Register      Login
Animal Production Science Animal Production Science Society
Food, fibre and pharmaceuticals from animals
Shopping Cart: ( empty )
You are here: Home > Journals > AN > EA07262
RESEARCH ARTICLE
Contents Vol 48(2)

The effectiveness of dicyandiamide in reducing nitrous oxide emissions from a cattle-grazed, winter forage crop in Southland, New Zealand

L. C. Smith A D , C. A. M. de Klein B , R. M. Monaghan B and W. D. Catto C
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A AgResearch Woodlands, RD1, Invercargill, New Zealand.

B AgResearch, Invermay Agriculture Centre, Private Bag 50034, Mosgiel, New Zealand.

C Ballance Agri-Nutrients, PO Box 12503, Mount Maunganui, New Zealand.

D Corresponding author. Email: chris.smith@agresearch.co.nz

Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 48(2) 160-164 https://doi.org/10.1071/EA07262
Submitted: 7 August 2007  Accepted: 18 October 2007   Published: 2 January 2008

Abstract

A study was conducted in Southland, New Zealand to: (i) measure nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions and nitrate (NO3–-N) leaching losses from a cattle-grazed, winter forage crop; and (ii) quantify the effect of dicyandiamide (DCD) in reducing these losses. Drainage losses were measured for 12 months (December 2005–November 2006) from a December-sown kale crop using 12 hydrologically isolated drainage plots at the Woodlands Research Station. N2O emissions were measured for 6 months (June–November) following simulated grazing of the crop in mid-June. N2O emissions from the bare ground following grazing of the crop amounted to 3.6 kg nitrogen (N)/ha for the winter–spring period. This figure is higher than that measured for pasture on the same soil type over a similar period. DCD application significantly reduced N2O emissions for the whole crop area by 25% over this period and reduced the N2O emission factor for urine by 54%. DCD application increased the length of time mineral N (0–10 cm soil depth) was maintained in the ammonium form and significantly reduced soil NO3–-N levels for 6 weeks following the simulated grazing. Annual NO3–-N losses in drainage under this winter forage crop were relatively high at 79 kg N/ha.year, with the majority of this (67%) being lost over the wet summer months (December–January rainfall 434 mm or 200% of normal) during crop growth. The application of DCD following the grazing resulted in a 47% decrease in NO3–-N leached over the winter–spring period (26 kg N/ha v. 14 kg N/ha) with this equating to a 29% decrease over the full 12-month measurement period. This study suggested that winter forage crops are major contributors to N losses from livestock farming systems in Southland and that DCD application following the grazing of such crops by cattle can significantly reduce N2O emissions and leaching N losses.


Acknowledgements

We thank Beth Henderson and Christel Howden for collecting the field samples, Adrienne Cavanagh for analysis of the gas samples, Stewart Lindsey for analysis of the soil extracts and Roger Littlejohn for statistical advice. This study was funded by Ballance Agri-Nutrients.


References


Carrick ST , Taylor AL , Risk JT (2000) Soils of the Winton-Makawera district. Scale 1:50 000. Topoclimate South soil map 6a. Topoclimate South, Mataura, New Zealand.

Choudhary MA, Akramkhanov A, Saggas S (2002) Nitrous oxide emissions from a New Zealand cropped soil, tillage effects, spatial and seasonal variability. Agriculture Ecosystems & Environment 93, 33–43.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | CAS | open url image1

de Klein CAM, Ledgard SF (2005) Nitrous oxide emissions from New Zealand agriculture – key sources and mitigation strategies. Nutrient Cycling in Agroecosystems 72, 77–85.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | CAS | open url image1

de Klein CAM, Sherlock RR, Cameron KC, van de Weerden TJ (2001) Nitrous oxide emissions from agricultural soils in New Zealand – a review of current and directions for future research. Journal of the Royal Society of New Zealand 31, 543–574. open url image1

de Klein CAM, Barton L, Sherlock RR, Li Z, Littlejohn RP (2003) Estimating a nitrous oxide emission factor for animal urine from some New Zealand pastoral soils. Australian Journal of Soil Research 41, 381–399.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

del Prado A, Merino P, Estavillo JM, Pinto M, Gonzalez-Murua C (2006) N2O and NO emissions from different N sources and under a range of soil water contents. Nutrient Cycling in Agroecosystems 74, 229–243.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | CAS | open url image1

Di HJ, Cameron KC (2002) The use of a nitrification inhibitor, dicyandiamide (DCD), to decrease nitrate leaching and nitrous oxide emissions in a simulated grazed and irrigated grassland. Soil Use and Management 18, 395–403.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Di HJ, Cameron KC (2003) Mitigation of nitrous oxide emissions in spray-irrigated grazed grassland by treating the soil with dicyandiamide, a nitrification inhibitor. Soil Use and Management 19, 284–290.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Di HJ, Cameron KC (2005) Reducing environmental impacts of agriculture by using a fine particle suspension nitrification inhibitor to decrease nitrate leaching from grazed pastures. Agriculture Ecosystems & Environment 109, 202–212.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Di HJ, Cameron KC (2006) Nitrous oxide emissions from two dairy pasture soils as affected by different rates of a fine particle suspension nitrification inhibitor, dicyandiamide. Biology and Fertility of Soils 42, 472–480.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | CAS | open url image1

Francis GS, Haynes RJ, Speir TW, Williams PH (1995) The effects of a nitrification inhibitor on leaching losses and recovery of mineralised nitrogen by a wheat crop after ploughing-in temporary leguminous pastures. Fertilizer Research 41, 33–39.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | CAS | open url image1

Fraser PM, Cameron KC, Sherlock RP (1994) Lysimeter study of the rate of nitrogen in animal urine returns to irrigated pasture. European Journal of Soil Science 45, 439–447.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | CAS | open url image1

Luo J, Tillman RW, Ball PR (1999) Grazing effects on denitrification in a soil under pasture during two contrasting seasons. Soil Biology & Biochemistry 31, 903–912.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | CAS | open url image1

Menneer JC, Ledgard S, Mclay C, Silvester W (2005) Animal treading stimulates denitrification in soil under pasture. Soil Biology & Biochemistry 37, 1625–1629.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | CAS | open url image1

Monaghan RM, Wilcock RJ, Smith LC, Tikkisetty B, Thorrold BS, Costall D (2007) Linkages between land management activities and water quality in an intensively farmed catchment in southern New Zealand. Agriculture Ecosystems & Environment 118, 211–222.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Rodgers GA, Ashworth J (1982) Use of nitrification inhibitors to improve recovery of mineralised nitrogen by winter wheat. Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture 33, 1219–1226.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | CAS | open url image1

Smith LC, Monaghan RM, Ledgard SF, Catto WD (2005) The effectiveness of different nitrification inhibitor formulations in limiting nitrate accumulation in a Southland pastoral soil. New Zealand Journal of Agricultural Research 48, 517–529.
|  CAS |
open url image1