Comparison of DAYCENT-Simulated and Measured Nitrous Oxide Emissions from a Corn Field

Authors

Marek K. Jarecki, AgCertFollow
Timothy B. Parkin, National Soil Tilth Laboratory
Alvarus S. K. Chan, AgCert
Jerry L. Hatfield, National Soil Tilth LaboratoryFollow
Raymond Jones, AgCert

Date of this Version

2008

Citation

Published in J. Environ. Qual. (2008) 37:1685–1690. DOI:10.2134/jeq2007.0614

Abstract

Accurate assessment of N₂O emission from soil requires continuous year-round and spatially extensive monitoring or the use of simulation that accurately and precisely predict N₂O fluxes based on climatic, soil, and agricultural system input data. DAYCENT is an ecosystem model that simulates, among other processes, N₂O emissions from soils. The purpose of the study was to compare N₂O fluxes predicted by the DAYCENT model to measured N₂O fluxes from an experimental corn field in central Iowa. Soil water content temperature and inorganic N, simulated by DAYCENT were compared to measured values of these variables. Field N₂O emissions were measured using four replicated automated chambers at 6-h intervals, from day of year (DOY) 42 through DOY 254 of 2006. We observed that DAYCENT generally accurately predicted soil temperature, with the exception of winter when predicted temperatures tended to be lower than measured values. Volumetric water contents predicted by DAYCENT were generally lower than measured values during most of the experimental period. Daily N₂O emissions simulated by DAYCENT were significantly correlated to field measured fluxes; however, time series analyses indicate that the simulated fluxes were out of phase with the measured fluxes. Cumulative N₂O emission calculated from the simulations (3.29 kg N₂O-N ha⁻¹) was in range of the measured cumulative N₂O emission (4.26 ± 1.09 kg N₂O-N ha⁻¹).