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Field Measurements of Gaseous Nitrogen Losses from an Alfisol planted with Sugar‐Beets
Author(s) -
Benckiser G.,
Haider K.,
Sauerbeck D.
Publication year - 1986
Publication title -
zeitschrift für pflanzenernährung und bodenkunde
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.644
H-Index - 87
eISSN - 1522-2624
pISSN - 0044-3263
DOI - 10.1002/jpln.19861490302
Subject(s) - denitrification , alfisol , environmental science , nitrate , soil water , agronomy , nitrogen , soil horizon , growing season , hydrology (agriculture) , soil science , chemistry , geotechnical engineering , organic chemistry , biology , engineering
Abstract To provide improved data for modelling gaseous N losses, denitrification measurements by the acetylene inhibition technique were conducted in an Alfisol cropped with sugar beets. This investigation is integrated into a research program designed to model water and nutrient fluxes in an agricultural water catchment area. During the cropping season (April–October) the influence of soil temperature, water, nitrate and available carbon on the release of nitrous oxide (N 2 O) from the soil surface as well as on the N 2 O‐concentrations along the soil profile was studied. Denitrification increased with increasing soil temperature and water content. During the time of intensive plant growth denitrification was small. Both, field and laboratory studies revealed that denitrification began at temperatures between 5 and 8 °C and soil water contents above 30% (v/v). Available carbon did not seem to be a factor that limited denitrification under the prevailing climatic conditions. Assuming that the N 2 O surface fluxes were representative of the amount of N denitrified, about 12 kg N ha −1 was evolved during the cropping season. Spatial variability of N 2 O evolution was, however, high and N 2 O concentration in the soil profile was still high at the end of each 48 h sampling period.