Biogas slurry application could potentially reduce N2O emissions and increase crop yield

Md Arifur Rahaman; Qingwen Zhang; Yulong Shi; Xiaoying Zhan; Guichun Li

doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.146269

Biogas slurry application could potentially reduce N₂O emissions and increase crop yield

Sci Total Environ. 2021 Jul 15:778:146269. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.146269. Epub 2021 Mar 8.

Authors

Md Arifur Rahaman¹, Qingwen Zhang², Yulong Shi³, Xiaoying Zhan⁴, Guichun Li⁵

Affiliations

¹ Institute of Environment and Sustainable Development in Agriculture, Graduate School of Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China. Electronic address: 2017y90100077@caas.cn.
² Institute of Environment and Sustainable Development in Agriculture, Graduate School of Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China. Electronic address: zhangqingwen@caas.cn.
³ Institute of Environment and Sustainable Development in Agriculture, Graduate School of Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China.
⁴ Institute of Environment and Sustainable Development in Agriculture, Graduate School of Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China. Electronic address: Xiaoying@caas.cn.
⁵ Institute of Environment and Sustainable Development in Agriculture, Graduate School of Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China. Electronic address: Guichun@caas.cn.

PMID: 33714807
DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.146269

Abstract

The huge excrement quantity from the increasing large-scale livestock stressed the ecological, environmental deterioration. As a major benefit for handling livestock manure, the slurry of biogas (BS) is developed during the production of biogas that might increase plant productivity. However, nitrous oxide (N₂O) emissions from BS are considered a significant danger to the environment due to global warming potential. Furthermore, applying different proportions of BS combined with chemical fertilizer (CF) on N₂O productions in the North China Plain (NCP) remains unclear. Herein, two sequential field trials were performed by maize-wheat rotations to substitute the CF by BS and reduce N₂O emissions while keeping the crop yield stable. Four treatments were conducted, including T1, T3, T6, and CK. A total of 226.5 kg N ha^-1 used in the maize-wheat rotation system. Additionally, different ratios of BS (100%, 80%, and 50%) combined with CF were used in wheat season in the tillering stage. Results showed integrated applications of BS with CF have potential for reducing N₂O emission. Our findings showed that the maximum grain yield of CF was 6250 kg ha^-1, which might be achieved by applying 38% BS and 62% of CF. This ratio yielded 1.03 kg ha^-1 N₂O emissions, which was 15% lesser than the N₂O emission of CK, 1.21 kg ha^-1. Considering whole growing period of wheat biogas treatments significantly reduced the cumulative N₂O emissions from 17% to 26% compared to CF. To achieve maximum yield and minimum N₂O emissions, an optimum 38% BS ratio has been suggested. The integrated use of BS and CF provided the greatest grain yield because of necessary nutrients provided by both slurry and CF. Consequently, N₂O emissions reduced based on frequency and type of fertilizer. In conclusion, 38% ratio of BS combined with 62% CF would be a suitable approach to mitigate N₂O emission and simultaneously increase crop yield in NCP.

Keywords: Biogas slurry; Field trial; Grain yield; N(2)O emissions; North China Plain; Ratio.

MeSH terms

Agriculture*
Biofuels*
China
Fertilizers
Nitrous Oxide / analysis
Soil

Substances

Biofuels
Fertilizers
Soil
Nitrous Oxide