Journal Article

Temporal changes in N₂O-losses from two arable soils

Heinemeyer, Otto, Kaiser, Ernst-August

1996

Overview

N₂O-loss rates from two soils were measured over a continuous observation period of 2 years. The two soils, differing in texture (sandy loam and silty loam), are frequently used for intensive crop production. Rates were estimated using a closed soil cover box technique. N₂O-losses obtained were scrutinised with physical, chemical and microbiological properties of the soils as well as with climatic data. Large temporal changes in N₂O-emission rates were found. The data were approximately log-normal distributed. In spring maximal values of 20 g N₂O-N ha⁻¹ d⁻¹ were observed. According to this observation, two situations associated with high flux rates could be distinguished; 1. N₂O- production by soil at spring thaw and 2. N₂O-production within one week after N-fertilizer application. For both soils equal N₂O-losses were found, which are adequate to 1 kg N₂O-N ha⁻¹ per year. From this data was calculated that N₂O-losses ranged from 0.8-1.5% of the applied fertilizer N.

• Publisher: Kluwer Academic Publishers,Springer
• Subject: Agricultural soils / Agrology / Agronomy. Soil science and plant productions / Arable soils / Biological and medical sciences / Chemical, physicochemical, biochemical and biological properties / Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology / Nitrous oxide / Organic matter / Organic soils / Physics, chemistry, biochemistry and biology of agricultural and forest soils / Sandy loam soils / Silty soils / Soil biochemistry / Soil microorganisms / Soil science / Soil water