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Higher maize yields and lower ammonia emissions by replacing synthetic nitrogen fertiliser with manure in the North China plain

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Nutrient Cycling in Agroecosystems Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Ammonia (NH3) emitted from synthetic nitrogen (N) fertiliser applications to farmland leads to air pollution and terrestrial acidification. Previous studies have indicated that replacing urea-based N fertilisers by manure may reduce NH3 emissions and enhance crop yield. However, the long-term effects of replacing urea N fertiliser by manure on crop yield and NH3 emissions have not been sufficiently quantified. The objective of the field study presented here was to examine the effects of three treatments (i.e., 100% synthetic fertiliser N application (NPK); 50% synthetic fertiliser N  +50% manure N application (50%MNS); and 100% manure N application (100%MNS)) on NH3 emissions and maize grain yields over a 3-year period in a long term (13 years) study site in the North China Plain. Results showed that the NH3 emissions in the NPK treatment ranged from 9.7 to 11.7 kg ha− 1 during the three maize growing seasons. Replacement of urea fertiliser by manure significantly decreased the NH3 emissions by 22–54% in the 50% MNS treatment and by 47–71% in the 100%MNS treatment. Maize grain yields were 14–30% higher in the 50%MNS treatment and 17–45% higher in the 100% MNS treatment, compared to the NPK treatment (8.1–8.8 t ha− 1). The NH3 emission factor for the NPK treatment ranged from 4.1 to 4.8%. Additional 15 N labelling work established that 83% of NH3 emissions originated from the urea fertiliser in the NPK treatment. Manure treatments had a higher maize N uptake and soil organic matter content, and a lower soil pH than the NPK treatment. This study highlights that replacing synthetic N fertiliser with manure on farmland in the North China Plain has long-term beneficial effects on maize yield and N uptake, NH3 emission mitigation and soil carbon storage.

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Data availability

The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author Hongyuan Wang and Hongbin Liu upon reasonable request.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the National Key Research and Development Program of China (2021YFD1700900), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (31972519), the Agricultural Science and Technology Innovation Program of Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (2060302-05-956-1) and the Taishan Industry Leading Talents High-Efficiency Agriculture Innovation Project (LJNY202125).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Key laboratory of Nonpoint Source Pollution Control, Institute of Agricultural Resources and Regional planning, National Field Observation and Research Station of Soil Quality in Changping, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of P. R. China, Beijing, 100081, People’s Republic of China

    Bingqian Fan, Jungai Li, Yibin Zhang, Hongyuan Wang, Limei Zhai, Qiuliang Lei, Shuxia Wu & Hongbin Liu

  2. Teagasc Environmental Research Centre, Johnstown Castle, Wexford, Ireland

    Owen Fenton

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  1. Bingqian Fan
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  2. Jungai Li
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Correspondence to Hongyuan Wang.

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Fan, B., Li, J., Fenton, O. et al. Higher maize yields and lower ammonia emissions by replacing synthetic nitrogen fertiliser with manure in the North China plain. Nutr Cycl Agroecosyst 127, 23–35 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10705-022-10252-y

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