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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Parlier, California » San Joaquin Valley Agricultural Sciences Center » Water Management Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #302565
Title: Two year measurement of nitrous oxide emission from high frequency surface and subsurface drip irrigations in pomegranate orchard

Author
item Hendratna, Aileen
item Gao, Suduan
item CAI, ZEHIANG - University Of California
item PHENE, CLAUDE - Consultant

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 2/1/2014
Publication Date: 2/4/2014
Citation: Hendratna, A., Gao, S., Cai, Z., Phene, C. 2014. Two year measurement of nitrous oxide emission from high frequency surface and subsurface drip irrigations in pomegranate orchard. California Plant and Soil Conference Proceedings. p. 131.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Building resiliency in California agriculture means utilizing adaptive farming practices that will produce better yields while overcoming the State’s current challenges, such as diminishing water supply and deteriorating water quality. In addition, California agriculture also needs to take proactive action to address global warming by reducing its emission of the greenhouse gas nitrous oxide (N2O) that naturally occurs with fertilization. High frequency subsurface drip irrigation (SDI) system is an effective method to conserve water, increase water and nutrient use efficiency, and also potentially reduces N2O emissions in comparison with surface drip irrigation (DI). A pomegranate orchard in Parlier, CA is equipped with high frequency DI and SDI that also deliver N fertilizer. Static flux chambers and soil gas probes were installed to measure N2O emission flux and N2O concentrations in the soil profile. The objective of this study is to determine N2O emissions affected by DI and SDI systems as well as three different N application rates. Data was collected throughout the growing season (May-September) over two consecutive years (2012 and 2013). The results from two years of data consistently show that N2O emission from SDI is significantly lower than that from DI and that higher N application rates lead to higher N2O emissions. There is a positive linear correlation between N2O emission flux and N2O concentration in the soil gas phase. However, N2O production may greatly depend on soil environment and further examination of important factors (e.g., soil water content, N application rate, temperature, organic matter) is needed.