Liming-Induced Nitrous Oxide Emissions from Acidic Soils Dominated by Stimulative Nitrification

Abstract

Nitrous oxide (N2O) is a potent greenhouse gas, with emissions occurring mostly from agricultural soils, especially acidic soils. This research aimed to elucidate the response of soils dominated by nitrification-driven N2O production to alkaline amendments, given that nitrification is a key process in N2O emission. This study investigated the impact of an alkaline mineral amendment (CSMP) on N2O emission, nitrification rate, and functional gene abundance. Using a robotic automated incubation system, CSMP both alone and in combination with urea was applied to two acidic soils (CL: pH 5.81; WS: pH 4.91). The results demonstrated that, relative to the CK, the CSMP-only treatment significantly increased N2O emissions by 18.4-fold in these acidic soils, with a 61.6-fold increase in the U + CSMP treatment. This very large increase was driven by a rise in AOB-amoA abundance and a concurrent decline in AOA-amoA, which was confirmed by structural equation modeling, which showed that the increase in pH strongly influenced N2O emission primarily through AOB-amoA. Although CSMP is effective for reversing soil acidification, its use must be carefully managed to prevent stimulation of N2O emissions. Future strategies should explore combining CSMP with approaches that can mitigate nitrification while maintaining its soil improvement benefits. This study provides critical insights for developing balanced management practices that address both soil health and climate change mitigation in acidic agricultural systems.