Stover Harvest did not Change Nitrous Oxide Emissions in Two Minnesota Fields

Johnson, Jane M. F.; Barbour, Nancy W.

doi:10.2134/agronj2018.09.0591

Stover Harvest did not Change Nitrous Oxide Emissions in Two Minnesota Fields

Journal Article · Tue Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 2019 · Agronomy Journal

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2134/agronj2018.09.0591· OSTI ID:1853977

Johnson, Jane M. F. ^[1]; Barbour, Nancy W. ^[2]

US Dept. of Agriculture (USDA), Morris, MN (United States). ARS-North Central Soil Conservation Research Lab.; Antares group inc
US Dept. of Agriculture (USDA), Morris, MN (United States). ARS-North Central Soil Conservation Research Lab.

Corn (Zea mays L.) is grown across vast acreages producing massive quantities of stover making corn a desirable cellulosic bioenergy feedstock. Nitrous oxide (N₂O) is a potent greenhouse gas (GHG) so small changes in direct soil N₂O emissions may have substantial influence on global warming potential (GWP) from the agricultural sector. Harvesting stover alters soil properties such as soil moisture, oxygen availability, temperature, and substrate availability (C and N). Thus, harvesting stover might reduce soil N₂O emissions by reducing substrate and by warming and drying the soil. The goal of the study was to determine how harvesting corn stover altered soil N₂O emissions. Therefore, soil N₂O emissions were measured for four crop-years (planting to planting) in two independent studies, one in a field managed without tillage (NT1995) and the other was in a field tilled annually with a chisel plow (Chisel). In this study, each field was in a corn–soybean (Glycine max L. [Merr.]) rotation, with (i) corn grain (Grain) only, (ii) grain plus about 50% of the stover harvested (Grain+Moderate), and (iii) grain plus harvesting as much stover as possible (Grain+Aggressive) treatments. Cumulative soil N₂O emissions did not differ among treatments in either field during any of the crop-years monitored. Flux events occurred corresponding to fertilizer applications and to spring freeze-thaw events. Cumulative fertilizer stimulated emissions tended to be greater for corn than soybean because of N-fertilizer application. These results are valuable to modelers for enhancing estimates of the N₂O component of the stover management C-footprint.

View Accepted Manuscript (DOE)

Research Organization:: Antares Group, Inc., Lanham, MD (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Transportation Office. Bioenergy Technologies Office

Grant/Contract Number:: EE0007088; FC36-05GO85041

OSTI ID:: 1853977

Report Number(s):: DOE-ANTARES--07088-2-11

Journal Information:: Agronomy Journal, Journal Name: Agronomy Journal Journal Issue: 1 Vol. 111; ISSN 0002-1962

Publisher:: Alliance of Crop, Soil, and Environmental Science SocietiesCopyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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