Elevated CO2 concentration and nitrogen fertilisation effects on N2O and CH4 fluxes and biomass production of Phleum pratense on farmed peat soil

The effects of elevated CO2 supply on N2O and CH4 fluxes and biomass production of Phleum pratense were studied in a greenhouse experiment. Three sets of 12 farmed peat soil mesocosms (10 cm dia, 47 cm long) sown with P. pratense and equally distributed in four thermo-controlled greenhouses were fertilised with a commercial fertiliser in order to add 2, 6 or 10 g N m−2. In two of the greenhouses, CO2 concentration was kept at atmospheric concentration (360 μmol mol−1) and in the other two at doubled concentration (720 μmol mol−1). Soil temperature was kept at 15 °C and air temperature at 20 °C. Natural lighting was supported by artificial light and deionized water was used to regulate soil moisture. Forage was harvested and the plants fertilised three times during the basic experiment, followed by an extra fertilisations and harvests. At the end of the experiment CH4 production and CH4 oxidation potentials were determined; roots were collected and the biomass was determined. From the three first harvests the amount of total N in the aboveground biomass was determined. N2O and CH4 exchange was monitored using a closed chamber technique and a gas chromatograph. The highest N2O fluxes (on average, 255 μg N2O m−2 h−1 during period IV) occurred just after fertilisation at high water contents, and especially at the beginning of the growing season (on average, 490 μg N2O m−2 h−1 during period I) when the competition of vegetation for N was low. CH4 fluxes were negligible throughout the experiment, and for all treatments the production and oxidation potentials of CH4 were inconsequential. Especially at the highest rates of fertilisation, the elevated supply of CO2 increased above- and below-ground biomass production, but both at the highest and lowest rates of fertilisation, decreased the total amount of N in the aboveground dry biomass. N2O fluxes tended to be higher under doubled CO2 concentrations, indicating that increasing atmospheric CO2 concentration may affect N and C dynamics in farmed peat soil.