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Nitrogen dynamics in soils amended with slurry treated by acid or DMPP addition

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Abstract

The objective of the present study was to evaluate the impact of the treatment of slurry liquid fraction (LF) acidified to pH 5.5 (ALF) on nitrification and denitrification processes after soil application. The impact of such treatment was compared with that of untreated LF, LF treated with a nitrification inhibitor (3,4-Dimethylpyrazole phosphate (DMPP)) (LF + DMPP). An incubation was conducted using the denitrification incubation system (DENIS/gas-flow-core technique) at a constant temperature of 20 °C and lasted for 32 days in order to follow nitrogen dynamics and gaseous emissions (N2O, NO, CO2) from soil. Inhibition of ammonium nitrification and nitrate accumulation was evident in both LF + DMPP and ALF at the top soil (0–3.75 cm) and those effects were stronger in the LF + DMPP. Denitrification was the main source of N2O emissions from soils amended with treated and untreated LF. Compared to the untreated LF, the ALF significantly reduced the total N lost as N2O from 0.10% to 0.05% of the applied N whereas the DMPP reduced the total N lost as N2O from 0.10% to 0.07%. Relative to the untreated LF, the ALF reduced the total N lost as NO emissions from 0.03% to 0.02% of the applied N whereas DMPP addition led to a stronger decrease from 0.03% to 0.01%. Both, ALF and LF + DMPP had no impact on CO2 emissions relative to the untreated LF. The ALF reduced CO2 emissions by 19% relative to the LF + DMPP. Our results demonstrate that slurry acidification affect not only nitrification but also the denitrification process. This suggests that slurry acidification is a valid technique to minimize N emissions.

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Acknowledgements

The research leading to these results has received funding from the People Programme (Marie Curie Actions) of the European Union’s Seventh Framework Programme FP7/2007-2013/ under REA grant agreement n° [289887] and FCT (PTDC/AGR-PRO/119428/2010), UID/AGR/04033/2013 and POCI-01-0145-FEDER-006958. Rothamsted Research receives strategic funding by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC, Grant number BB/J004286/1). This study was also part funded by BBSRC project grant BB/K001051/1. The findings of this study reflect only the author’s view and that the Union is not liable for any use that may be made of the information contained therein.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. CITAB - Centre for the Research and Technology of Agro-Environment and Biological Sciences, Department of Agronomy, Universidade de Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro, 5001-801, Vila Real, Portugal

    M.Y Owusu-Twum & H. Trindade

  2. North Wyke Research, Okehampton, Devon, EX20 2SB, UK

    N. Loick & L. M. Cardenas

  3. Chemistry Centre, Department of Soil Science, Universidade de Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro, Apartado 1013, 5001-801, Vila Real, Portugal

    J. Coutinho

  4. Universidade de Lisboa, Instituto Superior de Agronomia, LEAF, Tapada da Ajuda, 1349-017, Lisbon, Portugal

    D. Fangueiro

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  1. M.Y Owusu-Twum
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  2. N. Loick
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  3. L. M. Cardenas
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  4. J. Coutinho
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  5. H. Trindade
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  6. D. Fangueiro
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Correspondence to D. Fangueiro.

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Owusu-Twum, M., Loick, N., Cardenas, L.M. et al. Nitrogen dynamics in soils amended with slurry treated by acid or DMPP addition. Biol Fertil Soils 53, 339–347 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00374-017-1178-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00374-017-1178-0

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