Enhanced Efficiency Fertilizer Technologies to Reduce Nitrous Oxide Emissions from Cropped Soils in Prairie Canada

This Prairie Province-wide project seeks to assess the environmental and agronomic benefits achieved through grower adoption of enhanced efficiency N fertilizer technologies, applied in the fall or spring. The application of N fertilizers to agricultural land, and resulting emissions of nitrous oxide (N₂O), have been identified as a major driver impeding greenhouse gas reductions for the agriculture sector. Because the global warming potential of N₂O is 310 times greater than carbon dioxide (CO₂), it is critical to develop management strategies and methods to reduce N₂O emissions from cropped land after N fertilizer applications. This project is evaluating the benefit of timing of N fertilizer application (fall vs. spring), and use of enhanced efficiency products (EEF) for urea and anhydrous ammonia N fertilizers for reducing N₂O emissions.

In 2015, two sites were successfully conducted with the fall and spring N treatments growing spring wheat. They were at Glenlea and Warren Manitoba. We were satisfied with the small plot anhydrous ammonia applicator and its ability to meter in the nitrapyrin nitrification inhibitor, that was developed under bridge funding and support. Nitrous oxide emissions were monitored through the growing season and into fall. Soil sampling, as well as moisture and temperature monitoring was also done regularly and grain yield determined. We are analyzing the data, but preliminary results indicate yields were better with spring than fall applications of the regular urea and anhydrous products. However, some EEF treatments did result in fall applications being equal to that of spring yields. Grain samples are being analyzed for N to determine if there was a treatment effect on protein content. Nitrous oxide emission and soil analyses have been completed, the results are being processed now to estimate the flux rates. In the fall of 2015, two new sites were treated to continue the same activities as in the previous year. This research was also expanded after receiving successful funding from the Climate Change and Emissions Management Corporation (CCEMC), and the Western Grains Research Foundation (WGRF) to expand the project to one site in Alberta and two sites in Saskatchewan. The sites in 2015 were used to tour five groups of visitors (industry personnel) as well as a field day at one site for growers and consultants. The focus of the tour was 4R Nutrient Management for improved N use, an overview of EEF products, and how to best use these technologies.