[Effect of NO3(-)-N on CH4 emission during denitrification in subtropical soils]

Methane production and emission were investigated in 45 subtropical soil samples, collected from different land use and derived from different soil parent materials in Jiangxi province, by incubating flooded soil slurries in a closed system under N2 gas in the headspace after treatment with or without NO3(-)-N (200 mg x kg(-1)) for 28 days at 30 degrees C. The results indicated that the content and availability of soil organic C were the dominant factors influencing CH4 production and emission whether NO3(-)-N was added or not under this anaerobic incubation condition. Methane emission was higher in the soils derived from granite in the unamended soils and used for rice cultivation in the amended soils. During the anaerobic incubation, the NO3(-)-N added significantly inhibited the production and emission of CH4. The inhibitory effect of NO3(-)-N on CH4 emission might be stronger than that of N2O. The amount and rate of NO3(-)-N denitrified in the first 7 days of incubation determined the CH4 emission amount in the soils with NO3(-)-N. The Fe2+ content increased exponentially with the CH4 emission in 73% of the control soils without NO3(-)-N, which indicated that Fe3+ reduction processed simultaneously with CO2 reduction. Nitrate nitrogen inhibits not only the production and emission of CH4 but also the reduction of Fe3+.