Jason Lewis and Dale Bremer. Kansas State University - Horticulture, Forestry, & Recreation Resources, 2021 Throckmorton Plant Sciences Center, Manhattan, KS 66502-4463
Nitrogen (N) fertilization typically increases emissions of nitrous oxide (N
2O) in turfgrass. Controlled-release N fertilizers may reduce greenhouse gas emissions in turfgrass because it may slow the processes of nitrification and denitrification, which are significant sources for N
2O emissions in fertilized turfgrass. A field based study was conducted at the
Rocky Ford Turfgrass Research Center in Manhattan, KS to quantify the magnitude and patterns of N2O fluxes from Bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon L.) under differing nutrient regimes. Plots were fertilized at 50kg N ha-1 with either urea, a slow release organic fertilizer (Sustane, Cannon Falls, MN) or a slow release polymer-coated fertilizer (Agrium, Calgary, Alberta, CA). Soil fluxes of N2O were measured over the summer of 2007 using static surface chambers and gas chromatography. Ancillary measurements of soil moisture, temperature, and soil nitrate and ammonium concentrations were measured concurrently. Fluxes from the polymer-coated fertilizer ranged from 49 to 404 µg m-1 hr-1. Fluxes from the organic fertilizer ranged from 71 to 204 m-1 hr-1. Fluxes from urea ranged from 69 to 249 µg m-1 hr-1. Preliminary data indicate no significant differences in the cumulative fluxes from the fertilizer types, although differences were detected in the weekly measurements.