[Effects of the Veterinary Antibiotic Sulfamethazine on N2O Emissions and the Associated Microbiological Mechanism in a Rice Field].

Veterinary antibiotics can enter into croplands with animal excrement and can have effects on nitrification and denitrification processes in the agricultural soils. A field experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of sulfamethazine (SMZ) on N2O emissions, nitrification, denitrification, and related functional gene abundances within a paddy field. Five treatments were used in the experiment, namely, no fertilizer and no antibiotics applied (CK), and pig manure used as basal fertilizer plus urea applied as topdressing with the addition of 0, 5, 15, and 30 mg·kg-1 SMZ (SMZ0, SMZ5, SMZ15, and SMZ30, respectively). Soil and gas samples were collected and analyzed periodically throughout the rice growing season. The results showed that the SMZ did not change the seasonal pattern of N2O emissions. During the entire observation period, there was a significant difference in N2O fluxes between the SMZ15 and SMZ0 treatment (P<0.05), but there was no significant differences in N2O fluxes between the SMZ30, SMZ5, and SMZ0 treatment (P>0.05). Medium and high concentrations (SMZ15, SMZ30) increased the cumulative emissions of N2O at the average level, and these values were 3.47 and 4.67 times higher than that of the SMZ0 treatment, respectively; the soil NO3--N content also increased. Medium and high concentrations had a significant activation effect on the gene abundances of total soil bacteria 16S rRNA, ammonia-oxidizing archaea (AOA) amoA, and ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) amoA during the nitrification process and the gene abundances of nirK, nirS, and nosZ during the denitrification process (P<0.05), while the SMZ treatment with a low concentration had a slight inhibitory effect on the abundance of each gene. The ratios of abundance copies of 16S rRNA, AOA amoA, AOB amoA, and the genes of nirK, nirS, and nosZ treated by SMZ30, SMZ15, and SMZ0 were 1.58, 1.77, 2.15, 1.38, 1.33, 1.42, and 1.24, 1.37, 1.08, 1.65, 1.11, 1.64, respectively, at the average level. The abundance ratios of the six above genes treated by SMZ5 and SMZ0 were less than one and only 0.80, 0.99, 0.92, 0.76, 0.76, and 0.77, respectively. The N2O fluxes were significantly and positively correlated with the abundances of the nirK gene (P<0.01), thus indicating that SMZ had an effect on N2O emissions by influencing the activity of denitrifying bacteria. Therefore, the pollution of farmland by veterinary antibiotics should not be ignored, and the use of antibiotics should be controlled reasonably at the source, so as to reduce the environmental and ecological risks.

[Effects of the Veterinary Antibiotic Sulfamethazine on Ammonia Volatilization from a Paddy Field Treated with Conventional Synthetic Fertilizer and Manure].

Veterinary antibiotics have been widely detected in croplands due to the application of animal excrements as fertilizer. However, their effects on ammonia (NH3) volatilization remain unclear. A field experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of sulfamethazine on NH3 volatilization from a paddy field when conventional synthetic fertilizer or manure was applied as basal fertilizer. Five different treatments were conducted in this study: without application of fertilizers and antibiotics (CK), compound fertilizer used as basal fertilizer with and without the addition of sulfamethazine (CF+SD and CF respectively), and pig manure used as base fertilizer with and without the addition of sulfamethazine (CM+SD and CM respectively). Urea was used for topdressing in the CF, CF+SD, CM, and CM+SD treatments. The results showed that regardless of the fertilizer type applied, sulfamethazine did not affect the seasonal pattern of NH3volatilization. However, it promoted the NH3 volatilization rate in the topdressing stage significantly (P<0.01). During the observation period, the proportions of applied N lost as NH3-N in the CF+SD and CM+SD treatments were 1.65 and 2.78 times higher than those in the CF and CM treatments, respectively. The promoting effect of sulfamethazine was more obvious in the pig manure treatment than in the compound fertilizer treatment. Sulfamethazine significantly increased the soil urease activity (P<0.05). Furthermore, the NH3 volatilization rate was positively correlated with urease activity and soil ammonia nitrogen content (P<0.05). This indicates that sulfamethazine can increase the NH3 volatilization rate by changing the soil urease activity and inorganic nitrogen content. Controlling the misuse of veterinary antibiotics and environmental and ecological risks posed by the antibiotic residues in farmland excrements are urgent problems in China that need to be solved.

[Assessment of Gaseous Nitrogen (NH3 and N2O) Mitigation After the Application of a Range of New Nitrogen Fertilizers in Summer Maize Cultivation].

In order to evaluate the potential of a range of new nitrogen fertilizers in comparison with the conventional fertilization to mitigate ammonia (NH3) and nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions, a field experiment was conducted to investigate NH3 volatilization and N2O emissions from the summer maize field and the relevant driving factors under the different nitrogen fertilizer treatments. Five new varieties of nitrogen fertilizers including the urea ammonium (UA), stability urea with dicyandiamide and hydroquinone (UHD), sulfur coated urea (SCU), urea formaldehyde compound fertilizer (UF) and organic fertilizer (OF) were applied in this experiment, and conventional fertilization (compound fertilizer + urea, CK) was used as the control. The nitrogen amount of 300 kg·hm-2 was applied in all treatments. Correlation analysis results showed that both NH3 volatilization and N2O emissions were influenced by environmental factors. They were negatively correlated with soil water-filled pore space (P<0.05). Moreover, N2O emissions were positively correlated with soil nitrate nitrogen (P<0.01). Regression analysis showed that N2O emissions were mainly determined by the soil nitrate content, while NH3 volatilization was mainly dependent on the values of soil ammonium nitrogen. Compared with CK, in addition to UA, other fertilizer treatments decreased the NH3 volatilization, especially the UF and OF treatments decreased NH3 volatilization by up to 37%-43%, while all treatments had no significant difference in N2O emissions. Considering the total gaseous nitrogen losses (NH3 volatilization + N2O emissions), in comparison with CK, the UHD, SCU, UF and OF were reduced by 9%, 5%, 30% and 23%, respectively, while the UA was increased by 3%. Therefore, considering environmental benefit under this experimental condition,urea formaldehyde compound fertilizer and organic fertilizer were more suitable for maize cultivation.

[Nitrogen Loss Through Different Ways in Cropland Under Conventional Fertilization: An In-situ Study of Summer Maize Season in the Middle and Lower Reaches of the Yangtze River].

In order to better understand the characteristics of nitrogen loss through different pathways under conventional fertilization conditions, a field experiment was conducted to investigate the variations of N2O emission, NH3 volatilization, N losses through surface runoff and leaching caused by the application of nitrogen fertilizers during summer maize growing season in the Middle and Lower reaches of the Yangtze River, China. Our results showed that when compound fertilizer was used as basal fertilizer at the nitrogen rate of 150 kg.hm-2, and urea with the same level of fertilizing as topdressing, the N2O emission coefficient in the entire growing season was 3. 3%, NH3 volatilization loss rate was 10. 2%, and nitrogen loss rate by leaching and surface runoff was 11. 2% and 5. 1%, respectively. In addition, leaching was the main pathway of nitrogen loss after basal fertilizer, while NH, volatilization and nitrogen leaching accounted for the majority of nitrogen loss after topdressing, which suggested that nitrogen loss from different pathways mainly depended on the type of nitrogen fertilizer. Taken together, it appears to be effective to apply the new N fertilizer with low ammonia volatilization instead of urea when maize needs topdressing, so as to reduce N losses from N fertilizer.

[Soil biochemical characteristics in different ecological systems and their relationships with soil respiration and N2O emission].

The biochemical characteristics of soil in different ecological system and their effects on soil respiration (CO2) and nitrous oxide (N2O) emission were investigated by an indoor incubation method. The results showed that the biochemical characteristics of soils in the different ecosystems and CO2 and N2O emissions from different soils greatly varied with each other. In general, the highest abundance of bacteria was found in the orchard soil, the highest abundance of actinomycetes occurred in the meadows and the highest abundance of fungi appeared in the woodlands. The abundance of bacteria or actinomycetes in the bamboo soil was the lowest among all soils, and the orchard soil had the lowest content of fungi. The contents of soil microbial biomass carbon and nitrogen generally followed the order of orchard soil > woodland > cropland. Moreover, cumulative CO2 and N2O emissions from the different soils followed the order of orchard soil > bamboo soil > farmland > woodland > grassland and farmland > orchard > grassland > woodland > bamboo soil, respectively. Correlation analysis indicated that there was positive correlations between the abundance of soil bacteria and the contents of microbial biomass carbon and nitrogen, as well as between the abundance of soil fungi and the soil total nitrogen content (P < 0.05), while the abundance of soil actinomycosis was positively correlated with soil organic carbon and total nitrogen contents (P < 0.01). The soil bacteria, microbial carbon and nitrogen had a significant positive impact on soil respiration (P < 0.05), and soil bacteria, actinomycetes, fungi and ammonium nitrogen had the same impact on N2O emissions (P < 0.05). Stepwise regression analysis suggested that soil respiration could be quantitatively determined by a linear combination of soil bacteria and soil pH, while N2O emission was mainly dependent on the values of soil bacteria and ammonium nitrogen.

[Effects of typical herbicides on soil respiration and N2O emissions from soil added with different nitrogen fertilizers].

To investigate the effects of typical herbicides on soil respiration and N2O emissions from soil added with different nitrogen fertilizers, a laboratory incubation experiment was carried out using a modified gas chromatograph (Agilent 4890D) method. The results showed that with (NH4)2SO4 amendment, soil respiration and N2O emissions from the Atrazine and Paraquat treatments had no significant difference in comparison to the control (P > 0.05). Glyphosate significantly inhibited soil respiration by 21.5% (P < 0.05) and had no obvious influence on N2O emissions (P > 0.05). Tribenuron-methyl significantly promoted soil respiration with the increase of 14.3% (P < 0.05) and also had no obvious influence on N2O emissions (P > 0.05). Acetochlor significantly increased soil respiration and N2O emissions (P < 0.05) with the increase of 6.1% and 45.1%, respectively. With urea application, Atrazine and Acetochlor had no significant influence on soil respiration and N2O emissions (P > 0.05). Paraquat increased N2O emissions significantly (P < 0.05)with the increase of 43.5% and had no significant influence on soil respiration ( P > 0.05). Glyphosate significantly inhibited soil respiration by 17.5% (P < 0.05), and had no significant influence on N2O emissions (P > 0.05). Tribenuron-methyl enhanced soil respiration and N2O emissions significantly (P < 0.05), and its soil respiration and N2O emissions were 1.3 and 1.6 times higher than those from the control. Due to the complexity of effects of different herbicides on microbial physiological metabolism, long-term in-situ studies need to be carried out to better understand the effect of various herbicides on greenhouse gas emissions.

[Emission inventory of greenhouse gases from agricultural residues combustion: a case study of Jiangsu Province].

Burning of agricultural crop residues was a major source greenhouse gases. In this study, the proportion of crop straws (rice, wheat, maize, oil rape, cotton and soja) in Jiangsu used as household fuel and direct open burning in different periods (1990-1995, 1996-2000, 2001-2005 and 2006-2008) was estimated through questionnaire. The emission factors of CO2, CO, CH4 and NO20 from the above six types of crop straws were calculated by the simulated burning experiment. Thus the emission inventory of greenhouse gases from crop straws burning was established according to above the burning percentages and emission factors, ratios of dry residues to production and crop productions of different periods in Jiangsu province. Results indicated that emission factors of CO2, CO, CH4 and N2O depended on crop straw type. The emission factors of CO2 and CH4 were higher for oil rape straw than the other straws, while the maize and the rice straw had the higher N2O and CO emission factor. Emission inventory of greenhouse gases from agricultural residues burning in Jiangsu province showed, the annual average global warming potential (GWP) of six tested crop straws were estimated to be 9.18 (rice straw), 4.35 (wheat straw), 2.55 (maize straw), 1.63 (oil rape straw), 0.55 (cotton straw) and 0. 39 (soja straw) Tg CO2 equivalent, respectively. Among the four study periods, the annual average GWP had no obvious difference between the 1990-1995 and 2006-2008 periods, while the maximal annual average GWP (23.83 Tg CO2 equivalent) happened in the 1996-2000 period, and the minimum (20.30 Tg CO2 equivalent) in 1996-2000 period.

[Impacts of enhanced UV-B radiation on respiration rate, CH4 and N2O emission fluxes from rice paddy].

To investigate the impacts of enhanced UV-B radiation on respiration rate, CH4 and N2O emission fluxes from soil-rice system, outdoor pot experiment was carried out during the rice growing season in 2004. The enhanced UV-B radiation treatments were simulated by a 20% increase in its intensity. The gas emission fluxes were measured by static chamber-gas chromatograph method. Results showed that enhanced UV-B radiation (T) did not change the seasonal patterns of respiration rate, CH4 and N2O emission. Compared to the control, mean respiration rate of T was decreased by 3.11%, from (1 306.83 +/- 100.21) mg x (m2 x h)(-1) to (1 266.23 +/- 147.60) mg x (m2 x h)(-1); Mean CH4 fluxes was decreased by 15.84%, from (2.40 +/- 0.48) mg x (m2 x h)(-1) to (2.02 +/- 0.52) mg x (m2 x h)(-1); Mean N2O emission fluxes of T was increased by 5.41%, from (217.45 +/- 1.72) microg x (m2 x h)(-1) to (229.22 +/- 26.02) microg x (m2 x h)(-1), while there no significant differences (P > 0.05). Our findings suggested that enhanced UV-B radiation had no significant effects on respiration rate, CH4 and N2O emission fluxes of soil-rice system.

[Effects of elevated ultraviolet-B radiation on the chemical composition of wheat straw and the N2O emission from soil amended with the straw].

An outdoor experiment was carried out to investigate the effects of elevated ultraviolet-B radiation on the chemical composition of wheat straw, and an indoor incubation test was conducted to study the effects of the amendment of the straw on soil N2O emission. Outdoor experiment showed that the enhanced UV-B decreased the aboveground biomass of wheat, increased the lignin and total N contents of wheat straw by 94.2% and 12.3%, respectively, and decreased the C/N ratio of the straw. Incubation test showed that comparing with the amendment of conventional wheat straw, the amendment of wheat straw received enhanced UV-B radiation during plant growth increased soil N2O emission under the dry-land and flooded conditions significantly. When nitrate was applied, the soil N2O emission in the treatment with straw received enhanced UV-B radiation during plant growth was 3.2 times higher than that with the conventional straw under dry-land condition, but did not differ significantly under flooded condition. The amendment of wheat straw which received UV-B radiation during plant growth had no significant effects on soil respiration.

[Isolation of heterotrophic nitrifiers/aerobic denitrifiers and their roles in N2O production for different incubations].

Soil microorganisms are important sources of N2O for the atmosphere. Peak emissions of N2O are often observed after wetting of soil. The simultaneous heterotrophic nitrifying and aerobic denitrifying bacteria with respect to N2O emission were studied to obtain more information about the microbiologcal aspects of peak emissions. Using acetamide as the C and N source, two strains of nitrifying and denitrifying bacteria were isolated, coded as XM1 and HX2,respectively. XM1 strain was Gram-negative chain-like bacilli, and the HX2 was Gram-negative cocci. In enrichment culture, N2O production of HX2 was 76 times more than XM1. Two strains could grow with glucose, mannitol or sodium tartrate as sole carbon source, respectively. They could nitrify with sodium nitrate or denitrify with ammonium sulfate as unique nitrogen source, and produce intermediate product nitrite. XM1 strain growth velocity and nitrite formation were obviously higher than HX2. The phylogentic analysis based on partial 16S rDNA showed that two isolated strains were the closest relative of Pseudomonas sp.99% sequence similarity. Under different WFPS (water-filled-pore-space) conditions, the aerobic autoclaved soil incubation trial showed that, HX2 strain was suitable for growing in 30% WFPS, and N2O production was (36.01 +/- 2.48) ng/g which was 1.9 times than that in 60% WFPS. But XM1 was suitable for growing in 60% WFPS and almost had no N2O production. To investigate the nitrifying and denitrifying mechanisms of heterotrophic nitrifiers/aerobic denitrifiers should be useful for mastering the mitigation way of soil N2O emission in future.

[Influence of enhanced UV-B radiation on respiration rate and N2O emission from soil-winter wheat system].

To investigate the impact of enhanced UV-B radiation on respiration rate and N2O emission from soil-winter wheat system, outdoor pot experiments with simulating 20% supplemental of UV-B were conducted, and static dark chamber-gas chromatograph method were used. Results indicated that the enhanced UV-B radiation did not change the seasonal pattern of respiration rate and N2O emission. Enhanced UV-B radiation declined the rate of soil-winter wheat system's respiration but had no significant impact on N2O emission in turning-green stage. While enhanced UV-B radiation declined both respiration rate and the N2O emission in elongation-pregnant stage. From heading to maturity, the respiration rate and N2O emission from soil-winter wheat system were not found to be significantly difference under UV-B radiation compared with ambient conditions. A further analysis suggested that enhanced UV-B radiation declined significantly cumulative amount of N2O from soil-winter wheat system from wheat turning green to full heading stage, while no significant impact occurred from full heading to maturity.

[Study on mechanism of enhanced UV-B radiation influencing on N2O emission from soil-winter wheat system].

To study the influencing mechanisms of enhanced UV-B radiation on the emission of N20 from soil-wheat system, outdoor pot experiments with simulating 20% supplemental level of UV-B were conducted. Results indicate that the enhanced UV-B had no significant impact on the emission of N20 from soil-wheat system in turning- green stage, but declined the N2O flux and the rate of the system's respiration in elongation stage. The impact mechanisms of enhanced UV-B radiation on the N2O flux were to directly change the nitrogen metabolism process of wheat plant, such as significantly increasing soluble protein, total nitrogen and total phosphorus in wheat leaves. But the effects of UV-B radiation on soil N2O emission may be indirect, namely, UV-B treatment by working on wheat plant significantly increased the soil available nitrogen, soil microbial biomass C and N, and also changed the ratio of soil microbial C: N(from 5.0 to 6.8) in winter-wheat rhizosphere.