ARS | Publication request: Nitrogen Source Effects on Soil Nitrous Oxide Emissions from No-Till Corn

Submitted to: American Society of Agronomy Abstracts
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: June 27, 2011
Publication Date: October 16, 2012
Citation: Halvorson, A.D., Del Grosso, S.J. 2012. Nitrogen Source Effects on Soil Nitrous Oxide Emissions from No-Till Corn. American Society of Agronomy Abstracts. CD-ROM.

Technical Abstract: The effect of N fertilizer source on soil nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions from a no-till, irrigated continuous corn field was evaluated near Fort Collins, CO in 2009 and 2010. Five N sources (urea, ESN, SuperU, UAN, UAN+AgrotainPlus) were surface band applied at 202 kg N/ha at corn emergence, including a subsurface band application of ESN, and watered (19 mm irrigation water) into the soil the next day. A check (no N applied) treatment was included. Nitrous oxide fluxes were measured during the growing season using static, vented chambers for gas sample collection, one to three times per week, and analyzed with a gas chromatograph. All N sources had significantly lower growing season N2O emissions than dry granular urea, with ESN and UAN+AgrotainPlus having lower N2O emissions than UAN. Corn grain yield did not vary with N source, but were high than the check yield. Growing season N2O-N emissions per Mg grain were highest with urea (109 g N/Mg grain) and lowest for UAN+AgrotainPlus (40 g N/Mg grain). In the semi-arid central Great Plains, N source selection is one management practice that can reduce N2O emissions and help mitigate global climate change.