IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/agiwat/v288y2023ics0378377423003530.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Matching fertilization with available soil water storage to tackle the trade-offs between high yield and low N2O emissions in a semi-arid area: Mechanisms and solutions

Author

Listed:
  • Wu, Xiaorong
  • Li, Junjie
  • Xue, Xuanke
  • Wang, Rui
  • Liu, Wenhan
  • Yang, Baoping
  • Jia, Zhikuan
  • Zhang, Xudong
  • Han, Qingfang

Abstract

Large fertilizer nitrogen (N) input has created favorable conditions for nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions in semi-arid areas. However, it remains to be determined whether the major contradictions between high yield and N2O emissions reduction can be reconciled by matching fertilization with water availability. A 3-year field experiment was conducted in the Loess Plateau of northwest China, monitored N2O fluxes over five N application rates (0, 120, 175, 230, and 285 kg N ha−1), and examined the environmental factors and crop production in a rainfed maize field. Results showed that available soil water storage at sowing (ASWS) is crucial in promoting soil N2O emissions by altering soil NO3--N, organic C, and organic N availability in semi-arid agroecosystems. The cumulative N2O emissions exponentially increased with increasing N rates. However, the cumulative N2O emissions were moderately low (1.20 kg N ha−1) at the N application rate of 230 kg ha−1, where maize yield was maximized, after which N2O emissions remarkably increased by 27.88 %. This result suggests that reduced N application to levels satisfying crop needs could significantly reduce N2O emissions with a minor yield penalty. Furthermore, water availability determines the absorption and utilization of nutrients by crops on the Loess Plateau and ultimately determines grain yield. Therefore, an N2O emission-yield curve was established to determine whether the target crop yield could be obtained by adjusting water availability and N fertilization rates while reducing N2O emissions. Our results suggest that N application rates at 218.7–230.0 kg ha−1, ensuring ASWS at 209.5–215.2 mm at sowing and precipitation within 61–90 days after sowing at 184.2–194.0 mm is ideal for matching fertilization with water availability to balancing high yield and mitigating N2O emissions in the study region.

Suggested Citation

  • Wu, Xiaorong & Li, Junjie & Xue, Xuanke & Wang, Rui & Liu, Wenhan & Yang, Baoping & Jia, Zhikuan & Zhang, Xudong & Han, Qingfang, 2023. "Matching fertilization with available soil water storage to tackle the trade-offs between high yield and low N2O emissions in a semi-arid area: Mechanisms and solutions," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 288(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:agiwat:v:288:y:2023:i:c:s0378377423003530
    DOI: 10.1016/j.agwat.2023.108488
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0378377423003530
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.agwat.2023.108488?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Zhang, Xudong & Li, Zhimin & Siddique, Kadambot H.M. & Shayakhmetova, Altyn & Jia, Zhikuan & Han, Qingfang, 2020. "Increasing maize production and preventing water deficits in semi-arid areas: A study matching fertilization with regional precipitation under mulch planting," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 241(C).
    2. Chen, Yang & Wang, Lu & Tong, Ling & Hao, Xinmei & Wu, Xuanyi & Ding, Risheng & Kang, Shaozhong & Li, Sien, 2023. "Effects of biochar addition and deficit irrigation with brackish water on yield-scaled N2O emissions under drip irrigation with mulching," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 277(C).
    3. Dong-Gill Kim & Elisa Grieco & Antonio Bombelli & Jonathan E. Hickman & Alberto Sanz-Cobena, 2021. "Challenges and opportunities for enhancing food security and greenhouse gas mitigation in smallholder farming in sub-Saharan Africa. A review," Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, Springer;The International Society for Plant Pathology, vol. 13(2), pages 457-476, April.
    4. Zhang, Xuemei & Wang, Rui & Liu, Bo & Wang, Youcai & Yang, Linchuan & Zhao, Ji & Xu, Jing & Li, Zhimin & Zhang, Xudong & Han, Qingfang, 2023. "Optimization of ridge–furrow mulching ratio enhances precipitation collection before silking to improve maize yield in a semi–arid region," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 275(C).
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Kun Liu & Zhen Zhang & Yu Shi & Xizhi Wang & Zhenwen Yu, 2024. "Optimizing Ridge–Furrow Ratio to Improve Water Resource Utilization for Wheat in the North China Plain," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 14(9), pages 1-17, September.
    2. Nkhubedu Magakwe & Oluwasogo Olorunfemi, 2024. "A Systematic Review of the Trends, Effects, and Deterrents of Collective Marketing Participation Among Smallholder Farmers in Sub-Saharan Africa," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(21), pages 1-13, November.
    3. Liu, Yu & Li, Shilei & Liu, Yanxin & Shen, Hongzheng & Huang, Tingting & Ma, Xiaoyi, 2023. "Optimization of a nitrogen fertilizer application scheme for spring maize in full-film double-ridge furrow in Longzhong, China," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 290(C).
    4. Zhang, Xudong & Wang, Rui & Dong, Zhaoyun & Zhang, Peng & Jia, Zhikuan & Han, Qingfang, 2021. "Nutritional quality degradation: A potential risk due to nutrient dilution effects in film-mulched maize," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 257(C).
    5. Wang, Naijiang & Chen, Haixin & Ding, Dianyuan & Zhang, Tibin & Li, Cheng & Luo, Xiaoqi & Chu, Xiaosheng & Feng, Hao & Wei, Yongsheng & Siddique, Kadambot H.M., 2022. "Plastic film mulching affects field water balance components, grain yield, and water productivity of rainfed maize in the Loess Plateau, China: A synthetic analysis of multi-site observations," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 266(C).
    6. Gao, Riping & Pan, Zhihua & Zhang, Jun & Chen, Xiao & Qi, Yinglong & Zhang, Ziyuan & Chen, Shaoqing & Jiang, Kang & Ma, Shangqian & Wang, Jialin & Huang, Zhefan & Cai, Linlin & Wu, Yao & Guo, Ning & X, 2023. "Optimal cooperative application solutions of irrigation and nitrogen fertilization for high crop yield and friendly environment in the semi-arid region of North China," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 283(C).
    7. Liu, Donghua & Shi, Zujiao & Ma, Qian & Zhang, Yan & Cai, Tie & Zhang, Peng & Jia, Zhikuan, 2023. "Strategy for matching fertilizer application with soil water before sowing can stabilize maize productivity under rainwater harvesting and mulching planting in dry areas: A six-year field experiment," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 287(C).
    8. Verena Dominique Kouassi & Hongyi Xu & Chukwunonso Philip Bosah & Twum Edwin Ayimadu & Mbula Ngoy Nadege, 2024. "Sustainable Energy Usage for Africa: The Role of Foreign Direct Investment in Green Growth Practices to Mitigate CO 2 Emissions," Energies, MDPI, vol. 17(15), pages 1-23, August.
    9. Fang, Heng & Li, Yuannong & Gu, Xiaobo & Yu, Meng & Chen, Pengpeng & Li, Yupeng & Liu, Fulai, 2022. "Optimizing the impact of film mulching pattern and nitrogen application rate on maize production, gaseous N emissions, and utilization of water and nitrogen in northwest China," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 261(C).
    10. Wang, Wangtian & Ma, Li & Wu, Junyan & Sun, Wancang & Ali, Shahzad & Yang, Gang & Pu, Yuanyuan & Liu, Lijun & Fang, Yan, 2023. "Cultivation practices with various mulching materials to regulate chlorophyll fluorescence, cuticular wax, and rapeseed productivity under semi-arid regions," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 288(C).
    11. Li, Haoyu & Zhang, Yuanhong & Zhang, Qi & Ahmad, Naeem & Liu, Pengzhao & Wang, Rui & Li, Jun & Wang, Xiaoli, 2021. "Converting continuous cropping to rotation including subsoiling improves crop yield and prevents soil water deficit: A 12-yr in-situ study in the Loess Plateau, China," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 256(C).

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:agiwat:v:288:y:2023:i:c:s0378377423003530. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/agwat .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.