Nitrous oxide emissions from an irrigated cornfield

Journal Article · Sun Dec 31 23:00:00 EST 1978 · Science (Washington, D.C.); (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1126/science.205.4411.1125· OSTI ID:5359706

Hutchinson, G L; Mosier, A R

During the 1978 growing season, nitrous oxide (N/sub 2/O) emissions from a typical well-managed northern Colorado field of corn (Zea mays l.) totaled approximately 2.6 kilograms of nitrogen per hectare, or about 1.3 percent of the applied fertilizer nitrogen. Thirty percent of the loss occurred during the 3 weeks following fertilization while ammonia was being rapidly nitrified, and 59 percent was emitted during the week after the field's first irrigation, when restricted oxygen diffusion favored denitrification. Considering the large spatial and temporal variability of N/sub 2/O emissions from soil, micrometeorological estimates of vertical N/sub 2/O flux density compared favorably with estimates based on a simple soil cover method.

• OSTI ID: 5359706
• Journal Information: Science (Washington, D.C.); (United States), Journal Name: Science (Washington, D.C.); (United States) Vol. 205; ISSN SCIEA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

500200* -- Environment
Atmospheric-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
AIR POLLUTION
AMMONIA
CEREALS
CHALCOGENIDES
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
COLORADO
CROPS
DENITRIFICATION
DISTRIBUTION
ECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
ELEMENTS
FEDERAL REGION VIII
FERTILIZERS
GRAMINEAE
GRASS
HYDRIDES
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
IRRIGATION
MAIZE
NITROGEN
NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
NITROGEN HYDRIDES
NITROGEN OXIDES
NITROUS OXIDE
NONMETALS
NORTH AMERICA
OXIDES
OXYGEN
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PLANTS
POLLUTION
POLLUTION SOURCES
SPATIAL DISTRIBUTION
USA