A recent study by the Fertilizer and Fertilization Technology Innovation Team at the Institute of Agricultural Resources and Regional Planning (IARRP), Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS), revealed how combining green manure with zeolite can mitigate nitrous oxide (N₂O) emissions from dryland soils. Published in Agronomy for Sustainable Development, the research highlights that agricultural activities are the primary human-driven source of N₂O emissions, largely due to excessive chemical nitrogen fertilizers. In China's northwest oasis irrigation areas, maize intercropped with leguminous green manure has already shown potentials in reducing fertilizer inputs and N₂O emissions. Zeolite, a soil amendment with strong nutrient adsorption and drought resistance, was investigated as a potential to enhance this mitigation effect. The research demonstrated that intercropping maize with green manure and applying zeolite, while reducing chemical nitrogen input by 30%, lowered cumulative N₂O emissions by 36.9% and emission intensity per unit yield by 39.2%, without affecting maize yields. The mechanism involved reducing the abundance of N₂O-producing microbes and related enzyme activities, while increasing N₂O-reducing microbes. Together, nitrogen reduction and zeolite application restricted substrate availability and microbial processes driving N₂O emissions, achieving significant mitigation.

The findings clarify zeolite's synergistic role in N₂O reduction within maize–green manure systems, offering a new "land use plus soil care" strategy for sustainable agriculture. This provides practical pathways toward carbon neutrality and greener farming.

The paper, co-first authored by Dr. Liu Rui (Gansu Agricultural University/Shanxi Agricultural University) and Dr. Chang Danna (IARRP-CAAS), was communicated by Prof. Cao Weidong (IARRP-CAAS). The research was supported by the State Key Laboratory of Efficient Utilization of Arid and Semi-arid Farmland in Northern China, the National Key R&D Program (2021YFD1700200), and the National Green Manure Industry Technology System (CARS-22).

Citation:

Liu R, Chang D N, Liang H, Zhang J D, Li R, Chai Q and Cao W D. 2025. Applying green manure and zeolite and reducing N fertilization in maize mitigates N₂O emission while maintaining yield. Agronomy for Sustainable Development, 45, 43. 

Article link: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13593-025-01033-2