Effect of Mixed Treatment of Urea Fertilizer and Zeolite on Nitrous Oxide and Ammonia Emission in Upland Soil

Ammonia loss from urea significantly hinders efficient use of urea in agriculture. The level of nitrous oxide ($N_2O$) a long-lived greenhouse gas in atmosphere has increased mainly due to anthropogenic source, especially application of nitrogen fertilizers. There are reports in the literature showing that the addition of zeolite to N sources can improve the nitrogen use efficiency. This study was conducted to evaluate nitrous oxide ($N_2O$) and ammonia ($NH_3$) emission by mixed treatment of urea and zeolite in upland crop field. Urea fertilizer and zeolite were applied at different rates to study their effect on $N_2O$ emission during red pepper cultivation in upland soils. The $N_2O$ gas was collected by static closed chamber method and measured by gas chromatography. Ammonia concentration was analyzed by closed-dynamic air flow system method. The total $N_2O$ flux increased in proportion to the level of N application. Emission of $N_2O$ from the field increased from the plots applied with urea-zeolite mixture compared to urea alone. But urea-zeolite mixture treatment reduced about 30% of $NH_3$-N volatilization amounts. These results showed that the application of urea and zeolite mixture had a positive influence on reduction of $NH_3$ volatilization, but led to the increase in $N_2O$ emission in upland soils.