ARS | Publication request: Nitrogen Placement Effects on Soil Nitrous Oxide Emissions from Irrigated Corn

Submitted to: ASA-CSSA-SSSA Annual Meeting Abstracts
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: June 29, 2012
Publication Date: October 21, 2012
Citation: Halvorson, A.D., Del Grosso, S.J. 2012. Nitrogen Placement Effects on Soil Nitrous Oxide Emissions from Irrigated Corn. ASA-CSSA-SSSA Annual Meeting Abstracts. CD-ROM.

Technical Abstract: Limited information is available on how N fertilizer placement affects soil nitrous oxide emissions under irrigated conditions in the semi-arid western U.S. Our objective was to evaluate the effects of surface banding (applied near corn row) and broadcasting of three N sources (urea, polymer-coated urea, and stabilized urea) on soil nitrous oxide emissions from sprinkler irrigated corn fields. The N fertilizers were applied at a rate of 202 kg N/ha to strip-till (2010 and 2011) and no-till (2011) corn at crop emergence, and watered into the soil the day after application with ~19mm irrigation water. Band applied N had a higher (45%) nitrous oxide emission than broadcast N averaged over three site yrs. Nitrous oxide emissions for N source were in the order urea>polymer-coated urea=stabilized urea when averaged over site yrs. The placement x N source interaction was not significant. Grain yield and N uptake did not vary with placement or N source when averaged over site yrs. The study shows that N placement and selection of N source are important management decisions for reducing nitrous oxide emissions in Central Great Plains cropping systems and potentially in the semi-arid western U.S.