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Effect of cattle slurry application techniques on N 2 O and NH 3 emissions from a loamy soil
Author(s) -
Herr Christina,
Mannheim Thomas,
Müller Torsten,
Ruser Reiner
Publication year - 2019
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.201800376
Subject(s) - slurry , loam , silage , greenhouse gas , chemistry , zoology , fertilizer , nitrogen , agronomy , soil water , environmental science , environmental engineering , soil science , biology , ecology , organic chemistry
We determined N 2 O fluxes from an unfertilized control (CON), from a treatment with mineral N‐fertilizer (MIN), from cattle slurry with banded surface application and subsequent incorporation (INC), and from slurry injection (INJ) to silage maize ( Zea mays , L.) on a Haplic Luvisol in southwest Germany. In both years, amount of available N (total N fertilized + N min content before N application) was 210 kg N ha −1 . In the slurry treatment of the 1 st year, 140 kg N ha −1 were either injected or incorporated, whereas 30 kg N ha −1 were surface applied to avoid destruction of the maize plants. In the 2 nd year, all fertilizers were applied with one single application. We calculated greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) on field level including direct N 2 O emissions (calculated from the measured flux rates), indirect N 2 O emissions (NH 3 andNO 3-induced N 2 O emission), net CH 4 fluxes, fuel consumption and pre‐chain emissions from mineral fertilizer. NH 3 losses were measured in the 2 nd year using the Dräger‐Tube Method and estimated for both years. NH 3 emission was highest in the treatment without incorporation. It generally contributed less than 5% of the greenhouse gas (GHG) emission from silage maize cultivation. The mean area‐related N 2 O emission, determined with the closed chamber method was 2.8, 4.7, 4.4 and 13.8 kg N 2 O‐N ha −1 y −1 for CON, MIN, INC, and INJ, respectively. Yield‐related N 2 O emission showed the same trend. Across all treatments, direct N 2 O emission was the major contributor to GHG with an average of 79%. Trail hose application with immediate incorporation was found to be the optimum management practice for livestock farmers in our study region.