Abstract
Nitrous oxide (N2O) is primarily produced as intermediate in denitrification and, to a lesser extent, through nitrification processes. Nitrous oxide emission and, consequently, its atmospheric impacts depend on the extent to which N2O is reduced to dinitrogen gas (N2) by denitrifiers. Field experiments were conducted from 1998 through 2000 growing seasons at St. Emmanuel, Quebec, Canada, to investigate the combined impact of water table management (WTM) and N fertilization rate on the soil denitrification (N2O + N2) rate, rate of N2O production, and the N2O:N2O + N2 ratio. Water table treatments included subirrigation (SI) with a target water table depth of 0.6 m and free drainage (FD) with open drains. The tile drains (75 mm diameter) were laid at a 1.0 m depth from the soil surface. Nitrogen fertilizer was applied at two rates:120 and 200 kg N ha−1 as ammonium nitrate (34-0-0). The N2O + N2 evolution rates were greater in SI (12.9 kg N ha−1) than in FD (5.8 kg N ha−1) plots. The percentages of N2O relative to overall N2O + N2 evolution were 35 and 11% for 1998, 29 and 8% for 1999, and 37 and 20% for 2000, under FD and SI, respectively. The reduced N2O production under SI was due to a greater reduction of N2O to N2. Results indicate that greater N2O + N2 evolution under shallow water tables are not necessarily accompanied by higher N2O emissions.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
J.R.M. Arah I.J. Crichton K.A. Smith (1993) ArticleTitleDenitrification measured directly using a single-inlet mass spectrometry and acetylene inhibition Soil Biol. Biochem. 25 233–238 Occurrence Handle10.1016/0038-0717(93)90032-7
M.S. Aulakh D.A. Renie E.A. Paul (1984) ArticleTitleGaseous N losses from soil under zero-till compared with conventional-till management systems J. Environ. Qual. 13 130–136
R.L. Cooper N.R. Fausey J.W. Johnson (1999) ArticleTitleYield response of corn to a subirrigation/drainage man-agement system in northern Ohio J. Prod. Agric. 12 74–77
D. Daum M.K. Schenk (1996) ArticleTitleGaseous nitrogen losses from a soilless culture system in the greenhouse Plant Soil 183 69–78 Occurrence Handle10.1007/BF02185566
E.A. Davidson W.T. Swank T.O. Perry (1986) ArticleTitleDistinguishing between nitrification and denitrification as sources of gaseous nitrogen production in soil Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 52 1280–1286
C.F. Drury C.S. Tan J.D. Gaynor T.O. Oloyo T.W. Welacky (1996) ArticleTitleInfluence of controlled drainage-subirrigation on surface and tile drainage nitrate loss J. Environ. Qual. 25 317–324
B. Eghball (2000) ArticleTitleNitrogen mineralization from field-applied beef cattle feedlot manure or compost Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J. 64 2024–2030
S Ellis E. Yamulk R. Dixon R. Harrison S.C. Jarvis (1998) ArticleTitleDenitrification and N2O emis-sions from a UK pasture soil following early spring application of cattle slurry and min-eral fertiliser Plant Soil 202 15–25 Occurrence Handle10.1023/A:1004332209345
A.A. Elmi C. Madramootoo M. Egeh C. Hamel (2004) ArticleTitleWater and fertilizer nitrogen management to minimize nitrate pollution from a cropped soil in southwestern Quebec, Canada Water Air Soil Pollut. 151 117–134 Occurrence Handle10.1023/B:WATE.0000009910.25539.75
A.A. Elmi C. Madramootoo M. Egeh A. Liu C. Hamel (2002a) ArticleTitleEnvironmental and agronomic implications of water table and nitrogen fertilization management J. Environ. Qual. 31 1858–1867
A.A. Elmi C. Madramootoo M. Egeh G. Dodds C. Hamel (2002b) ArticleTitleWater table management as a natural bio-remediation technique of nitrate pollution Water Qual. Res. J. Can. 37 563–576
A.A. Elmi C. Madramootoo C. Hamel (2000) ArticleTitleInfluence ofwater table and nitrogen management on re-sidual soil NO -3 denitirification rate in under corn production in sandy loam soil in Quebec Agric. Ecosyst. Environ. 79 187–197 Occurrence Handle10.1016/S0167-8809(99)00157-7
Granli T. and Bøckman O. 1994. Nitrous oxide from agriculture. Nor. J. Agric. Sci., 12: 7–127.
InstitutionalAuthorNameIntergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) (2001) Climate change 2001. The scientific basis Cambridge Univ. Press CambridgeU.K
K. Isemann (1994) ArticleTitleAgriculture’s share in the emission of trace gases affecting the climate change and some cause-oriented proposals for reducing this share Environ. Pollut. 83 95–111 Occurrence Handle10.1016/0269-7491(94)90027-2 Occurrence Handle15091755
P.A. Jacinthe W.A. Dick L.C. Brown (2000) ArticleTitleBioremediation of nitrate-contaminated shallow soils us-ing water table management techniques: production and evolution of nitrous ox-ide Soil Biol. Biochem. 32 371–382 Occurrence Handle10.1016/S0038-0717(99)00163-7
W.A. Jury J. Letey T. Collins (1982) ArticleTitleAnalysis of chamber methods used for measuring nitrous oxide production in the field Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J. 46 250–256
P.K. Kalita R.S. Kanwar (1993) ArticleTitleEffect of water table management practices on the trans-port of nitrate-N to shallow groundwater Trans ASAE. 36 413–421
B.A. Kliewer J.W. Gilliam (1995) ArticleTitleWater management effects on denitrification and nitrous oxide evolution Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J. 59 1694–1701
D. Linn J. Doran (1984) ArticleTitleEffect of water-filled pore space on carbon dioxide and nitrous oxide production in tilled and nontilled soils Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J. 48 1267–1272
M. Maag F.P. Vinther (1996) ArticleTitleNitrous oxide emission by nitrification and denitrification in different soil types and at different soil moisture contents and tempera-tures Appl. Soil Ecol. 4 5–15 Occurrence Handle10.1016/0929-1393(96)00106-0
J.P. Malone R.J. Stevens R.J. Laughlin (1998) ArticleTitleCombining the 15N and acetylene inhibition techniques to examine the effects of acetylene on denitrifica-tion Soil Boil. Biochem. 30 31–37 Occurrence Handle10.1016/S0038-0717(97)00088-6
J.H. Qian J.W. Doran K.L. Weier A.R. Mosier T.A. Peterson J.F. Power (1997) ArticleTitleSoil denitrification and nitrous oxide losses under corn irrigated with high-nitrate groundwater J. Environ. Qual. 26 348–360
D.E. Rolston D.L. Hoffman D.W. Toy (1978) ArticleTitleField measurement of denitrification: I. Flux of N2N2O Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J. 42 863–869
J.C. Ryden J.H. Skinner D.J. Nixon (1987) ArticleTitleSoil core incubation system for the field measurement of denitrification using acetylene inhibition method Soil Biol. Biochem. 19 753–757 Occurrence Handle10.1016/0038-0717(87)90059-9
SAS Institute Inc. 2000. SAS Online Doce®, Version 9.0. SAS Institute Inc., North Carolina.
J.M. Tiedje S. Simkins P.M. Groffman (1989) ArticleTitlePerspectives on measurement of denitrification in the field including recommended protocols for acetylene based methods Soil Plant 115 261–284 Occurrence Handle10.1007/BF02202594
K.L. Weier J.W. Doran J.F. Power D.T. Walters (1993) ArticleTitleDenitrification and the dintrogen/nitrous oxide ratio as affected by soil wateravailable carbon, and nitrate Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J. 57 66–72
T. Yashinari R. Hynes R. Knowles (1977) ArticleTitleAcetylene inhibition of nitrous oxide reduction and meas-urement of denitrification and nitrogen fixation in soil Soil Biol. Biochem. 9 177–183 Occurrence Handle10.1016/0038-0717(77)90072-4
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Elmi, A., Burton, D., Gordon, R. et al. Impacts of Water Table Management on N2O and N2 from a Sandy Loam Soil in Southwestern Quebec, Canada. Nutr Cycl Agroecosyst 72, 229–240 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10705-005-2920-9
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10705-005-2920-9