Nitric oxide and nitrous oxide emissions from cattle-slurry and mineral fertiliser treated with nitrification inhibitor to an agricultural soil: A laboratory approach

Abstract

<p>The application of organic and mineral fertilisers to soil can result in increased gaseous emissions to the atmosphere such as nitric oxide (NO) and nitrous oxide (N₂O) gases. The aim of this study was to evaluate under laboratory conditions the effects on mineral N dynamics and NO and N₂O emissions of application to soil of cattle slurry derived liquid fraction (LF) obtained by screw press and mineral fertiliser (MF), both treated with or without the nitrification inhibitor 3,4-dimethylpyrazole phosphate (DMPP). An aerobic laboratory incubation was performed over 93 days with a Dystric Cambisol amended with mechanically separated LF or mineral fertiliser ammonium sulphate only or combined with DMPP. Two additional treatments were included: soil only and soil amended with DMPP. Nitrogen immobilisation was the dominant process with MF amendment, whereas N mineralisation has been observed with LF. The application of LF reduced significantly NO emissions by 80% relative to mineral but no differences were observed with N₂O emissions. The addition of DMPP to MF induced a decrease of 18 and 29% in NO and N₂O emissions whereas DMPP combined with LF reduced (numerically but not statistically) these emissions in 20 and 10%, respectively. Results obtained in our study suggest that N (NO + N₂O) losses can be mitigated by adding DMPP to mineral fertilisers or replacing mineral fertiliser by LF.</p>