Effects of animal manure and nitrification inhibitor on N(2)O emissions and soil carbon stocks of a maize cropping system in Northeast China

The incorporation of animal manure (AM) in soil plays an essential role in soil carbon sequestration but might induce higher soil nitrous oxide (N(2)O) emissions. The use of nitrification inhibitors (NI) is an effective strategy to abate N(2)O emission in agro-ecosystems. However, very few studies have evaluated the effectiveness of applying NI under the combined application of organic and inorganic fertilizers for increasing soil carbon sequestration and reducing N(2)O emissions simultaneously in Northeast China. Here, a four-year field experiment was conducted with three treatments [inorganic fertilizer (NPK), inorganic fertilizer + manure (NPKM), and inorganic fertilizer with NI + manure (NPKI + M)], in a rainfed maize cropping system in Northeast China. Plots of different treatments were kept in the same locations for 4 years. Gas samples were collected using the static closed chamber technique, and nitrous oxide (N(2)O) concentration in gas samples was quantified using a gas chromatograph. Soil organic carbon sequestration rate (SOCSR) was calculated based on the changes in SOC from April 2012 to October 2015. Averaged over the four years, AM incorporation significantly increased soil N(2)O emissions by 25.8% (p < 0.05), compared to NPK treatment. DMPP (3,4-dimethylpyrazole phosphate) significantly decreased N(2)O emissions by 32.5% (p < 0.05) relative to NPKM treatment. SOC content was significantly elevated by 24.1% in the NPKI + M treatment than the NPK treatment after four years of manure application (p < 0.05). The annual topsoil SOCSR for the NPKM and NPKI + M treatments was 0.57 Mg ha(−1) yr(−1) and 1.02 Mg ha(−1) yr(−1), respectively, which were significantly higher than that of NPK treatment (− 0.61 Mg ha(−1) yr(−1), p < 0.05). AM addition significantly increased the aboveground biomass and crop yields of maize in the fourth year. Overall, combined application of DMPP, inorganic fertilizer and AM is strongly recommended in this rainfed maize cropping system, which can increase maize yield and SOC sequestration rate, and mitigate N(2)O emission.