Effects of Nitrogen Application Level on Rice Nutrient Uptake and Ammonia Volatilization

The effects of different nitrogen application levels on nutrient uptake and ammonia volatilization were studied with the rice cultivar Zheyou 12 as a material.The accumulative amounts of nitrogen,phosphorus and potassium in rice plants across all growth stages showed a trend to increase with increasing nitrogen application levels from 0 to 270 kg/hm 2,but decreased at nitrogen application levels exceeding 270 kg/hm 2.Moreover,the accumulative uptake of nitrogen,phosphorus and potassium by the rice plants was increased by application of organic manure in combination with 150 kg/hm 2 nitrogen.The nitrogen uptake was high during the jointing to heading stages.Correlation analysis showed that rice yield was positively correlated with the accumulative uptake of nitrogen,phosphorus and potassium by the rice plants.The highest correlation coefficient observed was between the amount of nitrogen uptake and rice yield.The rate and accumulative amounts of ammonia volatilization increased with increasing nitrogen fertilizer application level.Compared with other stages,the rate and accumulative amount of ammonia volatilization were higher after base fertilizer application.The ammonia volatilization rates in response to the nitrogen application levels of 270 kg/hm 2 and 330 kg/hm 2 were much higher than those in the other treatments.The loss of nitrogen through ammonia volatilization accounted for 23.9% of the total applied nitrogen at the nitrogen application level of 330 kg/hm 2.

Ammonia volatilization losses and ^(15)N balance from urea applied to rice on a paddy soil

Ammonia volatilization loss and ^15N balance were studied in a rice field at three different stages after urea application in Taihu Lake area with a micrometeorological technique. Factors such as climate and the NH4^＋-N concentration in the field floodwater affecting ammonia loss were also investigated. Results show that the ammonia loss by volatilization accounted for 18.6%-38.7% of urea applied at different stages, the greatest loss took place when urea was applied at the tillering stage, the smallest at the ear bearing stage, and the intermediate loss at the basal stage. The greatest loss took place within 7 d following the fertilizer application. Ammonia volatilization losses at three fertilization stages were significantly correlated with the ammonium concentration in the field floodwater after the fertilizer was applied. ^15N balance experiment indicated that the use efficiency of urea by rice plants ranged between 24.4% and 28.1%. At the early stage of rice growth, the fertilizer nitrogen use efficiency was rather low, only about 12%. The total amount of nitrogen lost from different fertilization stages in the rice field was 44.1%-54.4%, and the ammonia volatilization loss was 25.4%-33.3%. Reducing ammonia loss is an important treatment for improving N use efficiency.

Effects of Nitrogen Application Levels on Ammonia Volatilization and Nitrogen Utilization during Rice Growing Season

We conducted field trials of rice grown in sandy soil and clay soil to determine the effects of nitrogen application levels on the concentration of NH4＋-N in surface water, loss of ammonia through volatilization from paddy fields, rice production, nitrogen-use efficiency, and nitrogen content in the soil profile. The concentration of NH4＋-N in surface water and the amount of ammonia lost through volatilization increased with increasing nitrogen application level, and peaked at 1-3 d after nitrogen application. Less ammonia was lost via volatilization from clay soil than from sandy soil. The amounts of ammonia lost via volatilization after nitrogen application differed depending on the stage when it was applied, from the highest loss to the lowest： N application to promote tillering 〉 the first N topdressing to promote panicle initiation （applied at the last 4-leaf stage） 〉 basal fertilizer 〉 the second N topdressing to promote panicle initiation （applied at the last 2-leaf stage）. The total loss of ammonia via volatilization from clay soil was 10.49-87.06 kg/hm2, equivalent to 10.92%-21.76% of the nitrogen applied. The total loss of ammonia via volatilization from sandy soil was 11.32-102.43 kg/hm2, equivalent to 11.32%-25.61 % of the nitrogen applied. The amount of ammonia lost via volatilization and the concentration of NH4＋-N in surface water peaked simultaneously after nitrogen application; both showed maxima at the tillering stage with the ratio between them ranging from 23.76% to 33.65%. With the increase in nitrogen application level, rice production and nitrogen accumulation in plants increased, but nitrogen-use efficiency decreased. Rice production and nitrogen accumulation in plants were slightly higher in clay soil than in sandy soil. In the soil, the nitrogen content was the lowest at a depth of 40-50 cm. In any specific soil layer, the soil nitrogen content increased with increasing nitrogen application level, and the soil nitrogen content was higher in clay soil than in sandy soil. In terms of ammonia volatilization, the amount of ammonia lost via volatilization increased markedly when the nitrogen application level exceeded 250 kg/hm2 in the rice growing season. However, for rice production, a suitable nitrogen application level is approximately 300 kg/hm2. Therefore, taking the needs for high crop yields and environmental protection into account, the appropriate nitrogen application level was 250-300 kg/hm2 in these conditions.

Nitrogen mobility,ammonia volatilization,and estimated leaching loss from long-term manure incorporation in red soil

Nitrogen（N） loss from fertilization in agricultural fields has an unavoidable negative impact on the environment and a better understanding of the major pathways can assist in developing the best management practices. The aim of this study was to evaluate the fate of N fertilizers applied to acidic red soil（Ferralic Cambisol） after 19 years of mineral（synthetic） and manure fertilizer treatments under a cropping system with wheat-maize rotations. Five field treatments were examined： control（CK）, chemical nitrogen and potash fertilizer（NK）, chemical nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizer（NP）, chemical nitrogen, phosphorus and potash fertilizer（NPK） and the NPK with manure（NPKM, 70% N from manure）. Based on the soil total N storage change in 0–100 cm depth, ammonia（NH_3） volatilization, nitrous oxide（N_2O） emission, N plant uptake, and the potential N leaching loss were estimated using a mass balance approach. In contrast to the NPKM, all mineral fertilizer treatments（NK, NP and NPK） showed increased nitrate（NO_3~–） concentration with increasing soil depth, indicating higher leaching potential. However, total NH_3 volatilization loss was much higher in the NPKM（19.7%） than other mineral fertilizer treatments（≤4.2%）. The N_2O emissions were generally low（0.2–0.9%, the highest from the NPKM）. Total gaseous loss accounted for 1.7, 3.3, 5.1, and 21.9% for NK, NP, NPK, and NPKM treatments, respectively. Estimated N leaching loss from the NPKM was only about 5% of the losses from mineral fertilizer treatments. All data demonstrated that manure incorporation improved soil productivity, increased yield, and reduced potential leaching, but with significantly higher NH_3 volatilization, which could be reduced by improving the application method. This study confirms that manure incorporationis an essential strategy in N fertilization management in upland red soil cropping system.

Model Research on the Effect of Surface Film on Ammonia Volatilization from Rice Field

Pan and field experiments were conducted to investigate the effect of surface film on ammonia volatilization from water and paddy soil. The results showed that the addition of the surface film on floodwater reduced the rate of ammonia volatilization, however, the reduction of the latter varied greatly with its rates of addition. Jayaweera-Mikkelsen ammonia volatilization model with the introduction of a parameter Kf, a relative measure of the resistance of the surface film on ammonia volatilization, was used to elucidate the effectiveness of the surface film on lowering ammonia volatilization. The Kf value was calculated from the results ob-

Evaluation of Pathway of Nitrogen Loss in Winter Wheat and Summer Maize Rotation System

The nitrogen loss pathway in winter wheat and summer maize rotation system was studied based on field experimental data. The results showed that nitrogen recovery rate was significantly decreased with nitrogen fertilization rate increased, while residual rate and losses rate had an increasing trend. Accumulated ammonia volatilization loss in winter wheat and summer maize rotation was 12. 8(N0), 22.0(N120), 33. 0(N240) and 64. 5 kg N ha-1 (N360) respectively and rate of ammonia volatilization loss was 3.8, 4.2 and 7.2% respectively while urea was mixed with 0 -10 cm soil or spread before irrigation. Denitrification loss with acetylene-soil core incubation method in winter wheat was lower than 1 kg N ha-1 and rate of denitrification loss was 0. 21 - 0. 26% or trace. Denitrification loss in summer maize was 1 - 14 kg N ha-1 and rate of denitrification loss was 1-5%. The total gaseous loss in winter wheat and summer maize rotation system was less than 10%, and the main nitrogen fertilizer loss way was leaching below 0 - 100 cm soil profile and accumulated in deeper soil.

NH3 Volatilization from Aboveground Plants of Winter Wheat During Late Growing Stages

Ammonia volatilized from aboveground parts of winter wheat was collected with an enclosure growth chamber and measured from jointing to maturing stage. The results showed that ammonia released from unfertilized plants grown in high and low fertility soils remained at low rates of 2.3 and 0. 9μg NH3 40 plant-1 h-1 respectively at late filling stage. However, fertilized plants rapidly increased the rates to 43. 4 and 52. 2μg NH3, 40 plant-1 h-1 in the high and low fertility soils, respectively, at the same period. The released a-mount was different in different parts of plants. At filling stage, lower senescing stems and leaves volatilized more ammonia than upper parts, i. e. , ears and flag leaves that grew normally, with an average of 1. 4 and 0.7μg NH3 20 plant-1 h-1 respectively, strongly suggesting that it was the senile organs that released large amounts of ammonia. At the grain filling stage, shortage of water supply (drought stress) reduced ammonia volatilization. The average rate of ammonia released under water stress was 0. 9μg NH3 40 plant-1 h-1, but 1.2μg NH3 40 plant-1 h-1 with moderate water supply. Application of N together with P fertilizer resulted in a higher ammonia volatilization than N fertilization alone at the maturing stage. The average rate released was 135.3 μg NH3 40 plant-1 h-1 when 0.4 g N and 0.13 g P had been added to per kg soil, while 33. 7μg when 0. 4 g N added alone. Ammonia volatilization from plants was closely related with plant biomass and N uptake;P fertilization increased plant biomass and N uptake and therefore increased its release.

Nitrogen Release Characteristics of a Bag Controlled Release Fertilizer

Slow release fertilizers are designed to enhance crop yield and minimizing the loss of nitrogen(N)to environment.However,N release in leaching and loss in ammonia emission from bag controlled release fertilizers have not been previously evaluated under the standardized conditions in soil.Accordingly,a laboratory study was conducted to evaluate the characteristics of N release from a bag controlled fertilizer with 1,3,5 and 7 rows of hole(B-1,B-3,B-5,B-7)and a kraft bag without hole(B-W).The results showed that the amount of N leaching of B-1,B-3,B-5,B-7 and B-W were significantly lower than urea fertilizer without bag(U).The maximum N release from the fertilizers followed the order:U(83.16%)>B-7(54.61%)>B-5(54.02%)>B-W(51.51%)>B-3(48.87%)>B-1(38.60%)during the experimentation.Compared with U treatment,ammonia volatilization losses were significantly decreased by B-1,B-3,B-5,B-7 and B-W treatments.Based on N release and loss,a suitable bag with holes should be considered in practice when using the bag controlled fertilizer to meet an environment good objective.The evaluation method merits further study combined with field experiment.

Ammonia volatilization from a Chinese cabbage field under different nitrogen treatments in the Taihu Lake Basin, China

Ammonia（NH3） volatilization is a major pathway of nitrogen（N） loss from soil-crop systems.As vegetable cultivation is one of the most important agricultural land uses worldwide,a deeper understanding of NH3 volatilization is necessary in vegetable production systems.We therefore conducted a 3-year（2010-2012） field experiment to characterize NH3 volatilization and evaluate the effect of different N fertilizer treatments on this process during the growth period of Chinese cabbage.Ammonia volatilization rate,rainfall,soil water content,p H,and soil NH4~＋were measured during the growth period.The results showed that NH3 volatilization was significantly and positively correlated to topsoil p H and NH4＋concentration.Climate factors and fertilization method also significantly affected NH3 volatilization.Specifically,organic fertilizer（OF） increased NH3 volatilization by 11.77%-18.46%,compared to conventional fertilizer（CF,urea）,while organic-inorganic compound fertilizer（OIF） reduced NH3 volatilization by 8.82%-12.67% compared to CF.Furthermore,slow-release fertilizers had significantly positive effects on controlling NH3 volatilization,with a 60.73%-68.80% reduction for sulfur-coated urea（SCU）,a 71.85%-78.97% reduction for biological Carbon Power~？ urea（BCU）,and a 77.66%-83.12% reduction for bulk-blend controlled-release fertilizer（BBCRF）relative to CF.This study provides much needed baseline information,which will help in fertilizer choice and management practices to reduce NH3 volatilization and encourage the development of new strategies for vegetable planting.

Effect of Trichoderma viride biofertilizer on ammonia volatilization from an alkaline soil in Northern China

Ammonia（NH3） volatilization is one of the primary pathways of nitrogen（N） loss from soils after chemical fertilizer is applied, especially from the alkaline soils in Northern China, which results in lower efficiency for chemical fertilizers. Therefore, we conducted an incubation experiment using an alkaline soil from Tianjin（p H 8.37–8.43） to evaluate the suppression effect of Trichoderma viride（T. viride） biofertilizer on NH3 volatilization, and compared the differences in microbial community structure among all samples. The results showed that viable T. viride biofertilizer（T） decreased NH3 volatilization by 42.21% compared with conventional fertilizer（（CK）, urea）, while nonviable T. viride biofertilizer（TS） decreased NH3 volatilization by 32.42%. NH3 volatilization was significantly higher in CK and sweet potato starch wastewater（SPSW） treatments during the peak period. T. viride biofertilizer also improved the transfer of ammonium from soil to sweet sorghum. Plant dry weights increased 91.23% and 61.08% for T and TS, respectively, compared to CK. Moreover, T. viride biofertilizer enhanced nitrification by increasing the abundance of ammonium-oxidizing archaea（AOA） and ammonium-oxidizing bacteria（AOB）. The results of high-throughput sequencing indicated that the microbial community structure and composition were significantly changed by the application of T. viride biofertilizer. This study demonstrated the immense potential of T. viride biofertilizer in reducing NH3 volatilization from alkaline soil and simultaneously improving the utilization of fertilizer N by sweet sorghum.

Kinetic and thermodynamic effects of moisture content and temperature on the ammonia volatilization of soil fertilized with urea

The traditional qualitative analysis of the individual factors on the kinetic and thermodynamic parameters cannot sufficiently reveal the mechanism underlying ammonia volatilization in soil.This study aimed to determine the effects of temperature,moisture content,and their interaction on the kinetic and thermodynamic parameters,which revealed the key control mechanism underlying ammonia volatilization,modified the traditional Arrhenius model,and established a quantitative prediction model of cumulative NH_(3)-N loss(CNL).Laboratory culture experiments were conducted under different temperatures(T)(15℃,20℃,25℃and 35℃)and moisture contents(θ)(60%,80%,and 100%field capacities).Soil ammonia volatilization was also measured every 2 d.Results showed that the effects of individual factors and their interaction on the values of reaction rate(K_(N)),Activation free energy(ΔG),and activation entropy(ΔS)followed the descending order of T>θ>T·θ,whereas those of activation enthalpy(ΔH)and activation degree(lgN)followed the descending order ofθ>T>T·θ.The interaction showed significant effect on K_(N)value and insignificant effect on all the thermodynamic parameters.The effects of water and temperature were mainly observed during the preparatory stage and the most critical transition state stage of the chemical reaction,respectively.Given thatΔH>0,ΔG>0,andΔS>0,ammonia volatilization is found to be an endothermic reaction controlled by enthalpy.The new K_(N)(T)-2 model with the determination coefficient(R^(2))of 0.999 was more accurate than the traditional Arrhenius model with the R^(2)of 0.936.The new NH_(3)(T,θ)model with the mean absolute percentage error(MAPE)of 4.17%was more accurate than the traditional NH_(3)(T)model with the MAPE of 7.11%.These results supplemented the control mechanism underlying ammonia volatilization in soil fertilized with urea and improved the prediction accuracy of CNL.

Ammonia volatilization and availability of Cu,Zn induced by applications of urea with and without coating in soils

Ammonia volatilization and the distribution of Cu and Zn were investigated in two types of soil treated with coated and uncoated urea.The rate of ammonia volatilization in two weeks after fertilizing with coated urea was 8% in soil 1 （soil derived from river alluvial deposits in Dongting Lake Plain） and 5.15% in soil 2 （red soil derived from quaternary red clay）,about half the rates observed when fertilizing with common urea,implying that the hydrolysis speed of the coated urea was lower than for common urea,and that the coated urea can increase nitrogen use efficacy.As for the availability of Cu and Zn,their concentrations decreased in the first week after fertilization,and then increased,which was contrary to the effect of treatment on soil pH.For example,when the pH was 7.99,there was 0.79mg/kg exchangeable Cu and 0.85mg/kg exchangeable Zn in the soil derived from river alluvial deposits in Dongting Lake Plain.However,the concentrations of exchangeable Cu and Zn were generally lower for the common urea treatments than those with the coated urea because the peak pH for the common urea treatment was greater.The concentrations of these elements correlated well with pH in the range 4–8 in second order polynomial fits.

Effects of digestate application depth on soil nitrogen volatilization and vertical distribution

This study investigated the effect of the digestate application depth on soil nitrogen volatilization and vertical distribution in black loam soil and sandy loam column.The contents of soil moisture,TKN(total Kjeldahl nitrogen),ammonium nitrogen,nitrate nitrogen,and the extent of ammonia volatilization were tested by applying digestate at depths of 0 cm,2 cm,6 cm,10 cm,15 cm and 20 cm,respectively.The experimental results showed that ammonia volatilization mainly occurred in the first 10 days and reduced significantly when the application depth was deeper than 10 cm.At the same application depth,compared with the black loam,the nitrogen loss in sandy loam through ammonia volatilization was less,and the penetration depth of nitrate nitrogen and ammonium nitrogen were all deeper.In the same soil,nitrate nitrogen penetrated deeper than ammonium nitrogen at all application depths.

Turnover and loss of nitrogenous compounds during composting of food wastes

Few people have so far explored into the research of the dynamics of various nitrogenous compounds(including water-soluble nitrogen)in composting of food wastes.This study aimed to investigate the solid-phase nitrogen,water-soluble nitrogen,nitrogen loss together with ammonia volatilization in the process of food wastes composting.A laboratory scale static aerobic reactor in the experiment was employed in the composting process of a synthetic food waste,in which sawdust was used as the litter amendment.In the experiment,oxygen was supplied by continuous forced ventilation for 15 days.The results have shown that the concentrations of total nitrogen and organic nitrogen decrease significantly in the composting process,whereasNH_(4)^(+)-N concentration increases together with little fluctuation in NO_(3)^(-)-N.After composting,the total content of the water-soluble nitrogen compounds in the compost greatly increased,the total nitrogen loss amounted to 50% of the initial nitrogen,mainly attributed to ammonia volatilization.56.7% of the total ammonia volatilization occurred in the middle and late composting of the thermophilic stage.This suggested that the control at the middle and late composting of thermophilic stage is the key to nitrogen loss in the food waste compost.

Nitrification inhibitor nitrapyrin does not affect yield-scaled nitrous oxide emissions in a tropical grassland

Urea is the most common nitrogen(N)fertilizer used in the tropics but it has the risk of high gaseous nitrogen(N)losses.Use of nitrification inhibitor has been suggested as a potential mitigation measure for gaseous N losses in N fertilizer-applied fields.In a field trial on a tropical Andosol pastureland in Costa Rica,gaseous emissions of ammonia(NH_(3))and nitrous oxide(N_(2)O)and grass yield were quantified from plots treated with urea(U;41.7 kg N ha^(-1)application^(-1))and urea plus the nitrification inhibitor nitrapyrin(U+NI;41.7 kg N ha^(-1)application^(-1)and 350 g of nitrapyrin for each 100 kg of N applied)and control plots(without U and NI)over a six-month period(rainy season).Volatilization of NH_(3)(August to November)in U(7.4%±1.3%of N applied)and U+NI(8.1%±0.9%of N applied)were not significantly different(P>0.05).Emissions of N_(2)O in U and U+NI from June to November were significantly different(P<0.05)only in October,when N_(2)O emission in U+NI was higher than that in U.Yield and crude protein production of grass were significantly higher(P<0.05)in U and U+NI than in the control plots,but they were not significantly different between U and U+NI.There was no significant difference in yield-scaled N_(2)O emission between U(0.31±0.10 g N kg^(-1)dry matter)and U+NI(0.47±0.10 g N kg^(-1)dry matter).The results suggest that nitrapyrin is not a viable mitigation option for gaseous N losses under typical N fertilizer application practices of pasturelands at the study site.

Global sensitivity and uncertainty analysis of the VIP ecosystem model with an expanded soil nitrogen module for winter wheat-summer maize rotation system in the North China Plain

Accurately simulating the soil nitrogen(N)cycle is crucial for assessing food security and resource utilization efficiency.The accuracy of model predictions relies heavily on model parameterization.The sensitivity and uncertainty of the simulations of soil N cycle of winter wheat-summer maize rotation system in the North China Plain(NCP)to the parameters were analyzed.First,the N module in the Vegetation Interface Processes(VIP)model was expanded to capture the dynamics of soil N cycle calibrated with field measurements in three ecological stations from 2000 to 2015.Second,the Morris and Sobol algorithms were adopted to identify the sensitive parameters that impact soil nitrate stock,denitrification rate,and ammonia volatilization rate.Finally,the shuffled complex evolution developed at the University of Arizona(SCE-UA)algorithm was used to optimize the selected sensitive parameters to improve prediction accuracy.The results showed that the sensitive parameters related to soil nitrate stock included the potential nitrification rate,Michaelis constant,microbial C/N ratio,and slow humus C/N ratio,the sensitive parameters related to denitrification rate were the potential denitrification rate,Michaelis constant,and N2 O production rate,and the sensitive parameters related to ammonia volatilization rate included the coefficient of ammonia volatilization exchange and potential nitrification rate.Based on the optimized parameters,prediction efficiency was notably increased with the highest coefficient of determination being approximately 0.8.Moreover,the average relative interval length at the 95% confidence level for soil nitrate stock,denitrification rate,and ammonia volatilization rate were 11.92,0.008,and 4.26,respectively,and the percentages of coverage of the measured values in the 95% confidence interval were 68%,86%,and 92%,respectively.By identifying sensitive parameters related to soil N,the expanded VIP model optimized by the SCE-UA algorithm can effectively simulate the dynamics of soil nitrate stock,denitrification rate,and ammonia volatilization rate in the NCP.