N 2O emission from energy crop fields of Miscanthus “Giganteus” and winter rye

Abstract

The emission of the greenhouse gas nitrous oxide (N 2O) from energy crop fields lower the reduction of the greenhouse effect achieved by the substitution of fossil fuels by energy crops. For that reason N 2O fluxes were measured during the cropping season in Miscanthus “Giganteus” ( M. “Giganteus”) plots with and without N fertiliser addition and in fertilised winter rye ( Secale cereale) plots by using a closed-chamber technique, able to contain the growing plants. The highest N 2O emission from the M. “Giganteus” soil occurred after fertilisation in spring with 75 kg NH 4NO 4N ha −1, whereas the rye soil showed no N 2O emission response at fertilisation with 120 kg NH 4NO 3N ha −1. The unfertilised M. “Giganteus” soil and the rye soil both showed similar small N 2O emissions. The largest proportion of the annual N 2O emission occurred in the summer for the fertilised M. “Giganteus” and in autumn for fertilised winter rye. The average N 2O flux during 207 days was 109 mg N 2ON m −2 from the fertilised M. “Giganteus” soil, which was twice the amount emitted from the rye soil. The N 2O emissions from the soils were equivalent to 1.5 and 0.5% of the fertiliser applied to M. “Giganteus” and rye, respectively, corresponding to 136 and 36 mg N 2ON (kg dry matter) −1. The precipitation was low and therefore the measured N 2O fluxes may have been lower than expected of an average year. Still, the results suggest that the N 2O emission from a sandy loam cropped with rye or M. “Giganteus” is a minor problem in the use of energy crops for reducing of the greenhouse effect.