N Mineralization as Affected by Long-Term N Fertilization and Its Relationship with Crop N Uptake

Considering nitrogen mineralization (N) of soil organic matter is a key aspect for the efficient management of N fertilizers in agricultural systems. Long-term aerobic incubation is the standard technique for calibrating the chemical extraction methods used to estimate the potentially mineralizable N in soil. However, the technique is laborious, expensive and time-consuming. In this context, the aims of this study were to determine the amount of soil mineralizable N in the 0-60 cm layer and to evaluate the use of short-term anaerobic incubation instead of long-term aerobic incubation for the estimation of net N mineralization rates in soils under sugarcane. Five soils from areas without previous N fertilization were used in the layers 0-20, 20-40 and 40-60 cm. Soil samples were aerobically incubated at 35 ºC for 32 weeks or anaerobically incubated (waterlogged) at 40 ºC for seven days to determine the net soil N mineralization. The sand, silt and clay contents were highly correlated with the indexes used for predicting mineralizable N. The 0-40 cm layer was the best sampling depth for the estimation of soil mineralizable N, while in the 40-60 cm layer net N mineralization was low in both incubation procedures. Anaerobic incubation provided reliable estimates of mineralizable N in the soil that correlated well with the indexes obtained using aerobic incubation. The inclusion of the pre-existing NH4+-N content improved the reliability of the estimate of mineralizable N obtained using anaerobic incubation.

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Effect of 50 Years of No-Tillage, Stubble Retention, and Nitrogen Fertilization on Soil Respiration, Easily Extractable Glomalin, and Nitrogen Mineralization

Agronomy ◽

10.3390/agronomy12010151 ◽

2022 ◽

Vol 12 (1) ◽

pp. 151

Author(s):

Pramod Jha ◽

Kuntal M. Hati ◽

Ram C. Dalal ◽

Yash P. Dang ◽

Peter M. Kopittke ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Soil Respiration ◽

N Mineralization ◽

Positive Impact ◽

N Fertilization ◽

N Fertilizer ◽

N Availability ◽

Soil Microbial ◽

Stubble Retention ◽

No Till

In subtropical regions, we have an incomplete understanding of how long-term tillage, stubble, and nitrogen (N) fertilizer management affects soil biological functioning. We examined a subtropical site managed for 50 years using varying tillage (conventional till (CT) and no-till (NT)), stubble management (stubble burning (SB) and stubble retention (SR)), and N fertilization (0 (N0), 30 (N30), and 90 (N90) kg ha−1 y−1) to assess their impact on soil microbial respiration, easily extractable glomalin-related soil protein (EEGRSP), and N mineralization. A significant three-way tillage × stubble × N fertilizer interaction was observed for soil respiration, with NT+SB+N0 treatments generally releasing the highest amounts of CO2 over the incubation period (1135 mg/kg), and NT+SR+N0 treatments releasing the lowest (528 mg/kg). In contrast, a significant stubble × N interaction was observed for both EEGRSP and N mineralization, with the highest concentrations of both EEGRSP (2.66 ± 0.86 g kg−1) and N mineralization (30.7 mg/kg) observed in SR+N90 treatments. Furthermore, N mineralization was also positively correlated with EEGRSP (R2 = 0.76, p < 0.001), indicating that EEGRSP can potentially be used as an index of soil N availability. Overall, this study has shown that SR and N fertilization have a positive impact on soil biological functioning.

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Effects of Short-term Tillage of a Long-term No-Till Land on Crop Yield and Nutrient Uptake in Two Contrasting Soil Types

Sustainable Agriculture Research ◽

10.5539/sar.v5n3p32 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 5 (3) ◽

pp. 32 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Miles Dyck ◽

Sukhdev S. Malhi ◽

Marvin Nyborg ◽

Dyck Puurveen

Keyword(s):

Nutrient Uptake ◽

Crop Yield ◽

Crop Production ◽

N Uptake ◽

P Uptake ◽

N Fertilization ◽

Short Term ◽

Plant Yield ◽

No Till

Pre-seeding tillage of long-term no-till (NT) land may alter crop production by changing the availability of some nutrients in soil. Effects of short-term (4 years) tillage (hereafter called reverse tillage [RT]) of land previously under long-term (29 or 30 years) NT, with straw management (straw removed [SRem] and straw retained [SRet]) and N fertilizer rate (0, 50 and 100 kg N ha-1 in SRet, and 0 kg N ha-1 in SRem plots), were determined on plant yield (seed + straw, or harvested as forage/silage at soft dough stage), and N and P uptake in growing seasons from 2010 to 2013 at Breton (Gray Luvisol [Typic Cryoboralf] loam) and from 2009 to 2012 at Ellerslie (Black Chernozem [Albic Argicryoll] loam), Alberta, Canada. Plant yield, N uptake and P uptake tended to be greater with RT compared to NT in most cases at both sites, although significant in a few cases only at Ellerslie. On average over both sites, RT produced greater plant yield by 560 kg ha-1 yr-1, N uptake by 5.8 kg N ha-1 yr-1, and P uptake by 1.8 kg P ha-1 yr-1 than NT. There was no consistent beneficial effect of straw retention on plant yield, N uptake and P uptake in different years. Plant yield, N uptake and P uptake increased with N fertilization at both sites, with up to the maximum rate of applied N at 100 kg N ha-1 in 3 of 4 years at Breton and in 2 of 4 years at Ellerslie. In conclusion, our findings suggested some beneficial impact of occasional tillage of long-term NT soil on crop yield and nutrient uptake.

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Biomass and nutrient element dynamics in Douglas-fir: effects of thinning and nitrogen fertilization over 18 years

Canadian Journal of Forest Research ◽

10.1139/x26-042 ◽

1996 ◽

Vol 26 (3) ◽

pp. 376-388 ◽

Cited By ~ 43

Author(s):

A.K. Mitchell ◽

H.J. Barclay ◽

H. Brix ◽

D.F.W. Pollard ◽

R. Benton ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Net Primary Production ◽

N Uptake ◽

Basal Area ◽

Stem Bark ◽

N Fertilization ◽

Douglas Fir ◽

Total Biomass ◽

Matter Production ◽

Second Period

The effects of thinning (two-thirds of basal area removed) and N fertilization (448 kg N/ha as urea) on biomass and nutrition of a 24-year-old Douglas-fir (Pseudotsugamenziesii (Mirb.) Franco) stand at Shawnigan Lake were studied over 18 years. At years 0, 9, and 18 after treatments, the aboveground biomass and N, P, K, Ca, and Mg contents of stemwood, stem bark, foliage, and dead and live branches were determined (kg/ha), and increments in these properties (kg•ha−1•year−1) were calculated for the 0–9 and 9–18 year periods. Foliar biomass was increased by both treatments during the first period and also by thinning in the second period. Aboveground net primary production (ANPP) per unit of foliage biomass (foliage efficiency) was increased by treatments in the 0–9 year period. The combined effects of increased foliage mass and foliage efficiency resulted in increased total biomass production. Thinning and fertilization increased the uptake of all elements except for P with fertilization. This increase may have contributed to the long-term increase in stem growth. Retranslocation of elements before foliage shedding was important for tree nutrition, but was not improved by fertilization during the 9–18 year measurement period. The efficiency of N use in dry matter production (ANPP/unit of N uptake) was decreased by fertilization. This implied that poor sites would respond better to fertilization than rich sites.

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Nitrogen Requirements and N Status Determination of Lettuce

HortScience ◽

10.21273/hortsci.47.12.1768 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 47 (12) ◽

pp. 1768-1774 ◽

Cited By ~ 16

Author(s):

Thomas G. Bottoms ◽

Richard F. Smith ◽

Michael D. Cahn ◽

Timothy K. Hartz

Keyword(s):

N Uptake ◽

N Fertilization ◽

Fertilizer Efficiency ◽

Residual Soil ◽

N Application ◽

Fresh Biomass ◽

N Concentration ◽

Whole Plant ◽

Crop N Uptake ◽

N Rates

As concern over NO3-N pollution of groundwater increases, California lettuce growers are under pressure to improve nitrogen (N) fertilizer efficiency. Crop growth, N uptake, and the value of soil and plant N diagnostic measures were evaluated in 24 iceberg and romaine lettuce (Lactuca sativa L. var. capitata L., and longifolia Lam., respectively) field trials from 2007 to 2010. The reliability of presidedressing soil nitrate testing (PSNT) to identify fields in which N application could be reduced or eliminated was evaluated in 16 non-replicated strip trials and five replicated trials on commercial farms. All commercial field sites had greater than 20 mg·kg−1 residual soil NO3-N at the time of the first in-season N application. In the strip trials, plots in which the cooperating growers’ initial sidedress N application was eliminated or reduced were compared with the growers’ standard N fertilization program. In the replicated trials, the growers’ N regime was compared with treatments in which one or more N fertigation through drip irrigation was eliminated. Additionally, seasonal N rates from 11 to 336 kg·ha−1 were compared in three replicated drip-irrigated research farm trials. Seasonal N application in the strip trials was reduced by an average of 77 kg·ha−1 (73 kg·ha−1 vs. 150 kg·ha−1 for the grower N regime) with no reduction in fresh biomass produced and only a slight reduction in crop N uptake (151 kg·ha−1 vs. 156 kg·ha−1 for the grower N regime). Similarly, an average seasonal N rate reduction of 88 kg·ha−1 (96 kg·ha−1 vs. 184 kg·ha−1) was achieved in the replicated commercial trials with no biomass reduction. Seasonal N rates between 111 and 192 kg·ha−1 maximized fresh biomass in the research farm trials, which were conducted in fields with lower residual soil NO3-N than the commercial trials. Across fields, lettuce N uptake was slow in the first 4 weeks after planting, averaging less than 0.5 kg·ha−1·d−1. N uptake then increased linearly until harvest (≈9 weeks after planting), averaging ≈4 kg·ha−1·d−1 over that period. Whole plant critical N concentration (Nc, the minimum whole plant N concentration required to maximize growth) was estimated by the equation Nc (g·kg−1) = 42 − 2.8 dry mass (DM, Mg·ha−1); on that basis, critical N uptake (crop N uptake required to maintain whole plant N above Nc) in the commercial fields averaged 116 kg·ha−1 compared with the mean uptake of 145 kg·ha−1 with the grower N regime. Soil NO3-N greater than 20 mg·kg−1 was a reliable indicator that N application could be reduced or delayed. Neither leaf N nor midrib NO3-N was correlated with concurrently measured soil NO3-N and therefore of limited value in directing in-season N fertilization.

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Assessing Wheat Response to N Fertilization in a Wheat–Maize–Soybean Long-Term Rotation through NUE Measurements

Agronomy ◽

10.3390/agronomy10070941 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 10 (7) ◽

pp. 941

Author(s):

Roxana Vidican ◽

Anamaria Mălinaș ◽

Ioan Rotar ◽

Rozalia Kadar ◽

Valeria Deac ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Nitrogen Use Efficiency ◽

Nitrogen Fertilization ◽

Agricultural Research ◽

N Uptake ◽

Wheat Variety ◽

N Fertilization ◽

Wheat Crop ◽

Nitrogen Use ◽

Use Efficiency

Nitrogen fertilization is indispensable in increasing wheat crop productivity but, in order to achieve maximum profitable production and minimum negative environmental impact, improving nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) should be considered. The aim of this study was to evaluate the nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) in a long-term wheat–maize–soybean rotation system with the final purpose of increasing the overall performance of the wheat cropping system. Research was undertaken at the Agricultural Research Development Station Turda (ARDS Turda), located in Western Transylvania Plain, Romania. The experimental field was carried out at a fixed place during seven wheat vegetation seasons. The plant material consisted of a wheat variety created by the ARDS Turda (Andrada), one variety of maize (Turda 332) and one variety of soybean (Felix). The experiment covered two planting patterns: wheat after maize and wheat after soybean and five levels of nitrogen fertilization (control-unfertilized, fertilization with 0—control plot, 30, 60, 90 and 120 kg N ha−1 y−1). The following indices were assessed: NUE (nitrogen use efficiency), N uptake and PFP (partial factor productivity). The results of the present study suggest that reduced N-fertilization doses could improve N uptake and utilization for both planting patterns.

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No-tillage culture and nitrogen fertilizer management for burley tobacco production

The Journal of Agricultural Science ◽

10.1017/s0021859616000733 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 155 (4) ◽

pp. 599-612 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

C. ZOU ◽

R. C. PEARCE ◽

J. H. GROVE ◽

M. S. COYNE

Keyword(s):

N Uptake ◽

N Fertilization ◽

N Fertilizer ◽

No Tillage ◽

Fertilizer Management ◽

Fertilizer Rate ◽

Burley Tobacco ◽

Tobacco Production ◽

N Fertilizer Rate

SUMMARYFew studies have investigated nitrogen (N) fertilizer management in no-tillage (NT) tobacco (Nicotiana tobacumL.) production systems, even though N fertilization is known to influence tobacco cured leaf yield and quality. The present study evaluated how tillage practice and N fertilizer rate affected burley tobacco agronomic performance, plant available nitrogen (PAN) supply, and leaf chemical constituents. In 2012 and 2013, three N fertilizer rates (0, 140 and 280 kg N/ha) were introduced as split-plots within a long-term NT and conventional tillage (CT) (mouldboard plough) comparison study. Results (2007–2013) showed that the effect of tillage on tobacco yield depended on seasonal weather; NT tobacco appeared to have lower yield than CT tobacco in seasons with <450 mm growing season rainfall, but similar yields when rainfall was >500 mm. In 2012 (432 mm rainfall; 84% of the long-term seasonal mean), leaf SPAD reading, leaf nitrate concentration, total nitrogen concentration at the topping day (i.e. removal of flowers/buds at the tops of the plants) and cured leaf nicotine and alkaloid content suggested that N deficiency was more pronounced in NT than CT at the lowest N fertilizer rate. The PAN supply, as measured by a modifiedin situresin core method, was similar in 2012 between NT and CT, suggesting that plant factors may have had a role in N uptake efficiency. This scenario did not repeat in 2013 (706 mm rainfall; 137% of the long-term seasonal mean). Even though N fertilization rates were identical for both tillage practices in 2012 and 2013, PAN was lower, on average, in 2012. Because N uptake is largely the result of mass flow, the impact of reduced root density in NT tobacco would be expected to be more pronounced in a season such as 2012, when water was limited. Banding N close to the tobacco root system and/or side-dressing some portion of N may be recommended strategies to improve N use efficiency in NT burley tobacco production.

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Earthworm-induced N mineralization in fertilized grassland increases both N2O emission and crop-N uptake

European Journal of Soil Science ◽

10.1111/j.1365-2389.2010.01313.x ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 62 (1) ◽

pp. 152-161 ◽

Cited By ~ 47

Author(s):

I. M. Lubbers ◽

L. Brussaard ◽

W. Otten ◽

J. W. Van Groenigen

Keyword(s):

N Mineralization ◽

N Uptake ◽

N2o Emission ◽

Crop N Uptake

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Long-term N fertilization reduces uptake of N from fertilizer and increases the uptake of N from soil

Scientific Reports ◽

10.1038/s41598-020-75971-0 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 10 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Helio Antonio Wood Joris ◽

André Cesar Vitti ◽

Risely Ferraz-Almeida ◽

Rafael Otto ◽

Heitor Cantarella

Keyword(s):

N Uptake ◽

N Fertilization ◽

N Recovery ◽

Soil N ◽

Response Curves ◽

Current Season ◽

N Removal ◽

Sugarcane Yield ◽

N Management

Abstract Long-term supply of synthetic nitrogen (N) has the potential to affect the soil N processes. This study aimed to (i) establish N response curves to find the best balance between inputs and outputs of N over four ratoons; (ii) use 15N-labeled fertilizer to estimate the N recovery efficiency of fertilizer applied in the current season as affected by the N management in the previous three years. Nitrogen rates (control, 60, 120, and 180 kg ha−1 N) were applied annually in the same plots after the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th sugarcane cycles. Sugarcane yield, N uptake, and N balance were evaluated. In the final season, 100 kg ha−1 of 15N was also applied in the microplots to evaluate the effect of previous N fertilization on N derived from fertilizer (NDF) and N derived from soil (NDS). Sugarcane yields increased linearly with the N rates over the four sugarcane-cycles. The best balance between the input of N through fertilizer and N removal by stalks was 90 kg ha−1 N in both the 1st and 2nd ratoons, and 71 kg ha−1 N in both the 3rd and 4th ratoons. Long-term application of N reduced NDF from 41 to 30 kg ha−1 and increased NDS from 160 to 180 kg ha−1 N. A key finding is that long-term N fertilization has the potential to affect soil N processes by increasing the contribution of soil N and reducing the contribution of N from fertilizer.

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NITROGEN TRANSFORMATIONS IN SOIL-PLANT SYSTEMS IN THREE YEARS OF FIELD EXPERIMENTS USING TRACER AND NON-TRACER METHODS ON AN AMMONIUM-FIXING SOIL

Canadian Journal of Soil Science ◽

10.4141/cjss78-024 ◽

1978 ◽

Vol 58 (2) ◽

pp. 195-208 ◽

Cited By ~ 31

Author(s):

C. G. KOWALENKO ◽

D. R. CAMERON

Keyword(s):

Plant Uptake ◽

N Mineralization ◽

Maximum Rate ◽

Field Experiments ◽

N Uptake ◽

Growing Season ◽

N Fertilization ◽

Mineralization Rate ◽

Fertilizer N ◽

Inorganic N

Three years of field experiments showed the interplay of plant uptake of N, N movement, denitrification, fixation of fertilizer NH4+ and its release, and N mineralization in soil–plant systems. The N uptake by barley (Hordeum vulgare L.), averaged over the growing season, ranged between 0.97 and 2.02 kg N/ha/day and the rate depended on initial extractable inorganic N in the soil, and form and timing of N fertilization. The net mineralization rate of this soil, averaged over the growing season, ranged between 0.16 and 1.80 kg N/ha/day and varied with year and N fertilization practices. However, detailed monitoring of plant uptake showed that a maximum rate of uptake occurred early in its growth, decreasing to a negligible rate later in the season. The N mineralization rate was more uniform over the growing season. A pool of inorganic N in the soil at seeding or within the first half of the growing season overcame the seasonal deficit in N supply and resulted in increased crop growth and/or N uptake. Fertilizer N movement was small and never beyond the maximum (75-cm) sampling depth. This supported the assumption that unrecovered fertilizer N in this study was largely due to denitrification. Denitrification was shown to be greatly influenced by the season, with a maximum rate occurring in the spring or early summer, and concurred with the period of maximum rate of plant uptake of N. Denitrifiers were capable of competing with high rates of plant uptake since the rate of denitrification was similar in fallow and cropped systems. The form of N application (NO3−, NH4+, NH4+ plus N-serve) did not significantly affect the denitrification rate. The soil used in this study fixed 34–60% of the 150 kg NH4+/ha fertilizer immediately upon application. The fixed fertilizer N was available to barley, with 71–96% of the recently fixed NH4+ being released over the growth period. The presence of N-serve resulted in less fixed fertilizer NH4+ being released during crop growth.

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