Fertilizer technologies for reduced N2O emission from food production

We are convinced that there exist options for reducing N2O emissions per unit N input, and that these can be most effectively explored by investigating how N2O emissions are regulated at the cellular-, microhabitat-, microcosm level (rather than by measur ing N2O fluxes at the field scale). Our point of departure is thus to study gas kinetics and gene expression in isolated bacterial strains, soil bacterial communities and microcosms (incubations of soil slurries and intact soils) under a variety of cond itions. This explorative phase of the project will provide - a better understanding of how N2O emissions are controlled by the regulatory biology (of denitrification) as realized within the soil matrix - hypotheses regarding fertilizer formulations and management options which may effectively reduce the N2O emission from food production. The most promising options will be tested by upscaling to the field level flux measurements in combination with the use of state of the art dynamic modelling of N2O fl ux from soils. Ongoing research has already identified soil pH management as one promising option, and will be tested early in the project period. The project draws heavily on recent progress in molecular biological methods and novel gas kinetic methodo logy developed by the UMB partners, and their well established collaboration with several leading Chinese research groups (former post docs, PhD students, recent BILAT project, Chinese guest researchers and contacts via Sinciere). The aim of the project is to provide a knowledge basis for inventions to reduced N2O emissions by altered fertilizer formulations and soil management regimes. We foresee a great commercial potential of such inventions, due to the grave perspectives of future N2O emissions? ef fects on the global environment.