Effects of Corn Stalks and Urea on N2O Production from Corn Field Soil

Abstract

Returning corn stalks to the field is an important and widely used soil management practice which is conducive to the sustainable development of agriculture. In this study, the effects of corn stalks and urea on N2O production in corn field soil were investigated through a 21-day incubation experiment. This study showed that increasing amounts of urea added to soil with a history of corn cultivation leads to increasing overall N2O emissions, by increasing both the intensity and the duration of emissions. Although N2O production was affected primarily by urea-derived NH4+-N and NO3--N, its main source was native soil nitrogen, which accounted for 78.5 to 94.5% of N2O. Returning corn stalk residue to the field reduced the production of N2O, and the more urea was applied, the stronger the effect of corn residue on reducing N2O emissions. Combining the application of corn stalks and urea could reduce the concentration of NH4+-N and NO3--N derived from urea, and then reduce the substrate required for N2O production in nitrification and denitrification processes. In addition, the combined application of corn stalks and urea could effectively inhibit the abundance of key N2O-producing genes AOA amoA, nirS and nirK.

Effects of corn stalks returning on soil microbial carbon use efficiency and corn yield in semi-arid cropland

“…Compared with urea application, corn stalks returning combined with urea application further increased NO3 --N by 45%, DOC by 53%, and DON by 122%, similar to Li et al (2021b). Corn stalks returning was considered to improve the physicochemical properties of soil (Chan et al 2002;Wu et al 2021). Wu et al (2022) also showed that straw returning could increase soil NO3 --N. The increase in NO3 --N, DOC, and DON may be due to the stimulation of extracellular enzyme activity by the addition of corn stalks (Chen et al 2014), and the decomposition of corn stalks releases macronutrients and changes nutrient availability (Devevre and Horwath 2000).…”

“…Soil organic matter and total N contents were determined by dry combustion of the samples using an Elemental Analyzer (Vario EL III, Hanau, Germany) (Yang et al 2017). Soil ammonium N (NH4 + -N) and nitrate nitrogen (NO3 -N) were extracted with 2 M KCl solution (Wu et al 2021), filtered, and analyzed with a continuous flow analyzer (AA3, Bran + Luebbe, Norderstedt, Germany). Soil pH was measured in a 1:2.5 soil/water suspension with a combination electrode (Yang et al 2017).…”

“…However, the long-term application of N fertilizer without organic material input will lead to the decline of farmland fertility, which is not conducive to guaranteed grain yield and sustainable agricultural development (Triplett and Dick 2008;Zhang et al 2012). Straw returning is a widely used agronomic measure with many advantages, such as improving soil physicochemical properties, increasing soil aggregates, promoting soil moisture and fertilizer conservation, and ensuring high crop yields (Velthof et al 2002;Wu et al 2021) and reducing the risk of heavy metal pollution in semi-arid areas by improving the pH (Jiang et al 2022). However, the input of exogenous organic matter into the soil may exacerbate or delay the decomposition of SOM, resulting in positive or negative priming effects, that is, the effect of fresh organics on the microbial decomposition of SOM (Chen et al 2014).…”

Response of corn yield to water retaining agents, inhibitors, and corn stalks addition in semi-arid cropland,

“…Straw contains a large amount of lignocellulose, soluble carbon, and other nutrient elements, and it has good porosity (Thíebeau et al 2021;Lu et al 2023). These characteristics of straw are often used to improve soil physicochemical properties, promote soil moisture and fertilizer retention, and ensure crop yield (Velthof et al 2002;Wu et al 2021). However, further clarification is needed regarding whether adding water retaining agents, inhibitors, and straw can promote corn production in this semi-arid cropland.…”

Integrated Hemicellulose Extraction and Papermaking Fiber Production from Agro-Waste Biomass

“…Following the various management recommendations (CE, ZW, IFS, ICM), many different initiatives were made to increase the value of this abundant and renewable agro-waste. The traditional "classic" valorization methods mostly recommended by ICM and IFS management strategies include the use of CS to prepare animal feed [20], as fuel [21], or as soil fertilizer [22]. The opportunities for CS valorization are expanded by the contemporary management strategies (CE, ZW).…”