Management of pig manure to mitigate NO and yield-scaled N2O emissions in an irrigated Mediterranean crop

Abstract

Substitution of conventional mineral fertilizers with organic sources can avoid the environmental problems associated with high concentrations of intensive livestock production in some Mediterranean areas. Some management practices, such as the use of nitrification inhibitors or more efficient irrigation techniques (e.g., drip irrigation), have been suggested as effective alternatives to mitigate nitrous oxide (N2O) and nitric oxide (NO) emissions released from soils amended with synthetic and organic fertilizers. In this experiment, we aimed to assess the effect of different organic amendments derived from pig manure (control without N fertilization (C); liquid fraction of pig slurry (LFPS); pig urine with the nitrification inhibitor 3,4 dimethylpyrazolephosphate (DMPP) (LFPSI); compost from the solid phase of pig slurry (COM)) compared to urea (U) and two different irrigation systems (the widespread sprinkler and alternative drip irrigation systems) on greenhouse gas (N2O, methane, CH4, and carbon dioxide, CO2) and NO emissions in a maize (Zea mays L.) crop. The effect of these treatments on crop yields and yield-scaled N2O emissions were also evaluated. The use of DMPP with LFPS was an effective practice to reduce N2O and NO losses (40 and 32% mitigation, respectively, compared to LFPS alone), and was also associated with the highest rates of CH4 oxidation. Drip irrigation significantly reduced the global warming potential (in spite of a lower CH4 sink) but increased the NO losses by 58%, as opposed to sprinkler irrigation. The higher biomass production and similar grain yields observed with drip irrigation resulted in lower yield-scaled N2O emissions in this treatment than in sprinkler irrigation. The use of organic fertilizers penalized grain yields compared to U (16–33%), although the differences were not significant in the case of LFPSI. Consequently, LFPSI in drip irrigation was (together with U applied by drip-fertigation) the treatment that led to the lowest yield-scaled N2O emissions. The use of organic N sources in irrigated maize is an environmentally advisable strategy in Mediterranean cropping systems, but an optimum balance between N oxides and greenhouse gas losses, N efficiency and crop yields requires the use of nitrification inhibitors (e.g., DMPP) with liquid organic sources.