Soil nitrous oxide emissions from grassland: potential inhibitor effect of hippuric acid

A - Papers appearing in refereed journals

Ciganda, V. S., Lopez-Aizpun, M., Repullo, M. A., Wu, D., Terra, J. A., Elustondo, D., Clough, T. and Cardenas, L. M. 2019. Soil nitrous oxide emissions from grassland: potential inhibitor effect of hippuric acid. Journal of Plant Nutrition and Soil Science. 182, pp. 40-47. https://doi.org/10.1002/jpln.201700393

AuthorsCiganda, V. S., Lopez-Aizpun, M., Repullo, M. A., Wu, D., Terra, J. A., Elustondo, D., Clough, T. and Cardenas, L. M.
Abstract

In grassland systems, cattle and sheep urine patches are recognized as nitrous oxide (N2O) emission hot spots due to the high urinary nitrogen (N) concentrations. Hippuric acid (HA) is one of the constituents of ruminant urine that has been reported as a natural inhibitor of soil N2O emissions. The aim of this study was to examine the potential for elevated ruminant urine HA concentrations to reduce N2O emissions, in situ, on an acidic heavy clay soil under poorly drained conditions (WFPS > 85%). A randomized complete block design experiment with three replications and four treatments was conducted using the closed-static-flux chamber methodology. The four treatments were applied inside the chambers: control with no artificial urine application (C), control artificial urine (U), and enriched artificial urine containing two rates of HA (55.8 and 90 mM, U+HA1, U+HA2). Soil inorganic-N, soil dissolved organic carbon (DOC), soil pH as well as N2O and methane (CH4) fluxes were monitored over a 79-day period. Although N2O emissions were not affected by the HA enriched urine treatments, U+HA2 positively affected the retention of N as NH4+ until day 3, when the soil pH dropped to values <5. Subsequently, as a consequence of rainfall events and soil acidification, it is likely that leaching or sorption onto clay reduced the efficacy of HA, masking any treatment differential effect on N2O emissions. Moreover, CH4 fluxes as well as DOC results reflected the soil anaerobic conditions which did not favour nitrification processes. Further research is needed to determine the fate of HA into the soil which might clarify the lack of an in situ effect of this compound

KeywordsBovine urine; N2O emissions; Natural nitrification inhibition; Heavy clay soil
Year of Publication2019
JournalJournal of Plant Nutrition and Soil Science
Journal citation182, pp. 40-47
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)https://doi.org/10.1002/jpln.201700393
Open accessPublished as bronze (free) open access
FunderBiotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council
Natural Environment Research Council
The Stapledon Memorial Trust
Funder project or codeDelivering Sustainable Systems (SS) [ISPG]
S2N - Soil to Nutrition [ISPG]
Grazing behaviour, urine composition and soil properties are key controls of N2O emission factors in the uplands
Publisher's version
Accepted author manuscript
Output statusPublished
Publication dates
Online30 Oct 2018
Publication process dates
Accepted01 Dec 2018
Copyright licensePublisher copyright
PublisherWiley
ISSN1436-8730

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