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Use of the open-path TDL analyzer to monitor ammonia emissions from winter wheat in the North China Plain

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Abstract

The backward Lagrangian stochastic (BLS) model and open-path tunable diode laser (OPTDL) analyzer were used to monitor ammonia (NH3) emissions from urea applied to winter wheat in the North China Plain. The high-temporal resolution measurements of ammonia concentrations provided an opportunity for estimating the diel patterns of ammonia emissions, as well as valuable information about the factors that influence NH3 emissions. The results showed both large diel variability and daily variability in NH3 volatilization, with NH3 emissions highest during the daytime. The diel pattern of ammonia volatilization depended mainly on the diel variation of wind speed and soil temperature, while the overall pattern of NH3 loss was strongly affected by soil moisture content, soil NH4 +-N concentration, wind speed and soil temperature. At the end of the measurement period, the cumulative NH3 loss was 12.21–16.43 kg N ha−1, calculated based on different time scale average Q BLS. Due to sensitivity of the OPTDL analyzer, the estimated total ammonia loss was still doubtful in this study.

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Acknowledgments

This study was financially supported by the National Basic Research Program of China (973 Program No. 2011CB100504), the Science and Technology Service Network Initiative (No. KFJ-EW-STS-055) and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 41071150). The authors would like to acknowledge Brian Crenna for elucidating responses to questions about WindTrax.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, 1 Weigang, Nanjing, 210095, China

    Wen-Liang Yang & Xiao-Min Chen

  2. Fengqiu Agro-Ecological Experimental Station, State Key Laboratory of Soil and Sustainable Agriculture, Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 71 East Beijing Road, Nanjing, 210008, China

    Wen-Liang Yang, An-Ning Zhu, Jia-Bao Zhang, Xiao-Hui Xu & Xin Shu

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  1. Wen-Liang Yang
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  2. An-Ning Zhu
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  4. Jia-Bao Zhang
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  5. Xiao-Hui Xu
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Correspondence to An-Ning Zhu or Xiao-Min Chen.

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Yang, WL., Zhu, AN., Chen, XM. et al. Use of the open-path TDL analyzer to monitor ammonia emissions from winter wheat in the North China Plain. Nutr Cycl Agroecosyst 99, 107–117 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10705-014-9621-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10705-014-9621-1

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