N Cycle, N Flow Trends in Japan, and Strategies for Reducing N2O Emission and NO3^- Pollution

To feed an increasing population, large amounts of chemical nitrogen fertilizer have been used to produce much of our food, feed and fiber thereby increasing nitrogen levels in soils, natural waters, crop residues, livestock wastes,and municipal and agricultural wastes, with national and international concern about its potential adverse effects on environmental quality and public health. To understand these phenomena and problems, first the nitrogen cycle and the environment are described. Then recent trends for nitrogen cycling through the food and feed system, N2O emissions from fertilized upland and paddy soils, and NO3^- pollution in ground water in Japan are reported. Finally, mitigation strategies in Japan for reducing N2O emission and NO3^- pollution are proposed, including nitrification inhibitors, controlled release fertilizers, utilization of plant species that could suppress nitrification, utilizing the toposequence, government policy, and appropriate agricultural practices. Of all the technologies presented, use of nitrification inhibitors and controlled release fertilizers are deemed the most important with further development of these aspects of technologies being expected. These practices, if employed worldwide, could help reduce the load, or environmental deterioration, on the Earth‘s biosphere.     

上海市土壤中持久性毒害污染物和盐分含量特征研究

Some farmland soils in Shanghai had high salinity levels, suggesting secondary salinization of the soils. The soil problems in Shanghai were studied, including the salinity and nitrate nitrogen (NO₃^--N) concentrations, heavy metal pollution characteristics, and organochlorine pesticide (OCP) residual levels and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) contents. Accumulation of NO₃^--N in vegetable soils was the most significant among different functional soils. Heavy metal pollution was significant in the samples collected from the sewage-irrigated land and roadside. The identification of the metal sources through multivariate statistical analysis indicated that Pb, Zn, Cu and Cr in urban soils were from the traffic pollutants; excessive application of fertilizer and irrigation were the main reasons for the metal pollution in agricultural soils; Ni in the observed soils was controlled by parent soils. OCPs could still be detected in farmland soils but degraded greatly in last 20 years after prohibition of their usage. PAHs with 2-3 rings were the main components in industrial soils. The concentrated PAHs in the investigated soils were likely from petroleum and coal combustion.     

上海郊区园艺土壤氮素的生物形成动态变化

Dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) represents a significant pool of soluble nitrogen (N) in soil ecosystems. Soil samples under three different horticultural management practices were collected from the Xiaxiyang Organic Vegetable and Fruit Farm, Shanghai, China, to investigate the dynamics of N speciation during 2 months of aerobic incubation, to compare the effects of different soils on the mineralization of ¹⁴C-labeled amino acids and peptides, and to determine which of the pathways in the decomposition and subsequent ammonification and nitrification of organic N represented a significant blockage in soil N supply. The dynamics of N speciation was found to be significantly affected by mineralization and immobilization. DON, total free amino acids, and NH₄⁺-N were maintained at very low levels and did not accumulate, whereas NO₃^--N gradually accumulated in these soils. The conversion of insoluble organic N to low-molecular-weight (LMW) DON represented a main constraint to N supply, while conversions of LMW DON to NH₄⁺-N and NH₄⁺-N to NO₃^--N did not. Free amino acids and peptides were rapidly mineralized in the soils by the microbial community and consequently did not accumulate in soil. Turnover rates of the additional amino acids and peptides were soil-dependent and generally followed the order of organic soil > transitional soil > conventional soil. The turnover of high-molecular-weight DON was very slow and represented the major DON loss. Further studies are needed to investigate the pathways and bottlenecks of organic N degradation.     

灌溉施用氮肥后氮素在土壤中的转化及淋失状况: 土柱模拟研究

A soil column method was used to compare the effect of drip fertigation (the application of fertilizer through drip irrigation systems, DFI) on the leaching loss and transformation of urea-N in soil with that of surface fertilization combined with flood irrigation (SFI), and to study the leaching loss and transformation of three kinds of nitrogen fertilizers (nitrate fertilizer, ammonium fertilizer, and urea fertilizer) in two contrasting soils after the fertigation. In comparison to SFI, DFI decreased leaching loss of urea-N from the soil and increased the mineral N (NH₄⁺-N + NO₃^--N) in the soil. The N leached from a clay loam soil ranged from 5.7% to 9.6% of the total N added as fertilizer, whereas for a sandy loam soil they ranged between 16.2% and 30.4%. Leaching losses of mineral N were higher when nitrate fertilizer was used compared to urea or ammonium fertilizer. Compared to the control (without urea addition), on the first day when soils were fertigated with urea, there were increases in NH₄⁺-N in the soils. This confirmed the rapid hydrolysis of urea in soil during fertigation. NH₄⁺-N in soils reached a peak about 5 days after fertigation, and due to nitrification it began to decrease at day 10. After applying NH₄⁺-N fertilizer and urea and during the incubation period, the mineral nitrogen in the soil decreased. This may be related to the occurrence of NH₄⁺-N fixation or volatilization in the soil during the fertigation process.     

Assessing Nitrogen Fertilization Strategies in Winter Wheat and Cotton Crops in Northern Greece

The management of fertilizer application is crucial for agricultural production and environmental safety.The objective of this study was to assess the effciency of different fertilization strategies,applying fertilizers with and without nitrification inhibitors(NIs) in split application,in Greece.The assessment criteria used were based on crop yield,soil nitrogen(N)concentrations and economic effciency.For this purpose two crops(winter wheat and cotton)were seffected in order to explore the optimum fertilization strategy for each crop.Three treatments combining fertilizers with NIs were tested compared with conventional fertilization(CF).Slight differences in the quantity and the combination of fertilizers with NIs applied resulted in variable effects on crop yield,soil N and economic return.Split N application of 102 kg ha^-1,with half of the total amount applied at seeding,resulted in higher grain yield of winter wheat,lower NO₃^--N in soil and higher economic return.This result reveals the importance of N application at seeding in wheat crop.Fertilization strategy with 109.5 kg N ha^-1 and split P application resulted in higher cotton yield and higher economic profit.Split P application seemed to increase yield,even though it is not a common practise in the area.     

黄淮海平原小麦-玉米轮作制度下的地下水NO3-N污染研究

The North China Plain, where summer corn (Zea mays L.) and winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) are the major crops grown, is a major agricultural area in China. Permeable soils make the region susceptible to groundwater pollution by NO₃-N, which is applied to fields in large amounts of more than 400 kg NO₃-N ha^-1as fertilizer. A field experiment was established in 2002 to examine the relationship among N fertilization rate, soil NO₃-N, and NO₃-N groundwater contamination. Two adjacent fields were fertilized with local farmers' N fertilization rate (LN) and double the normal application rate (HN), respectively, and managed under otherwise identical conditions. The fields were under a traditional summer corn/winter wheat rotation. Over a 22-month period, we monitored NO₃-N concentrations in both bulk soil and soil pore water in 20-40 cm increments up to 180 cm depth. We also monitored NO₃-N concentrations in groundwater and the depth of the groundwater table. No significant differences in soil NO₃-N were observed between the LN and HN treatment. We identified NO₃-N plumes moving downward through the soil profile. The HN treatment resulted in significantly higher groundwater NO₃-N, relative to the LN treatment, with groundwater NO₃-N consistently exceeding the maximum safe level of 10 mg L^-1, but groundwater NO₃-N above the maximum safe level was also observed in the LN treatment after heavy rain. Heavy rain in June, July, and August 2003 caused increased NO₃-N leaching through the soil and elevated NO₃-N concentrations in the groundwater. Concurrent rise of the groundwater table into NO₃-Nrich soil layers also contributed to the increased NO₃-N concentrations in the groundwater. Our results indicate that under conditions of average rainfall, soil NO₃-N was accumulated in the soil profile. The subsequent significantly higherthan-average rainfalls continuously flushed the soil NO₃-N into deeper layers and raised the groundwater table, which caused continuous groundwater contamination with NO₃-N. The results suggest that under common farming practices in the North China Plain, groundwater contamination with NO₃-N was likely, especially during heavy rainfalls, and the degree of groundwater contamination appeared to be proportional to the N application rates. Decreasing fertilization rates, splitting fertilizer inputs, and optimizing irrigation scheduling had potential to reduce groundwater NO₃-N contamination.     

磷的吸附和表面电荷特征及其与华南地区某些土壤矿物的关系

The phosphate adsorption and surface charge characteristics of the tropical and subtropical soils derived from different parent materials in China were determined, and their relations to soil mineralogy were analysed. The results showed that all soil phosphate adsorption curves were well fitted by Freundlich equation and Langmuir equation. The maximum buffering capacity of P ranged from 66 to 9 880 mg kg^-1, with an increasing order of purple soil, skeletal soil, red soil, lateritic red soil, yellow soil and latosol; and the highest value was 149 times the lowest value, which indicated great differences among these soils in phosphate adsorption and supplying characteristics. The pH₀ (zero point of charge) values obtained by salt titration-potential titration varied from 3.03 to 5.49, and the highest value was found in the latosol derived from basalt whereas the lowest value was found in the purple soil. The correlation analysis indicated that the main minerals responsible for phosphate adsorption in the soils were gibbsite, amorphous iron oxide and kaolinite; and the pH₀ was mainly controlled by kaolinite, gibbsite and oxides.     

可变电荷土壤和矿物Pb2+ and Cu2+吸附动力学: Ⅶ. Pb2+吸附后H+释放的动力学

The kinetics of H⁺ releasing after Pb²⁺ adsorption was studied by the potentiometric method combined with the acid-base titration curve technique. Results showed that pH of latosol, red soil and kaolinite suspensions dropped sharply, and then decreased gradually. Most of the H⁺ exchanged, more than 60%, was displaced at the first minute after Pb²⁺ was added into the suspension. More H⁺ was released at a higher concentration of Pb²⁺ added for a given sample and the amount of H⁺ released decreased in the order of red soil > latosol > kaolinite at a given concentration. The time-dependent data of H⁺ releasing of latosol, red soil and kaolinite at two concentrations could be fitted best with the second-order equation among the six equations, including second-order equation, two-constant equation, Elovich equation, parabolic diffusion equation, first-order equation and exponential equation. The H⁺/Pb²⁺ exchange stoichiometry increased with time, and a stable ratio of H⁺/Pb²⁺, being 1.73, 1.92 and 2.01 for kaolinite, latosol and red soil, respectively, was reached 25 minutes later.     

淹水稻田氮的损失

A field microplot experiment was conducted during the tillering stage of paddy rice to investigate nitrogen(N) Iosses from flooded rice fields following fertilizer application. After application of ammonium bicarbonate, most of nitrogen in the flood water was present as NH₄-N and its concentration varied widely with time. Concentrations of both NO₃-N and NO₂-N in the floodwater were low due to the weakened nitrification. Under flooded anaerobic reducing conditions, soil solution concentrations of NO₃-N and NH₄-N were nothigh, ranging from 0.6 mg L^-1 to 4.8 mg L^-1, and decreased with soil depth. However, the ground water wasstill contaminated with NO₃-N and NH₄-N. Rainfall simulation tests showed that the N losses via runoff inrice fields were closely related to the time intervals between fertilizer applications and rainfall events. Whena large rain fell for a short period after fertilizer application, the N losses via runoff could be large, which could have a considerable effect on surface water quality. Both irrigation and N fertilizer application must be controlled and managed with great care to minimize N losses via runoff from agricultural land.     

肥液浓度对单膜孔入渗NO-3-N运移特性影响的室内试验研究

该文通过室内入渗试验，研究了不同浓度的单膜孔肥液入渗NO^-₃-N的分布特性。研究表明：不同浓度的膜孔肥液入渗土壤NO^-₃-N浓度的湿润锋运移距离与土壤水分运动的湿润锋一致；肥液浓度越大，相同入渗时间的NO^-₃-N浓度锋运移距离越大，土壤剖面NO^-₃-N浓度最大值越大，相同深度处土壤NO^-₃-N浓度也越大。肥液入渗土壤NO^-₃-N浓度分布特征与湿润体深度符合分段函数模型。供水入渗过程中，NO^-₃-N浓度锋运移距离和浓度最大值均随时间的延长而增大；再分布过程中，NO^-₃-N浓度锋运移距离继续增大，而NO^-₃-N浓度最大值逐渐减小。     

高氮和NO2-对中亚热带森林土壤N2O和NO产生的影响

利用15N同位素标记方法,研究在两种水分条件即60％和90％ WHC下,添加硝酸盐(NH4NO3,N 300 mg kg-1)和亚硝酸盐(NaNO2,N 1 mg kg-1)对中亚热带天然森林土壤N2O和NO产生过程及途径的影响.结果表明,在含水量为60％ WHC的情况下,高氮输入显著抑制了N2O和NO的产生(p＜0.01);但当含水量增为90％ WHC后,实验9h内抑制N2O产生,之后转为促进.所有未灭菌处理在添加NO2-后高氮抑制均立即解除并大量产生N2O和NO,与对照成显著差异(p＜0.01),在60％ WHC条件下,这种情况维持时间较短(21 h),但如果含水量高(90％ WHC)这种情况会持续很长时间(2周以上),说明水分有效性的提高和外源NO2-在高氮抑制解除中起到重要作用.本实验中N2O主要来源于土壤反硝化过程,而且加入未标记NO2-后导致杂合的N2O(14N15NO)分子在实验21 h内迅速增加,表明这种森林土壤的反硝化过程可能主要是通过真菌的“共脱氮”来实现,其贡献率可多达80％以上.Spearman秩相关分析表明未灭菌土壤NO的产生速率与N2O产生速率成显著正相关性(p＜0.05),土壤含水量越低二者相关性越高.灭菌土壤添加NO2-能较未灭菌土壤产生更多的NO,但却几乎不产生N2O,表明酸性土壤的化学反硝化对NO的贡献要大于N2O.     

The N2O product ratio of nitrification and its dependence on long-term changes in soil pH

The contribution of nitrification to the emission of nitrous oxide (N₂O) from soils may be large, but its regulation is not well understood. The soil pH appears to play a central role for controlling N₂O emissions from soil, partly by affecting the N₂O product ratios of both denitrification (N₂O/(N₂+N₂O)) and nitrification (N₂O/(NO₂⁻+NO₃⁻). Mechanisms responsible for apparently high N₂O product ratios of nitrification in acid soils are uncertain. We have investigated the pH regulation of the N₂O product ratio of nitrification in a series of experiments with slurries of soils from long-term liming experiments, spanning a pH range from 4.1 to 7.8. ¹⁵N labelled nitrate (NO₃⁻) was added to assess nitrification rates by pool dilution and to distinguish between N₂O from NO₃⁻ reduction and NH₃ oxidation. Sterilized soil slurries were used to determine the rates of chemodenitrification (i.e. the production of nitric oxide (NO) and N₂O from the chemical decomposition of nitrite (NO₂⁻)) as a function of NO₂⁻ concentrations. Additions of NO₂⁻ to aerobic soil slurries (with ¹⁵N labelled NO₃⁻ added) were used to assess its potential for inducing denitrification at aerobic conditions. For soils with pH?5, we found that the N₂O product ratios for nitrification were low (0.2-0.9‰) and comparable to values found in pure cultures of ammonia-oxidizing bacteria. In mineral soils we found only a minor increase in the N₂O product ratio with increasing soil pH, but the effect was so weak that it justifies a constant N₂O product ratio of nitrification for N₂O emission models. For the soils with pH 4.1 and 4.2, the apparent N₂O product ratio of nitrification was 2 orders of magnitude higher than above pH 5 (76‰ and 14‰). This could partly be accounted for by the rates of chemodenitrification of NO₂⁻. We further found convincing evidence for NO₂⁻-induction of aerobic denitrification in acid soils. The study underlines the role of NO₂⁻, both for regulating denitrification and for the apparent nitrifier-derived N₂O emission.     

好氧条件下两种水稻土的氮素总转化速率比较

Although to date individual gross N transformations could be quantified by ~(15)N tracing method and models,studies are still limited in paddy soil.An incubation experiment was conducted using topsoil(0-20 cm) and subsoil(20-60 cm) of two paddy soils,alkaline and clay(AC) soil and neutral and silt loam(NSL) soil,to investigate gross N transformation rates.Soil samples were labeled with either ~(15)NH4_NO_3 or NH_4~(15)NO_3,and then incubated at 25 °C for 168 h at 60%water-holding capacity.The gross N mineralization(recalcitrant and labile organic N mineralization) rates in AC soil were 1.6 to 3.3 times higher than that in NSL soil,and the gross N nitrification(autotrophic and heterotrophic nitrification) rates in AC soil were 2.4 to 4.4 times higher than those in NSL soil.Although gross NO_3~- consumption(i.e.,NO_3~- immobilization and dissimilatory NO_3~- reduction to NH_4~+ rates increased with increasing gross nitrification rates,the measured net nitrification rate in AC soil was approximately 2.0 to 5.1 times higher than that in NSL soil.These showed that high NO_3~- production capacity of alkaline paddy soil should be a cause for concern because an accumulation of NO_3~- can increase the risk of NO_3~- loss through leaching and denitrification.     

Conversion of forest to agricultural land affects the relative contribution of bacteria and fungi to nitrification in humid subtropical soils

Land-use and management practices can affect soil nitrification. However, nitrifying microorganisms responsible for specific nitrification process under different land-use soils remains unknown. Thus, we investigated the relative contribution of bacteria and fungi to specific soil nitrification in different land-use soils (coniferous forest, upland fields planted with corn and rice paddy) in humid subtropical region in China. ¹⁵N dilution technique in combination with selective biomass inhibitors and C₂H₂ inhibition method were used to estimate the relative contribution of bacteria and fungi to heterotrophic nitrification and autotrophic nitrification in the different land-use soils in humid subtropical region. The results showed that autotrophic nitrification was the predominant nitrification process in the two agricultural soils (upland and paddy), while the nitrate production was mainly from heterotrophic nitrification in the acid forest soil. In the upland soils, streptomycin reduced autotrophic nitrification by 94%, whereas cycloheximide had no effect on autotrophic nitrification, indicating that autotrophic nitrification was mainly driven by bacteria. However, the opposite was true in another agricultural soil (paddy), indicating that fungi contributed to the oxidation of NH₄⁺ to NO₃^?. In the acid forest soil, cycloheximide, but not streptomycin, inhibited heterotrophic nitrification, demonstrating that fungi controlled the heterotrophic nitrification. The conversion of forest to agricultural soils resulted in a shift from fungi-dominated heterotrophic nitrification to bacteria- or fungi-dominated autotrophic nitrification. Our results suggest that land-use and management practices, such as the application of N fertilizer and lime, the long-term waterflooding during rice growth, straw return after harvest, and cultivation could markedly influence the relative contribution of bacteria and fungi to specific soil nitrification processes.     

土壤温度、水分和NH4+-N浓度对土壤硝化反应速度及N2O排放的影响

硝化反应是土壤、特别是干旱半干旱地区农业土壤N2O产生的重要途径之一。但是,目前环境条件对硝化反应中N2O排放的影响研究较少,而在国内外通用的几个模型中均用固定比例估算硝化反应过程中N2O的排放。本文通过砂壤土培养试验,研究了土壤温度、水分和NH4+-N浓度对硝化反应速度及硝化反应中N2O排放的影响,并用数学模型定量表示了各因素对硝化反应的作用,用最小二乘法最优拟合求得该土壤的最大硝化反应速度及N2O最大排放比例。结果表明,随着温度升高,硝化反应速度呈指数增长;水分含量由20%充水孔隙度(WFPS)增加到40%WFPS时,反应速度增加,水分含量增加到60%WFPS时反应速度略有降低;NH4+-N浓度增加对硝化反应速度起抑制作用。用米氏方程描述该土壤的硝化反应过程,其最大硝化反应速度为6.67mg·kg?1·d?1。硝化反应中N2O排放比例随温度升高而降低;随NH4+-N浓度增加而略有增加;20%和40%WFPS水分含量时,硝化反应中N2O排放比例为0.43%～1.50%,最小二乘法求得的最大比例为3.03%,60%WFPS时可能由于反硝化作用,N2O排放比例急剧增加,还需进一步研究水分对硝化反应中N2O排放的影响。     

Effects of the nitrification inhibitor nitrapyrin and tillage practices on yield-scaled nitrous oxide emission from a maize field in Iran

Nitrification inhibitors can effectively decrease nitrification rates and nitrous oxide(N₂O)emission while increasing crop yield under certain conditions.However,there is no information available on the effects of nitrification inhibitors and tillage practices on N₂O emissions from maize cropping in Iran.To study how tillage practices and nitrapyrin(a nitrification inhibitor)affect N₂O emission,a split factorial experiment using a completely randomized block design with three replications was carried out in Northeast Iran,which has a cold semiarid climate.Two main plots were created with conventional tillage and minimum tillage levels,and two nitrogen(N)fertilizer(urea)management systems(with and without nitrapyrin application)were created as subplots.Tillage level did not have any significant effect on soil ammonium(NH₄⁺)and nitrate(NO₃^-)concentrations,cumulative amount and yield-scaled N₂O emission,and aboveground biomass of maize,whereas nitrapyrin application showed significant effect.Nitrapyrin application significantly reduced the cumulative amount of N₂O emission by 41%and 32%in conventional tillage and minimum tillage practices,respectively.A reduction in soil NO₃^-concentration by nitrapyrin was also observed.The average yield-scaled N₂O emission was 13.6 g N₂O-N kg^-1N uptake in both tillage systems without nitrapyrin application and was significantly reduced to 7.9 and 8.2 g N₂O-N kg^-1N uptake upon the application of nitrapyrin in minimum tillage and conventional tillage practices,respectively.Additionally,nitrapyrin application increased maize biomass yield by 4%and 13%in the minimum tillage and conventional tillage systems,respectively.Our results indicate that nitrapyrin has a potential role in reducing N₂O emission from agricultural systems where urea fertilizers are broadcasted,which is common in Iran due to the practice of traditional farming.     

聚天门冬氨酸钙盐对水稻田面水中三氮动态变化的影响

利用桶栽试验探究不同浓度水平的聚天门冬氨酸钙盐(PASP-Ca)对水稻田面水中铵态氮(NH_4~+)、硝态氮(NO_3~-)和总氮(TN)浓度动态变化的影响。结果表明,施氮后,田面水中TN、NH_4~+和NO_3~-分别于第1,3,9天达到最大值,随后逐渐降低。NO_3~-/TN多在0.1以下,(NH_4~++NO_3~-)/TN多在0.5以上。因此,可以将NH_4~+和TN作为农田水污染防治的主要监测指标,NO_3~-作为辅助指标。添加一定浓度的PASP—Ca能对田面水中氮素浓度的变化起到缓释作用,其中0.3%浓度水平的PASP—Ca效果相对较好,田面水中NH_4~+和TN的下降速率分别为3.452,4.806mg/(L·d),与单施氮肥(CK)相比,分别降低了11.68%和16.25%;同时,NH_4~+的平均浓度为6.999mg/L,较CK低了3.88%;NO_3~-的平均浓度为0.396mg/L,较CK低了24.83%;TN的平均浓度为20.077mg/L,较CK提升了3.10%。施氮后田面水中TN浓度随时间呈对数递减,而NH_4~+浓度在施氮后3天内随时间呈对数增加,之后随时间呈对数递减趋势。施氮后的9天内是防止稻田田面水中氮素流失的关键时期。     

不同铵硝配比对弱光下白菜氮素吸收及相关酶的影响

以黑色遮阳网覆盖模仿弱光环境, 使光照强度为自然光的20%左右, 以自然光照为对照, 采用精确控制水培溶液氮素营养, 研究NH₄⁺-N/NO₃^--N 比例分别为0/100、25/75、50/50、75/25、100/0 对弱光下白菜氮代谢及硝酸还原酶和谷氨酰胺合成酶活性的影响。结果表明, 弱光下, 白菜的鲜重及叶片总氮量以NH₄⁺-N/NO₃^--N 比为25/75 时最大, NH₄⁺-N/NO₃^--N 比为100/0 时最低。随弱光处理的进行, 白菜叶片中硝酸还原酶活性及谷氨酰胺合成酶活性均呈下降趋势, 但NH₄⁺-N/NO₃^--N 比为25/75 时, 可维持叶片内较高的硝酸还原酶活性及谷氨酰胺合成酶活性。试验表明, NH₄⁺-N/NO₃^--N 比25/75 是白菜在弱光下生长的较适宜氮素形态配比。     

农田土壤中氮同位素分级与硝化能力的关系研究

A laboratory-based aerobic incubation was conducted to investigate nitrogen(N) isotopic fractionation related to nitrification in five agricultural soils after application of ammonium sulfate((NH4)2SO4). The soil samples were collected from a subtropical barren land soil derived from granite(RGB),three subtropical upland soils derived from granite(RQU),Quaternary red earth(RGU),Quaternary Xiashu loess(YQU) and a temperate upland soil generated from alluvial deposit(FAU). The five soils varied in nitrification potential,being in the order of FAU YQU RGU RQU RGB. Significant N isotopic fractionation accompanied nitrification of NH+4. δ15N values of NH+4 increased with enhanced nitrification over time in the four upland soils with NH+4 addition,while those of NO-3 decreased consistently to the minimum and thereafter increased. δ15N values of NH+4 showed a significantly negative linear relationship with NH+4-N concentration,but a positive linear relationship with NO-3-N concentration. The apparent isotopic fractionation factor calculated based on the loss of NH+4 was 1.036 for RQU,1.022 for RGU,1.016 for YQU,and 1.020 for FAU,respectively. Zero- and first-order reaction kinetics seemed to have their limitations in describing the nitrification process affected by NH+4 input in the studied soils. In contrast,N kinetic isotope fractionation was closely related to the nitrifying activity,and might serve as an alternative tool for estimating the nitrification capacity of agricultural soils.     

Dinitrogen and N2O emissions in arable soils: Effect of tillage, N source and soil moisture

A laboratory investigation was performed to compare the fluxes of dinitrogen (N₂), N₂O and carbon dioxide (CO₂) from no-till (NT) and conventional till (CT) soils under the same water, mineral nitrogen and temperature status. Intact soil cores (0-10 cm) were incubated for 2 weeks at 25 °C at either 75% or 60% water-filled pore space (WFPS) with ¹⁵N-labeled fertilizers (100 mg N kg⁻¹ soil). Gas and soil samples were collected at 1-4 day intervals during the incubation period. The N₂O and CO₂ fluxes were measured by a gas chromatography (GC) system while total N₂ and N₂O losses and their ¹⁵N mole fractions in the soil mineral N pool were determined by a mass spectrometer. The daily accumulative fluxes of N₂ and N₂O were significantly affected by tillage, N source and soil moisture. We observed higher (P<0.05) fluxes of N₂+N₂O, N₂O and CO₂ from the NT soils than from the CT soils. Compared with the addition of nitrate (NO₃⁻), the addition of ammonium (NH₄⁺) enhanced the emissions of these N and C gases in the CT and NT soils, but the effect of NH₄⁺ on the N₂ and/or N₂O fluxes was evident only at 60% WFPS, indicating that nitrification and subsequent denitrification contributed largely to the gaseous N losses and N₂O emission under the lower moisture condition. Total and fertilizer-induced emissions of N₂ and/or N₂O were higher (P<0.05) at 75% WFPS than with 60% WFPS, while CO₂ fluxes were not influenced by the two moisture levels. These laboratory results indicate that there is greater potential for N₂O loss from NT soils than CT soils. Avoiding wet soil conditions (>60% WFPS) and applying a NO₃⁻ form of N fertilizer would reduce potential N₂O emissions from arable soils.