Linear and nonlinear dependency of direct nitrous oxide emissions on fertilizer nitrogen input: A meta-analysis

Kim, Dong-Gill; Hernandez‐Ramirez, Guillermo; Giltrap, Donna

doi:10.1016/j.agee.2012.02.021

Cited by 245 publications

(160 citation statements)

References 45 publications

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“…2). This main result is in agreement with results from most studies with five or more N-input levels (13,15,25) and suggests that the current global N 2 O EF of 1% (5) is too conservative for high N-input rates.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 82%

Global metaanalysis of the nonlinear response of soil nitrous oxide (N ₂ O) emissions to fertilizer nitrogen

Shcherbak

Millar

Robertson

2014

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

851

566

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Nitrous oxide (N 2 O) is a potent greenhouse gas (GHG) that also depletes stratospheric ozone. Nitrogen (N) fertilizer rate is the best single predictor of N 2 O emissions from agricultural soils, which are responsible for ∼50% of the total global anthropogenic flux, but it is a relatively imprecise estimator. Accumulating evidence suggests that the emission response to increasing N input is exponential rather than linear, as assumed by Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change methodologies. We performed a metaanalysis to test the generalizability of this pattern. From 78 published studies (233 site-years) with at least three N-input levels, we calculated N 2 O emission factors (EFs) for each nonzero input level as a percentage of N input converted to N 2 O emissions. We found that the N 2 O response to N inputs grew significantly faster than linear for synthetic fertilizers and for most crop types. N-fixing crops had a higher rate of change in EF (ΔEF) than others. A higher ΔEF was also evident in soils with carbon >1.5% and soils with pH <7, and where fertilizer was applied only once annually. Our results suggest a general trend of exponentially increasing N 2 O emissions as N inputs increase to exceed crop needs. Use of this knowledge in GHG inventories should improve assessments of fertilizer-derived N 2 O emissions, help address disparities in the global N 2 O budget, and refine the accuracy of N 2 O mitigation protocols. In low-input systems typical of sub-Saharan Africa, for example, modest N additions will have little impact on estimated N 2 O emissions, whereas equivalent additions (or reductions) in excessively fertilized systems will have a disproportionately major impact.fertilizer response | greenhouse gas emissions | agriculture | bioenergy | greenhouse gas mitigation

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 82%

Global metaanalysis of the nonlinear response of soil nitrous oxide (N ₂ O) emissions to fertilizer nitrogen

Shcherbak

Millar

Robertson

2014

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

851

566

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“…Previous studies reported both linear and nonlinear responses of cumulative N 2 O emissions to N fertiliser rates (Hoben et al 2011;Lebender et al 2014;Liu et al 2012;Ma et al 2010;McSwiney and Robertson 2005). However, recent metadata analyses suggest a non-linear response of direct N 2 O emissions to increased N additions (Kim et al 2013;Shcherbak et al 2014). It is not entirely clear what drives the relationship of N 2 O emissions to N input in different agro-ecosystems.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 81%

“…In theory, a linear response is expected in N-limited systems where N 2 O emission is primarily controlled by the competition of plants vs microbes for available N. A non-linear exponential response is expected as soon as N fertiliser application exceeds plant demand, and then small increases in N fertiliser rates will result in disproportionally higher N 2 O fluxes at higher N application rates. Once N addition increases beyond the capacity of soil microbes to take up and utilise N, the rate of increase for N 2 O production would slow and finally reach a steady state (Kim et al 2013). In this study, N 2 O emissions were mainly controlled by the combined impact of fertilisation and rainfall.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In recent years there has been growing evidence for a nonlinear, exponential relationship from a range of cropping systems, particularly for fertiliser rates that greatly exceed crop requirements (Hoben et al 2011;Kim et al 2013;McSwiney and Robertson 2005). In a recent global meta-analysis of 78 different studies, Shcherbak et al (2014) found a general trend of exponentially increasing N 2 O emissions as N fertiliser rates increased above crop N demand for the majority of crop types examined.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Non-linear response of soil N2O emissions to nitrogen fertiliser in a cotton–fallow rotation in sub-tropical Australia

2016

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Abstract. Nitrogen (N) fertiliser is a major source of atmospheric nitrous oxide (N 2 O), and over recent years there has been growing evidence for a non-linear, exponential relationship between N fertiliser application rate and N 2 O emissions. However, there is still a high level of uncertainty around the relationship of N fertiliser rate and N 2 O emissions for many cropping systems. We conducted year-round measurements of N 2 O emission and lint yield in four N-rate treatments (0, 90, 180 and 270 kg N ha -1 ) in a cotton-fallow rotation on a black vertosol in Australia. We observed a non-linear exponential response of N 2 O emissions to increasing N fertiliser rates with cumulative annual N 2 O emissions of 0.55, 0.67, 1.07 and 1.89 kg N ha -1 for the four respective N fertiliser rates, but no N response to yield occurred above 180 kg N ha -1 . The annual N 2 O emission factors induced by N fertiliser were 0.13, 0.29 and 0.50% for the 90, 180 and 270 kg N ha -1 treatments respectively, significantly lower than the IPCC Tier 1 default value of 1.0%. This nonlinear response suggests that an exponential N 2 O emissions model may be more appropriate for estimating emission of N 2 O from soils cultivated to cotton in Australia. It also demonstrates that improved agricultural N-management practices can be adopted in cotton to substantially reduce N 2 O emissions without affecting yield.

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“…Importantly, numerous studies on agricultural soils have shown a clear correlation between N 2 O emissions and N fertilisation. Increasing N 2 O fluxes have been shown to correspond to increasing N fertilisation rates, with emissions typically increasing exponentially where N rates exceed crop N requirements (McSwiney and Robertson 2005;Hoben et al 2011;Kim et al 2013;Shcherbak et al 2014;Scheer et al 2016a).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Comparison of grain yields and N2O emissions on Oxisol and Vertisol soils in response to fertiliser N applied as urea or urea coated with the nitrification inhibitor 3,4-dimethylpyrazole phosphate

Migliorati

Bell

Lester³

et al. 2016

Soil Res.

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Abstract. The potential for elevated nitrous oxide (N 2 O) losses is high in subtropical cereal cropping systems in northeast Australia, where the fertiliser nitrogen (N) input is one single application at or before planting. The use of urea coated with the nitrification inhibitor 3,4-dimethylpyrazole phosphate (DMPP) has been reported to substantially decrease N 2 O emissions and increase crop yields in humid, high-intensity rainfall environments. However, it is still uncertain whether this product is similarly effective in contrasting soil types in the cropping region of north-east Australia. In this study the grain yield response of sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L. Moench) to rates of fertiliser N applied as urea or urea coated with DMPP were compared in crops grown on a Vertisol and an Oxisol in southern Queensland. Seasonal N 2 O emissions were monitored on selected treatments for the duration of the cropping season and the early stages of a subsequent fallow period using a fully automated high-frequency greenhouse gas measuring system. On each soil the tested treatments included an unfertilised control (0 kg N ha -1 ) and two fertilised treatments chosen on the basis of delivering at least 90% of seasonal potential grain yield (160 and 120 kg N ha -1 on the Vertisol and Oxisol respectively) or at a common (suboptimal) rate at each site (80 kg N ha -1 ). During this study DMPP had a similar impact at both sites, clearly inhibiting nitrification for up to 8 weeks after fertiliser application. Despite the relatively dry seasonal conditions during most of the monitoring period, DMPP was effective in abating N 2 O emissions on both soils and on average reduced seasonal N 2 O emissions by 60% compared with conventional urea at fertiliser N rates equivalent to those producing 90% of site maximum grain yield. The significant abatement of N 2 O emissions observed with DMPP, however, did not translate into significant yield gains or improvements in agronomic efficiencies of fertiliser N use. These results may be due to the relatively dry growing season conditions before the bulk of crop N acquisition, which limited the exposure of fertiliser N to large losses due to leaching and denitrification.

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Linear and nonlinear dependency of direct nitrous oxide emissions on fertilizer nitrogen input: A meta-analysis

Cited by 245 publications

References 45 publications

Global metaanalysis of the nonlinear response of soil nitrous oxide (N ₂ O) emissions to fertilizer nitrogen

Global metaanalysis of the nonlinear response of soil nitrous oxide (N ₂ O) emissions to fertilizer nitrogen

Non-linear response of soil N2O emissions to nitrogen fertiliser in a cotton–fallow rotation in sub-tropical Australia

Comparison of grain yields and N2O emissions on Oxisol and Vertisol soils in response to fertiliser N applied as urea or urea coated with the nitrification inhibitor 3,4-dimethylpyrazole phosphate

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Linear and nonlinear dependency of direct nitrous oxide emissions on fertilizer nitrogen input: A meta-analysis

Cited by 245 publications

References 45 publications

Global metaanalysis of the nonlinear response of soil nitrous oxide (N 2 O) emissions to fertilizer nitrogen

Global metaanalysis of the nonlinear response of soil nitrous oxide (N 2 O) emissions to fertilizer nitrogen

Non-linear response of soil N2O emissions to nitrogen fertiliser in a cotton–fallow rotation in sub-tropical Australia

Comparison of grain yields and N2O emissions on Oxisol and Vertisol soils in response to fertiliser N applied as urea or urea coated with the nitrification inhibitor 3,4-dimethylpyrazole phosphate

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Global metaanalysis of the nonlinear response of soil nitrous oxide (N ₂ O) emissions to fertilizer nitrogen

Global metaanalysis of the nonlinear response of soil nitrous oxide (N ₂ O) emissions to fertilizer nitrogen