Dataset Information

Ammonia-oxidation as an engine to generate nitrous oxide in an intensively managed calcareous fluvo-aquic soil.

ABSTRACT: We combine field observations, microcosm, stoichiometry, and molecular and stable isotope techniques to quantify N2O generation processes in an intensively managed low carbon calcareous fluvo-aquic soil. All the evidence points to ammonia oxidation and linked nitrifier denitrification (ND) being the major processes generating N2O. When NH4(+)-based fertilizers are applied the soil will produce high N2O peaks which are inhibited almost completely by adding nitrification inhibitors. During ammonia oxidation with high NH4(+) concentrations (>80?mg N kg(-1)) the soil matrix will actively consume oxygen and accumulate high concentrations of NO2(-), leading to suboxic conditions inducing ND. Calculated N2O isotopomer data show that nitrification and ND accounted for 35-53% and 44-58% of total N2O emissions, respectively. We propose that slowing down nitrification and avoiding high ammonium concentrations in the soil matrix are important measures to reduce N2O emissions per unit of NH4(+)-based N input from this type of intensively managed soil globally.

SUBMITTER: Huang T

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3912618 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Ammonia-oxidation as an engine to generate nitrous oxide in an intensively managed calcareous fluvo-aquic soil.

Huang Tao T Gao Bing B Hu Xiao-Kang XK Lu Xing X Well Reinhard R Christie Peter P Bakken Lars R LR Ju Xiao-Tang XT

Scientific reports 20140204

We combine field observations, microcosm, stoichiometry, and molecular and stable isotope techniques to quantify N2O generation processes in an intensively managed low carbon calcareous fluvo-aquic soil. All the evidence points to ammonia oxidation and linked nitrifier denitrification (ND) being the major processes generating N2O. When NH4(+)-based fertilizers are applied the soil will produce high N2O peaks which are inhibited almost completely by adding nitrification inhibitors. During ammonia ...[more]

PMID: 24492201

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Project description:The sustainable use of grasslands in intensive farming systems aims to optimize nitrogen (N) inputs to increase crop yields and decrease harmful losses to the environment at the same time. To achieve this, simple optical sensors may provide a non-destructive, time- and cost-effective tool for estimating plant biomass in the field, considering spatial and temporal variability. However, the plant growth and related N uptake is affected by the available N in the soil, and therefore, N mineralization and N losses. These soil N dynamics and N losses are affected by the N input and environmental conditions, and cannot easily be determined non-destructively. Therefore, the question arises: whether a relationship can be depicted between N fertilizer levels, plant biomass and N dynamics as indicated by nitrous oxide (N₂O) losses and inorganic N levels. We conducted a standardized greenhouse experiment to explore the potential of spectral measurements for analyzing yield response, N mineralization and N₂O emissions in a permanent grassland. Ryegrass was subjected to four mineral fertilizer input levels over 100 days (four harvests) under controlled environmental conditions. The soil temperature and moisture content were automatically monitored, and the emission rates of N₂O and carbon dioxide (CO₂) were detected frequently. Spectral measurements of the swards were performed directly before harvesting. The normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) and simple ratio (SR) were moderately correlated with an increasing biomass as affected by fertilization level. Furthermore, we found a non-linear response of increasing N₂O emissions to elevated fertilizer levels. Moreover, inorganic N and extractable organic N levels at the end of the experiment tended to increase with the increasing N fertilizer addition. However, microbial biomass C and CO₂ efflux showed no significant differences among fertilizer treatments, reflecting no substantial changes in the soil biological pool size and the extent of the C mineralization. Neither the NDVI nor SR, nor the plant biomass, were related to cumulative N₂O emissions or inorganic N at harvesting. Our results verify the usefulness of optical sensors for biomass detection, and show the difficulty in linking spectral measurements of plant traits to N processes in the soil, despite that the latter affects the former.

Dataset Information

Ammonia-oxidation as an engine to generate nitrous oxide in an intensively managed calcareous fluvo-aquic soil.

Publications

Ammonia-oxidation as an engine to generate nitrous oxide in an intensively managed calcareous fluvo-aquic soil.

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