Effects of stabilized N fertilizer combined with straw returning on rice yield and emission of N2O and CH4 in a paddy field

Abstract

Based on a two-year field experiment located at Shenyang Applied Ecological Experiment Station of Chinese Academy of Sciences, we examined the effects of stabilized N fertilizer combined with straw returning on rice yield and emission of N2O and CH4 in aquic brown soil. Six treatments were set up, i.e. control (CK), urea(U), urea+urease inhibitor+nitrification inhibitor (U+I), straw (S), straw+urea (S+U), straw+urea+ urease inhibitor+nitrification inhibitor (S+U+I). The results showed that urea application increased rice yield, cumulative N2O and CH4 emission, and global warming potential. The treatment of U+I significantly mitigated cumulative N2O emission. Returning rice straw to the field significantly increased cumulative N2O emission, cumulative CH4 emission, global warming potential, and greenhouse gas emission intensity. The S+U+I treatment had the highest rice yield and greenhouse gas emission intensity. U+I treatment had the the second highest rice yield and the lowest greenhouse gas emission intensity. Rice yield in the S treatment showed no significant difference with CK. Our results indicated that S+U+I and U+I are relatively better agricultural strategies compared with other treatments in paddy fields on aquic soil.