Nitrogen Rate Assessment for Greenhouse Gas Emission Mitigation and Quality Maintenance in Sustainable Turf Management.

Turfgrass systems hold significant climate change mitigation value, but their management often negates the beneficial effects due to the intense adoption of external inputs. The research objective in this paper was to assess the nitrogen fertilization rate able to maintain the ideal esthetic characteristics of Zoysia turfgrass, reducing the environmental impacts associated with greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. A two-year open field experiment was conducted. Nitrogen was added to the soil at six rates (0, 50, 100, 150, 200, and 250 kg ha⁻¹). The GHG emissions were monitored using a portable gas analyzer and the static chamber methodology. Cumulative environmental impacts were calculated from the inclusion of CO₂, CH₄, and, N₂O using the Global Warming Potential (GWP). The quality assessment of the turf was assessed through a visual and instrumental approach. Higher CO₂ and N₂O fluxes were linked to high nitrogen rates, ranging from 83.55 to 87.50 and from 0.046 to 0.047 g N-N₂O ha⁻¹ day⁻¹ for 200 and 250 kg N ha⁻¹, respectively. CH₄ emissions were not correlated to nitrogen rates. Higher GWP impacts were linked to high N rate treatments. A rate of 100 kg N ha⁻¹ is recommended as the best strategy to reduce GHG emissions while maintaining high turf quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]