Effects of lime application management on nitrous oxide emission

Here we present the annual nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions from a medium-term grassland trial established in Wexford, Ireland. The objective was to investigate the link between N2O emissions and a range of soil pH levels achieved under different liming programs over an 8- year period.

N2O emissions were measured over 12 months by a static chamber method. Grass yields and plant nitrogen uptake were recorded to provide yield-scaled N2O emissions. The results indicate that improvement of soil pH with liming is a low-cost management change, which has the potential to increase soil productivity and reduce N2O emissions in intensive grassland ecosystems.