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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Pendleton, Oregon » Columbia Plateau Conservation Research Center » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #372099
Research Project: Attaining High Quality Soft White Winter Wheat through Optimal Management of Nitrogen, Residue and Soil Microbes

Location: Columbia Plateau Conservation Research Center

Title: Temperature sensitivity of nitrogen dynamics of agricultural soils of the United States

Author
item CHATTERJEE, A. - North Dakota State University
item DE JESUS, ALEXSANDRO - North Dakota State University
item GOYAL, D. - North Dakota State University
item SIGDEL, S. - North Dakota State University
item CIHACEK, L. - North Dakota State University
item FARMAHA, B. - Clemson University
item JAGADAMMA, S. - University Of Tennessee
item SHARMA, L. - University Of Florida
item Long, Daniel

Submitted to: Open Journal of Soil Science
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/27/2020
Publication Date: 7/30/2020
Citation: Chatterjee, A., De Jesus, A.F., Goyal, D., Sigdel, S., Cihacek, L.J., Farmaha, B., Jagadamma, S., Sharma, L., Long, D.S. 2020. Temperature sensitivity of nitrogen dynamics of agricultural soils of the United States. Open Journal of Soil Science. 10(7):298-305. https://doi.org/10.4236/ojss.2020.107016.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.4236/ojss.2020.107016

Interpretive Summary: The temperature of the soil has a significant effect on the rate at nitrogen transformations occur in the soil. This study was conducted to determine variability in the Q10 temperature coefficient- a measure of the rate at which a biological system will change with each 10 deg. C change in temperature. Changes in soil biological processes (denitrification, volatilization, and mineralization) were measured in surface soils that had been collected from farm fields in the northeast (ME), southeast (TN, NC), northern Plains (MN, ND), central Plains (NE), and northwest (OR). For most soils, Q10 values for nitrous oxide loss, ammonia volatilization, and nitrogen mineralization fell within a narrow range. Geographic differences in levels of soil organic carbon and soil nitrogen could explain the variation in Q10 values. Understanding the Q10 variability of soil N dynamics will help us to predict which soils are more sensitive to changes in climate.

Technical Abstract: Soil temperature controls gaseous nitrogen losses through nitrous oxide (N2O) denitrification and ammonia (NH3) volatilization. Eight surface soils from agricultural fields across the United States were incubated at 10°, 20°, and 30°C, and N2O and NH3 flux were measured twice a week for 91 and 47 d, respectively. Changes in cumulative N2O and NH3 flux and net N mineralization at three temperatures were modeled to calculate Q10 using the Arrhenius equation. For the majority of soils, Q10 values for the N2O loss ranged between 0.23 and 2.14, except for Blackville, North Carolina (11.4) and Jackson, Tennessee (10.1). For NH3 volatilization, Q10 values ranged between 0.63 (Frenchville, Ma 24 ine) to 1.24 (North Bend, Nebraska). Net N mineralization-Q10 ranged from 0.96 to 1.00. Distribution of soil organic carbon (SOC) and total soil N can explain the variability of Q10 for N2O loss. With the rise in each unit (g kg-126 ) of SOC and total N, Q10 value declines by 0.67 and 6.0, respectively. Understanding the Q10 variability of soil N dynamics will help us to predict the N loss.