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Water Table Management Effects on Denitrification and Nitrous Oxide Evolution

Department of Soil Science, North Carolina State Univ., 3305 Williams Hall, Box 7619, Raleigh, NC 27695-7619

*Corresponding author (wendell_gilliam{at}ncsu.edu).

ABSTRACT

Previous research suggested that using controlled drainage to elevate the water table reduces NO₃^– contamination of surface water by enhancing denitrification. The C₂H₂ inhibition technique was used to study denitrification and N₂O evolution using 56-cm-long, undisturbed cores of Cape Fear loam (clayey, mixed, thermic Typic Umbraquult) maintained in the field and subjected to three static water table levels (15, 30, and 45 cm). Results showed that intermittent C₂H₂ exposure did not (i) affect soil inorganic N distribution between NH₄⁺ and NO₃^–, (ii) diminish inhibition of N₂O reduction during subsequent C₂H₂ exposure, or (iii) induce C₂H₂ decomposition. Denitrification from 1 Nov. 1993 through 21 Apr. 1994 (172 d) was 341 kg N ha^–1 for the 15-cm water table treatment, 260 kg N ha^–1 for the 30-cm water table treatment, and 86 kg N ha^–1 for the 45-cm water table treatment. Denitrification was maximum at the lowest monitored zone (36–54 cm) for each water table treatment. Total N₂O evolution was 9 kg N ha^–1 for the 15-cm water table treatment, 4 kg N ha^–1 for the 30-cm water table treatment, and 2 kg N ha^–1 for the 45-cm water table treatment. Nitrous oxide evolution was positively correlated with mean soil temperature (10-cm depth) until low NO₃^– levels appeared to limit denitrification. Since steady-state diffusion was not reached, estimates of N₂ evolution, using N₂O evolution in the presence of C₂H₂, were underestimated 12-fold. Evolved N₂O-N represented only 2% of denitrification in the soil core (0–54 cm) for each water table treatment. Drainage control to elevate the water table enhanced denitrification and N₂O evolution, reducing the potential for N transport with subsurface drainage to surface water.

The use of trade names in this publication does not imply endorsement by the North Carolina Agric. Res. Serv. of the products named nor criticism of similar ones not mentioned.

Received for publication August 23, 1994.

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