N2O emissions from a cultivated mollisol: optimal time of day for sampling and the role of soil temperature Emissões de N2O de um chernossolo cultivado: o tempo ideal do dia para amostragem e papel da temperatura do solo

The correct use of closed field chambers to determine N2O emissions requires defining the time of day that best represents the daily mean N2O flux. A short-term field experiment was carried out on a Mollisol soil, on which annual crops were grown under no-till management in the Pampa Ondulada of Argentina. The N2O emission rates were measured every 3 h for three consecutive days. Fluxes ranged from 62.58 to 145.99 ∝g N-N2O m-2 h-1 (average of five field chambers) and were negatively related (R² = 0.34, p < 0.01) to topsoil temperature (14 - 20 ºC). N2O emission rates measured between 9:00 and 12:00 am presented a high relationship to daily mean N2O flux (R² = 0.87, p < 0.01), showing that, in the study region, sampling in the mornings is preferable for GHG.O uso adequado de câmaras estáticas para determinar as emissões de N2O no campo requer a definição da hora do dia que melhor representa a taxa de emissão média diária. Um experimento de campo de curta duração foi realizado em um Chernossolo do Pampa Ondulado da Argentina, cultivado com soja em sistema plantio direto. As taxas de emissão de N2O foram medidas a cada 3 h durante três dias consecutivos. As taxas de emissão de N2O variaram entre 62,58 e 145,99 mg m-2 h-1 de N-N2O (média de cinco câmaras de campo) e foram negativamente relacionadas (R² = 0,34; p