N2O and CO2 Emissions from Bare Soil: Effect of Fertilizer Management

Tomasz Sosulski,Adam Wąs,Magdalena Szymańska,Wojciech Stępień

doi:10.3390/agriculture10120602

Tomasz Sosulski, Adam Wąs + Show 2 more

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https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture10120602

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Journal: Agriculture	Publication Date: Dec 4, 2020
Citations: 15	License type: CC BY 4.0

Affiliation: Warsaw University of Life Sciences

Abstract

The paper presents the results of a laboratory experiment focused on the assessment of the effect of different methods of application of ammonium nitrate (TD—top dressing and DP—deep placement) on N2O and CO2 emissions from soil without crop cover. Nitrogen application increased soil N2O–N fluxes by 24.3–46.4%, compared to untreated soil (NIL). N2O–N emissions from TD treatment were higher by 12.7%, compared to DP treatment. Soil CO2–C fluxes from DP treatment were significantly higher by 17.2%, compared to those from NIL treatment. Nonetheless, the differences between soil CO2–C fluxes from DP and TD treatments, as well as from TD and NIL treatments, were of no statistical significance. The cumulative greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions (a sum of cumulative soil emissions of CO2–C and N2O–N after conversion to the equivalent of CO2–C) from both N-fertilized soils were similar, and higher by 20% than from untreated soil. The obtained data show that the effect of reduction of N2O–N soil emissions gained by deep placement of nitrogen fertilizer was completely lost through an increase in CO2–C emissions from the soil. This suggests that deep placement of nitrogen fertilizers in sandy soil without crop cover might not lead to a mitigation of soil GHG emissions.

Highlights

Compared to conventional fertilization and cultivation, a deep placement of nitrogen fertilizers provides an alternative method of fertilization, allowing for effective plant nutrition in a later grow stage of plants [1]
As we decided to test the nitrogen fertilizer that is most prevalent in Poland, we evaluated the effects of the application of ammonium nitrate, which remains the fertilizer used the most in our agrotechnical and soil conditions, irrespective of a noticeable increase in the urea consumption [25]
Soil content, there is a limited possibility of higher N2 O microbial consumption via denitrification, as an effect of a longer presence of N2 O in the light sandy soil

Summary

Introduction

Compared to conventional fertilization and cultivation, a deep placement of nitrogen fertilizers provides an alternative method of fertilization, allowing for effective plant nutrition in a later grow stage of plants [1]. Chatterjee et al [5] argued that deep placement of nitrogen could reduce N2 O–N emissions, since a larger fraction of fertilizer nitrogen can be maintained in the soil for a longer period. Rutkowska et al [7] evaluated the effect of deep nitrogen placement on N2 O–N soil emissions from C-poor light sandy soils on four experiments conducted in different regions of Poland. Deep fertilizer placement mitigated the soil emission of N2 O–N, the reductions of soil N2 O emission were lower than those described in the literature. Adviento-Borbe and Linquist [8] observed no significant differences in N2 O–N soil emissions between broadcasting and deep placement of nitrogen in the soil, whereas Linquist et al [9]

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