Open AccessModeling Nitrous Oxide Emissions from Potato‐Cropped Soil
Author(s) -
Klier C.,
Gayler S.,
Haberbosch C.,
Ruser R.,
Stenger R.,
Flessa H.,
Priesack E.
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
vadose zone journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.036
H-Index - 81
ISSN - 1539-1663
DOI - 10.2136/vzj2009.0194
Subject(s) - nitrous oxide , environmental science , denitrification , vegetation (pathology) , atmospheric sciences , precipitation , emission inventory , agriculture , nitrogen , agronomy , hydrology (agriculture) , soil science , chemistry , air pollution , meteorology , ecology , physics , medicine , geotechnical engineering , organic chemistry , pathology , engineering , biology
Intensive agricultural land use is considered to be the major source of the anthropogenic contribution to the increase in atmospheric N 2 O concentration during the last decades. A reduction of anthropogenic N 2 O emissions therefore requires a change in agricultural management practices. Mathematical models help to understand interacting processes in the N cycle and state variables affecting N 2 O emissions. The aim of this study was to test two modeling approaches for their ability to describe and quantify the seasonal variations of N 2 O fluxes in a potato ( Solanum tuberosum L.)‐cropped soil. Model 1 assumes a fixed N 2 O/N 2 ratio for N 2 O production and neglects the transport of N 2 O in the soil profile; Model 2 explicitly considers N 2 O transport and assumes a dynamic reduction of N 2 O to N 2 Data for model evaluation came from an experiment where N 2 O fluxes were monitored during the vegetation period using a closed chamber technique. Generally, both modeling approaches were able to describe the observed seasonal dynamics of N 2 O emissions and events of high N 2 O emissions due to increased denitrification activity after heavy precipitation. The inclusion of a gas transport module in the modeling approach resulted in simulated N 2 O emission dynamics showing a smoother transient behavior. Extremely high emission rates from the interrow soil of the potato field were underestimated by both models. The lower N 2 O release from the ridge soil was mainly due to better aeration because of a lower soil bulk density and lower water contents caused by lateral runoff and root water uptake.