Edaphic factors and plants influence denitrification in soils from a long-term arable experiment

A - Papers appearing in refereed journals

Clark, I. M., Fu, Q., Abadie, M., Dixon, E. R., Blaud, A. and Hirsch, P. R. 2020. Edaphic factors and plants influence denitrification in soils from a long-term arable experiment. Scientific Reports. 10 (Article), p. 16053. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-72679-z

AuthorsClark, I. M., Fu, Q., Abadie, M., Dixon, E. R., Blaud, A. and Hirsch, P. R.
Abstract

Factors influencing production of greenhouse gases nitrous oxide (N2O) and nitrogen (N2) in arable soils include high nitrate and moisture; we investigate how differences in the soil microbiome due to antecedent soil treatment and plants influence denitrification. Microbial communities, denitrification gene abundance and gas production in soils from tilled arable plots with contrasting fertilizer inputs (no N, mineral N, FYM) and regenerated woodland in the long-term Broadbalk field experiment were investigated. Soil was transferred to pots, kept bare or planted with wheat and after 6 weeks, transferred to sealed chambers with or without K15NO3 fertilizer for 4 days; N2O and N2 were measured daily. Concentrations of N2O were higher when fertilizer was added, lower in the presence of plants, whilst N2 increased over time and with plants. Prior soil treatment but not exposure to N-fertiliser or plants during the experiment influenced denitrification gene (nirK, nirS, nosZI, nosZII) relative abundance. Under our experimental conditions, denitrification generated mostly N2; N2O was around 2% of total gaseous N. Prior long-term soil management influenced the soil microbiome and abundance of denitrification genes. The production of N2O was driven by nitrate availability and N2 generation increased in the presence of plants.

KeywordsDenitrification; Nitrous oxide; Nitrogen gas; Wheat; 16S rRNA gene amplicons; qPCR
Year of Publication2020
JournalScientific Reports
Journal citation10 (Article), p. 16053
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-72679-z
Open accessPublished as ‘gold’ (paid) open access
FunderBiotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council
Natural Environment Research Council
Funder project or codeS2N - Soil to Nutrition - Work package 1 (WP1) - Optimising nutrient flows and pools in the soil-plant-biota system
The Rothamsted Long Term Experiments [2017-2022]
Publisher's version
Accepted author manuscript
Supplemental file
Output statusPublished
Publication dates
Online29 Sep 2020
Publication process dates
Accepted02 Sep 2020
PublisherNature Publishing Group
ISSN2045-2322

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