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Ammonia emission from subtropical crop land area in India

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Abstract

Ammonia (NH3) emission from wheat (November to April) and rice (July to October) crops was measured using the chemiluminescence method at a subtropical agricultural area of India during 2009–2010. Samples were collected from the canopy height during different growth stages of wheat crop to study the variations of NH3 emission during different growth stages of the crop. Background atmospheric concentration of NH3 was measured at 5 m height at the study site. Background NH3 concentration was subtracted from the NH3 concentration at crop canopy height to estimate the emission of NH3 from crop canopy. The NH3 emission from the wheat crop were recorded as 33.3 to 57.0; 15.3 to 29.2; 10.3 to 28.0; 8.7 to 23.9 and 13.9 to 28.9 μg m−2 d−1 during sowing, crown root initiation (CRI), panicle initiation, grain filling and maturity stages of the crop respectively. The NH3 emission followed a diurnal pattern with significant correlation with ambient temperature at different crop growth stages. Cumulative seasonal NH3 emission to the atmosphere was accounted for the loss of ∼10% of applied N-fertilizer during the wheat crop growing period. Immediate increase in NH3 emission was recorded from rice crop, grown under temperature gradient tunnel (TGT). However, the NH3 emission inside the TGT decreases within 3–4 h after the N-fertilizer application. Continuous estimation of NH3 concentration at the crop canopy inside the TGT, suggests that the NH3 emission to the atmosphere reaches its peak within ∼20 h of N-fertilizer application and continues up to 5 d following a diurnal pattern.

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Datta, A., Sharma, S.K., Harit, R.C. et al. Ammonia emission from subtropical crop land area in India. Asia-Pacific J Atmos Sci 48, 275–281 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13143-012-0027-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13143-012-0027-1

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