Application of Nitrogen Fertilizers and Its Effect on Timeliness of Fertilizers Decomposition Resulting in Lost of Nitrogen Through Nitrous Oxide Emissions from Soil

• Main Authors: Koloman Krištof, Tomáš Šima, Ladislav Nozdrovický, Ján Jobbágy, Jan Mareček, Vlastimil Slaný
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Mendel University Press 2018-01-01
• Series: Acta Universitatis Agriculturae et Silviculturae Mendelianae Brunensis
• Subjects: greenhouse gas emissions; nitrous oxide; fertiliser; fertiliser spreader; application dose
• Online Access: https://acta.mendelu.cz/66/3/0691/

Fertilizers are an important tool to maintain soil fertility and as an enhancement for the efficient crop production. The system of fertilizers application affects the final dose and commonly causes local overdosing or insuficient spatial distribution of fertilizers which are a very important source of nitrous oxide emissions (N2O) from the soil into the atmospher observation of such phenomenon are among the key factors defining environmental impacts of agriculture. A study was conducted to observe the effect of application dose of fertilizer on N2O emission from the soil. CAN (Calcium ammonium nitrate – consist of 27 % nitrogen) was spread by a fertiliser spreader Kuhn Axera 1102 H-EMC aggregated with a tractor John Deere 6150 M. Incorporation of fertilizer into the soil was done by power harrow Pöttinger Lion 302. The application dose was set at 0, 100, 200 and 300 kg.ha–1 while monitoring points were selected at the base of this application doses in respective places. Measurements were conducted at time intervals 7, 14, 21 and 28 days after fertiliser application and following incorporation. Nitrous oxide emissions were measured by field gas monitor set INNOVA consisting of a photoacoustic gas monitor INNOVA 1412 and a multipoint sampler INNOVA 1309. Statistically significant differences was found among time intervals and among the application dose (p > 0.05). It was observed that the application dose of selected fertilizers has the direct effect on nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions released from soil into the atmosphere. An increase of greenhouse gas emissions was observed in range from 0.83 to 152.33 %. It can be concluded that the local overdose of fertilizers negatively affects environmental impact of agricultural practices at greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs).