The influence of tillage on N2O fluxes from an intensively managed grazed grassland in Scotland

Cowan, Nicholas J. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7473-7916; Levy, Peter E. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8505-1901; Famulari, Daniela; Anderson, Margaret; Drewer, Julia ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6263-6341; Carozzi, Marco; Reay, David S.; Skiba, Ute M. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8659-6092. 2016 The influence of tillage on N2O fluxes from an intensively managed grazed grassland in Scotland. Biogeosciences, 13 (16). 4811-4821. 10.5194/bg-13-4811-2016

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Abstract/Summary

Intensively managed grass production in high-rainfall temperate climate zones is a globally important source of N2O. Many of these grasslands are occasionally tilled to rejuvenate the sward, and this can lead to increased N2O emissions. This was investigated by comparing N2O fluxes from two adjacent intensively managed grazed grasslands in Scotland, one of which was tilled. A combination of eddy covariance, high-resolution dynamic chamber and static chamber methods was used. N2O emissions from the tilled field increased significantly for several days immediately after ploughing and remained elevated for approximately 2 months after the tillage event contributing to an estimated increase in N2O fluxes of 0.85 ± 0.11 kg N2O-N ha−1. However, any influence on N2O emissions after this period appears to be minimal. The cumulative N2O emissions associated with the tillage event and a fertiliser application of 70 kg N ammonia nitrate from one field were not significantly different from the adjacent untilled field, in which two fertiliser applications of 70 kg N ammonia nitrate occurred during the same period. Total cumulative fluxes calculated for the tilled and untilled fields over the entire 175-day measurement period were 2.14 ± 0.18 and 1.65 ± 1.02 kg N2O-N ha−1, respectively.

Item Type:	Publication - Article
Digital Object Identifier (DOI):	10.5194/bg-13-4811-2016
UKCEH and CEH Sections/Science Areas:	Dise
ISSN:	1726-4170
Additional Information. Not used in RCUK Gateway to Research.:	Open Access paper - full text available via Official URL link.
NORA Subject Terms:	Agriculture and Soil Science Atmospheric Sciences
Date made live:	29 Sep 2016 13:12 +0 (UTC)
URI:	https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/514656

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