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Effective mitigation of nitrate leaching and nitrous oxide emissions in intensive vegetable production systems using a nitrification inhibitor, dicyandiamide

  • SOILS, SEC 1 • SOIL ORGANIC MATTER DYNAMICS AND NUTRIENT CYCLING • RESEARCH ARTICLE
  • Published:
Journal of Soils and Sediments Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

Vegetable production is one of the most intensive agricultural systems with high rates of nitrogen (N) fertilizer use and irrigation, conditions conducive for nitrate (NO −3 ) leaching, and nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions. The objective of this study was to determine the effectiveness of a nitrification inhibitor, dicyandiamide (DCD), in decreasing NO −3 leaching and N2O emissions in vegetable production systems.

Materials and methods

Twenty-four undisturbed soil monolith lysimeters (610 mm in diameter; 700 mm in depth; surface area, 0.29 m2) with two different soils, Huangzongrang (alfisol) and Chaotu (fluvisols), were collected and installed in a field lysimeter facility in Central China under irrigated vegetable production conditions. Urea fertilizer was applied at 650 kg N ha−1, and DCD was applied at 10 kg ha−1 to the lysimeters planted with three kinds of vegetables (capsicum, Capsicum annuum L.; amaranth, Amaranthus mangostanus L.; radish, Raphanus sativus L.).

Results and discussion

The results showed that DCD reduced NO −3 leaching by 58.5% and 36.2% and N2O emissions factor by 83.8% and 72.7% in the two soils. The average NO −3 –N concentration in the drainage water was decreased from 4.9 mg N L−1 to 2.3 mg N L−1 and from 4.4 mg N L−1 to 3.3 mg N L−1, in the Huangzongrang and Chaotu soils, respectively. In addition to the environmental benefits, the use of DCD also increased the yields of capsicum and radish in alfisol soil significantly (P < 0.01); only the amaranth yield in fluvisol soil was declined (P < 0.01), and the other vegetables yields were not affected. Total N concentrations of the three vegetables were increased significantly (P < 0.01) with the application of DCD with urea compared with urea alone. These results showed that the nitrification inhibitor DCD has the potential to significantly reduce NO −3 leaching and N2O emissions and to make vegetable farming more environmentally friendly.

Conclusions

These results demonstrated that the use of the nitrification inhibitor DCD can significantly reduce NO −3 leaching, N2O emissions, and the average NO −3 –N concentration in the drainage water, while increasing the fertilizer N efficiency in the vegetable production system.

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Abbreviations

NO −3 :

Nitrate

N2O:

Nitrous oxide

DCD:

Dicyandiamide

N:

Nitrogen

NI:

Nitrification inhibitor

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Acknowledgments

The project was funded by the 948 Project from the Ministry of Agriculture of China (grant no. 2008-Z25) and the National Key Project of science and technology (2008BADA7B03).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Key Laboratory of Subtropical Agricultural Resources and Environment, Ministry of Agriculture of China, Microelement Research Centre, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, People’s Republic of China

    Min Cui, Xuecheng Sun, Chengxiao Hu, Qiling Tan & Changsheng Zhao

  2. Center for Soil and Environment Research, Lincoln University, PO Box 84, Lincoln 7647, Christchurch, New Zealand

    Hong J. Di

Authors
  1. Min Cui
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  2. Xuecheng Sun
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  3. Chengxiao Hu
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  4. Hong J. Di
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  5. Qiling Tan
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  6. Changsheng Zhao
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Chengxiao Hu.

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Responsible editor: Thomas DeLuca

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Cui, M., Sun, X., Hu, C. et al. Effective mitigation of nitrate leaching and nitrous oxide emissions in intensive vegetable production systems using a nitrification inhibitor, dicyandiamide. J Soils Sediments 11, 722–730 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11368-011-0357-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11368-011-0357-0

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