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ARS Home » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #293935

Title: Nitrogen source effects on soil nitrous oxide emissions

Author
item HALVORSON, ARDELL - Collaborator
item Del Grosso, Stephen - Steve
item JANTALIA, CLAUDIA - Embrapa National Research Center

Submitted to: Fluid Journal
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/29/2013
Publication Date: 6/11/2013
Publication URL: http://www.fluidjournal.org
Citation: Halvorson, A.D., Del Grosso, S.J., Jantalia, C.P. 2013. Nitrogen source effects on soil nitrous oxide emissions. Fluid Journal. 21(3): 10-18.

Interpretive Summary: Nitrogen (N) application to crops generally results in increased nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions. Commercially available enhanced-efficiency N fertilizers were evaluated for their potential to reduce N2O emissions from a clay loam soil compared with conventionally used granular urea and urea-ammonium nitrate (UAN) fertilizers in an irrigated strip-till (ST) corn production system. All other N sources had significantly lower growing season N2O emissions than granular urea, with UAN + AgrotainPlus and UAN + N fusion having lower emissions than UAN. Similar trends were observed when expressing N2O emissions on a grain yield and N uptake basis. Loss of N2O-N per kilogram of N applied was <0.8% for urea and <0.5% for all other N sources. Corn grain yields were not different among N sources but greater than treatments with no N applied.

Technical Abstract: Nitrogen (N) application to crops generally results in increased nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions. Commercially available enhanced-efficiency N fertilizers were evaluated for their potential to reduce N2O emissions from a clay loam soil compared with conventionally used granular urea and urea-ammonium nitrate (UAN) fertilizers in an irrigated strip-till (ST) corn production system. All other N sources had significantly lower growing season N2O emissions than granular urea, with UAN + AgrotainPlus and UAN + N fusion having lower emissions than UAN. Similar trends were observed when expressing N2O emissions on a grain yield and N uptake basis. Loss of N2O-N per kilogram of N applied was <0.8% for urea and <0.5% for all other N sources. Corn grain yields were not different among N sources but greater than treatments with no N applied.