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Gaseous Nitrogen Losses Following Soil Amendment with Biosolids under Controlled Conditions.

Pu, G.X., Barry, G. and Bell, M. (2010) Gaseous Nitrogen Losses Following Soil Amendment with Biosolids under Controlled Conditions. Journal of Residuals Science & Technology, 7 (4). pp. 209-217.

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Publisher URL: http://www.destechpub.com

Abstract

This paper quantifies gaseous N losses due to ammonia volatilisation and denitrification under controlled conditions at 30 degrees C and 75% to 150% of Field Capacity (FC). Biosolids were mixed with two contrasting soils from subtropical Australia at a rate designed to meet crop N requirements for irrigated cotton or maize (i.e., equivalent to 180 kg N ha(-1)). In the first experiment, aerobically (AE) and anaerobically (AN) digested biosolids were mixed into a heavy Vertosol soil and then incubated for 105 days. Ammonia volatilization over 72 days accounted for less than 4% of the applied NH4-N but 24% (AN) to 29% (AE) of the total applied biosolids' N was lost through denitrification in 105 days. In the second experiment AN biosolids with and without added polyacrimide polymer were mixed with either a heavy Vertosol or a lighter Red Ferrosol and then incubated for 98 days. The N loss was higher from the Vertosol with 16-29% of total N applied versus the Red Ferrosol with 7-10% of total N applied, while addition of polymer to the biosolids increased N loss from 7 to 10% and from 16 to 29% in the Red Ferrosol and Vertosol, respectively. A major product from the denitrification process was N-2 gas, accounting for >90% of the emitted N gases from both experiments. Our findings demonstrate that denitrification could be a major pathway of gaseous N losses under warm and moist conditions.

Item Type:Article
Corporate Creators:DEEDI
Additional Information:© DEStech Publications, Inc.
Keywords:Inorganic nitrogen; denitrification; volatilization; pastures; legume; water; field; soils; N-2; Australia.
Subjects:Plant culture > Field crops
Agriculture > Agriculture (General) > Soils. Soil science
Live Archive:01 Mar 2011 02:50
Last Modified:03 Sep 2021 16:48

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