Combining biochar and dicyandiamide in organic fertilizer reduces cumulative ammonia losses by 27.1% compared to conventional urea fertilization, maintaining crop productivity despite reduced mineral nitrogen input. The treatment also supports economic returns through reduced nitrogen-related environmental and health costs.
Climate change is altering the distribution of cropland nitrogen pollution in China, with emerging hotspots shifting from the south to the north. Nitrogen accumulation in soils and increased rainfall are key drivers of this shift.
A new study suggests that shifting U.S. agricultural exports from animal feed to animal-derived foods could reduce global nitrogen loss by 38% and greenhouse gas emissions by 17%. The change could also increase U.S. trade revenue by $10.5 billion, while improving nutrient recycling and manure management.
A three-year field experiment found that warming accelerates nitrogen cycling while promoting retention in protected soil pools. This changes where nitrogen goes and how securely it is stored, potentially helping develop climate-resilient nitrogen management strategies for rice production.
Under elevated CO2 levels, trees work with microbes to 'mine' soil nutrients, increasing nitrogen availability by 30%. This 'faster but tighter' cycle supports tree growth and productivity.
A new study reveals that forest-dominated rivers in China regulate nitrogen removal through a combination of microbial activity, water and sediment conditions, altitude, and land use. Denitrification was the dominant nitrogen-removal pathway, accounting for up to 95% of total measured nitrogen removal in winter.
A new study published in Environmental and Biogeochemical Processes shows that changing soil water levels can disrupt the balance between two key steps of nitrification, a central process in the soil nitrogen cycle. Soil moisture and nitrogen availability jointly control the microbial 'handoff' in agricultural soil nitrogen cycling.
A new study led by Prof. YAN Xiaoyuan finds that most nitrogen gas emissions from rice paddies originate from soil organic nitrogen, rather than applied fertilizers. The researchers propose a novel mechanism to explain this phenomenon, suggesting that fertilizer activates soil nitrogen pools, indirectly driving larger nitrogen losses.
A new study reveals that deep-sea microbes like Nitrosopumilus maritimus can adapt to warmer, nutrient-poor waters, maintaining their role in nitrogen cycling and primary production. This finding suggests that these microbes may play an important role in reshaping ocean-nutrient distribution in a changing climate.
A growing body of research suggests that microplastics in soils can alter microbial genes controlling essential ecosystem functions, potentially affecting food production, climate processes, and environmental health. Microplastics also enhance the spread of antibiotic resistance genes in soil ecosystems.
Advances in isotope science are transforming our ability to trace nitrogen through ecosystems, offering powerful tools for managing environmental change. Isotopic methods can distinguish pollution sources, track microbial transformations, and quantify nitrogen uptake by plants, providing insights into the global nitrogen cycle.
Rice–aquatic animal co-culture systems can increase nitrogen-use efficiency by 20-40% while reducing greenhouse gas emissions and fertilizer requirements. The key to their effectiveness lies in the dynamic interactions between rice roots, aquatic animals, and microorganisms at the soil-water interface.
A new study reveals that the Erhai Lake Basin in southwest China is releasing far more atmospheric nitrogen pollution than it absorbs, threatening regional air quality and ecosystem health. The imbalance creates a net surplus of over 8,200 metric tons annually, making the basin a major source of atmospheric nitrogen pollution.
Climate change is altering the global nitrogen cycle, affecting food security, water quality, and biodiversity. The review finds that elevated CO2 boosts plant growth but dilutes protein quality, while rising temperatures reduce yields and increase nitrogen losses.
A new study reveals that ammonia-oxidizing archaea rely on urea as a nitrogen source, enabling them to flourish in open ocean waters. This discovery challenges existing understanding of nitrification rates and highlights the crucial role of urea in sustaining ocean productivity.
Researchers found that warming temperatures may actually reduce nitrogen gas emissions from forest soils in dry conditions, contradicting earlier predictions. The study's findings suggest that moisture levels, not just heat, play a crucial role in determining the fate of nitrogen in forests.
A new study reveals that China's nationwide nitrogen management could reduce fertilizer use by over one third, improving air and water quality without compromising crop yields. Implementing a three-step strategy to increase manure recycling, balance fertilizer applications with environmental sources, and adopt integrated soil and crop ...
A new study reveals that duckweed can sharply curb certain harmful nitrogen oxide emissions in rice agriculture, but may also unintentionally boost releases of ammonia and nitrous oxide. The key lies in duckweed's ability to alter soil chemistry and encourage beneficial microbial communities.
Researchers found that nitrogen oxide production is outpaced by consumption, resulting in little emissions from the Black Sea. The study identified microorganisms responsible for the turnover of this potent greenhouse gas, highlighting the importance of further research on nitrous oxide dynamics in marine environments.
Researchers found that soil viruses selectively infect denitrifying microbes, reducing nitrous oxide emissions by up to 20%. The study suggests viral regulation as a potential method for mitigating greenhouse gas emissions in agriculture. Viruses may play a critical role in supporting sustainable food production and protecting the planet.
A new study suggests that prolonged nitrate depletion delayed marine ecosystem recovery after the end-Permian mass extinction. Nitrate availability remained consistently low in South China during this period, with temperatures rising and falling to impact ocean stratification and upwelling.
A new study reveals how microbes in Chinese riverine wetlands help remove excess nitrogen, a key factor in water quality degradation. Denitrification and anammox processes were found to be crucial for nitrogen removal, with spatial patterns varying across landscapes.
A comprehensive review synthesizes decade-long progress in quantifying nitrogen transformation processes, identifying novel microbial pathways, and developing sustainable management strategies. Key findings include advanced methodologies and novel microbial pathways that offer potential solutions to reduce nitrogen losses and nitrous o...
Researchers found that ponds, lakes, rivers, and estuaries play a significant role in fixing nitrogen, supporting food webs and ecosystem productivity. They estimated that these systems fix the equivalent of 15% of total nitrogen fixed on land and in the open ocean, despite covering less than 10% of global surface area.
Scientists have developed a molecular uranium catalyst that can bind nitrogen gas in a 'side-on' way and convert it into ammonia. This breakthrough reveals a new catalytic pathway, bridging biological efficiency and industrial feasibility.
A new study finds that natural areas around the globe acquire less nitrogen than previously estimated, which could reduce their capacity to store carbon and mitigate climate change. The rise in agricultural nitrogen fixation may also contribute to land degradation, air pollution, and water quality issues.
Researchers at Hokkaido University discovered that deep-sea hydrothermal vent bacteria can reduce nitrous oxide through an efficient energy metabolism mechanism. The study found that denitrification genes are negatively regulated by transcriptional regulators, suggesting a potential approach to mitigate climate change.
Scientists have identified a crucial gene, StCDF1, that regulates both tuberization and nitrogen assimilation in potatoes. The discovery offers new insights into enhancing nitrogen utilization, allowing for breeding of climate-smart potato varieties less dependent on chemical fertilizers.
A new study found that nitrogen interventions can significantly lower air pollution and ecosystems damage, preventing premature deaths and crop losses. By 2050, high-ambition measures could cut ammonia and nitrogen oxides emissions by 40% and 52%, respectively.
Scientists find new partnership between diatoms and Rhizobia bacteria in ocean nitrogen fixation, playing a crucial role in sustaining marine productivity. The discovery has exciting implications for agriculture, particularly for breeding crops that can thrive without fertilizers.
Researchers from Macquarie University have found that the Earth's gradual cooling led to a flip in the deep cycling of carbon and chlorine between the surface and interior. Most carbon accumulates into solid carbonate sediments, while chlorine typically returns to the surface as volcanic gases.
Researchers have isolated two previously unknown species of microbes that can grow on nitric oxide, a highly reactive and toxic molecule. These microbes, named Nitricoxidivorans perserverans and Nitricoxidireducens bremensis, convert NO to nitrogen gas, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and mitigating climate change.
New research from the University of Manchester reveals that areas rich in marine life are significantly impacting our ecosystems and climate. The study found that urea, a nitrogen-rich compound, is being transported over long distances through the atmosphere to benefit nutrient-deficient environments.
Researchers at Michigan State University have made significant contributions to our understanding of the nitrogen cycle, a complex process that underlies the balance of nitrogen in the environment. The team, led by Timothy Warren, has uncovered new pathways and reactions involved in the conversion of nitric oxide to nitrous oxide.
A multi-institutional team finds that nitrogen insufficiency is a growing concern worldwide due to increased demand for nitrogen by plants and microbes. Declining nitrogen availability can slow plant growth and affect the food chain, while also constraining carbon storage and contributing to global warming.
New study reveals tradeoff between water quality and emissions on farms, highlighting potential environmental benefits of conservation practices. Researchers found that split nitrogen applications had no impact on nitrous oxide levels, but cover crops increased emissions by spikes in summer.
A new study reveals that the genes present in a microbial community can predict its dynamic metabolic activity, with implications for the nitrogen cycle and other biogeochemical processes. The research provides insights into how scientists can infer metabolite dynamics from aggregate gene content, design microbial communities for speci...
Researchers have discovered that certain microorganisms, such as Nitrosopumilus maritimus, can produce oxygen in the absence of sunlight, possibly deep below the ocean surface. These microbes play a crucial role in the nitrogen cycle and remove bioavailable nitrogen from the environment.
A new study found that heat and antibiotics alone and in combination degrade soil microbe efficiency, resilience, and ability to trap carbon. This could diminish soils' resilience to future stress and exacerbate climate change effects.
A recent study uses the Noah LSM with multi-parameterization options to quantify the impacts of nitrogen dynamics on terrestrial carbon and water cycles in China. The results show improved simulations of gross primary productivity and leaf area index, with reduced errors and better spatial patterns.
Researchers discovered that lower dissolved oxygen levels trigger a shift in the marine nitrogen cycle, with ammonium replacing nitrate as the main fixed nitrogen component. This change indicates a significant biogeochemical vulnerability to ocean deoxygenation, potentially affecting nutrient availability.
Researchers found that a decline in ocean oxygen can break down feedback mechanisms controlling the marine nitrogen cycle, which is essential for all forms of life. The team used a data-constrained earth system model to show that extreme deoxygenation can lead to a collapse of the ocean's bioavailable nitrogen inventory.
Researchers at GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel have directly detected oceanic nitrification process by measuring hydroxylamine, a short-lived compound. The new method allows for quick and simple analysis of nitrous oxide formation in the ocean.
Scientists have discovered anaerobic ammonium-oxidizing bacteria that directly use nitric oxide to grow, producing harmless dinitrogen gas instead of potent greenhouse gas nitrous oxide. This finding has significant implications for our climate and the earth's nitrogen cycle.
Scientists discover small microbes removing nitrogen from seawater in microenvironments with low oxygen levels, expanding the nitrogen cycle beyond previously thought regions. This finding changes our understanding of ocean responses to climate change.
Research identifies Nitrospira inopinata, a microbe that can outcompete others in oxidizing ammonium, potentially reducing greenhouse gas effects and improving environmental balance. The discovery has significant implications for climate change research and may lead to practical applications such as wastewater treatment and soil purifi...
A global study of ocean nitrogen cycle changes at the end of the last ice age confirms the oceans' ability to balance on a global scale. However, the data suggests it is a slow process that may take centuries or millennia, highlighting concerns about current rapid changes.
A new study reveals that human activities are overloading ecosystems with nitrogen, leading to ecological damage and pollution. Sustainable practices such as crop rotations, optimized fertilizer use, and traditional breeding techniques can help reduce this damage.
A Princeton-led team of scientists has found that denitrification is the dominant process in returning nitrogen to the air in low-oxygen ocean environments. The team's research confirms the importance of conventional denitrification and suggests that the current mainstream view on the nitrogen cycle may be based on a false impression.
Research found that microbes evolved to add oxygen to ammonia, producing nitrate, around 2.5 billion years ago. This marks the beginning of the aerobic nitrogen cycle, which is crucial for life today.
Researchers from Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution used an underwater digital microscope to find massive colonies of Trichodesmium, a photosynthetic organism that plays a significant role in the ocean's nitrogen cycle. The discovery could alter our understanding of the global nitrogen cycle and its impact on ocean productivity.