Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Denitrification in Agricultural Soils: Summarizing Published Data and Estimating Global Annual Rates

  • Published:
Nutrient Cycling in Agroecosystems Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Information taken from 336 measurements of denitrification in agricultural soils was summarized to assess the influence on denitrification of several factors related to soil, climate, agricultural management and the measurement techniques. The data set is summarized by calculating means and medians and balanced median values (with correction for unbalanced features) for all factor classes in the data set, and by developing a summary model to calculate global denitrification rates for a 0.5 by 0.5 degree resolution. Our results suggest that agricultural fields with high nitrogen application rates and poor soil drainage show higher denitrification values than those with lower nitrogen application rate and good soil drainage. The data also indicate that conditions in wetland rice systems are more prone to denitrification than those in upland cropping and grassland systems. Large uncertainties in the results are caused by differences between the measurement techniques and lack of long-term measurements covering the range of environmental and management conditions found in global agricultural fields.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • P.E. Bacon J.R. Freney (1989) ArticleTitleNitrogen loss from different tillage systems and the effect on cereal grain yield Fertil. Res. 20 59–66 Occurrence Handle10.1007/BF01055429

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • N.H. Batjes (1997) ArticleTitleA world dataset of derived soil properties by FAO-UNESCO soil unit for global modelling Soil Use Manage. 13 9–16

    Google Scholar 

  • E.G. Beauchamp J.T. Trevors J.W. Paul (1989) Carbon sources for bacterial denitrification B. Stewart (Eds) Advances in Soil Science 10 Springer Verlag New York 113–142

    Google Scholar 

  • M.R. Betlach J.M. Tiedje (1981) ArticleTitleKinetic explanation for accumulation of nitritenitric oxide and nitrous oxide during bacterial denitrification Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 42 1074–1084

    Google Scholar 

  • A.F. Bouwman (Eds) (1990) Soils and the Greenhouse Effect Wiley and Sons ChichesterNew York

    Google Scholar 

  • A.F. Bouwman (1996) ArticleTitleDirect emission of nitrous oxide from agricultural soils Nutr. Cycl. Agroecosys. 46 53–70 Occurrence Handle10.1007/BF00210224

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • A.F. Bouwman L.J.M. Boumans N.H. Batjes (2002a) ArticleTitleEmissions of N2O and NO from fertilized fields. Summary of available measurement data Global Biogeochem. Cycles 16 IssueID4 1058 Occurrence Handle10.1029/2001GB001811

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • A.F. Bouwman L.J.M. Boumans N.H. Batjes (2002b) ArticleTitleEstimation of global NH3 volatilization loss from synthetic fertilizers and animal manure applied to arable lands and grasslands Global Biogeochem. Cycles 16 IssueID2 1024 Occurrence Handle10.1029/2000GB001389

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • A.F. Bouwman L.J.M. Boumans N.H. Batjes (2002c) ArticleTitleModeling global annual N2O and NO emissions from fertilized fields Global Biogeochem. Cycles 16 IssueID4 1080 Occurrence Handle10.1029/2001GB001812

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • A.F. Bouwman G. Drecht ParticleVan K.W. Hoek ParticleVan der (2005) ArticleTitleNitrogen surface balances in intensive agricultural production systems in different world regions for the period 1970–2030 Pedosphere 15 137–155

    Google Scholar 

  • A.F. Bouwman D.P. Vuuren ParticleVan R.G. Derwent M. Posch (2002d) ArticleTitleA global analysis of acidification and eutrophication of terrestrial ecosystems WaterAir Soil Poll. 141 349–382 Occurrence Handle10.1023/A:1021398008726

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • R. Brumme F. Beese (1992) ArticleTitleEffects of liming and nitrogen fertilization on emissions of CO2 and N2O from a temperate forest Journal Geophys. Res. 97 12851–12858

    Google Scholar 

  • P. Crill M. Keller A. Weitz B. Grauel E. Veldkamp (2000) ArticleTitleIntensive field measurements of nitrous oxide emissions from a tropical agricultural soil Global Biogeochem. Cycles 14 85–96 Occurrence Handle10.1029/1999GB900088

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • R.J. Dowdell K.A. Smith (1974) ArticleTitleField studies of the soil atmosphere II. Occurrence of nitrous oxide J. Soil Sci. 25 231–238

    Google Scholar 

  • J.M. Duxbury D.R. Bouldin R.E. Terry R.L. Tate (1982) ArticleTitleEmissions of nitrous oxide from soils Nature 298 462–464 Occurrence Handle10.1038/298462a0

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • FAO/IFA 2001. Global estimates of gaseous emissions of NH3NO and N2O from agricultural land. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)/International Fertilizer Industry Association (IFA), Rome 106pp.

  • I.R.P. Fillery P.L.G. Vlek (1982) ArticleTitleThe significance of denitrification of applied nitrogen in fallow and cropped rice soils under different flooding regimes. 1. Greenhouse experiments Plant Soil 65 153–169

    Google Scholar 

  • J.R. Freney O.T. Denmead (1992) ArticleTitleFactors controlling ammonia and nitrous oxide emissions from flooded rice fields Ecol. Bull. 42 188–194

    Google Scholar 

  • J.R. Freney A.C.F. Trevitt S.K. Datta ParticleDe W.N. Obcemea J.G. Real (1990a) ArticleTitleThe relative importance of denitrification and ammonia volatilization as loss processes in flooded rice in the Philippines Mitteilgn. Dtsch. Bodenkundl. Gesellsch. 60 211–216

    Google Scholar 

  • J.R. Freney A.C.T. Trevitt S.K. Datta ParticleDe W.N. Obcemea J.G. Real (1990b) ArticleTitleThe interdependence of ammonia volatilization and denitrification as nitrogen loss process in flooded rice fields in the Philippines Biol. Fertil. Soils 9 31–36 Occurrence Handle10.1007/BF00335858

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • J.N. Galloway W.H. Schlesinger H. Levy SuffixIII A. Michaels J.L. Schnoor (1995) ArticleTitleNitrogen fixation: anthropogenic enhancement-environmental response Global Biogeochem. Cycles 9 235–252 Occurrence Handle10.1029/95GB00158

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • L. Klemedtsson B.H. Svensson T. Rosswall (1988) ArticleTitleA method of selective inhibition to distinguish between nitrification and denitrification as sources of nitrous oxide in soil Biol. Fertil. Soils 6 112–119

    Google Scholar 

  • L.K. Klemedtsson A.R. Mosier (1994) ArticleTitleEffect of long-term field exposure of soil to acetylene on nitrification, denitrification, and acetylene consumption Biol. Fertil. Soils 18 42–48 Occurrence Handle10.1007/BF00336443

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • C. Li S. Frolking T.A. Frolking (1992) ArticleTitleA model of nitrous oxide evolution from soil driven by rainfall events: I. Model structure and sensitivity J. Geophys. Res. 97 9759–9776

    Google Scholar 

  • T. Mahmood R. Ali F. Azam K.A. Malik (1999) ArticleTitleComparsion of two versions of the acetylene inhibition/soil core method for measuring denitrification loss from an irrigated wheat field Biol. Fertil. Soils 29 328–331 Occurrence Handle10.1007/s003740050560

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • D.D. Myrold J.M. Tiedje (1985) ArticleTitleDiffusional constraints on denitrification in soil Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J. 49 651–657

    Google Scholar 

  • M. New M. Hulme P. Jones (1999) ArticleTitleRepresenting twentieth-century space-time climate variability. Part I: Development of a 1961–90 mean monthly terrestrial climatology J. Clim. 12 829–856 Occurrence Handle10.1175/1520-0442(1999)012<0829:RTCSTC>2.0.CO;2

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • W.N. Obcemea J.G. Real S.K. Datta ParticleDe (1988) ArticleTitleEffect of soil texture and nitrogen management on ammonia volatilization and total nitrogen loss Philipp. J. Crop Sci. 13 145–153

    Google Scholar 

  • T.B. Parkin (1987) ArticleTitleSoil microsites as a source of denitrification variability Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J. 51 1194–1199

    Google Scholar 

  • Payne R.W., Baird D.B., Gilmore A.R., Harding S.A., Lane P.W., Murray D.A., Soutar D.M., Thompson R., Todd A.D., Wilson G.T., Webster R. and Welham S.J. 2000. Genstat Release 4.2. Reference Manual. Lawes Agricultural Trust (Rothamsted Experimental Station), Harpenden, Hertfordshire, UK.

  • G.P. Robertson J.M. Tiedje (1987) ArticleTitleNitrous oxide sources in aerobic soils: nitrification, denitrification and other biological processes Soil Biol. Biochem. 19 187–193 Occurrence Handle10.1016/0038-0717(87)90080-0

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • J. Schmidt W. Seiler R. Conrad (1988) ArticleTitleEmission of nitrous oxide from temperate forest soils into the atmosphere J. Atmos. Chem. 6 95–115 Occurrence Handle10.1007/BF00048334

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • M. Simek J.E. Cooper T. Picek H. Santruckova (2000) ArticleTitleDenitrification in arable soils in relation to their physico-chemical properties and fertilization practice Soil Biol. Biochem. 32 101–110 Occurrence Handle10.1016/S0038-0717(99)00137-6

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • J.M. Tiedje (1988) Ecology of denitrification and dissimilatory nitrate reduction to ammonium A.J.B. Zehnder (Eds) Biology of Anaerobic Microorganisms Wiley and Sons New York 179–244

    Google Scholar 

  • M.E. Trenkel (1997) Improving fertilizer use efficiency. Controlled-release and stabilized fertilizers in agriculture International Fertilizer Industry Association Paris

    Google Scholar 

  • G. Drecht ParticleVan A.F. Bouwman J.M. Knoop A.H.W. Beusen C.R. Meinardi (2003) ArticleTitleGlobal modeling of the fate of nitrogen from point and nonpoint sources in soils, groundwater and surface water Global Biogeochem. Cycles 17 IssueID4 1115 Occurrence Handle10.1029/2003GB002060

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Van Heerden C. and Tiktak A. 1994. The Graphical Programme XY. A Programme for Visualisation of Results from Mathematical Programmes. Report 715501002. National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, Bilthoven 82pp. (In Dutch).

  • S. Yamulki R.M. Harrison K.W.T. Goulding C.P. Webster (1997) ArticleTitleN2O, NO and NO2 fluxes from a grassland: effect of soil pH Soil Biol. Biochem. 29 1199–1208 Occurrence Handle10.1016/S0038-0717(97)00032-1

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Z.L. Zhu D.L. Chen (2002) ArticleTitleNitrogen fertilizer use in China – Contributions to food production, impacts on the environment and best management strategies Nutr. Cycling Agroecosys. 63 117–127 Occurrence Handle10.1023/A:1021107026067

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Environmental Systems Analysis Group, Wageningen University, P.O. Box 47, 6700 AA, Wageningen, The Netherlands

    N. Hofstra

  2. Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, P.O. Box 1, 3720 BA, Bilthoven, The Netherlands

    A. F. Bouwman

Authors
  1. N. Hofstra
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. A. F. Bouwman
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to A. F. Bouwman.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Hofstra, N., Bouwman, A.F. Denitrification in Agricultural Soils: Summarizing Published Data and Estimating Global Annual Rates. Nutr Cycl Agroecosyst 72, 267–278 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10705-005-3109-y

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10705-005-3109-y

Keywords

Search

Navigation