ARS | Publication request: Management Practices Impact on Soil Nitrous Oxide Emission in the Northern Great Plains, USA

Submitted to: World Congress of Soil Science
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: February 9, 2010
Publication Date: August 1, 2010
Citation: Sainju, U.M. 2010. Management Practices Impact on Soil Nitrous Oxide Emission in the Northern Great Plains, USA. Proceedings of the 19th World Congress of Soil Science. p. 140-143.

Technical Abstract: Management practices may influence soil N2O emission, a greenhouse gas responsible for global warming. The effects of irrigation, tillage, crop rotation, and N fertilization were evaluated on soil surface N2O flux and soil temperature and water content at the 0- to 15-cm depth from April to November in 2008 and 2009 in eastern Montana, USA. Treatments were two irrigation practices (irrigated and non-irrigated) and five cropping systems [conventional-tilled barley with N fertilization (CTBFN), conventional-tilled barley with no N fertilization (CTBON), no-tilled barley-pea with N fertilization (NTB-PN), no-tilled barley with N fertilization (NTBFN), and no-tilled barley with no N fertilization (NTBON)]. The N2O flux varied with changes in soil temperature and water content, peaking immediately following substantial precipitation and/or irrigation (>30 mm) over 7 d period. Cumulative N2O flux from April to November was greater in non-irrigated than in irrigated practice in 2008 and greater in CTBFN than in CTBON, NTB-PN, and NTBON in 2009. The flux was greater with N fertilization than without in 2009 and greater in 2008 than 2009. Increase in N substrate availability due to N fertilization and soil water availability due to irrigation and precipitation probably increased soil microbial activity that increased soil N2O emission.