, as significant increases in N2O emissions occur. The average N2O mole fraction (N2O/(N2O &plus; N2)) over all seven application dates was 0.34 for CSNO3 compared to 0.24 for the NH4ClNO3 treatment, indicating the dominance of N2 emissions. The rate of nitrification in CSNO3 was slower than in NH4ClNO3, and DCD was found to be an effective nitrification inhibitor in both treatments. However, as N2O emissions were found to be predominantly associated with the NO3 pool, the effect of DCD in lowering N2O emissions is limited in the presence of a NO3 fertiliser. To obtain the maximum cost-benefit of DCD in lowering N2O emissions, under mild moist conditions, it should not be applied to a nitrate containing fertiliser (e.g. ammonium nitrate or calcium ammonium nitrate), and therefore the application of DCD should be restricted to ammonium-based organic or synthetic fertilisers.

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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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Sources of nitrous oxide from 15N-labelled animal urine and urea fertiliser with and without a nitrification inhibitor, dicyandiamide (DCD)

Soil Research ◽

10.1071/sr07093 ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 46 (1) ◽

pp. 76 ◽

Cited By ~ 41

Author(s):

H. J. Di ◽

K. C. Cameron

Keyword(s):

Nitrous Oxide ◽

Dairy Cow ◽

Priming Effect ◽

Nitrification Inhibitor ◽

Major Effect ◽

N2o Emissions ◽

Soil N ◽

Cow Urine ◽

Nitrification And Denitrification ◽

N Pool

A field lysimeter study was conducted to determine the sources of N2O emitted following the application of dairy cow urine and urea fertiliser labelled with 15N, with and without a nitrification inhibitor, dicyandiamide (DCD). The results show that the application of cow urine at 1000 kg N/ha significantly increased N2O emissions above that from urea applied alone at 25 kg N/ha. The application of urine seemed to have a priming effect, increasing N2O emissions from the soil N pool. Treating the soil with DCD significantly (P < 0.05) decreased N2O emissions from the urine-applied treatment by 72%. The percentage of N2O-N derived from the applied N was 53.1% in the urine-applied treatment and this was reduced to 29.9% when DCD was applied. On average, about 43% of the N2O emitted in the urine-applied treatments was from nitrification. The application of DCD did not have a major effect on the relative contributions of nitrification and denitrification to N2O emissions in the urine treatments. This indicates that the DCD nitrification inhibitor decreased the contributions to N2O emissions from both nitrification and denitrification.

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The effectiveness of nitrification inhibitor application on grain yield and quality, fertiliser nitrogen recovery and soil nitrous oxide emissions in a legume–wheat rotation under elevated carbon dioxide (FACE)

Soil Research ◽

10.1071/sr16371 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 56 (2) ◽

pp. 145

Author(s):

Humaira Sultana ◽

Helen C. Suter ◽

Roger Armstrong ◽

Marc E. Nicolas ◽

Deli Chen

Keyword(s):

Carbon Dioxide ◽

Nitrous Oxide ◽

Copper Concentration ◽

Nitrification Inhibitor ◽

Elevated Carbon Dioxide ◽

Wheat Crop ◽

N2o Emissions ◽

N Concentration ◽

Supplementary Irrigation ◽

The Impact

Managing nitrogen (N) supply to better match crop demand and reduce losses will be an important goal under future predicted elevated carbon dioxide (e[CO2]) conditions. This study comprised two Free-Air Carbon dioxide Enrichment (FACE) experiments conducted in southern Australia in 2011. The first experiment (Exp-1) was a field experiment that investigated the impact of a nitrification inhibitor (NI), 3,4-dimethylpyrazole phosphate (DMPP), and supplementary irrigation on utilisation of legume (field pea) residual N by a wheat crop and soil nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions. The second experiment (Exp-2) used 15N techniques in soil cores to investigate the impact of DMPP on recovery of fertiliser N. In Exp-1, grain N concentration increased (by 12%, P < 0.001) with NI application compared with no NI application, irrespective of CO2 concentration ([CO2]) and supplementary irrigation. With NI application the grain N harvest index increased under e[CO2] (82%) compared with a[CO2] (79%). Applying the NI compensated for decreased grain copper concentration observed under e[CO2] conditions. NI had minimal effect on soil N2O emissions in the wheat crop regardless of [CO2]. In Exp-2, 65% (±1 standard error, n = 15) of the applied N fertiliser was recovered in the aboveground plant, irrespective of NI use. The use of a NI in a cereal–legume rotation may help to increase grain N concentration, increase the mobilisation of N towards the grain under e[CO2], and may also help to compensate for decreases in grain copper concentration under e[CO2]. However, use of a NI may not provide additional benefit for productivity or efficiency of N utilisation.

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Nitrous oxide emissions from the Arabian Sea: A synthesis

Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics ◽

10.5194/acp-1-61-2001 ◽

2001 ◽

Vol 1 (1) ◽

pp. 61-71 ◽

Cited By ~ 54

Author(s):

H. W. Bange ◽

M. O. Andreae ◽

S. Lal ◽

C. S. Law ◽

S. W. A. Naqvi ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Nitrous Oxide ◽

Arabian Sea ◽

Sea Surface ◽

Nitrous Oxide Emissions ◽

N2o Emissions ◽

Coastal Zones ◽

N2o Flux ◽

In Situ Data ◽

Data Coverage

Abstract. We computed high-resolution (1º latitude x 1º longitude) seasonal and annual nitrous oxide (N2O) concentration fields for the Arabian Sea surface layer using a database containing more than 2400 values measured between December 1977 and July 1997. N2O concentrations are highest during the southwest (SW) monsoon along the southern Indian continental shelf. Annual emissions range from 0.33 to 0.70 Tg N2O and are dominated by fluxes from coastal regions during the SW and northeast monsoons. Our revised estimate for the annual N2O flux from the Arabian Sea is much more tightly constrained than the previous consensus derived using averaged in-situ data from a smaller number of studies. However, the tendency to focus on measurements in locally restricted features in combination with insufficient seasonal data coverage leads to considerable uncertainties of the concentration fields and thus in the flux estimates, especially in the coastal zones of the northern and eastern Arabian Sea. The overall mean relative error of the annual N2O emissions from the Arabian Sea was estimated to be at least 65%.

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Nitrous oxide emission and nitrogen use efficiency in response to nitrophosphate, N-(n-butyl) thiophosphoric triamide and dicyandiamide of a wheat cultivated soil under sub-humid monsoon conditions

Biogeosciences Discussions ◽

10.5194/bgd-11-13571-2014 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 11 (9) ◽

pp. 13571-13603 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

W. X. Ding ◽

Z. M. Chen ◽

H. Y. Yu ◽

J. F. Luo ◽

G. Y. Yoo ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Nitrous Oxide ◽

Sandy Loam ◽

Wheat Yield ◽

Nitrification Inhibitor ◽

Growth Period ◽

N2o Emission ◽

N Fertilizer ◽

N2o Emissions ◽

Nitrification Inhibitors ◽

Use Efficiency

Abstract. A field experiment was designed to study the effects of nitrogen (N) source and urease inhibitor N-(n-butyl) thiophosphoric triamide (NBPT) or nitrification inhibitor dicyandiamide (DCD) on nitrous oxide (N2O) emission and N use efficiency (NUE) in a sandy loam soil. Six treatments including no N fertilizer (control), N fertilizer urea alone (U), urea plus NBPT (NBPT), urea plus DCD (DCD), urea plus NBPT and DCD (NBPT + DCD), and nitrate-based fertilizer nitrophosphate (NP) were designed and implemented separately during the wheat growth period. Seasonal cumulative N2O emissions with urea alone amounted to 0.49 ± 0.12 and were significantly (P < 0.05) reduced to 0.28 ± 0.03, 0.31 ± 0.01 and 0.26 ± 0.01kg N2O-N ha−1 by application of DCD, NBPT and NBPT + DCD, respectively. Cumulative N2O emissions from NP were 0.28 ± 0.01kg N2O-N ha−1. A single N2O flux peak was identified following basal fertilization, and DCD and/or NBPT inhibition effects mainly occurred during the peak emission period. The NP application significantly (P < 0.05) increased wheat yield by 12.3% and NUE from 28.8% (urea alone) to 35.9%, while urease and/or nitrification inhibitors showed a slight increase effect. Our results clearly indicated that the application of urea as basal fertilizer, but not as supplemental fertilizer, together with DCD and NBPT is an effective practice to reduce N2O emissions. The application of NP instead of urea would be an optimum agricultural strategy for reducing N2O emissions and increasing crop yield and NUE for wheat cultivation in soils of the North China Plain.

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Spatial variability of nitrous oxide in the Minho and Lima estuaries (Portugal)

Scientia Marina ◽

10.3989/scimar.04637.26a ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 81 (3) ◽

pp. 317 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Célia Gonçalves ◽

Maria José Brogueira

Keyword(s):

Nitrous Oxide ◽

Principal Component ◽

N2o Emissions ◽

Oxygen Utilization ◽

N2o Production ◽

Global Emission ◽

High Concentrations ◽

Positive Correlations ◽

Apparent Oxygen Utilization

Nitrous oxide (N2O) is a potent long-lived greenhouse gas and estuaries represent potentially important sources of this biogas to the atmosphere. In this work, we analyse the first N2O data obtained in the Minho and Lima estuaries, and the processes and environmental factors that may regulate its production in these systems. In September 2006, N2O attained values of up to 20.0 nmol L–1 in the upper reaches of the Lima estuary and the river was, apparently, the main source of biogas to the system. In Minho N2O reached a maximum of 14.4 nmol L–1 and nitrification appeared to contribute to the enhancement of N2O. In the upper estuary, the relatively high concentrations of nitrification substrate NH4+, the positive correlations found between N2O level above atmospheric equilibrium (ΔN2O) and apparent oxygen utilization and NO2–, and the negative correlations between ΔN2O and NH4+ and pH can be interpreted as in situ N2O production through pelagic nitrification. Principal component analysis gave evidence of considerable differences between upper estuaries, particularly in terms of higher N2O in Lima and NH4+ in Minho. Surface waters of both estuaries were always N2O-supersaturated (101-227%) and estimated N2O emissions from Minho and Lima were 0.28 Mg N2O-N yr–1 and 0.96 Mg N2O-N yr–1, respectively, which represent a reduced fraction of N2O global emission from European estuaries.

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Effect of dicyandiamide (DCD) on nitrous oxide emissions from cow urine deposited on a pasture soil, as influenced by DCD application method and rate

Animal Production Science ◽

10.1071/an15500 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 56 (3) ◽

pp. 350 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

J. Luo ◽

S. Ledgard ◽

B. Wise ◽

S. Lindsey

Keyword(s):

Nitrous Oxide ◽

Animal Feed ◽

Nitrification Inhibitor ◽

Application Rate ◽

Nitrous Oxide Emissions ◽

N2o Emissions ◽

Late Autumn ◽

Cow Urine ◽

Urine Patch ◽

Reduction Effect

Animal urine deposited on pastoral soils during grazing is recognised as a dominant source of nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions. The nitrification inhibitor, dicyandiamide (DCD), is a potential mitigation technology to control N2O emissions from urine patches on grazed pastures. One delivery option is to include DCD in animal feed so that the DCD is targeted directly in the urine patch when excreted in the animal urine. The hypothesis tested in the present study was that DCD in urine, excreted by cows that were orally administered with DCD, would have the same effect as DCD added to urine after the urine is excreted. The study also aimed to determine the most effective DCD rate for reducing N2O emissions. Fresh dairy cow urine (700 kg N per ha) was applied to a free-draining silt loam pastoral soil in Waikato, New Zealand, in May (late autumn) or July (winter) of 2014, and was mixed with DCD at rates of 0, 10, 30 and 60 kg/ha. In late autumn, there was an equivalent treatment of urine (containing 60 kg DCD per ha) from DCD-treated cows. A static chamber technique was used to determine gaseous N2O emissions. An annual emission factor (EF3; the percentage of applied urine N lost as N2O-N) of 0.23% or 0.21% was found following late-autumn or winter applications of urine without DCD. Late-autumn application of urine containing DCD from oral administration to cows had the same significant reduction effect on N2O emissions as did DCD that was mixed with urine after excretion, at the equivalent DCD application rate of 60 kg/ha. Application of urine with DCD mixed with the urine after excretion at varying DCD rates showed a significant (P < 0.05) linear decrease in both N2O emissions and EF3 values.

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The effect of increasing rates of nitrogen fertiliser and a nitrification inhibitor on nitrous oxide emissions from urine patches on sheep grazed hill country pasture

Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture ◽

10.1071/ea07238 ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 48 (2) ◽

pp. 147 ◽

Cited By ~ 30

Author(s):

Coby J. Hoogendoorn ◽

Cecile A. M. de Klein ◽

Alison J. Rutherford ◽

Selai Letica ◽

Brian P. Devantier

Keyword(s):

Nitrous Oxide ◽

New Zealand ◽

Nitrification Inhibitor ◽

N2o Emission ◽

Emission Factors ◽

Application Rate ◽

Nitrous Oxide Emissions ◽

N2o Emissions ◽

Hill Country ◽

Sheep Urine

Urine deposited by grazing animals represents the largest source of N2O emissions in New Zealand. Sheep-grazed hill pastures are an important component of New Zealand pastoral land, but information on N2O emissions from these areas is limited. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of increasing rates of fertiliser nitrogen and of a nitrification inhibitor on N2O emissions from urine patches. The study was carried out in grazed paddock-scale trials at the Ballantrae and Invermay Research Stations, New Zealand. The fertiliser N treatments were 0, 100, 300 and 750 (500 for Invermay) kg N/ha.year. Nitrous oxide measurements were conducted in the spring of 2005 and 2006, following applications of synthetic sheep urine with or without dicyandiamide (DCD) in these four N treatments. In both years and at both sites, N2O emissions increased with N fertiliser application rate in both urine and non-urine affected areas. The addition of DCD to the synthetic urine reduced N2O emissions from the urine affected areas during the measurement period by 60–80% at Ballantrae and by 40% at Invermay. The N2O emission factors for the artificial sheep urine (expressed as N2O-N lost as % of N applied) ranged from 0.01 to 1.06%, with the higher values generally found in the high N fertiliser treatments. The N2O emission factors were generally less than or similar to those from sheep urine applied to flat land pasture.

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Effect of enhanced efficiency fertilisers on nitrous oxide emissions in a sub-tropical cereal cropping system

Soil Research ◽

10.1071/sr15332 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 54 (5) ◽

pp. 544 ◽

Cited By ~ 22

Author(s):

Clemens Scheer ◽

David W. Rowlings ◽

Massimiliano De Antoni Migliorati ◽

David W. Lester ◽

Mike J. Bell ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Nitrous Oxide ◽

Crop Yields ◽

Cropping Systems ◽

Nitrification Inhibitor ◽

Cropping System ◽

Measuring System ◽

Nitrous Oxide Emissions ◽

N2o Emissions ◽

N Fertilisers ◽

Polymer Coated Urea

To meet the global food demand in the coming decades, crop yields per unit area must increase. This can only be achieved by a further intensification of existing cropping systems and will require even higher inputs of N fertilisers, which may result in increased losses of nitrous oxide (N2O) from cropped soils. Enhanced efficiency fertilisers (EEFs) have been promoted as a potential strategy to mitigate N2O emissions and improve nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) in cereal cropping systems. However, only limited data are currently available on the use of different EEF products in sub-tropical cereal systems. A field experiment was conducted to investigate the effect of three different EEFs on N2O emissions, NUE and yield in a sub-tropical summer cereal cropping system in Australia. Over an entire year soil N2O fluxes were monitored continuously (3h sampling frequency) with a fully-automated measuring system. The experimental site was fertilised with different nitrogen (N) fertilisers applied at 170kgNha–1, namely conventional urea (Urea), urea with the nitrification inhibitor 3,4-dimethylpyrazole phosphate (DMPP), polymer-coated urea (PCU), and urea with the nitrification inhibitor nitrapyrin (Nitrapyrin). Nitrous oxide emissions were highly episodic and mainly controlled by heavy rainfall events within two months of planting and fertiliser N application. Annual N2O emissions in the four treatments amounted to 2.31, 0.40, 0.69 and 1.58kgN2O-Nha–1year–1 for Urea, DMPP, PCU and Nitrapyrin treatments, respectively, while unfertilised plots produced an average of 0.16kgN2O-Nha–1year–1. Two of the tested products (DMPP and PCU) were found to be highly effective, decreasing annual N2O losses by 83% and 70%, respectively, but did not affect yield or NUE. This study shows that EEFs have a high potential to decrease N2O emissions from sub-tropical cereal cropping systems. More research is needed to assess if the increased costs of EEFs can be compensated by lower fertiliser application rates and/or yield increases.

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