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Crop residues and fertilizer nitrogen influence residue decomposition and nitrous oxide emission from a Vertisol

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Abstract

Crop residues with high C/N ratio immobilize N released during decomposition in soil, thus reducing N losses through leaching, denitrification, and nitrous oxide (N2O) emission. A laboratory incubation experiment was conducted for 84 days under controlled conditions (24°C and moisture content 55% of water-holding capacity) to study the influence of sugarcane, maize, sorghum, cotton and lucerne residues, and mineral N addition, on N mineralization–immobilization and N2O emission. Residues were added at the rate of 3 t C ha−1 to soil with, and without, 150 kg urea N ha−1. The addition of sugarcane, maize, and sorghum residues without N fertilizer resulted in a significant immobilization of soil N. Amended soil had significantly (P < 0.05) lower NO −3 –N, which reached minimum values of 2.8 mg N kg−1 for sugarcane (at day 28), 10.3 mg N kg−1 for maize (day 7), and 5.9 mg N kg−1 for sorghum (day 7), compared to 22.7 mg N kg−1 for the unamended soil (day 7). During 84 days of incubation, the total mineral N in the residues + N treatments were decreased by 45 mg N kg−1 in sugarcane, 34 mg kg−1 in maize, 29 mg kg−1 in sorghum, and 16 mg kg−1 in cotton amended soil compared to soil + N fertilizer, although soil NO −3 –N increased by 7 mg kg−1 in lucerne amended soil. The addition of residues also significantly increased amended soil microbial biomass C and N. Maximum emissions of N2O from crop residue amended soils occurred in the first 4–5 days of incubation. Overall, after 84 days of incubation, the cumulative N2O emission was 25% lower with cotton + N fertilizer, compared to soil + N fertilizer. The cumulative N2O emission was significantly and positively correlated with NO −3 –N (r = 0.92, P < 0.01) and total mineral N (r = 0.93, P < 0.01) after 84 days of incubation, and had a weak but significant positive correlation with cumulative CO2 in the first 3 and 5 days of incubation (r = 0.59, P < 0.05).

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Acknowledgments

Wisal Mohammad gratefully acknowledges the Higher Education Commission of Pakistan for financial support and the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission for postdoctoral study. We express our appreciation to Steven Reeves, Technical Officer, Environment and Resource Sciences, QLD for the analysis of gas samples. The analytical services and facilities provided by The University of Queensland in conducting the study are gratefully acknowledged.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Nuclear Institute for Food and Agriculture (NIFA), P.O. Box 446, Tarnab, Peshawar, Pakistan

    Wisal Muhammad

  2. School of Land, Crop and Food Sciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, 4072, Australia

    Sarah M. Vaughan, Ram C. Dalal & Neal W. Menzies

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  1. Wisal Muhammad
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  2. Sarah M. Vaughan
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  3. Ram C. Dalal
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  4. Neal W. Menzies
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Correspondence to Wisal Muhammad.

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Muhammad, W., Vaughan, S.M., Dalal, R.C. et al. Crop residues and fertilizer nitrogen influence residue decomposition and nitrous oxide emission from a Vertisol. Biol Fertil Soils 47, 15–23 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00374-010-0497-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00374-010-0497-1

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