Plants are a natural source of nitrous oxide even in field conditions as explained by 15N site preference

Quantifying ecosystem respiration and nitrous oxide emissions from greenhouse cultivation systems via a novel whole-greenhouse static chamber method

Greenhouse cultivation has expanded rapidly over the past three decades, significantly contributing to global food security and diversity. However, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from these systems remain poorly quantified due to methodological limitations. Here, we introduce a novel framework treating the greenhouse as a large static chamber to infer GHG emissions via nighttime gas accumulation. This approach was validated using two monitoring systems: automated 16-chambers soil flux measurements and whole-greenhouse concentration monitoring over 70 days. Mean soil carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), and nitrous oxide (N2O) fluxes were 29.2 ± 12.9 kg C ha-1 day-1, -1.08 ± 2.31 g C ha-1 day-1, and 105.3 ± 65.6 g N ha-1 day-1 (mean ± SD), respectively. Although CH4 flux was negligible, CO2 and N2O fluxes were significant with high spatiotemporal variability, driven primarily by chamber location and soil temperature. Whole-greenhouse CO2 concentrations accumulated steadily at night and declined rapidly under daylight, whereas N2O concentrations rose continuously, with ventilation events driving release. Nighttime accumulation between 18:00-24:00 provided robust estimates of ecosystem respiration (Re) and N2O emissions, minimizing biases from temperature fluctuations. Validated across 15 greenhouses, this method yielded annualized emissions of 17.8 ± 8.0 Mg C ha-1 yr-1 (Re) and 21.3 ± 19.7 kg N ha-1 yr-1 (N2O). This highlighted N2O as the dominant direct GHG after accounting for photosynthetic recapture of Re. By bridging spatial heterogeneity and diurnal variability, the whole-greenhouse static-chamber approach advanced GHG quantification in controlled agricultural systems and offered a scalable framework for optimizing management practices and mitigating climate impacts.

Differential regulation of the "phytoglobin-nitric oxide respiration" in Medicago truncatula roots and nodules submitted to flooding

Flooding induces hypoxia in plant tissues, impacting various physiological and biochemical processes. This study investigates the adaptive response of the roots and nitrogen-fixing nodules of Medicago truncatula in symbiosis with Sinorhizobium meliloti under short-term hypoxia caused by flooding. Four-week-old plants were subjected to flooding for 1-4 days. Physiological parameters as well as the expression of the senescence marker gene MtCP6 remained unchanged after 4 days of flooding, indicating no senescence onset. Hypoxia was evident from the first day, as indicated by the upregulation of hypoxia marker genes (MtADH, MtPDC, MtAlaAT, MtERF73). Nitrogen-fixing capacity was unaffected after 1 day but markedly decreased after 4 days, while energy state (ATP/ADP ratio) significantly decreased from 1 day and was more affected in nodules than in roots. Nitric oxide (NO) production increased in roots but decreased in nodules after prolonged flooding. Nitrate reductase (NR) activity and expression of genes associated with Phytoglobin-NO (Pgb-NO) respiration (MtNR1, MtNR2, MtPgb1.1) were upregulated, suggesting a role in maintaining energy metabolism under hypoxia, but the use of M. truncatula nr1 and nr2 mutants, impaired in nitrite production, indicated the involvement of these two genes in ATP regeneration during initial flooding response. The addition of sodium nitroprusside or tungstate revealed that Pgb-NO respiration contributes significantly to ATP regeneration in both roots and nodules under flooding. Altogether, these results highlight the importance of NR1 and Pgb1.1 in the hypoxic response of legume root systems and show that nodules are more sensitive than roots to hypoxia.

Plants mitigate ecosystem nitrous oxide emissions primarily through reductions in soil nitrate content: Evidence from a meta-analysis

Nitrous oxide (N2O) is a potent greenhouse gas (GHG) and an ozone-depleting substance. The presence of plants in an ecosystem can either increase or decrease N2O emissions, or play a negligible role in driving N2O emissions. Here, we conducted a meta-analysis comparing ecosystem N2O emissions from planted and unplanted systems to evaluate how plant presence influences N2O emissions and examined the mechanisms driving observed responses. Our results indicate that plant presence reduces N2O emissions while it increases dinitrogen (N2) emissions from ecosystems through decreases in soil nitrate concentration as well as increases in complete denitrification and mineral N immobilization. The response of N2O emissions to plant presence was universal across major terrestrial ecosystems - including forests, grassland and cropland - and it did not vary with N fertilization. Further, in light of the potential mechanisms of N2O formation in plant cells, we discussed how plant presence could enhance the emission of N2O from plants themselves. Improving our understanding of the mechanisms driving N2O emissions in response to plant presence could be beneficial for enhancing the robustness for predictions of our GHG sinks and sources and for developing strategies to minimize emissions at the ecosystem scale.

Foliar N2 O emissions constitute a significant source to atmosphere

Nitrous oxide (N2 O) is a potent greenhouse gas and causes stratospheric ozone depletion. While the emissions of N2 O from soil are widely recognized, recent research has shown that terrestrial plants may also emit N2 O from their leaves under controlled laboratory conditions. However, it is unclear whether foliar N2 O emissions are universal across varying plant taxa, what the global significance of foliar N2 O emissions is, and how the foliage produces N2 O in situ. Here we investigated the abilities of 25 common plant taxa, including trees, shrubs and herbs, to emit N2 O under in situ conditions. Using 15 N isotopic labeling, we demonstrated that the foliage-emitted N2 O was predominantly derived from nitrate. Moreover, by selectively injecting biocide in conjunction with the isolating and back-inoculating of endophytes, we demonstrated that the foliar N2 O emissions were driven by endophytic bacteria. The seasonal N2 O emission rates ranged from 3.2 to 9.2 ng N2 O-N g-1 dried foliage h-1 . Extrapolating these emission rates to global foliar biomass and plant N uptake, we estimated global foliar N2 O emission to be 1.21 and 1.01 Tg N2 O-N year-1 , respectively. These estimates account for 6%-7% of the current global annual N2 O emission of 17 Tg N2 O-N year-1 , indicating that in situ foliar N2 O emission is a universal process for terrestrial plants and contributes significantly to the global N2 O inventory. This finding highlights the importance of measuring foliar N2 O emissions in future studies to enable the accurate assigning of mechanisms and the development of effective mitigation.

Estimating food nitrogen and phosphorus footprints and budgeting nitrogen and phosphorus flows of Rwanda's agricultural food system during 1961-2020

Nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) are limiting factors for crop production in Rwanda where food security is susceptible to inadequate agricultural techniques, especially fertilization. Understanding N and P footprints for food and their budgets under different fertilized scenarios may help to improve the nutrient use efficiency and crop yield in Rwanda, however, with little information available yet. Here, we estimated food N and P footprints and their budgets for agri-food system in Rwanda using adjusted N-P-Calculator model under fertilized, unfertilized and combined scenarios during 1961-2020. The total food N footprint per capita increased from 4.2, 3.8 and 6.4 (1960s) to 6.8, 4.9 and 9.9 kg N cap-1 yr-1 under combined, unfertilized and fertilized scenarios, respectively (2011-2020). The total food P footprint per capita increased from 0.19, 0.18 and 0.23 (1960s) to 0.31, 0.25 and 0.40 kg P cap-1 yr-1 under combined, unfertilized and fertilized scenarios, respectively (2011-2020). The total N input to croplands increased from 13.9 (1960s) to 37.0 kg N ha-1 yr-1 (2011-2020), while the total crop N uptake increased from 18.1 (1960s) to 32.5 kg N ha-1 yr-1 (2011-2020), resulting in N use efficiency decline from 99.1% (1960s) to 74.6% (2011-2020). Gaseous N losses of NH3, N2O, and NO increased from 0.9, 0.1 and 0.0 (1960s) to 7.5, 0.8 and 0.1 kg N ha-1 yr-1, respectively (2011-2020). The total P removal in harvested crops increased from 2.9 (1960s) to 5.1 kg P ha-1 yr-1 (2011-2020). The results revealed large room for crop yield expansion; and low N and P inputs are major agricultural production limitations. We suggest N and P fertilizer improvement by focusing on better management of organic animal manure and ensuring high biologically N fixed through crop rotation of legumes and cereals; lastly to increase in moderation the use of synthetic N and P fertilizers in Rwanda.

Nitric oxide: An emerging warrior of plant physiology under abiotic stress

The natural environment of plants comprises a complex set of various abiotic stresses and their capability to react and survive under this anticipated changing climate is highly flexible and involves a series of balanced interactions between signaling molecules where nitric oxide becomes a crucial component. In this article, we focussed on the role of nitric oxide (NO) in various signal transduction pathways of plants and its positive impact on maintaining cellular homeostasis under various abiotic stresses. Besides this, the recent data on interactions of NO with various phytohormones to control physiological and biochemical processes to attain abiotic stress tolerance have also been considered. These crosstalks modulate the plant's defense mechanism and help in alleviating the negative impact of stress. While focusing on the diverse functions of NO, an effort has been made to explore the functions of NO-mediated post-translational modifications, such as the N-end rule pathway, tyrosine nitration, and S-nitrosylation which revealed the exact mechanism and characterization of proteins that modify various metabolic processes in stressed conditions. Considering all of these factors, the present review emphasizes the role of NO and its interlinking with various phytohormones in maintaining developmental processes in plants, specifically under unfavorable environments.

Contribution of Ammonium-Induced Nitrifier Denitrification to N2O in Paddy Fields

Paddy fields are one of the most important sources of nitrous oxide (N₂O), but biogeochemical N₂O production mechanisms in the soil profile remain unclear. Our study used incubation, dual-isotope (¹⁵N-¹⁸O) labeling methods, and molecular techniques to elucidate N₂O production characteristics and mechanisms in the soil profile (0-60 cm) during summer fallow, rice cropping, and winter fallow periods. The results pointed out that biotic processes dominated N₂O production (72.2-100%) and N₂O from the tillage layer accounted for 91.0-98.5% of total N₂O in the soil profile. Heterotrophic denitrification (HD) was the main process generating N₂O, contributing between 53.4 and 96.6%, the remainder being due to ammonia oxidation pathways, which was further confirmed by metagenomics and quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) assays. Nitrifier denitrification (ND) was an important N₂O production source, contributing 0-46.6% of total N₂O production, which showed similar trends with N₂O emissions. Among physicochemical and biological factors, ammonium content and the ratio of total organic matter to nitrate were the main driving factors affecting the contribution ratios of the ammonia oxidation pathways and HD pathway, respectively. Moisture content and pH affect norC-carrying Spirochetes and thus the N₂O production rate. These findings confirm the importance of ND to N₂O production and help to elucidate the impact of anthropogenic activities, including tillage, fertilization, and irrigation, on N₂O production.

Sustainable water and nitrogen optimization to adapt to different temperature variations and rainfall patterns for a trade-off between winter wheat yield and N2O emissions

Optimizing irrigation and nitrogen (N) fertilizer applications is essential to ensure crop yields and lower environmental risks under climate change. The DeNitrification-DeComposition (DNDC) model was employed to investigate the impacts of irrigation regime (RF, rainfed; MI, minimum irrigation; CI, critical irrigation; FI, full irrigation) and N fertilizer rate (N60, N90, N120, N150, N180, N210, N240, N270, and N300 kg ha-1) on yield and nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions from winter wheat growing season under different temperature rise levels (+0, +0.5, +1.0, +1.5, and +2.0 °C scenarios) and precipitation year types (wet, normal, and dry seasons) in the North China Plain. Model evaluations demonstrated that simulated soil temperature, soil moisture, daily N2O flux, yield, and cumulative N2O emissions were generally in close agreement with measurements from field experiment over three growing seasons. By adopting simulation scenarios analysis, the model was then used to explore the effects of irrigation and N fertilizer inputs to balance yield and N2O emissions from winter wheat growing season. Based on reduced water and fertilizer inputs and N2O emissions with little yield penalty, recommended management practices included application of MI-N150 in wet season, CI-N120 in both normal and dry seasons, and CI-N150 for +0 to +2.0 °C scenarios. Recommended practices in different precipitation year types reduced irrigation amount by 75-150 mm, N rate by 75-105 kg N ha-1, yield by 0.16-0.86 t ha-1, cumulative N2O emissions by 0.13-0.64 kg ha-1, and yield-scaled N2O emissions by 15.5-85.0 mg kg-1 compared with current practices. The corresponding metrics for different elevated temperature levels decreased by 75 mm, 75 kg N ha-1, 0.09-0.50 t ha-1, 0.12-0.52 kg ha-1, and 13.7-72.3 mg kg-1, respectively. The proposed management practices can help to maintain high agronomic productivity and alleviate environmental pollution from agricultural ecosystems, thereby providing an important basis for mitigation strategies to adapt to climate change.

Nitric oxide: A core signaling molecule under elevated GHGs (CO2, CH4, N2O, O3)-mediated abiotic stress in plants

Nitric oxide (NO), an ancient molecule with multiple roles in plants, has gained momentum and continues to govern plant biosciences-related research. NO, known to be involved in diverse physiological and biological processes, is a central molecule mediating cellular redox homeostasis under abiotic and biotic stresses. NO signaling interacts with various signaling networks to govern the adaptive response mechanism towards stress tolerance. Although diverging views question the role of plants in the current greenhouse gases (GHGs) budget, it is widely accepted that plants contribute, in one way or another, to the release of GHGs (carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O) and ozone (O3)) to the atmosphere, with CH4 and N2O being the most abundant, and occur simultaneously. Studies support that elevated concentrations of GHGs trigger similar signaling pathways to that observed in commonly studied abiotic stresses. In the process, NO plays a forefront role, in which the nitrogen metabolism is tightly related. Regardless of their beneficial roles in plants at a certain level of accumulation, high concentrations of CO2, CH4, and N2O-mediating stress in plants exacerbate the production of reactive oxygen (ROS) and nitrogen (RNS) species. This review assesses and discusses the current knowledge of NO signaling and its interaction with other signaling pathways, here focusing on the reported calcium (Ca2+) and hormonal signaling, under elevated GHGs along with the associated mechanisms underlying GHGs-induced stress in plants.

Nitrate–Nitrite–Nitric Oxide Pathway: A Mechanism of Hypoxia and Anoxia Tolerance in Plants

Oxygen (O₂) is the most crucial substrate for numerous biochemical processes in plants. Its deprivation is a critical factor that affects plant growth and may lead to death if it lasts for a long time. However, various biotic and abiotic factors cause O₂ deprivation, leading to hypoxia and anoxia in plant tissues. To survive under hypoxia and/or anoxia, plants deploy various mechanisms such as fermentation paths, reactive oxygen species (ROS), reactive nitrogen species (RNS), antioxidant enzymes, aerenchyma, and adventitious root formation, while nitrate (NO₃⁻), nitrite (NO₂⁻), and nitric oxide (NO) have shown numerous beneficial roles through modulating these mechanisms. Therefore, in this review, we highlight the role of reductive pathways of NO formation which lessen the deleterious effects of oxidative damages and increase the adaptation capacity of plants during hypoxia and anoxia. Meanwhile, the overproduction of NO through reductive pathways during hypoxia and anoxia leads to cellular dysfunction and cell death. Thus, its scavenging or inhibition is equally important for plant survival. As plants are also reported to produce a potent greenhouse gas nitrous oxide (N₂O) when supplied with NO₃⁻ and NO₂⁻, resembling bacterial denitrification, its role during hypoxia and anoxia tolerance is discussed here. We point out that NO reduction to N₂O along with the phytoglobin-NO cycle could be the most important NO-scavenging mechanism that would reduce nitro-oxidative stress, thus enhancing plants’ survival during O₂-limited conditions. Hence, understanding the molecular mechanisms involved in reducing NO toxicity would not only provide insight into its role in plant physiology, but also address the uncertainties seen in the global N₂O budget.

Nitrogen and Biochar Addition Affected Plant Traits and Nitrous Oxide Emission From Cinnamomum camphora

Atmospheric nitrous oxide (N₂O) increase contributes substantially to global climate change due to its large global warming potential. Soil N₂O emissions have been widely studied, but plants have so far been ignored, even though they are known as an important source of N₂O. The specific objectives of this study are to (1) reveal the effects of nitrogen and biochar addition on plant functional traits and N₂O emission of Cinnamomum camphora seedlings; (2) find out the possible leaf traits affecting plant N₂O emissions. The effects of nitrogen and biochar on plant functional traits and N₂O emissions from plants using C. camphora seedlings were investigated. Plant N₂O emissions, growth, each organ biomass, each organ nutrient allocation, gas exchange parameters, and chlorophyll fluorescence parameters of C. camphora seedlings were measured. Further investigation of the relationships between plant N₂O emission and leaf traits was performed by simple linear regression analysis, principal component analysis (PCA), and structural equation model (SEM). It was found that nitrogen addition profoundly increased cumulative plant N₂O emissions (+109.25%), which contributed substantially to the atmosphere's N₂O budget in forest ecosystems. Plant N₂O emissions had a strong correlation to leaf traits (leaf TN, P _n , G _s , C _i , Tr, WUE _L , α, ETR _max, I _k , Fv/Fm, Y(II), and SPAD). Structural equation modelling revealed that leaf TN, leaf TP, P _n , C _i , Tr, WUE _L , α, ETR _max, and I _k were key traits regulating the effects of plants on N₂O emissions. These results provide a direction for understanding the mechanism of N₂O emission from plants and provide a theoretical basis for formulating corresponding emission reduction schemes.