Recently, a research team in the Hefei Institutes of Physical Science of the Chinese Academy of Sciences has revealed that one-time nitrogen (N) application, a labor-saving practice favored by many farmers, increases both soil and canopy ammonia (NH 3 ) emissions in maize fields, while reducing grain yield and nitrogen use efficiency.
The research results were published in Atmospheric Pollution Research .
The findings are based on a two-year field experiment in Hefei, China.
In the study, the researchers compared plots that received no nitrogen, plots that received all nitrogen as a single early dose, and plots where the nitrogen was split between an early application and a later topdressing. By using portable NH₃ detectors, they measured how much ammonia escaped from the soil and from the maize leaves, which together represent the total field NH₃ loss.
Compared to split nitrogen application, one-time nitrogen application led to higher canopy and soil ammonia emissions, while lowering both grain yield and nitrogen recovery efficiency.
“High soil ammonium (NH 4 +) concentration and low soil moisture in one-time N application drove more soil NH 3 loss, while large leaf area and high leaf apoplast NH 4 + concentration boosted canopy emissions,” explained Dr. YANG Yang, a member of the team, “Our results highlight that split N application is a more sustainable choice with lower NH 3 emissions and better maize productivity.”
The findings provide practical insights for optimizing fertilizer use and reducing air pollution from agriculture.
Atmospheric Pollution Research
One-Time Nitrogen Application Boosts Ammonia Emissions in Maize Fields
1-Sep-2025