In Brazilian sugarcane plantations, fertilization with vinasse, supplemented or not with mineral fertilizer, is a common practice. But little is known about the effects of this application on N losses, especially those forms of N which give rise to greenhouse gas emissions. The aim of this study was to quantify N2O and NH3 emissions from soil after vinasse application and urea fertilizer addition and to examine the possible impact adding vinasse before or after urea. Two experiments were conducted under greenhouse conditions and one in the field with treatments of vinasse and urea fertilizer, either alone, or in sequence. The highest proportions of N emitted as N2O were registered in the vinasse treatment, which amounted to 15 % of the N applied in the first greenhouse experiment, and 2.5 % in the field experiment. With respect to the losses by NH3 volatilization, urea was the only treatment where this process was significant. N2O emission from vinasse was 2.5 %, somewhat above the default emission factor of 1 % of the IPCC. N2O emissions from urea were also variable, but emission factors registered were still well below the default IPCC factor for organic residues. The order of addition of urea and vinasse had little effect on NH3 volatilization in the field, but there were evidences it was important for N2O.
