Journal Article

Assessing and Mitigating N sub(2)O Emissions from Agricultural Soils

Minami, K, Duxbury, J M, Freney, J R, Mosier, A R, Heinemeyer, O

1998

Overview

The concentration of nitrous oxide in the atmosphere is increasing at the rate of about 0.2%/yr, of which an estimated 1.5 Tg of nitrogen is released directly as N sub(2)O each year as a result of fertilizer applications to agricultural ecosystems. The N sub(2)O production processes are described, as well as the impact of land-use change on N sub(2)O emissions, and N sub(2)O fluxes from agriculture are estimated for extensive agricultural systems and intensive systems. Various mitigation measures are proposed, including: increasing the productivity of existing agricultural lands, improving the productivity of shifting agriculture, increasing the use of crop residues as household fuel, replacement of seasonal or annual crops with tree crops, matching N supply with demand, and the use of N-transformation inhibitors. It is estimated that increasing the efficiency of the use of N supplied as mineral and animal-waste fertilizers could decrease N sub(2)O emissions from agriculture by almost 20%.