Ammonia Volatilization and Denitrilfication Losses from an Irrigated Maize-Wheat Rotation Field in the North China Plain

Ammonia (NH3) volatilization, denitrification loss, and nitrous oxide (N2O) emission were investigated from an irrigated wheat-maize rotation field on the North China Plain, and the magnitude of gaseous N loss from denitrification and NH3 volatilization was assessed. The micrometeorological gradient diffusion method in conjunction with a Bowen Ratio system was utilized to measure actual NH3 fluxes over a large area, while the acetylene inhibition technique (intact soil cores) was employed for measurement of denitrification losses and N2O emissions. Ammonia volatilization loss was 26.62% of the applied fertilizer nitrogen (N) under maize, while 0.90% and 15.55% were lost from the wheat field at sowing and topdressing, respectively. The differences in NH3 volatilization between different measurement events may be due to differences between the fertilization methods, and to differences in climatic conditions such as soil temperature. Denitrification losses in the fertilized plots were 0.67%-2.87% and 0.31%