Abstract
To evaluate the impact of N placement depth and no-till (NT) practice on the emissions of NO, N2O, CH4 and CO2 from soils, we conducted two N placement experiments in a long-term tillage experiment site in northeastern Colorado in 2004. Trace gas flux measurements were made 2–3 times per week, in zero-N fertilizer plots that were cropped continuously to corn (Zea mays L.) under conventional-till (CT) and NT. Three N placement depths, replicated four times (5, 10 and 15 cm in Exp. 1 and 0, 5 and 10 cm in Exp. 2, respectively) were used. Liquid urea–ammonium nitrate (UAN, 224 kg N ha−1) was injected to the desired depth in the CT- or NT-soils in each experiment. Mean flux rates of NO, N2O, CH4 and CO2 ranged from 3.9 to 5.2 μg N m−2 h−1, 60.5 to 92.4 μg N m−2 h−1, −0.8 to 0.5 μg C m−2 h−1, and 42.1 to 81.7 mg C m−2 h−1 in both experiments, respectively. Deep N placement (10 and 15 cm) resulted in lower NO and N2O emissions compared with shallow N placement (0 and 5 cm) while CH4 and CO2 emissions were not affected by N placement in either experiment. Compared with N placement at 5 cm, for instance, averaged N2O emissions from N placement at 10 cm were reduced by more than 50% in both experiments. Generally, NT decreased NO emission and CH4 oxidation but increased N2O emissions compared with CT irrespective of N placement depths. Total net global warming potential (GWP) for N2O, CH4 and CO2 was reduced by deep N placement only in Exp. 1 but was increased by NT in both experiments. The study results suggest that deep N placement (e.g., 10 cm) will be an effective option for reducing N oxide emissions and GWP from both fertilized CT- and NT-soils.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
I C Anderson J S Levine (1986) ArticleTitleRelative rates of nitric oxide and nitrous oxide production by nitrifiers, denitrifiers and nitrate respires Appl. Environ. Micro. 51 938–945 Occurrence Handle1:CAS:528:DyaL28XktVeht7w%3D
F Azam C Müller A Weiske G Nenckiser J C G Ottow (2002) ArticleTitleNitrification and denitrification as sources of atmospheric nitrous oxide – role of oxidizable carbon and applied nitrogen Biol. Fertil. Soils 35 54–61 Occurrence Handle1:CAS:528:DC%2BD38XivVGrsbw%3D
C A Campbell F Selles G P Lafond R P Zentne (2001) ArticleTitleAdopting zero tillage management: Impact on soil C and N under long-term crop rotations in a thin Black Chernozem Can. J. Soil Sci. 81 139–148 Occurrence Handle1:CAS:528:DC%2BD3MXlvVGru7c%3D
C V Cole J Duxbury J Freney O Heinemeyer K Minami A Mosier K Paustian N Rosenberg N Sampson D Sauerbeck Q Zhao (1997) ArticleTitleGlobal estimates of potential mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions by agriculture Nutr. Cycl. Agroecosys. 49 221–228 Occurrence Handle10.1023/A:1009731711346 Occurrence Handle1:CAS:528:DyaK2sXmslCqtro%3D
E A Davidson (1991) Fluxes of nitrous oxide and nitric oxide from terrestrial ecosystems J E Rogers W B Whitman (Eds) Microbial Production and Consumption of Greenhouse Gases: Methane, Nitrogen Oxides and Halomethanes American Society of Microbiology Washington D C 219–235
E A Davidson L V Verchot (2000) ArticleTitleTesting the hole-in-the-pipe model of nitric and nitrous oxide emissions from soils using the TRAGNET database Global Biogeochem. Cy. 14 1035–1043 Occurrence Handle10.1029/1999GB001223 Occurrence Handle1:CAS:528:DC%2BD3MXktVGlsg%3D%3D
Drury D W, Reynolds C F, Tan C S and Welacky T W 2004 The influence of conservation tillage and nitrogen management strategies on nitrous oxide emissions from Eastern Canada. In Programme and Abstracts N2004 The Third International Nitrogen Conference. pp. 187–188. Nanjing, 12–16 October 2004
J M Duxbury P K McConnaughey (1986) ArticleTitleEffect of fertilizer source on denitrification and nitrous oxide emissions in a maize-field Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J. 50 644–648 Occurrence Handle1:CAS:528:DyaL28XlslWhtL8%3D
M K Firestone E A Davidson (1989) Microbiological basis for NO and N2O production and consumption in soils M Andreae O D S Schimel (Eds) Exchange of Trace Gases Between Terrestrial Ecosystems and the Atmosphere John Wiley New York 7–21
A D Halvorson A R Mosier C A Reule W C Bausch (2005) ArticleTitleNitrogen and tillage effects on irrigated continuous corn yields Agron. J. 98 63–71
S Hansen J E Maehlum L R Bakken (1993) ArticleTitleN2O and CH4 fluxes in soil influenced by fertilization and tractor traffic Soil Biol. Biochem. 25 621–630 Occurrence Handle10.1016/0038-0717(93)90202-M Occurrence Handle1:CAS:528:DyaK3sXksVynsb4%3D
B R Hilton P E Fixen H Woodard (1994) ArticleTitleThe effect of nitrogen fertilizer placement on nitrous oxide emissions from zero tillage J. Plant Nutr. 17 1341–1357 Occurrence Handle1:CAS:528:DyaK2cXltVOgu78%3D
J M Holland (2004) ArticleTitleThe environmental consequences of adopting conservation tillage in Europe: reviewing the evidence Agr. Ecosyst. Environ. 103 1–25 Occurrence Handle10.1016/j.agee.2003.12.018
InstitutionalAuthorNameIPCC 2001 Climate change (2001) The Scientific Basis. Contribution of Working Group I to the Third Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Cambridge Univ. Press Cambridge
A Kessavalou A R Mosier J W Doran R A Drijber D J Lyon O Heinemeyer (1998) ArticleTitleFluxes of carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, and methane in grass sod winter wheat-fallow tillage management J. Environ. Qual. 27 1094–1104 Occurrence Handle1:CAS:528:DyaK1cXmtl2js7Y%3D
H L Kristensen K Debosz G W McCarty (2003) ArticleTitleShort-term effects of tillage on mineralization of nitrogen and carbon in soil Soil Biol. Biochem. 35 979–986 Occurrence Handle10.1016/S0038-0717(03)00159-7 Occurrence Handle1:CAS:528:DC%2BD3sXkvVWjtb0%3D
R L Lemke R C Izaurralde M Nyborg E D Solberg (1999) ArticleTitleTillage and N-source influence soil-emitted nitrous oxide in the Alberta Parkland region Can. J. Soil Sci. 79 281–294
D M Linn J W Doran (1984) ArticleTitleEffect of water-filled pore space on carbon dioxide and nitrous oxide production in tilled and non-tilled soils Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J. 48 1267–1272 Occurrence Handle1:CAS:528:DyaL2MXhtFaitL4%3D
X J Liu A R Mosier A D Halvorson F S Zhang (2005a) ArticleTitleTillage and nitrogen application effects on nitrous and nitric oxide emissions from irrigated corn fields Plant Soil 276 235–249 Occurrence Handle10.1007/s11104-005-4894-4 Occurrence Handle1:CAS:528:DC%2BD2MXht1KnsLzL
X J Liu X T Ju X P Chen F S Zhang V Roemheld (2005b) ArticleTitleNitrogen recommendation for summer maize in northern China using soil Nmin and rapid plant tests Pedosphere 15 246–254
X J Liu M Walsh X T Ju F S Zhang D S Schimel D S Ojima (2004) ArticleTitleNO and N2O fluxes from agricultural soils in Beijing area Prog. Nat. Sci. 14 489–494 Occurrence Handle1:CAS:528:DC%2BD2cXlvVCitrc%3D
N Z Lupwayi W A Rice G W Clayton (1999) ArticleTitleSoil microbial biomass and carbon dioxide flux under wheat as influenced by tillage and crop rotation Can. J. Soil Sci. 79 281–294
M Maljanen J Hytonen P J Martikainen (2001) ArticleTitleFluxes of N2O, CH4 and CO2 on afforested boreal agricultural soils Plant Soil 231 113–121 Occurrence Handle10.1023/A:1010372914805 Occurrence Handle1:CAS:528:DC%2BD3MXjvVSjtb4%3D
I McTaggart H Clayton K A Smith (1994) Nitrous oxide flux from fertilized grassland: strategies for reducing emissions J Ham ParticleVan (Eds) Non-CO2 Greenhouse Gases Why and How to Control Kluwer Academic Publishers Dordrecht 421–426
A R Mosier R Wassmann L Verchot J King C Palm (2004) Methane and nitrogen oxide fluxes in tropical agricultural soils: sources, sinks and mechanisms R Wassmann P G. Vlek (Eds) Tropical Agriculture in Transition – Opportunities for Mitigating Greenhouse Gas Emissions? Kluwer Academic Publishers Dordrecht 11–49
A R Mosier A D Halvorson G A Peterson G P Robertson L Sherrod (2005) ArticleTitleMeasurement of net global warming potential in three agroecosystems Nutr. Cycl. Agroecosys. 72 67–76 Occurrence Handle10.1007/s10705-004-7356-0
E L Sanhueza L Cardenas L Donoso M Santana (1994) ArticleTitleEffect of plowing on CO2, CO, CH4, N2O and NO fluxes from tropical savanna soils J. Geophys. Res. 99 16429–16434 Occurrence Handle1:CAS:528:DyaK2cXmvVeqsbk%3D
B M Shrestha B K Sitaula B R Singh R M Bajracharya (2004) ArticleTitleFluxes of CO2 and CH4 in soil profiles of a mountainous watershed of Nepal as influenced by land use, temperature, moisture and substrate addition Nutr. Cycl. Agroecosys. 68 155–164 Occurrence Handle10.1023/B:FRES.0000019044.52811.11 Occurrence Handle1:CAS:528:DC%2BD2cXjtVOitbs%3D
J Six S M Ogle F J Breidt R T Conant A R Mosier K Paustian (2004) ArticleTitleThe potential to mitigate global warming with no-tillage management is only realized when practised in the long term Glob. Change Biol. 10 155–160 Occurrence Handle10.1111/j.1529-8817.2003.00730.x
U Skiba K A Smith D Fowler (1993) ArticleTitleNitrification and denitrification as sources of nitric-oxide and nitrous oxide in a sandy loam soil Soil Biol. Biochem. 25 1527–1536 Occurrence Handle10.1016/0038-0717(93)90007-X Occurrence Handle1:CAS:528:DyaK2cXjtVSlsQ%3D%3D
J A Vetsch G W Randall (2004) ArticleTitleCorn production as affected nitrogen application timing and tillage Agron. J. 96 502–509
S Yamulki S C Jarvis (2002) ArticleTitleShort-term effects of tillage and compaction on nitrous oxide, nitric oxide, nitrogen dioxide, methane and carbon dioxide fluxes from grassland Biol. Fert. Soils 36 224–231 Occurrence Handle1:CAS:528:DC%2BD38XntlOmtL0%3D
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Liu, X.J., Mosier, A.R., Halvorson, A.D. et al. The Impact of Nitrogen Placement and Tillage on NO, N2O, CH4 and CO2 Fluxes from a Clay Loam Soil. Plant Soil 280, 177–188 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-005-2950-8
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-005-2950-8