Nitrous oxide emissions following pig slurry application in soil under no-tillage system

Abstract

The objective of this work was to compare nitrous oxide (N₂O) emissions to the atmosphere with pig slurry application on soil under no-tillage (NT) and minimum tillage (MT). The experimental design was set as a completely randomized design with five replications. The treatments consisted of the application (40 m³ ha^-1), or not, of pig slurry in NT and MT. The N₂O emissions were measured in situ, after the slurry application, for 28 days. The N₂O flux increased with the application of slurry and, only in 20% of the evaluations, they were greater in NT. Nitrous oxide emissions were related to the increase of the water-filled pore space. Amounts of N-N₂O emitted in 28 days represented 0.20 and 0.25% of total N applied with slurry for NT and MT, respectively. Results work show that pig slurry application in NT does not increase the accumulated N₂O emission in relation to application in MT.