Denitrification in Agricultural Soils

Integrated control and Modelling at various scales

Authored by

Kristina Kleineidam, Jürgen Böttcher, Klaus Butterbach‑Bahl, Michael Dannenmann, Klaus Dittert, Peter Dörsch, Sebastian Fiedler, Torsten Frosch, Balázs Grosz, Sina Henjes, Marcus A. Horn, Olaf Ippisch, Anne Jansen‑Willems, Klaus Kaiser, Miriam Kempe, Jan Reent Köster, David Kraus, Maik Geers‑Lucas, Franҫois Malique, Amanda Matson, Andreas Merian, Robert Mikutta, Carsten W. Müller, Elisabeth Ramm, Lena Rohe, Pauline Sophie Rummel, Clemens Scheer, Corinna M. Schimpf, Steffen Schlüter, Johannes Schulze, Ronny Surey, Arne Tenspolde, Hester van Dijk, Hans‑Jörg Vogel, Reinhard Well, Nicole Wrage‑Mönnig, Irina Yankelzon, Jan Zawallich, Christoph Müller

Abstract

The special issue summarises and highlights key findings of the research unit DASIM funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG) on the process of denitrification. Progress was made in several areas including the development of new and advanced methods to quantify N₂ fluxes such as a new ¹⁵N gas flux method, enhanced Raman spectroscopy and a new incubation system to study plant-soil interactions in He-O₂ atmosphere. Understanding of denitrification in disturbed and structured soil was gained by combining X-ray CT scanning and microbial ecology methods. High resolution models developed as part of DASIM were able to successfully simulate experimental data and provide valuable insights for the improvement of existing ecosystem models. Improved ¹⁵N tracing tools for the analysis of ¹⁵N tracing data in soil-plant systems have been developed that are extensively used by associated partners. DASIM brought together an interdisciplinary network of researchers interested in analytical but also modelling aspects. This includes close collaboration with the FAO/IAEA centre of Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture of the United Nations which resulted in an open access book that describes the methods used in DASIM. The impact of the DASIM research unit on the scientific community is manifold and will most likely have a lasting impact on the understanding of nitrogen cycling in terrestrial ecosystems.

Details

Organisation(s): Institute of Earth System Sciences
Institute of Microbiology
External Organisation(s): Justus Liebig University Giessen
Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT)
Aarhus University
University of Göttingen
Norwegian University of Life Sciences
University of Rostock
Technische Universität Darmstadt
Leibniz Institute of Photonic Technology (IPHT)
Johann Heinrich von Thünen Institute, Federal Research Institute for Rural Areas, Forestry and Fisheries
Clausthal University of Technology (TUC)
University College Dublin (UCD)
Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg
Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ)
Technische Universität Berlin
Wageningen University & Research (WUR)
Technical University of Munich (TUM)
Type: Comment/debate
Journal: Biology and fertility of soils
Volume: 61
Pages: 329–342
No. of pages: 14
ISSN: 0178-2762
Publication date: 04.2025
Publication status: Published
Peer reviewed: Yes
ASJC Scopus subject areas: Microbiology, Agronomy and Crop Science, Soil Science
Sustainable Development Goals: SDG 15 - Life on Land
Electronic version(s): https://doi.org/10.1007/s00374-025-01894-5 (Access: Open )
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00374-025-01905-5 (Access: Open )