Enhanced-efficiency nitrogen fertilizers reduce winter losses of nitrous oxide,but not of ammonia,from no-till soil in a subtropical agroecosystem

Nitrogen (N) gas losses can be reduced by using enhanced-efficiency N (EEN) fertilizers such as urease inhibitors and coating technologies. In this work, we assessed the potential of EEN fertilizers to reduce winter losses of nitrous oxide (N₂O-N) and ammonia (NH₃-N) from a subtropical field experiment on a clayey Inceptisol under no-till in Southern Brazil. The EEN sources used included urea containing N-(n-butyl) thiophosphoric triamide (UR+NBPT), polymer-coated urea (P-CU) and copper-and-boron-coated urea (CuB-CU) in addition to common urea (UR) and a control treatment without N fertilizer application. N₂O-N and NH₃-N losses were assessed by using the static chamber method and semi-open static collectors, respectively. Both N₂O-N and NH₃-N exhibited two large peaks with an intervening period of low soil moisture and air temperature. Although the short-term effect was limited to the first few days after application, UR + NBPT urea decreased soil N₂O-N emissions by 38% relative to UR. In contrast, urease inhibitor technology had no effect on NH₃-N volatilization. Both coating technologies (CuB-CU and P-CU) were ineffective in reducing N losses via N₂O production or NH₃ volatilization. The N₂O emission factor (% N applied released as N₂O) was unaffected by all N sources and amounted to only 0.48% of N applied—roughly one-half the default factor of IPCC Tier 1 (1%). Based on our findings, using NBPT-treated urea in the cold winter season in subtropical agroecosystems provides environmental benefits in the form of reduced soil N₂O emissions; however, fertilizer coating technologies provide no agronomic (NH₃) or environmental (N₂O) advantages.     

不同碳源添加对钙质土高累积硝态氮向土壤有机氮库转化的研究

Excessive amounts of nitrate have accumulated in many soils on the North China Plain due to the large amounts of chemical N fertilizers or manures used in combination with low carbon inputs. We investigated the potential of different carbon substrates added to transform soil nitrate into soil organic N (SON). A 56-d laboratory incubation experiment using the 15 N tracer (K15 NO3 ) technique was carried out to elucidate the proportion of SON derived from accumulated soil nitrate following amendment with glucose or maize straw at controlled soil temperature and moisture. The dynamics and isotopic abundance of mineral N (NO3 and NH+4 ) and SON and greenhouse gas (N2O and CO2 ) emissions during the incubation were investigated. Although carbon amendments markedly stimulated transformation of nitrate to newly formed SON, this was only a substitution effect of the newly formed SON with native SON because SON at the end of the incubation period was not significantly different (P > 0.05) from that in control soil without added C. At the end of the incubation period, amendment with glucose, a readily available C source, increased nitrate immobilization by 2.65 times and total N2O-N emission by 33.7 times, as compared with maize straw amendment. Moreover, the differences in SON and total N2O-N emission between the treatments with glucose and maize straw were significant (P < 0.05). However, the total N2O-N emission in the straw treatment was not significantly (P > 0.05) greater than that in the control. Straw amendment may be a potential option in agricultural practice for transformation of nitrate N to SON and minimization of N2O emitted as well as restriction of NO3-N leaching.     

Effect of straw biochar application on soil carbon,greenhouse gas emissions and nitrogen leaching: A vegetable crop rotation field experiment

Intensive vegetable crop systems are rapidly developing, with consequences for greenhouse gas (GHGs) emissions, nitrogen leaching and soil carbon. We undertook a field trial to explore the effect of biochar application (0, 10, 20 and 40 t ha⁻¹) on these factors in lettuce, water spinach and ice plant rotation. Our results show that the 20 and 40 t ha⁻¹ soil treatments resulted in the SOC content being 26.3% and 29.8% higher than the control (0 t ha⁻¹), respectively, with significant differences among all treatments (p < .05). Biochar application caused N₂O emissions to decrease during the lettuce and water spinach seasons, by 1.5%–33.6% and 12.4%–40.5%, respectively, compared the control, with the 20 t ha⁻¹ application rate resulting in the lowest N₂O emissions. Biochar also decreased the dissolved nitrogen (DN) concentration in leachate by 9.8%–36.2%, following a 7.3%–19.9% reduction in dissolved nitrogen in the soil. Similarly, biochar decreased the nitrate (NO₃⁻) concentrations in leachate by 3.9%–30.2%, following a 3.8%–16.7% reduction in the soil nitrate level. Overall, straw biochar applied at rate of 20 t ha⁻¹ produced the lowest N₂O emissions and N leaching, while, increasing soil carbon.     

Effect of biochar and nitrogen fertilizers on maize seedling growth and enzyme activity relating to nitrification

Maximizing nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) involves synchronizing the interplay between nitrogen preferential crops and the nitrogen transformation pathways of soil. Biochar may benefit specific N-preference crops in relatively unsuitable soil environments; however, experimental data are lacking. This study tested eight treatments, consisting of four nitrogen treatments (N0 = control; N1 = NH₄Cl; N2 = NaNO₃; and N3 = 1:1 ratio of NH₄⁺ and NO₃⁻) each with biochar applied at 0% or 2% (w/w). The results show that biochar and/or nitrogen application enhanced maize seedling biomass and NO₃⁻-based fertilizer resulted in higher seedling biomass than NH₄⁺-based fertilizer. With the application of biochar and NH₄⁺-based fertilizer, maize seedling biomass increased and soil NH₄⁺-N content was significantly reduced compared with NH₄Cl sole application. Correlation analysis and redundancy analysis revealed that SOC content and inorganic nitrogen content were the main factors influencing maize growth and N absorption. Biochar with or without nitrogen fertilizer (except N1 treatment) significantly increased β-1,4-glucosidase (BG) activity. Co-application treatments also resulted in higher vector length, an indicator of C limitation—the increment might add to the risk of microbial C limitation. The activity of ammonia monooxygenase (AMO), a key enzyme in nitrification, decreased with the co-application of biochar and nitrogen, suggesting the alteration of nitrogen transformation.     

The effects of rice (Oryza sativa L. ssp. japonica) husk biochar on nitrogen dynamics during the decomposition of hairy vetch in two soils under high-soil moisture condition

ABSTRACT

Legumes, including hairy vetch (Vicia villosa Roth), are widely used as green manures. They fix nitrogen (N) and provide the N to other crops when they decompose, and thus are considered alternatives for chemical N fertilizers. However, N-rich plant residues, including hairy vetch, are also sources of soil nitrous oxide (N₂O) emissions, a greenhouse gas. On one hand, rice (Oryza sativa L. ssp. japonica) husk biochar is widely used as a soil conditioner in Japan and has been reported as a tool to mitigate soil N₂O emissions. We conducted a soil core incubation experiment (1.5 months) to compare the N₂O emissions during the decomposition of surface-applied hairy vetch (0.8 kg dried hairy vetch m^?2 soil) under semi-saturated soil moisture conditions (~100% water-filled pore space (WFPS)), using two soil types, namely Andosol and Fluvisol. Throughout the incubation period, the use of biochar suppressed soil NH₄⁺-N concentrations in Andosol, whereas the effect of biochar on NH₄⁺-N was not clear in Fluvisol. Biochar increased the nitrate (NO₃^?-N) levels both in Andosol and Fluvisol, suggesting a negative influence on denitrification and/or a positive influence on nitrification. Biochar application did not influence the cumulative N₂O emissions. Our study suggests that rice husk biochar is not a good option to mitigate N₂O emissions during the decomposition of surface-applied hairy vetch, although this study was performed under laboratory conditions without plants. However, the trends of the inorganic-N concentration changes followed by the addition of hairy vetch and biochar were markedly different between the two soil types. Thus, factors behind the differences need to be further studied.     

Application of mixed straw and biochar meets plant demand of carbon dioxide and increases soil carbon storage in sunken solar greenhouse vegetable production

Solar vegetable greenhouse soils show low soil organic carbon content and thus also low rates of soil respiration. Processing vegetable residues to biochar and mixing biochar with maize straw might improve soil respiration and increase soil organic carbon stocks, while preventing the spread of soil-borne diseases carried by vegetable residues. In an incubation experiment, we tested how additions of maize straw (S) and biochar (B) added in varying ratios (100S, 75S25B, 50S50B, 25S75B, 100B and 0S0B (control)) affect soil respiration and fraction of added C remaining in soil. Daily CO₂ emissions were measured over 60 days incubation, the natural abundance of ¹³C in soil and in the added biochar and maize straw were analysed. Our result shows that (a) soil CO₂ emissions were significantly increased compared to soil without the straw additions, while addition of biochar only decreased soil respiration; (b) cumulative CO₂ emissions decreased with increasing ratio of added biochar to maize straw; (c) the abundance of soil ¹³C was significant positively correlated with cumulative CO₂ emissions, and thus with the ratio of straw addition. Our results indicate that incorporation of maize straw in greenhouse soils is a meaningful measure to increase soil respiration and to facilitate greenhouse atmosphere CO₂ limitation while producing vegetables. On the other hand, additions of biochar from vegetable residues will increase soil organic carbon concentration. Therefore, the simultaneous application of maize straw and biochar obtained from vegetable residues is an effective option to maintain essential soil functions for vegetable production in sunken solar greenhouses.     

Effect of crop residue C:N ratio on N2O emissions from Gray Lowland soil in Mikasa,Hokkaido, Japan

Abstract

We studied the effect of crop residues with various C:N ratios on N₂O emissions from soil. We set up five experimental plots with four types of crop residues, onion leaf (OL), soybean stem and leaf (SSL), rice straw (RS) and wheat straw (WS), and no residue (NR) on Gray Lowland soil in Mikasa, Hokkaido, Japan. The C:N ratios of these crop residues were 11.6, 14.5, 62.3, and 110, respectively. Based on the results of a questionnaire survey of farmer practices, we determined appropriate application rates: 108, 168, 110, 141 and 0 g C m^?2 and 9.3, 11.6, 1.76, 1.28 and 0 g N m^?2, respectively. We measured N₂O, CO₂ and NO fluxes using a closed chamber method. At the same time, we measured soil temperature at a depth of 5 cm, water-filled pore space (WFPS), and the concentrations of soil NH⁺ ₄-N, NO^? ₃-N and water-soluble organic carbon (WSOC). Significant peaks of N₂O and CO₂ emissions came from OL and SSL just after application, but there were no emissions from RS, WS or NR. There was a significant relationship between N₂O and CO₂ emissions in each treatment except WS, and correlations between CO₂ flux and temperature in RS, soil NH⁺ ₄-N and N₂O flux in SSL and NR, soil NH⁺ ₄-N and CO₂ flux in SSL, and WSOC and CO₂ flux in WS. The ratio of N₂O-N/NO-N increased to approximately 100 in OL and SSL as N₂O emissions increased. Cumulative N₂O and CO₂ emissions increased as the C:N ratio decreased, but not significantly. The ratio of N₂O emission to applied N ranged from ?0.43% to 0.86%, and was significantly correlated with C:N ratio (y = ?0.59 ln [x] + 2.30, r ² = 0.99, P < 0.01). The ratio of CO₂ emissions to applied C ranged from ?5.8% to 45% and was also correlated with C:N ratio, but not significantly (r ² = 0.78, P = 0.11).     

两种水分含量下生物质炭对黑土N2O排放及硝化反硝化基因丰度的影响

生物质炭对土壤结构改良、土壤肥力提升和农田温室气体排放具有重要意义。本研究以吉林省梨树县典型黑土为研究对象，通过培育实验，研究不同土壤水分含量（40%WHC和100%WHC）下，生物质炭种类（玉米秸秆生物质炭和稻壳生物质炭）和施加量（0%、1%和4%（w/w））对黑土N2O排放及硝化反硝化功能基因丰度的影响。结果表明，随着秸秆生物质炭施加量的增加，土壤N2O排放呈下降趋势，4%高量秸秆生物质炭添加下，土壤N2O排放量仅为1%低量秸秆生物质炭添加下的33.9%。同时土壤NO- 3-N也表现出一致性规律，4%高量生物质炭添加下土壤NO- 3-N含量显著低于1%低量生物质炭。在100%WHC土壤水分状况下，玉米秸秆生物质炭显著增加了土壤N2O排放，而稻壳生物质炭则显著降低了土壤N2O排放。高土壤水分显著促进了土壤N2O排放，进一步为实时荧光定量PCR结果所证实，高土壤水分通过增加nirS基因丰度进而促进了土壤反硝化作用过程，而4%高量稻壳生物质炭添加下nosZ基因丰度显著高于玉米秸秆生物质炭添加，表现出更强的N2O还原潜力。尽管amoA-AOA基因丰度在不同生物质炭添加量下并未发生显著变化，但amoA-AOB基因丰度在高量玉米秸秆生物质炭添加下显著下降。结果说明，土壤水分和生物质炭通过影响土壤硝化反硝化微生物的营养底物和代谢过程，进而影响土壤N2O排放特征。     

Wheat straw and its biochar had contrasting effects on soil C and N cycling two growing seasons after addition to a Black Chernozemic soil planted to barley

Application of crop residues and its biochar produced through slow pyrolysis can potentially increase carbon (C) sequestration in agricultural production systems. The impact of crop residue and its biochar addition on greenhouse gas emission rates and the associated changes of soil gross N transformation rates in agricultural soils are poorly understood. We evaluated the effect of wheat straw and its biochar applied to a Black Chernozemic soil planted to barley, two growing seasons or 15 months (at the full-bloom stage of barley in the second growing season) after their field application, on CO₂ and N₂O emission rates, soil inorganic N and soil gross N transformation rates in a laboratory incubation experiment. Gross N transformation rates were studied using the ¹⁵N isotope pool dilution method. The field experiment included four treatments: control, addition of wheat straw (30 t ha^?1), addition of biochar pyrolyzed from wheat straw (20 t ha^?1), and addition of wheat straw plus its biochar (30 t ha^?1 wheat straw + 20 t ha^?1 biochar). Fifteen months after their application, wheat straw and its biochar addition increased soil total organic C concentrations (p?=?0.039 and <0.001, respectively) but did not affect soil dissolved organic C, total N and NH₄ ⁺-N concentrations, and soil pH. Biochar addition increased soil NO₃ ^?-N concentrations (p?=?0.004). Soil CO₂ and N₂O emission rates were increased by 40 (p?p?=?0.03), respectively, after wheat straw addition, but were not affected by biochar application. Straw and its biochar addition did not affect gross and net N mineralization rates or net nitrification rates. However, biochar addition doubled gross nitrification rates relative to the control (p?2 and N₂O emissions and enhance soil C sequestration. However, the implications of the increased soil gross nitrification rate and NO₃ ^?-N in the biochar addition treatment for long-term NO₃ ^?-N dynamics and N₂O emissions need to be further studied.     

半干旱区施氮和灌溉条件下覆膜对春玉米产量及氮素平衡的影响

以典型半干旱区干湿砂质新成土（Ust-Sandic Entisols）为供试土壤进行田间试验,研究地膜覆盖、施氮及补充灌水量对春玉米（Zea mays L.）产量、土壤矿质氮（NO3--N和NH4+-N）及氮素平衡的影响。结果表明,0—100 cm土体范围内,随着土层加深,播前和收获后土壤NO3--N含量呈降低趋势,NH4+-N有所增加,但变幅不大;总矿质氮量（NO3--N和NH4+-N）表现为下降。说明地膜覆盖和施氮并没有使NO3--N深层累积量增加,这可能与土壤本身供氮能力严重不足有关。与不施氮相比,施氮各处理氮肥表观损失量增加;与不覆膜相比,作物氮素累积量比不覆膜显著增加（P0.05）。在低灌（80 mm）覆膜和高灌（160 mm）覆膜条件下,玉米的氮肥利用率均比不覆膜均提高了18.8%,说明覆膜低灌在相同施氮条件下,可节约80 mm灌水。但低灌（80 mm）与高灌（160 mm）不覆膜间氮肥利用率差异不显著,表明在相同施氮条件下,覆膜可有效提高氮肥利用率,减少氮素损失。综合考虑籽粒产量和氮肥利用率,“覆膜+补灌80 mm+施氮90 kg/hm2”可能为本试验条件下较优的栽培模式。     

Effects of various nitrogen fertilizers on emission of nitrous oxide from soils

Summary Field studies of the effects of different N fertilizers on emission of nitrous oxide (N20) from three Iowa soils showed that the N₂O emissions induced by application of 180 kg ha^–1 fertilizer N as anhydrous ammonia greatly exceeded those induced by application of the same amount of fertilizer N as aqueous ammonia or urea. On average, the emission of N₂O-N induced by anhydrous ammonia was more than 13 times that induced by aqueous ammonia or urea and represented 1.2% of the anhydrous ammonia N applied. Experiments with one soil showed that the N₂O emission induced by anhydrous ammonia was more than 17 times that induced by the same amount of N as calcium nitrate. These findings confirm indications from previous work that anhydrous ammonia has a much greater effect on emission of N₂O from soils than do other commonly used N fertilizers and merits special attention in research relating to the potential adverse climatic effect of N fertilization of soils.Laboratory studies of the effect of different amounts of NH₄OH on emission of N₂O from Webster soil showed that the emission of N₂O-N induced by addition of 100 g NH₄OH-N g^–1 soil represented only 0.18% of the N applied, whereas the emissions induced by additions of 500 and 1 000 g NH4OH-N g^–1 soil represented 1.15% and 1.19%, respectively, of the N applied. This suggests that the exceptionally large emissions of N₂O induced by anhydrous ammonia fertilization are due, at least in part, to the fact that the customary method of applying this fertilizer by injection into soil produces highly alkaline soil zones of high ammonium-N concentration that do not occur when urea or aqueous ammonia fertilizers are broadcast and incorporated into soil.     

Nitrate Transformation and N2O Emission in a Typical Intensively Managed Calcareous Fluvaquent Soil: A 15-Nitrogen Tracer Incubation Study

A 56-day aerobic incubation experiment was performed with 15-nitrogen (N) tracer techniques after application of wheat straw to investigate nitrate-N (NO₃-N) immobilization in a typical intensively managed calcareous Fluvaquent soil. The dynamics of concentration and isotopic abundance of soil N pools and nitrous oxide (N₂O) emission were determined. As the amount of straw increased, the concentration and isotopic abundance of total soil organic N and newly formed labeled particulate organic matter (POM-N) increased while NO₃-N decreased. When ¹⁵NO₃-N was applied combined with a large amount of straw at 5000 mg carbon (C) kg^?1 only 1.1 ± 0.4 mg kg^?1 NO₃-N remained on day 56. The soil microbial biomass N (SMBN) concentration and newly formed labeled SMBN increased significantly (P < 0.05) with increasing amount of straw. Total N₂O-N emissions were at levels of only micrograms kg^?1 soil. The results indicate that application of straw can promote the immobilization of excessive nitrate with little emission of N₂O.     

生物炭改性黏土的渗水渗气特性及其函数关系

黏土中施加生物炭可改变土体的孔隙结构。生物炭掺量和干密度均会对土体的渗透系数产生影响,准确确定生物炭-黏土混合土的渗透系数对满足填埋场上覆层的功能需求就显得格外重要。采用自主研发设计的柔性壁水-气联合渗透测试装置,测定不同生物炭掺量和干密度的生物炭-黏土混合土的饱和渗透系数和渗气系数,得到生物炭掺量、干密度与渗气系数和渗水系数间的关系曲线。建立生物炭掺量和干密度双变化条件下的渗气渗水函数,并通过验证组验证该函数的适用性。研究结果表明：在干密度较小时,对比纯黏土的渗水率,添加5%、10%、15%和20%生物炭处理后的土样渗水系数k_w值分别为8.25×10^-17、8.89×10^-17、10.40×10^-17和18.25×10^-17 m²,掺20%生物炭土样的渗透率增加了将近一个数量级。渗气渗水函数基于易测定的渗气率作为自变量,同时又考虑了干密度和生物炭掺量的影响,能快速、准确地确定土样的渗水系数。结合验证组试验得出,利用该函数计算得到的渗水系数和试验实测值吻合程度较好,表明该函数具有一定的适用性。本研究结果可为快速、准确确定渗水系数,定量描述非饱和土孔隙中水气运动之间的相互影响提供理论支撑。     

玉米秸秆炭还田对黑土土壤肥力特性和氮素农学效应的影响

【目的】探索玉米秸秆炭对东北黑土土壤肥力特性和氮素农学效应的影响,可为东北玉米集约化生产区秸秆资源利用和培肥土壤提供理论和实际应用基础。【方法】本研究以东北典型黑土区春玉米种植体系为研究对象,通过连续两年的田间原位试验,研究了添加500℃厌氧条件热解的玉米秸秆炭对土壤养分含量、 微生物和酶活性的影响及玉米秸秆炭对作物产量和氮素农学效应的影响。试验设三个处理: 1)PK+4 t/hm2秸秆还田(CK); 2)NPK+4 t/hm2秸秆还田; 3)NPK+4 t/hm2秸秆还田+2 t/hm2秸秆生产秸秆碳,在玉米成熟期取020 cm土壤样品和植株样品,采用常规方法进行相关项目的测定。【结果】 1)土壤养分分析结果。与秸秆还田相比,秸秆炭处理在2013和2014年土壤碱解氮含量(AN)分别提高了10.1%和9.7%,均达到显著水平(P0.05); 土壤速效磷含量(AP)分别提高了13.7%和27.3%,在2014年达到显著水平(P0.05); 土壤微生物量碳含量(SMBC)分别提高了13.5%和26.9%,土壤脲酶活性(URE)分别提高了22.3%和31.8%,2014年SMBC和URE升高均达显著(P0.05)。秸秆炭对土壤有机质(OM)、 全氮(TN)、 速效钾(AK)、 土壤微生物量氮(SMBN)和蔗糖酶活性(SUC)的提升效果在两年试验中均没有达到显著水平, 2)氮素农学效应影响结果。与处理2相比,处理3肥料氮偏因子生产力(PFPN)分别提高了3.3%和9.6%,肥料氮经济效益(EBN)分别提高了12.9%和27.5%,均在2014年表现出显著提高(P0.05); 而两年间处理3的玉米产量分别提高3.3%和9.5%、 肥料氮利用率(UEN)分别提高了3.9%和14.0%、 肥料氮农学效率(AEN)分别提高了11.6%和23.9%,但均未达显著水平。【结论】2年试验初步表明施用玉米秸秆炭可以提高土壤微生物活性和土壤酶活性,调节土壤与作物之间的养分供需,改善土壤养分状况,对提升氮素农学效应有作用。因此,玉米秸秆炭可作为秸秆资源高效利用的有效形式,其长期效果还需进一步试验。     

NH3 Volatilization,N2O Emission and Microbial Biomass Turnover from 15N-Labeled Manure Under Laboratory Conditions

On irrigated agricultural soils from semi-arid and arid regions, ammonia (NH₃) volatilization and nitrous oxide (N₂O) emission can be a considerable source of N losses. This study was designed to test the capture of ¹⁵N loss as NH₃ and N₂O from previous and recent manure application using a sandy, calcareous soil from Oman amended one or two times with ¹⁵N labeled manure to elucidate microbial turnover processes under laboratory conditions. The system allowed to detect ¹⁵N enrichments in evolved N₂O-N and NH₃-N of up to 17% and 9%, respectively, and total N, K₂SO₄ extractable N and microbial N pools from previous and recent ¹⁵N labeled manure applications of up to 7%, 8%, and 15%. One time manured soil had higher cumulative N₂O-N emissions (141 µg kg^?1) than repeatedly manured soil with 43 µg kg^?1 of which only 22% derived from recent manure application indicating a priming effect.     

Reduced mineral fertilization coupled with straw return in field mesocosm vegetable cultivation helps to coordinate greenhouse gas emissions and vegetable production

Purpose

The partial substitution of mineral fertilizers with straw in agricultural soils could help to control soil acidification, reduce the risk of eutrophication from agricultural runoff, and increase the utilization efficiency of straw. However, the effects of such coupled practices on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and production yields in vegetable fields are not clear. Therefore, the objectives of this study were to (1) understand methane (CH₄) and nitrous oxide (N₂O) emissions in response to the same amounts of straw return with varied amounts of mineral fertilizers, and (2) to identify a solution which could better coordinate GHG emissions, vegetable production yield, and the utilization of agricultural straw following disposal.

Materials and methods

We conducted four-season (lettuce-cabbage-chili-lettuce) vegetable cultivation for 1 year using a control treatment (CT), mineral fertilization only (F), and four mineral fertilization treatments plus maize straw (FS, 0.7FS, 0.6FS, and 0.5FS). We then examined seasonal changes of CH₄ and N₂O fluxes, CH₄ and N₂O cumulative emissions, soil organic carbon (SOC), nitrate nitrogen (NO₃^?-N) and ammonium nitrogen (NH₄⁺-N) content, vegetable yields, global warming potential (GWP), greenhouse gas intensity (GHGI), and N₂O emission factors (EF).

Results and discussion

Compared to the F treatment, the application of maize straw increased the N₂O flux significantly in the FS, 0.7FS, 0.6FS, and 0.5FS treatments. In treatments with added straw, the reduced application of mineral fertilizer led to a reduction in the cumulative N₂O emission; this was due to the reduced content of NO₃^?-N content. The lowest CH₄ flux and cumulative CH₄ emission were observed in the 0.7FS treatment; this may be due to a form of competitive oxidation between CH₄ and NH₄⁺-N from urea. Furthermore, the application of maize straw in combination with a full dose of mineral fertilizers led to high GWP and GHGI values, which showed increases of 88.7% and 78.8%, respectively, in comparison with the F treatment. When taking SOC storage variations into account, which were caused by straw decomposition during cultivation, we identified a negative net GHGI (NGHGI) value (??0.0448 kg CO₂-eq kg^?1 yield) in the 0.7FS treatment. This indicated that the NGHGI had decreased by 116.2% relative to the F treatment when based on similar vegetable yields.

Conclusions

Straw combined with 70% mineral fertilizer led to better GHG emissions and vegetable yield when taking into account the carbon sequestration and decomposition caused by the addition of straw.

     

Carbon dioxide and gaseous nitrogen emissions from biochar‐amended soils under wastewater irrigated urban vegetable production of Burkina Faso and Ghana

To quantify carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) losses in soils of West African urban and peri‐urban agriculture (UPA) we measured fluxes of CO₂‐C, N₂O‐N, and NH₃‐N from irrigated fields in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, and Tamale, Ghana, under different fertilization and (waste‐)water regimes. Compared with the unamended control, application of fertilizers increased average cumulative CO₂‐C emissions during eight cropping cycles in Ouagadougou by 103% and during seven cropping cycles in Tamale by 42%. Calculated total emissions measured across all cropping cycles reached 14 t C ha^?1 in Ouagadougou, accounting for 73% of the C applied as organic fertilizer over a period of two years at this site, and 9 t C ha^?1 in Tamale. Compared with unamended control plots, fertilizer application increased N₂O‐N emissions in Ouagadougou during different cropping cycles, ranging from 37 to 360%, while average NH₃‐N losses increased by 670%. Fertilizer application had no significant effects on N₂O‐N losses in Tamale. While wastewater irrigation did not significantly enhance CO₂‐C emissions in Ouagadougou, average CO₂‐C emissions in Tamale were 71% (1.6 t C ha^?1) higher on wastewater plots compared with those of the control (0.9 t C ha^?1). However, no significant effects of wastewater on N₂O‐N and NH₃‐N emissions were observed at either location. Although biochar did not affect N₂O‐N and NH₃‐N losses, the addition of biochar could contribute to reducing CO₂‐C emissions from urban garden soils. When related to crop production, CO₂‐C emissions were higher on control than on fertilized plots, but this was not the case for absolute CO₂‐C emissions.     

秸秆还田与施氮对黑土区春玉米田产量、 温室气体排放及土壤酶活性的影响

探讨秸秆还田与施氮对高纬度黑土区春玉米产量与温室气体排放特性的影响,对促进粮食增产和降低环境代价具有重要意义。本研究通过位于黑土区的大田定位试验,利用静态箱-气相色谱计数方法,在秸秆还田与不还田和3个氮素用量(纯N:120 kg·hm~(-2),240 kg·hm~(-2)和300 kg·hm~(-2))条件下,研究了春玉米不同生育时期农田土壤CO2、N2O和CH4综合温室效应与排放强度,以及土壤过氧化氢酶和脲酶活性的变化。结果表明:无秸秆还田时,高氮用量处理春玉米产量最高;秸秆还田后,中等氮用量处理(240 kg·hm~(-2))春玉米产量最高,且与无秸秆还田的高氮处理间无显著差异。无秸秆还田时,随施氮量增加,CO2、N2O和CH4排放量均显著提高,综合温室效应和土壤温室气体排放量与强度显著增加(P0.05);增施氮肥配合秸秆还田,增加了CO2和N2O的排放量,而土壤CH4的碳汇功能增强,温室气体排放量与强度未显著提高(P0.05)。无秸秆还田,增施氮肥降低了土壤过氧化氢酶活性但提高了土壤脲酶活性;而秸秆还田使得增施氮肥引起的土壤过氧化氢酶活性降低的幅度加大但土壤脲酶活性提高的幅度变小。因此,秸秆还田后配合中等用量氮处理(240 kg·hm~(-2))玉米产量最高,且能够抑制单纯增施氮肥对综合温室效应和土壤温室气体排放强度的促进作用,推荐在生产中参考使用。     

Combined effects of nitrogen deposition and biochar application on emissions of N2O,CO2 and NH3 from agricultural and forest soils

Abstract

Both nitrogen (N) deposition and biochar can affect the emissions of nitrous oxide (N₂O), carbon dioxide (CO₂) and ammonia (NH₃) from different soils. Here, we have established a simulated wet N deposition experiment to investigate the effects of N deposition and biochar addition on N₂O and CO₂ emissions and NH₃ volatilization from agricultural and forest soils. Repacked soil columns were subjected to six N deposition events over a 1-year period. N was applied at rates of 0 (N0), 60 (N60), and 120 (N120) kg Nh a^?1 yr^?1 without or with biochar (0 and 30 t ha^?1 yr^?1). For agricultural soil, adding N increased cumulative N₂O emissions by 29.8% and 99.1% (p < 0.05) from the N60 and N120 treatments, respectively as compared to without N treatments, and N120 emitted 53.4% more (p < 0.05) N₂O than the N60 treatment; NH₃ volatilization increased by 33.6% and 91.9% (p < 0.05) from the N60 and N120 treatments, respectively, as compared to without N treatments, and N120 emitted 43.6% more (p < 0.05) NH₃ than N60; cumulative CO₂ emissions were not influenced by N addition. For forest soil, adding N significantly increased cumulative N₂O emissions by 141.2% (p < 0.05) and 323.0% (p < 0.05) from N60 and N120 treatments, respectively, as compared to without N treatments, and N120 emitted 75.4% more (p < 0.05) N₂O than N60; NH₃ volatilization increased by 39.0% (p < 0.05) and 56.1% (p < 0.05) from the N60 and N120 treatments, respectively, as compared to without N treatments, and there was no obvious difference between N120 and N60 treatments; cumulative CO₂ emissions were not influenced by N addition. Biochar amendment significantly (p < 0.05) decreased cumulative N₂O emissions by 20.2% and 25.5% from agricultural and forest soils, respectively, and increased CO₂ emissions slightly by 7.2% and NH₃ volatilization obviously by 21.0% in the agricultural soil, while significantly decreasing CO₂ emissions by 31.5% and NH₃ volatilization by 22.5% in the forest soil. These results suggest that N deposition would strengthen N₂O and NH₃ emissions and have no effect on CO₂ emissions in both soils, and treatments receiving the higher N rate at N120 emitted obviously more N₂O and NH₃ than the lower rate at N60. Under the simulated N deposition circumstances, biochar incorporation suppressed N₂O emissions in both soils, and produced contrasting effects on CO₂ and NH₃ emissions, being enhanced in the agricultural soil while suppressed in the forest soil.     

改善根系生长捕获深层土中NO3-N最优化免耕玉米氮肥利用率

Subsoil acidity restricts root growth and reduces crop yields in many parts of the world. More than half of the fertilizer nitrogen(N) applied in crop production is currently lost to the environment. This study aimed to investigate the effect of gypsum application on the efficiency of N fertilizer in no-till corn(Zea mays L.) production in southern Brazil. A field experiment examined the effects of surface-applied gypsum(0, 5, 10, and 15 Mg ha~(-1)) and top-dressed ammonium nitrate(NH_4NO_3)(60, 120, and 180 kg N ha~(-1)) on corn root length, N uptake, and grain yield. A greenhouse experiment was conducted using undisturbed soil columns collected from the field experiment site to evaluate NO_3-N leaching, N uptake, and root length with surface-applied gypsum(0 and 10 Mg ha~(-1)) and top-dressed NH_4NO_3(0 and 180 kg N ha~(-1)). Amelioration of subsoil acidity due to gypsum application increased corn root growth,N uptake, grain yield, and N use efficiency. Applying gypsum to the soil surface increased corn grain yield by 19%–38% and partial factor productivity of N(PFPN) by 27%–38%, depending on the N application rate. Results of the undisturbed soil column greenhouse experiment showed that improvement of N use efficiency by gypsum application was due to the higher N uptake from NO_3-N in the subsoil as a result of increased corn root length. Our results suggest that ameliorating subsoil acidity with gypsum in a no-till corn system could increase N use efficiency, improve grain yield, and reduce environmental risks due to NO_3-N leaching.