Viable Management Practices to Reduce N2o Emissions from a Conventionally Managed Corn Field.

Agriculture contributes 70% of the total N2O emissions in the US. Prolific use of commercial fertilizers is the driving source of N2O emissions from soils and is especially predominate in nitrogen intensive corn systems. Fertilizer can be applied in bands, allowing a farmer to adjust the concentration of fertilizer applied in a single local. In this experiment 1 band of fertilizer application on the shoulder of a bed was compared to 1 band application near the plant line in the bed and a 2 band split application on either side of the plant to determine the extent of the influence of water content vs. ammonium concentration on controlling N2O emissions in a high clay soil. Additionally, other management options to reduce N2O emisisons were investigated, including the use of nitrification and urease inhibitors and furrow vs. drip irrigation systems.