Soil properties and rhizosphere interactions affecting nitrous oxide emissions with mitigation by nitrification inhibitors in rice growth stages

Nitrous oxide (N₂O) emissions from paddy soils, particularly from the rice rhizosphere, significantly contribute to agricultural greenhouse gas outputs. This study explores N₂O emission dynamics in rhizosphere (R) and non-rhizosphere (NR) soils from two distinct paddy types (JR and YC) during the primary rice growth stages (tillering, jointing, heading, and grain-filling). Cumulative N₂O emissions were measured at 688.56, 762.90, 831.20, and 1072.32 µg N kg^-1 for JR-NR, JR-R, YC-NR, and YC-R, respectively. Notably, JR-R and YC-R exhibited increases in cumulative N₂O emissions by up to 20.04% and 28.23%, respectively, compared to their NR counterparts at different growth stages. These enhanced emissions were primarily associated with microbial genera <i>Nitrosospira</i> and <i>Nitrosospirae</i>, and influenced by factors such as electrical conductivity (EC) and available potassium (AK). The soil organic carbon to total nitrogen ratio (C/N) was a key determinant influencing <i>Nitrosospira</i> abundance. Additionally, nitrification inhibitors (NIs) demonstrated a substantial reduction in N₂O emissions, with a decrease of 92.37% in JR-R and 91.93% in YC-R at selected growth stages, showing more pronounced effects compared to NR soils. These findings highlight the efficacy of NIs in significantly mitigating N₂O emissions, particularly in rhizosphere soils. Variations in the efficiency of NIs across different soil types and growth stages suggest that optimizing application timing and developing tailored soil-specific strategies could further enhance the effectiveness of NIs in mitigating N₂O emissions from paddy fields. This research provides essential insights for developing targeted mitigation strategies to reduce N₂O emissions in rice cultivation and contributes to sustainable agricultural practices.