The Dynamics of Nitrous Oxide Emission from the Use of Mineral Fertilizers in Russia

The intensity of nitrous oxide (N2O) emission was considered based on literature data on the single input of mineral N (nitrogen) fertilizers into different agricultural soil types in Russia. Ambient environmental factors exert a combined effect on the process of gaseous nitrogen formation from fertilizers applied. To reduce the uncertainty of estimates as much as possible, only experimental results obtained under conditions similar to natural were selected for the assessments. Mineral nitric fertilizers were applied to soil at a rate of 40 to 75 kg/ha and the N2O emissions were measured for approximately 140 days. Daily average emission values varied from 0.08 to 0.45% of fertilizer nitrogen. Correspondingly, 1.26 and 2.38% of fertilizer nitrogen were emitted as N2O from chernozems and soddy podzols. In 1990, the use of fertilizers in Russian agricultural practices for 53 Gg N2O-N, which equates to approximately 6.1% of global nitrous oxide emissions from nitric fertilizers. Later, the emission dropped because of a decrease in the input of nitric fertilizers to agricultural crops, and in 1998, it constituted just 20.5% of the 1990 level. In the period from 2008 to 2012, the nitrous oxide emission is expected to vary from 0.5 to 65.0 Gg N2O-N due to possible changes in national agricultural development. In the most likely scenario, the use of mineral fertilizers in Russia will account for approximately 34 to 40 Gg N2O-N emissions annually from 2008-2012.