U.S. flagAn official website of the United States government
                    Here's how you know **Official websites use .gov**
                            
                            A **.gov** website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.
 **Secure .gov websites use HTTPS**
                            
                            A **lock** (                            
                              A locked padlock                                                      
                            
                            ) or **https://** means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.


Menu Agricultural Research Service
						
                    U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
 Soil and Water Management Research: St. Paul, MN
 close



    Research

                    Research Projects
                                    Publications
                                    Collaborations
                                    News
                                    Software
                People

                    Staff Listing
                                    CareersSearch small
                    Search
            
            ARS Home
                                About ARS
                                Contact Us




ARS Home Midwest Area St. Paul, Minnesota Soil and Water Management Research Research Publications at this Location





- ARS National Programs
- Search for a scientific manuscript
- Search for a research project
- ARS Software
- Programs and Projects
- Collaborations
- Subjects of Investigation
- Publications

Title:   Author  item
                                            Venterea, Rodney

                                                         - *Rod*item
                                            BURGER, MARTIN - UNIV OF CALIFORNIA DAVISitem
                                            Spokas, Kurt
  Submitted to: Journal of Environmental Quality
                                    Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
                                    Publication Acceptance Date: 4/28/2005
                                    Publication  Date: 9/1/2005
                                    Citation: Venterea, R.T., Burger, M., Spokas, K.A. 2005. Nitrogen oxide and methane emissions under varying tillage and fertilizer management. Journal of Environmental Quality. 34:1467-1477.Interpretive Summary: The objective of the current study was to examine the impact of long-term tillage management, together with fertilizer practices, on nitrous oxide (N2O), nitric oxide (NO), and methane (CH4) gas emissions within a corn/soybean rotation in southeastern Minnesota.  Nitrous oxide and CH4 are potent greenhouse gases, and NO emissions can affect tropospheric ozone (O3) production, particularly in rural regions. We used static and dynamic chambers to measure gas fluxes over two consecutive growing seasons. The results indicated that N2O emissions can either be enhanced, or mitigated, with reduced tillage depending on the type of fertilizer management employed. They also indicated that total growing season N2O + CH4 emissions were a significant component of the total greenhouse gas budget. Emissions of NO, and the ratio of NO:N2O emissions, were also affected by the type of fertilizer management used. The results demonstrate that the potential for reduced tillage agriculture to mitigate total greenhouse gas emissions depends only in part on its effectiveness in sequestering soil carbon (C). These results will impact policies and recommendations regarding C sequestration via reduced tillage as a means of mitigating global warming. Such recommendations will need to consider that fertilizer and tillage management effects may interact in affecting total greenhouse gas emissions.
                                Technical Abstract: Reduced tillage agriculture is being examined as a means of enhancing soil (C) levels and mitigating the impact of agriculture on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. There is relatively little information regarding tillage, and other management effects, on emissions of non CO2 GHGs and other trace gases. We used static and dynamic chambers to measure fluxes of nitrous oxide (N2O), nitric oxide (NO) and methane (CH4) in plots maintained under differing tillage treatments since 1991. Over two consecutive growing seasons of corn rotated with soybean, N2O emissions following post-plant application of 100 kg N ha-1 as broadcast urea (BU) were higher under no till (NT) and conservation tillage (CsT) compared to conventional tillage (CT). In the subsequent season, the effect of tillage on N2O emissions varied with fertilizer management.  Following pre-plant treatment with an equal amount of anhydrous ammonia (AA), N2O emissions were higher under CT and CsT compared to NT, while emissions following the application of urea ammonium nitrate (UAN) did not vary with tillage. Emissions of NO under NT were significantly higher under CT when fertilized with AA, but otherwise were not affected by tillage. Emissions of NO and the ratio of NO:N2O were highest under BU. Total NO + N2O losses were not affected by tillage, but were higher by a factor of two under both AA and BU compared to UAN. Total growing season non-CO2 GHG emissions were estimated to be equivalent to soil C loss rates of 0.07 - 0.50 Mg C ha-1 y-1, and therefore to be a significant component of the total GHG budget. Most importantly, these results indicate that N2O emissions can either be enhanced, or mitigated, with reduced tillage depending on the type of fertilizer management employed.


Return to top


Connect with ARS Sign up


ARS Home
                            USDA.gov
                            Plain Writing
                            Policies & Links
                            Civil Rights Statements
                            FOIA
                            Accessibility Statement
                            Privacy Policy
                            Non-Discrimination Statement
                            Quality of Information
                            USA.gov
                            WhiteHouse.gov