TY - JOUR

T1 - Nitrogen losses from fertilizers applied to maize, wheat and rice in the North China Plain

AU - Cai, G.X.

AU - Fan, X.H.

AU - Zhu, Z.L.

AU - Ding, H.

AU - Pacholski, Andreas

AU - Chen, D.L.

N1 - Funding Information: We thank Mr Jiang Qiao of the Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences and Dr Marco Roelcke of the Braunschweig Technical University for their assistance. This study was funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (39790100), DFG (Ri269/42-1/2) and GTZ (VN 810.12.840) in Germany, and the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (Project LWR1/96/164).

PY - 2002/7

Y1 - 2002/7

N2 - Ammonia volatilization, denitrification loss and total nitrogen (N) loss (unaccounted-for N) have been investigated from N fertilizer applied to a calcareous sandy loam fluvo-aquic soil at Fengqiu in the North China Plain. Ammonia volatilization was measured by the micrometeorological mass balance method, denitrification by the acetylene inhibition - soil core incubation technique, and total N loss by 15N-balance technique. Ammonia loss was an important pathway of N loss from N fertilizer applied to rice (30-39% of the applied N) and maize (11-48%), but less so for wheat (1-20%). The amounts of unaccounted-for fertilizer N were in the order of rice > maize > wheat. Deep placement greatly reduced ammonia volatilization and total N loss. Temperature, wind speed, and solar radiation (particular for rice), and source of N fertilizer also affect extent and pattern of ammonia loss. Denitrification (its major gas products are N 2 and N 2O) usually was not a significant pathway of N loss from N fertilizer applied to maize and wheat. The amount of N 2O emission (N 2O is an intermediate product from both nitrification and denitrification) was comparable to denitrification loss for maize and wheat, and it was not significant in the economy of fertilizer N in agronomical terms, but it is of great concern for the environment.

AB - Ammonia volatilization, denitrification loss and total nitrogen (N) loss (unaccounted-for N) have been investigated from N fertilizer applied to a calcareous sandy loam fluvo-aquic soil at Fengqiu in the North China Plain. Ammonia volatilization was measured by the micrometeorological mass balance method, denitrification by the acetylene inhibition - soil core incubation technique, and total N loss by 15N-balance technique. Ammonia loss was an important pathway of N loss from N fertilizer applied to rice (30-39% of the applied N) and maize (11-48%), but less so for wheat (1-20%). The amounts of unaccounted-for fertilizer N were in the order of rice > maize > wheat. Deep placement greatly reduced ammonia volatilization and total N loss. Temperature, wind speed, and solar radiation (particular for rice), and source of N fertilizer also affect extent and pattern of ammonia loss. Denitrification (its major gas products are N 2 and N 2O) usually was not a significant pathway of N loss from N fertilizer applied to maize and wheat. The amount of N 2O emission (N 2O is an intermediate product from both nitrification and denitrification) was comparable to denitrification loss for maize and wheat, and it was not significant in the economy of fertilizer N in agronomical terms, but it is of great concern for the environment.

KW - Chemistry

KW - N

KW - Ammonia volatilization

KW - Denitrification loss

KW - Maize

KW - N fertilizer

KW - Rice

KW - Wheat

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0036964728&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1023/A:1021198724250

DO - 10.1023/A:1021198724250

M3 - Journal articles

AN - SCOPUS:0036964728

VL - 63

SP - 187

EP - 195

JO - Nutrient Cycling in Agroecosystems

JF - Nutrient Cycling in Agroecosystems

SN - 1385-1314

IS - 2-3

ER -