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Evidence of differences in nitrous oxide emissions and biological nitrification inhibition among Elymus grass species

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Abstract

A greenhouse experiment was conducted with five Elymus grass species: Elymus dahuricus Turcz., Elymus cylindricus Franchet, Elymus breviaristatus Keng f., Elymus nutans Griseb., and Elymus sibiricus L., measuring N2O emissions from sheep urine-affected soil, and a biological nitrification inhibition (BNI) assay was performed on root exudates of these five species. The abundances of amoA gene of ammonia-oxidizing bacteria and archaea and nirK and nirS denitrification genes were measured by quantitative polymerase chain reaction. The mean total emissions over 6 weeks varied significantly among the Elymus species and ranged from 0.34 to 0.94 kg N2O-N·ha−1 in the urine treatment. The highest emissions were observed from Elymus breviaristatus while the lowest emissions were observed in Elymus sibiricus. All the Elymus grass species were capable of exuding BNI compounds and the highest BNI capacity was observed in Elymus sibiricus. The nirS gene abundance response to urine addition was significantly greater than other genes and varied significantly depending on Elymus species. The BNI % and nirS gene abundance were negatively and positively, respectively, related to total N2O-N emissions during the first 2 weeks after urine addition when emissions were apparent.

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Funding

This study was supported by the Project of the Second Tibetan Plateau Scientific Expedition (2019QZKK0302), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (32071483, 31672472), and the program for Changjiang Scholars and Innovative Research Team in University (IRT_17R50).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. State Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro-Ecosystems, Key Laboratory of Grassland Livestock Industry Innovation, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, College of Pastoral Agriculture Science and Technology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730020, China

    Wang Li, Jianguo Ma, Saman Bowatte & Fujiang Hou

  2. AgResearch Limited, Grasslands Research Centre, Tennent Drive, Private Bag 11008, Palmerston North, 4442, New Zealand

    Saman Bowatte & Coby Hoogendoorn

Authors
  1. Wang Li
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  2. Jianguo Ma
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  3. Saman Bowatte
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  4. Coby Hoogendoorn
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  5. Fujiang Hou
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Correspondence to Saman Bowatte.

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Li, W., Ma, J., Bowatte, S. et al. Evidence of differences in nitrous oxide emissions and biological nitrification inhibition among Elymus grass species. Biol Fertil Soils 58, 345–353 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00374-021-01592-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00374-021-01592-y

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