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Biochar Incorporation into Pasture Soil Suppresses in situ Nitrous Oxide Emissions from Ruminant Urine Patches
Author(s) -
TaghizadehToosi Arezoo,
Clough Tim J.,
Condron Leo M.,
Sherlock Robert R.,
Anderson Craig R.,
Craigie Robin A.
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
journal of environmental quality
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.888
H-Index - 171
eISSN - 1537-2537
pISSN - 0047-2425
DOI - 10.2134/jeq2010.0419
Subject(s) - biochar , pasture , nitrous oxide , chemistry , ruminant , grazing , agronomy , zoology , urine , ammonium , environmental chemistry , biology , biochemistry , organic chemistry , pyrolysis
Nitrous oxide (N 2 O) emissions from grazing animal excreta are estimated to be responsible for 1.5 Tg of the total 6.7 Tg of anthropogenic N 2 O emissions. This study was conducted to determine the in situ effect of incorporating biochar, into soil, on N 2 O emissions from bovine urine patches and associated pasture uptake of N. The effects of biochar rate (0–30 t ha −1 ), following soil incorporation, were investigated on ruminant urine‐derived N 2 O fluxes, N uptake by pasture, and pasture yield. During an 86‐d spring‐summer period, where irrigation and rainfall occurred, the N 2 O fluxes from 15 N labeled ruminant urine patches were reduced by >50%, after incorporating 30 t ha −1 of biochar. Taking into account the N 2 O emissions from the control plots, 30 t ha −1 of biochar reduced the N 2 O emission factor from urine by 70%. The atom% 15 N enrichment of the N 2 O emitted was lower in the 30 t ha −1 biochar treatment, indicating less urine‐N contributed to the N 2 O flux. Soil NO 3 − ‐N concentrations were lower with increasing biochar rate during the first 30 d following urine deposition. No differences occurred, due to biochar addition, with respect to dry matter yields, herbage N content, or recovery of 15 N applied in herbage. Incorporating biochar into the soil can significantly diminish ruminant urine‐derived N 2 O emissions. Further work is required to determine the persistence of the observed effect and to fully understand the mechanism(s) of the observed reduction in N 2 O fluxes.