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Effect of mineral nitrogen fertilizer forms on N 2 O emissions from arable soils in winter wheat production
Author(s) -
Lebender Ulrike,
Senbayram Mehmet,
Lammel Joachim,
Kuhlmann Hermann
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
journal of plant nutrition and soil science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.644
H-Index - 87
eISSN - 1522-2624
pISSN - 1436-8730
DOI - 10.1002/jpln.201300292
Subject(s) - arable land , fertilizer , nitrogen , urea , ammonium nitrate , agronomy , soil water , ammonium sulfate , growing season , field experiment , ammonium , chemistry , nitrous oxide , zoology , environmental science , nitrate , biology , agriculture , soil science , ecology , organic chemistry , chromatography
Nitrogen fertilizers are supposed to be a major source of nitrous oxide (N 2 O) emissions from arable soils. The objective of this study was to compare the effect of N forms on N 2 O emissions from arable fields cropped with winter wheat ( Triticum aestivum L. ). In three field trials in North‐West Germany (two trials in 2011/2012, one trial in 2012/2013), direct N 2 O emissions during a one‐year measurement period, starting after application of either urea, ammonium sulfate (AS) or calcium ammonium nitrate (CAN), were compared at an application rate of 220 kg N ha −1 . During the growth season (March to August) of winter wheat, N 2 O emission rates were significantly higher in all three field experiments and in all treatments receiving N fertilizer than from the non‐fertilized treatments (control). At two of the three sites, cumulative N 2 O emissions from N fertilizer decreased in the order of urea > AS > CAN, with emissions ranging from 522–617 g N ha −1 (0.24–0.28% of applied fertilizer) for urea, 368–554 g N ha −1 (0.17–0.25%) for AS, and 242–264 g N ha −1 (0.11–0.12%) for CAN during March to August. These results suggest that mineral nitrogen forms can differ in N 2 O emissions during the growth period of winter wheat. Strong variations in the seasonal dynamics of N 2 O emissions between sites were observed which could partly be related to weather events ( e.g. , precipitation). Between harvest and the following spring (post‐harvest period) no significant differences in N 2 O emissions between fertilized and non‐fertilized treatments were detected on two of three fields. Only on one site post‐harvest emissions from the AS treatment were significantly higher than all other fertilizer forms as well as compared to the control treatment. The cumulative one‐year emissions varied depending on fertilizer form across the three field sites from 0.05% to 0.51% with one exception at one field site (AS: 0.94%). The calculated overall fertilizer induced emission averaged for the three fields was 0.38% which was only about 1/3 of the IPCC default value of 1.0%.