Applying manure to temperate agricultural soils in the fall season is often justified by the assumption that mineral nitrogen (N) is stable in frozen soils, although pulses of nitrous oxide (N₂O) are emitted when the soil thaws during winter months. Nitrous oxide loss was monitored during three freeze-thaw cycles in agricultural soils that received manure and had a growing cover crop before they were frozen. Soil was mixed with N fertilizer treatments (none, liquid dairy manure, solid dairy manure, or urea) and packed in 0.2-L pots, half of which were planted with an annual ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum Lam.) cover crop. After 3 weeks, pots were transferred to a freezer at − 4 °C, or left in a refrigerator at + 4 °C. Frozen pots were thawed at + 4 °C. Production of N₂O was measured after 0, 3, 6, and 9 h of thawing; then the pots were destructively sampled to determine the soil mineral N concentration. The N fertilizer and cover crop treatments did not affect N₂O production, and only 14% of the variation in N₂O production was explained by soil mineral N concentration. However, there was a 6–9-fold increase in N₂O production, relative to soil mineral N, in pots that underwent freeze-thaw cycles compared to pots that were left at + 4 °C. It appears that N₂O was produced in frozen soils at − 4 °C, trapped under ice, and subsequently released when the soils thawed at + 4 °C, suggesting that N₂O-producing reactions do not stop when manured soils are frozen.

尽管在冬季融化土壤时会释放出一氧化二氮（N ₂ O）脉冲，但通常假设冻土中的矿质氮（N）是稳定的，因此在秋季将肥料施于温带农业土壤上通常是合理的。在接受粪肥并在冷冻前生长覆盖作物的农业土壤中，在三个冻融循环中监测一氧化二氮的损失。将土壤与N种肥料混合处理（无，液态乳肥料，固态乳肥料或尿素），然后装在0.2公升的盆中，其中一半种植一年生黑麦草（黑麦草）覆盖作物。3周后，将盆移至− 4°C的冰箱中，或放在+ 4°C的冰箱中。将冷冻锅在+ 4°C融化。N _2的产生在解冻0、3、6和9小时后测量O；然后对这些花盆进行破坏性采样以确定土壤中的氮含量。氮肥和覆盖作物的治疗不影响Ñ ₂ ö生产，和只有14％的N的变化的₂ ö产量通过土壤矿物N浓度说明。然而，与放置在+ 4°C的盆相比，经过冻融循环的盆中N ₂ O产量相对于土壤矿质N增长了6-9倍。似乎在− 4°C的冻结土壤中产生N ₂ O，将其捕获在冰下，然后在+ 4°C融化的土壤中随后释放N ₂ O ，这表明当肥料土壤冻结时，N ₂ O的产生反应不会停止。 。