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The effects of different irrigation regimes on nitrous oxide emissions and influencing factors in greenhouse tomato fields

  • Soils, Sec 3 • Remediation and Management of Contaminated or Degraded Lands • Research Article
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Abstract

Purpose

Intensive agricultural practices have enhanced problems associated with the competing use of limited water resources. Nitrous oxide (N2O) is a major contributor to global warming. It is important for researchers to ascertain the relationship between irrigation and soil N2O emissions in order to identify mitigation strategies to reduce nitrous oxide emissions. Different irrigation amounts affect soil water dynamics and nitrogen turnover. The effect of three lower limits of irrigation on soil N2O emissions, influencing factors, and abundance of genes involved in nitrification and denitrification were investigated in tomato irrigated in a greenhouse.

Materials and methods

Observations were performed between April and August 2015 in a long-term irrigated field subjected to different lower limits of irrigation: 20 kPa (D20), 30 kPa (D30), and 40 kPa (D40) from greenhouse soil during the tomato crop season. Soil N2O fluxes were monitored using the static chamber-gas chromatograph method. Copy numbers of genes were determined using the real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (real-time PCR) technique. Characteristics of soil N2O emissions were analyzed, and differences between irrigation regimes were determined. The effects of influencing factors on soil N2O emissions were analyzed, including soil temperature, soil moisture, soil pH, and soil mineral nitrogen, as well as changes in the abundance of soil ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) and ammonia-oxidizing archaea (AOA) based on amoA genes and denitrifier genes (nosZ, nirK, and cnorB).

Results and discussion

Our results showed that peaks in N2O emissions occurred 1–5 days after each irrigation. During the whole tomato growth period, soil N2O fluxes were lowest under D30 treatment compared with those under D20 and D40 treatments. Soil NO3 −-N concentrations were significantly higher than NH4 +-N concentrations. Soil N2O fluxes were significantly related to soil moisture, NH4 +-N concentrations (P < 0.01), soil pH, and AOA copy numbers (P < 0.05). There was no consistent correlation between soil N2O emissions, soil temperature, and soil NO3 −-N concentrations. Different irrigation regimes significantly affected AOA copy numbers but did not affect the expression of other genes. AOA copy numbers were higher than those of AOB. Soil N2O fluxes significantly affected the AOA copy numbers and potential nitrification rates (P < 0.05).

Conclusions

Soil moisture, pH, and NH4 +-N concentration were important factors affecting soil N2O emissions. Compared with other genes associated with nitrification and denitrification, AOA plays an important role in N2O emissions from greenhouse soils. Selecting a lower limit of irrigation of 30 kPa could effectively reduce N2O emissions from vegetable soils.

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Acknowledgements

This wok was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 31572206), the Youth Science and Technology Innovation Talents Program in Agriculture of Liaoning (No. 2015051), and the National Natural Science Foundation of Liaoning (No. 2014027013). We thank Prof. Youzhi Feng, of the Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, for advice and help.

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  1. Bing Han and Xuhong Ye contributed equally to this work.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Northeast Key Laboratory of Conservation and Improvement of Cultivated Land, Ministry of Agriculture, National Engineering Laboratory for Efficient Utilization of Soil and Fertilizer Resources, College of Land and Environment, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang, People’s Republic of China

    Bing Han, Xuhong Ye, Wen Li, Xichao Zhang, Yulong Zhang & Hongtao Zou

  2. State Key Laboratory of Soil and Sustainable Agriculture, Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing, People’s Republic of China

    Xiangui Lin

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  1. Bing Han
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  2. Xuhong Ye
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  3. Wen Li
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Correspondence to Hongtao Zou.

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Han, B., Ye, X., Li, W. et al. The effects of different irrigation regimes on nitrous oxide emissions and influencing factors in greenhouse tomato fields. J Soils Sediments 17, 2457–2468 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11368-017-1700-x

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