Part 1: Can Lower Nitrogen Balances and Greater Recovery by Corn Reduce N2O Emissions?
Nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions are related to N use efficiency indicators across a range of geographies and management conditions for North American rain-fed and irrigated corn. Suites of 4R management practices that reduce N balances through more efficient fertilizer recovery can reduce N2O emissions. Performance indicators that estimate N surplus in the system, such as partial N balances when grain N concentrations are known, may be more effective than fertilizer N rate alone at predicting N2O emissions. However, multiple indicators are needed to assess the sustainability of these cropping systems.
DOI: 10.24047/BC102227Keywords
- use efficiency
- nutrient performance
- uptake
- recovery
- economic optimal N rate
N2O emissions and nitrogen use efficiency measurements at economic optimal N rates based on the yield response of 84 mean observations at varying fertilizer N rates.
Economic optimal N rates (within $1/ha) were calculated using regression parameters provided in Table 1 Omonode et al., 2017 using functions with the highest R2. A 0.1 ratio was used for N price:corn price ($/lb N:$/bu).
Tai McClellan Maaz, Rex Omonode, and Tony Vyn. 2018. Part 1: Can Lower Nitrogen Balances and Greater Recovery by Corn Reduce N2O Emissions?. Better Crops 102(2): 27-30. doi.org/10.24047/BC102227