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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Auburn, Alabama » Soil Dynamics Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #310777
Title: Application of microbial inoculants as tools for reducing nitrous oxide emissions from different nitrogen fertilizers

Author
item CALVO, PAMELA - AUBURN UNIVERSITY
item Watts, Dexter
item Torbert, Henry - Allen
item KLOEPPER, JOSEPH - AUBURN UNIVERSITY

Submitted to: American Society of Agronomy Meetings
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 11/2/2014
Publication Date: 11/2/2014
Citation: Calvo, P., Watts, D.B., Torbert III, H.A., Kloepper, J.W. 2014. Application of microbial inoculants as tools for reducing nitrous oxide emissions from different nitrogen fertilizers [abstract]. American Society of Agronomy Meetings. CDROM.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Emissions of nitrous oxide (N2O) are increasing due to several factors, including increased use of nitrogen fertilizers. New management tools are needed to reduce N2O emissions from production agriculture. One potential such tool is the use of microbial inoculants, which are increasingly being used in agriculture. In a previous soil incubation study, we found that application of microbial-based treatments reduced N2O emissions when nitrogen fertilizers were present. The current study compared emissions of N2O and CO2 following applications of microbial based treatments to corn planted in field soil in a greenhouse test. Treatments consisted of SoilBuilder (SB) from Agricen Science, a metabolite extract of SoilBuilder (SBF), and a mixture of PGPR bacilli (BM). Experiments included three nitrogen fertilizers: urea, urea ammonium nitrate 32% N (UAN), and calcium ammonium nitrate 17% N (CAN) and an un-fertilized control. Cumulative fluxes of N2O from pots at 41 DAP showed significant reductions of 15% (SB), 41% (BM) and 28% (SBF) with CAN fertilizer. When UAN was used, reductions of 34% (SB), 35% (SBF), and 49% (BM) were obtained. However, no reduction of N2O occurred with urea fertilizer. Nutrient uptake (N, P, and K) and plant growth was also increased by microbial treatments. Overall, the results demonstrate that microbial inoculants can reduce emissions of N2O resulting from nitrogen fertilizer application depending on the type of N fertilizer and they also enhanced the nutrient uptake and plant growth. Future studies are planned to determine the mechanisms of N2O reduction by microbial inoculants.