Simulation of nitrous oxide emission and mineralized nitrogen under different straw retention conditions using a denitrification-decomposition model

Abstract

Straw retention has been adopted worldwide to increase crop production and it has also been shown to reduce nitrous oxide (N2O) emission from agricultural soils. However, it is difficult to accurately predict N2O emission under different straw retention methods without a long-term experiment. This study used data from the maize planting season in the Griffith region, Australia, to test whether the denitrification-decomposition (DNDC) model can simulate the rate, annual amount, and pattern of N2O emission. The sensitivity to several important factors which may affect N2O emission was analyzed. The research investigated whether the DNDC model can be used to determine the best straw retention m..