Journal of Undergraduate Research
Keywords
nitrous oxide, ammonia emissions, polymer coated urea, vegetated soils, photoacoustic gas
College
Life Sciences
Department
Plant and Wildlife Sciences
Abstract
The purpose of this research was to gain a better understanding of the factors affecting emissions of nitrous oxide and ammonia from fertilized agricultural soils. Nitrogen is an essential nutrient required for sustaining life and high-output cropping systems. However, it has been estimated that only 40-60% of applied fertilizer N is utilized by plant-uptake. Nitrogen that is not utilized by plants can be lost to the environment in a variety of ways, two of which are of particular concern. Denitrification of nitrates produces nitrous oxide, which is a proven greenhouse gas with a long atmospheric lifetime and a heat trapping capacity roughly 296 times that of CO2. Agricultural production contributes 81% of total anthropogenic N2O emissions worldwide, making it by far the largest contributor. Second, urea fertilizer applied under certain conditions can quickly be volatilized to ammonia gas (NH3). Increased atmospheric NH3 concentrations have been linked with haze, eutrophication, and forest decline.
Recommended Citation
Story, Tobin and Hopkins, Dr. Bryan
(2014)
"Measuring Relative Amount of Nitrous Oxide and Ammonia Emissions From Polymer Coated Urea in Bare and Vegetated Soils By Photoacoustic Gas Analysis,"
Journal of Undergraduate Research: Vol. 2014:
Iss.
1, Article 934.
Available at:
https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/jur/vol2014/iss1/934