Nitrous oxide emission fromagricultural lands in Russia

Abstract

Nitrous oxide (N2O) atmospheric emission from differentagricultural soil types in Russia was evaluated based on published data onsingle input of nitrogen (N) fertilizers. For most of experiments the rates offertilization varied from 40 to 75 and from 160 to 264 kg/ha in activematter and they were considered separately. The higher rates ofsynthetic fertilizers (160 to 264 kg/ha) reduced relative gaseous loss ofN as N2O (N2O-N). Evidently, if nitrate (NO3) concentrationswere high, the low content of organic carbon (C) and oxygen (O) restricted soilmicrobiological activity and consequently formation of N2O. Themajority of gaseous loss of N2O-N occurred within 140 days afterthe input of fertilizers. The N2O emission factors derived forchernozem and soddy podzolic soil are 0.0126 and 0.0238 kgN2O-N/kg N respectively. In 1990, the use of N fertilizers innational agriculture caused the release of 53 Gg N2O-N thatconstituted 6% of global N2O emission. Later on, the emissiondropped because of decreased use of N fertilizers, and in 1998 itwas almost 21% of the 1990 level.