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Evaluation of N2O emission from rainfed wheat field in northwest agricultural land in China

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Abstract

The net greenhouse gas (NGHG) emissions and net greenhouse gas intensity (NGHGI) were investigated via the determination of nitrous oxide (N2O) emission in loess soil under rainfed winter wheat monocropping system during 3 years of field study in Northwest China. Five treatments were carried out: control (N0), conventional nitrogen (N) application (NCon), optimized N application with straw (SNOpt), optimized N application with straw and 5% of dicyanodiamide (SNOpt + DCD), and optimized N rate of slow release fertilizer with straw (SSRFOpt). Over a 3-year period, the NGHG emissions were achieved 953, 1322, 564, and 1162 kg CO2-eq ha−1, simultaneously, and the NGHGI arrived 158, 223, 86, and 191 kg CO2-eq t−1 grain in NCon, SNOpt, SNOpt + DCD, and SSROpt grain, respectively. Contrasted with conventional farming system, optimized farming methods reduced 32% of N fertilizer use without significant decrease in grain yield, but brought about 38% increase in N2O emissions, up to 28% gained in soil CH4 uptake. Thus, it was observed that the straw incorporation performs noticeable increased in N2O emissions in the winter wheat cropping season. Among the optimized N fertilizer rates compared with the SNOpt treatment, the SNOpt +DCD and SSROpt treatments decreased in N2O emissions by approximately 55% and 13%, respectively. Additionally, the N2O emission factor across over a 3-year period was 0.41 ± 0.08% derived from N fertilizer, and it was half of IPCC default values for upland corps. It is expected possibly due to low precipitation and soil moisture with the monocropping system. The 25% higher in the amount of rainfall (almost 300 mm in 2013–2014) during a cropping season underwent into 1–2-fold increase in N2O emissions from N-fertilized plots. As the statistical differences among annual cumulative emissions coincided with that during winter wheat growing season, it can be concluded that crop growing season is a vital important period for the determination of N2O emissions from under rainfed monocropping system.

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Abbreviations

C:

Carbon

CO2 :

Carbon dioxide

DCD:

Dicyanodiamide

DOM:

Dissolved organic matter

ECD:

Electron capture detector

EF:

Emission factor

GHG:

Greenhouse gas

HI:

Harvest index

N:

Nitrogen

N0 :

No N application

N2O:

Nitrous oxide

NC:

Conventional N management

NGHG:

Net greenhouse gas emissions

NGHGI:

Net greenhouse gas emissions intensity

NGWP:

Net global warming potential

SNOpt :

Optimized N application with straw

SNOpt :

Optimized N management

SNOpt + DCD:

Optimized N application with straw and 5% of dicyanodiamide

SRF:

Slow release fertilizer

SSRFOpt :

Optimized N rate of slow release fertilizer with straw

WFPS:

Water-filled pore space

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Funding

This work was funded by the Ministry of Agriculture (grant number: 201103039) and the Key Laboratory of Plant Nutrition and the Agri-environment in Northwest China, Ministry of Agriculture, Shaanxi, China.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Natural Resources and Environment, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, 712100, China

    Yue Yang, Yan’an Tong, Pengcheng Gao, Yin Min Htun & Tao Feng

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  1. Yue Yang
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  2. Yan’an Tong
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  3. Pengcheng Gao
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  4. Yin Min Htun
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  5. Tao Feng
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Correspondence to Yan’an Tong or Pengcheng Gao.

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Highlights

• N2O emission was measured from rainfed wheat field in northwest agricultural land in China.

• N2O emission related with conventional nitrogen (N) application and optimized N application with straw.

• Application of conventional nitrogen increased N losses and N2O emissions.

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Yang, Y., Tong, Y., Gao, P. et al. Evaluation of N2O emission from rainfed wheat field in northwest agricultural land in China. Environ Sci Pollut Res 27, 43466–43479 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-020-09133-0

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