Nitrogen stabilizers mitigate reactive N and greenhouse gas emissions from an arable soil in North China Plain: Field and laboratory investigation. (10th June 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Sha, Zhipeng; Ma, Xin; Loick, Nadine; Lv, Tiantian; Cardenas, Laura M.; Ma, Yan; Liu, Xuejun; Misselbrook, Tom
• Is Part Of: Journal of cleaner production. Volume 258(2020)
• Publication Date: 2020-06-10
• Subjects: Urease inhibitor -- Nitrification inhibitor -- NH3 volatilization -- NO emission -- N2O emission; Factory and trade waste -- Management -- Periodicals; Manufactures -- Environmental aspects -- Periodicals; Déchets industriels -- Gestion -- Périodiques; Usines -- Aspect de l'environnement -- Périodiques; 628.5
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jclepro.2020.121025
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0959-6526

Abstract

Abstract: Nitrogen (N) stabilizers such as urease inhibitors (UI) and nitrification inhibitors (NI) are promising tools to mitigate N losses from fertilized soils. To better understand the efficacy of UI and NI, a 2-year field trial was carried out in the North China Plain (NCP) to analyze the impact of UI and NI on NH3 loss and N transformations following urea fertilizer application. Additionally, a laboratory study using an automated continuous-flow incubation system was conducted under controlled conditions, using the same soil, to evaluate the mitigation potential of the N stabilizers on NO, N2 O and CO2 emission. The results showed that a novel UI product, Limus® (BASF, Germany), containing active ingredients N-(n-butyl) thiophosphoric triamide (NBPT) and N-(n-propyl) thiophosphoric triamide (NPPT), limited ammonium formation rate and reduced NH3 loss in both maize (by 85 and 96% for year 1 and 2, respectively) and wheat (by 41 and 64%, for year 1 and 2, respectively) seasons. The 3, 4-dimethypyrazole phosphate (DMPP) amendment significantly retarded nitrate formation rate but the effectiveness was compromised by high ambient temperature; additionally, the NI amendment increased NH3 emission (by 16 and 24% for maize and wheat year 2, respectively). In the laboratory incubation experiment, addition of the UI reduced emissions of NO, N2 O and CO2 by 89, 73 and 19%, respectively, while the addition of the NI reduced the respective emissions by 95, 83 and 24% over the 16 d incubation period. These results suggest that N stabilizers can play a significant role in the mitigation of the environmental impacts of intensive agriculture, and, in particular, that the UI amendment may have the better potential to reduce N losses in the climatic and soil conditions of the NCP, and that the NI should be avoided under high ambient temperatures. Graphical abstract: Image 1 Highlights: Urease inhibitor amendment of urea reduced NH3, NO and N2 O emissions. Nitrification inhibitor amendment of urea reduced NO and N2 O but increased NH3 emissions. Efficacy of the nitrification inhibitor was compromised by high ambient temperature. Urease and nitrification inhibitor amendment of urea reduced CO2 emissions.