Zeitschrift für Geographie und Naturkatastrophen
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Abstrakt

Increase Efficiency in Plants Using Nitrogen Fertilizers

Hoban Gale N

Nitrogen is critical to plant growth and reproduction. Pasture and crop growth will often respond to an increased availability of soil nitrogen. This situation is often managed through the addition of nitrogen fertilizers. Nitrous oxide is a powerful greenhouse gas and accounts for 5 per cent to 7 per cent of global greenhouse emissions with 90 percent of these derived from agricultural practices. Nitrogen based fertilizers and livestock manure (urine and dung) are the key sources of nitrous oxide emissions on farms. Greater efficiency in the capture of nitrogen in products has the greatest impact on reducing nitrous oxide losses, as well as reducing ammonia volatilization to the atmosphere and nitrate leaching and runoff to groundwater and productivity and profitability benefits. Nitrous oxide is most likely released from warm, waterlogged soils where there is excess nitrogen in the form of nitrate. Volatilization of nitrogen as ammonia can also lead to indirect nitrous oxide emissions through redisposition contributing to excess nitrate elsewhere in the landscape. Nitrous oxide (N2O) is emitted from soils, N fertilizers and stock effluent. Sometimes called 'laughing gas', N2O is no laughing matter.