Impacts of 49–51 years of fertilization and crop rotation on growing season nitrous oxide emissions, nitrogen uptake and corn yields

Abstract

Impacts of 49 Á 51 years of fertilization and crop rotation on growing season nitrous oxide emissions, nitrogen uptake and corn yields. Can. J. Soil Sci. 94: 421Á433. A field study was established in 1959 to evaluate the effects of fertilization and crop rotation on crop yields, soil and environmental quality on a Brookston clay loam. There were two fertilizer treatments (fertilized and not-fertilized) and six cropping treatments including continuous corn (CC), continuous Kentucky bluegrass sod and a 4-yr rotation of cornÁoatÁalfalfaÁalfalfa with each phase present each year. We measured N 2 O emissions, inorganic N and plant N uptake over three growing seasons (2007Á2009) in the corn phase. Nitrous oxide emissions varied over the 3 yr as a result of the seasonal variation in precipitation quantity, intensity and timing and differences in crop growth and N uptake. Fertilized CC lost, on average, 7.36 kg N ha(1 by N 2 O emissions, whereas the not-fertilized CC lost only 0.51 kg N ha (1 . Fertilized rotation corn (RC) lost 6.46 kg N ha (1 , which was 12% lower than fertilized CC. The notfertilized RC, on the other hand, emitted about half as much N 2 O (2.95 kg N ha(1 ) as the fertilized RC. Fertilized RC had corn grain yields that averaged 10.0 t ha(1 over the 3 yr followed by fertilized CC at 5.48 t ha . Not-fertilized RC corn had yields that were 61% lower (3.93 t ha(1 ) than fertilized RC, whereas the not-fertilized CC had yields that were 75% lower (1.39 t ha(1 ) than fertilized CC. Nitrous oxide emissions were found to be dramatically affected by long-term management practices and crop rotation had lower emissions in the corn phase of the rotation even though the N input from fertilizer addition and legume N fixation was greater. These N 2 O emission and yield results were due to both factors that are traditionally used to describe these processes as well as long-term soil quality factors, which were created by the long-term management (i.e., soil organic carbon, soil physical parameters such as bulk density, and porosity, soil fauna and microflora) and that influenced crop growth, N uptake and soil water contents. Les de´gagements d'oxyde nitreux ont fluctue´au cours de ces trois anne´es et on attribue le phe´nome`ne aux variations saisonnie`res du nombre, de l'intensite´et du moment des pre´cipitations, ainsi qu'aux diffe´rences observe´es au niveau de la croissance des cultures et de l'absorption de l'azote. La MC bonifie´e a perdu en moyenne 7,36 kg de N par hectare sous forme d'e´missions de N 2 O, alors que la MC sans amendement n'en a perdu que 0,51 kg par hectare. En assolement fertilise´, le maı¨s a perdu 6,46 kg de N par hectare, ce qui correspond a`12 % de moins que pour la MC bonifie´e. L'assolement de maı¨s (AM) non fertilise´, en revanche, a libe´re´a`peu pre`s la moitie´de N 2 O (2,95 kg de N par hectare) que l'AM amende´. L'AM fertilise´a donne´un rendement grainier moyen de 10,0 t par hectare au cours des trois anne´es a`l'e´tude, la MC fertilise´e arrivant deuxie`me avec 5,48 t par hectare....

How do changes in bulk soil organic carbon content affect carbon concentrations in individual soil particle fractions?

“…and Reynolds et al 31. for details); ii) a long-term fertilization and rotation experiment (initiated 1959) consisting of three cropping treatments (continuous corn, corn-oat-alfalfa-alfalfa rotation, continuous bluegrass sod) and two fertilizer treatments (fertilized, not fertilized) with each phase of the rotation present every year (see Drury et al 32. for details); and iii) a long-term tillage study (initiated in 1983 and modified in 1996) with corn under moldboard plow tillage, ridge tillage and no-tillage, plus continuous Kentucky bluegrass sod (see Yang et al 33.…”

N2O emissions from grain cropping systems: a meta-analysis of the impacts of fertilizer-based and ecologically-based nutrient management strategies

“…reduced N fertilizer can shed light on the interactions between N fertilizer and cover crops when they are used together. In one study N 2 O emissions were measured under maize receiving N inputs from alfalfa with ±N and controls with ±N fertilizer (Drury et al 2014). , from 0 N and legume treatment, respectively).…”

Legume-based mixed intercropping systems may lower agricultural born N2O emissions

“…Almost all significant N 2 O fluxes occurred as daily peak N 2 O emissions and were measured only during the early summer period in 2014. The importance of these peak emissions in early summer period on the annual budget of N 2 O emissions highlights the necessity of continuous flux monitoring to accurately determine the N loss from agro-ecosystems specifically in spring and early summer seasons [7,20].…”

“…Crop plants play an important role, as they may transpire 500 to 600 mm of water per growth cycle which is 30 to 90 % of the precipitation input in that period. In this respect, crops differ substantially, not only in the total amount of water that is transpired but also in the growth and transpiration pattern in the course of the year [19,20].…”