HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Qian, J. H. Articles by Power, J. F. Search for Related Content PubMed Articles by Qian, J. H. Articles by Power, J. F. Agricola Articles by Qian, J. H. Articles by Power, J. F.

Soil Denitrification and Nitrous Oxide Losses under Corn Irrigated with High-Nitrate Groundwater

111 Koshland Hall, Univ. of California, Berkeley, CA 94720;
USDA-ARS, 119 Keim Hall, Univ. of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE 68583;
CSIRO, Cunningham Lab, 306 Carmody Rd., St. Lucia, Queensland, Australia 4067;
USDA-ARS, P.O. Box E, Fort Collins, CO 80522;
Pioneer Hi-bred Intl Inc., 4445 Corporate Dr., West Des Moines, IA 50265.

^* Corresponding author (jdoran{at}unlinfo.unl.edu).

ABSTRACT

Inappropriate management of irrigation water and fertilizer N in irrigated corn (Zea mays L.) has resulted in excess N leaching from the rooting zone and NO^–₃ contamination of groundwater. A better understanding of microbially mediated conversion of plant available N to gaseous N forms is needed for more efficient N use, to evaluate the impact of radiatively important gas production such as nitrous oxide (N₂O) on air quality, and to determine the potential of microbial denitrification for remediating high-NO^–₃ irrigation water. Soil denitrification and N₂O losses from pivot irrigated corn were measured during the 1991 and 1992 growing seasons using surface gas chambers at the Management System Evaluation Area (MSEA) site for water quality research in the Central Platte Valley near Shelton, NE. Denitrification and N₂O losses remained low throughout most of the growing season, generally ranging from 10 to 50 g N ha^–1 d^–1, when soil water contents were generally below 60% water-filled pore space (WFPS). Nitrous oxide was the major gaseous N product under these conditions. When soils were wetted by irrigation or rainfall to >70% WFPS, denitrification losses ranged from 0.2 to 1.4 kg N ha^–1 d^–1 with N₂ comprising 80 to 98% of the denitrification gases measured. Monthly average denitrification losses across years were highly correlated (r = 0.693) with time of growing season, suggesting a possible link between plant growth and denitrification. Seasonal gaseous N losses via denitrification and N₂O emission from irrigated corn represented 1 to 5% of the N applied as fertilizer or in irrigation water during a relatively dry 1991 season and the 1992 season with near normal precipitation. Results of our 2-yr study indicate that under good irrigation and N management practices gaseous N losses from denitrification and N₂O production pose little additional threat to atmospheric quality or N-use efficiency but also provide little hope for bioremediation of high-NO^–₃ groundwater.

Agricultural Research Division, Univ. of Nebraska. Journal Ser. 11384.

Received for publication October 19, 1995.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				J. T. Welzmiller, A. D. Matthias, S. White, and T. L. Thompson Elevated Carbon Dioxide and Irrigation Effects on Soil Nitrogen Gas Exchange in Irrigated Sorghum Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J., January 25, 2008; 72(2): 393 - 401. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				D. Ginting, A. Kessavalou, B. Eghball, and J. W. Doran Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Soil Indicators Four Years after Manure and Compost Applications J. Environ. Qual., January 1, 2003; 32(1): 23 - 32. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J.F. Power, R. Wiese, and D. Flowerday Managing Farming Systems for Nitrate Control: A Research Review from Management Systems Evaluation Areas J. Environ. Qual., November 1, 2001; 30(6): 1866 - 1880. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				H. R. S. Rozas, H. E. Echeverria, and L. I. Picone Denitrification in Maize Under No-Tillage: Effect of Nitrogen Rate and Application Time Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J., July 1, 2001; 65(4): 1314 - 1323. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				H. S. Rozas, H. E. Echeverría, G. A. Studdert, and G. Domínguez Evaluation of the Presidedress Soil Nitrogen Test for No-Tillage Maize Fertilized at Planting Agron. J., November 1, 2000; 92(6): 1176 - 1183. [Abstract] [Full Text]

				M. Maag and F. P. Vinther Effect of Temperature and Water on Gaseous Emissions from Soils Treated with Animal Slurry Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J., July 1, 1999; 63(4): 858 - 865. [Abstract] [Full Text]