Soil pH differently affects N2O emissions from soils amended with chemical fertilizer and manure by modifying nitrification and denitrification in wheat-maize rotation system

Summary

This field study investigates how soil pH differentially influences N2O emissions from chemically fertilised versus manure-amended soils in a wheat-maize rotation system, with the underlying mechanisms operating through changes in nitrification and denitrification pathways. The research suggests that fertiliser type and soil acidity interact to control greenhouse gas losses, a finding with implications for optimising nitrogen management to reduce agricultural emissions. The work contributes to understanding how soil amendment choices and pH management can be leveraged to mitigate N2O release in cereal rotations.

UK applicability

The findings may have limited direct applicability to UK arable systems, as UK soils typically operate within a narrower pH range and climatic conditions differ substantially from the study location; however, the mechanistic understanding of pH-dependent nitrification and denitrification could inform UK nitrogen management strategies, particularly for farms adjusting soil pH through liming.

Key measures

N2O emissions (flux rates), soil pH, nitrification rates, denitrification rates, microbial community composition (as suggested by the mechanisms implied in the title)

Outcomes reported

The study examined how soil pH modulates nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions from soils amended with chemical fertiliser versus manure in a wheat-maize rotation system. The research measured N2O fluxes and the relative contributions of nitrification and denitrification pathways under different pH conditions.

Topic tags