Nitrous oxide emission from soils – A review

Nitrous oxide is produced in soils by denitrification and nitrification processes. It is affected by many physical and biochemical factors i.e. aeration/moisture status of the soil, nature and amount of organic matter, nitrate concentration, pH and texture. These factors interact with microorganisms on a microscale level in the soil, creating a large variation in denitrification and influence N₂O/N ratio. Management practices suggested to mitigate nitrous oxide emission from soils are matching nitrogen supply with crop demand, use of controlled release fertilizers, use of nitrification inhibitors, optimization of tillage, irrigation and drainage etc, which are all having the potential to improve nitrogen use efficiency.