Nitrous oxide emissions from wetland soil amended with two types of cattle manure

Abstract

Purpose The implications of increased applications of high quality cattle manure to agricultural systems in Africa on N2O emissions are still only partially understood.

Methods A field experiment was carried out in a wetland in central Zimbabwe to determine the effects of cattle manure quality on emissions of N2O during the growing seasons of rape and tomato crops. The static chamber and gas chromatography techniques were used to capture and measure fluxes of N2O.

Results The substitution of low N by high N manure significantly increased N2O fluxes and total N lost through N2O emission. Emissions of N2O increase with increasing content of N in applied manure.