The effects of site and season on the fate of nitrogen residues from root crops grown on sandy soils

1997 ◽  
Vol 128 (4) ◽  
pp. 445-460 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. WEBB ◽  
R. SYLVESTER-BRADLEY ◽  
F. M. SEENEY
Keyword(s):  
Potato Crop ◽  
Sandy Soils ◽  
Clay Content ◽  
N Recovery ◽  
Soil N ◽  
Mineral N ◽  
Organic Manures ◽  
N Supply ◽  
Fate Of Nitrogen ◽  
Potato Crops

In 74 experiments carried out in England from 1990 to 1994, cereal test crops were grown on sandy soils prone to nitrate leaching, following cereals, sugarbeet and potatoes. Measurements were made of the effects of the previous crops on soil mineral N, and on N recovery by the cereal test crop.Soil N supply in autumn (SNSa) was greater following potatoes (c. 100 kg/ha N) than following sugarbeet or cereals (c. 60 kg/ha N). However when potato crops to which organic manures had been applied were excluded, mean SNSa after potatoes was only c. 60 kg/ha. Soil N supply in spring (SNSs) following sugarbeet and potatoes was similar and at c. 56 kg/ha, c. 10 kg/ha greater than following cereals. Seasonal differences in SNSs were related to excess winter rainfall and soil water-holding capacity. Modelled leaching losses gave good agreement with overwinter changes in SNS (r=0·87), although SNSs was usually greater than predicted by the model. This discrepancy was considered to be due to overwinter mineralization, which was estimated from the intercept of the regression lines to be c. 40 kg/ha following cereals and potatoes, and c. 50 kg/ha following sugarbeet.Apparent net mineralization (AM) of N during the test crop growing season was c. 37, 53 and 63 kg/ha following cereals, sugarbeet and potatoes respectively. However, AM was c. 24 kg/ha N greater if the preceding potato crop had been given organic manures, but there was no difference in AM following manured and unmanured sugarbeet crops.Nitrogen offtake by the cereal test crop without fertilizer N (NoffN0) was c. 15·20 kg/ha greater following potatoes and sugarbeet than following cereals. The greater N offtake following potatoes is considered to be due to mineralization of organic manures applied to the potato crop, while the effect following sugarbeet appears to be due to mineralization of sugarbeet residues. At harvest, SMN was c. 38 kg/ha and similar for all three previous crops. It is concluded that mineralization of sugarbeet residues has taken place more quickly on these sandy soils than previously reported on soils of greater clay content. Only potatoes grown with organic manures leave greater N residues than cereals.

Effects of nitrogen fertilizer on the grain yield and quality of winter oats

1998 ◽  
Vol 131 (4) ◽  
pp. 395-407 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. G. CHALMERS ◽  
C. J. DYER ◽  
R. SYLVESTER-BRADLEY
Keyword(s):  
N Fertilization ◽  
N Fertilizer ◽  
Limiting Factor ◽  
N Recovery ◽  
Soil N ◽  
Fertilizer N ◽  
Mean Values ◽  
N Supply ◽  
Site Variation ◽  
N Fertility

Amounts of spring nitrogen (N) fertilizer (0–240 kg/ha), combined with three timing treatments (single, divided early or divided late), were tested at 14 sites in England and Wales between 1984 and 1988 to determine the optimum fertilizer N requirement for winter oats. The trials were superimposed on commercial crops of the cultivars Pennal (9 sites) or Peniarth (5 sites). Optimum amounts of N ranged from nil to 202 kg/ha (mean 119) and optimum yields varied between 5·8 and 9·9 t/ha (mean 7·3). Much (c. 60%) of the inter-site variation in N optimum was explained by differences in soil N supply, as indicated by N offtake in the grain at nil applied N. Mean yield differences between single and early (+0·08 t/ha) or late (−0·04 t/ha) divided dressings were slight, although significant (P<0·05) but inconsistent yield effects were obtained from early N at two sites and late N at three sites.Lodging occurred at 11 of the 12 sites where lodging scores were recorded and always increased significantly (P<0·05) with applied N. The amount of crop lodging at N optimum was, on an area basis, <50% at nine of the sites. The overall extent of site lodging was also influenced by soil N fertility and hence inversely related to N optimum. However, multiple regression, using site lodging as well as soil N supply, only accounted for slightly more (65%) of the variation in N optimum, which suggests that lodging was not a major limiting factor. Lodging was unexpectedly less from early N (mean 43%), but more from late N (53%) divided dressings, compared with a single N dressing (49%). Early N reduced lodging significantly (P<0·05) at four sites, although the actual reduction was only large at one site where early N also increased yield significantly (+0·57 t/ha).Grain N concentrations increased significantly (P<0·05) with applied N, on average by 0·12% per 40 kg/ha N increment. Timing effects on grain N concentration were very small, with mean values of 1·94, 1·91 and 1·96%N respectively from single, early and late divided dressings. Apparent recovery in grain of fertilizer N at the optimum amount ranged from 13 to 57% (mean 37), with better N recovery at the more yield-responsive sites. Changes in mean grain weight due to the amount and timing of fertilizer N were small, with an average reduction of 0·6 mg/grain per 40 kg/ha N applied. The adverse effects of N fertilizer on grain quality were slight and unlikely to have commercial significance. The agronomic implications of these results on the N fertilization of winter oats are discussed.

Soil tests for predicting nitrogen supply for grassland under controlled environmental conditions

2014 ◽  
Vol 152 (S1) ◽  
pp. 82-95 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. T. MCDONALD ◽  
C. J. WATSON ◽  
R. J. LAUGHLIN ◽  
S. T. J. LALOR ◽  
J. GRANT ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
N Uptake ◽  
Soil Types ◽  
Soil N ◽  
Soil Tests ◽  
Mineral N ◽  
N Supply ◽  
Supply Potential ◽  
Growing Conditions ◽  
N Management ◽  
Over Time

SUMMARYMineralized soil nitrogen (N) is an important source of N for grassland production. Some soils can supply large quantities of plant-available N through mineralization of soil organic matter. Grass grown on such soils require less fertilizer N applications per unit yield. A reliable, accurate and user-friendly method to account for soil N supply potential across a large diversity of soils and growing conditions is needed to improve N management and N recommendations over time. In the current study, the effectiveness of chemical N tests and soil properties to predict soil N supply for grass uptake across 30 Irish soil types varying in N supply potential was investigated under controlled environmental conditions. The Illinois soil N test (ISNT) combined with soil C : N ratio provided a good estimate of soil N supply in soils with low residual mineral N. Total oxidized N (TON) had the largest impact on grass dry matter (DM) yield and N uptake across the 30 soil types, declining in its influence in later growth periods. This reflected the high initial mineral N levels in these soils, which declined over time. In the current study, a model with ISNT-N, C : N and TON (log TON) best explained variability in grass DM yield and N uptake. All three rapid chemical soil tests could be performed routinely on field samples to provide an estimate of soil N supply prior to making N fertilizer application decisions. It can be concluded that these soil tests, through their assessment of soil N supply potential, can be effective tools for N management on grassland; however, field studies are needed to evaluate this under more diverse growing conditions.

Effects of fertilizer nitrogen on soil nitrogen availability after a grazed grass ley and on the response of the following cereal crops to fertilizer nitrogen

1994 ◽  
Vol 122 (3) ◽  
pp. 445-457 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Webb ◽  
R. Sylvester-Bradley
Keyword(s):  
Nitrogen Availability ◽  
Nitrogen Nutrition ◽  
Soil N ◽  
Soil Mineral N ◽  
Fertilizer N ◽  
Soil Mineral ◽  
Mineral N ◽  
Fertilizer Nitrogen ◽  
N Supply ◽  
Grass Growth

SUMMARYNitrogen nutrition of two succeeding wheat crops was studied after ploughing of grassland in July 1987 on a clay soil at ADAS Drayton. The four plots of grassland had received 100, 250, 450 and 750 kg N/ha per year for 4 years from 1984 and were grazed by beef cattle at stocking densities which varied according to grass growth.Determinations of soil mineral N taken to 60 cm every 3 weeks from July to the following May were particularly variable. However, in the first 2 years after ploughing the means of the series of mineral N measurements were directly proportional to the amounts of fertilizer N applied to the grass.N offtake in winter wheat grain without fertilizer N was directly proportional to fertilizer N applied to grass but this had little effect on maximum grain yields. Large soil N supplies did not necessarily predispose the wheat crops to large grain N concentrations because fertilizer N caused grain N offtake to reach a similar maximum, irrespective of previous grass N.Optimum amounts of fertilizer N for the wheat were 188, 147, 87 and nil kg/ha in 1988 and 152,130, 89 and 25 kg/ha in 1989 after 100, 250, 450 and 750 kg N/ha per year applied to the grass. Soil N supply as indicated by both the amount of fertilizer applied to grass and means of mineral N measurements accounted for almost all of this variation. Mean soil mineral N over winter was no better as an indicator of soil N supply than the amount of N applied to the grass. However, before adopting N applied to grass as a more general index of N supply, it would need to be adjusted for variation in N removed and lost during grass growth; these were controlled in this experiment.

Estimation of soil nitrogen supply in potato fields using a plant bioassay approach

2005 ◽  
Vol 85 (3) ◽  
pp. 377-386 ◽  
Author(s):  
B J Zebarth ◽  
Y. Leclerc ◽  
G. Moreau ◽  
J B Sanderson ◽  
W J Arsenault ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Growing Season ◽  
Soil N ◽  
Soil Mineral N ◽  
Fertilizer N ◽  
Soil Mineral ◽  
Mineral N ◽  
N Accumulation ◽  
N Content ◽  
N Supply ◽  
Plant Bioassay

Soil N supply is an important contributor of N to crop production; however, there is a lack of practical methods for routine estimation of soil N supply under field conditions. This study evaluated sampling just prior to topkill of whole potato plants that received no fertilizer N as a field bioassay of soil N supply. Three experiments were performed. In exp. 1, field trials were conducted to test if P and K fertilization, with no N fertilization, influenced plant biomass and N accumulation at topkill. In exp. 2, plant N accumulation at topkill in unfertilized plots was compared with mineral N accumulation in vegetation-free plots. In exp. 3, estimates of soil N supply were obtained from 56 sites from 1999 to 2003 using a survey approach where plant N accumulation at topkill, and soil mineral N content to 30-cm depth at planting and at tuber harvest were measured. Application of P and K fertilizer had no significant effect on plant N accumulation in two trials, and resulted in a small increase in plant N accumulation in a third trial. Zero fertilizer plots, which can be more readily established in commercial potato fields, can therefore be used instead of zero fertilizer N plots to estimate soil N supply. In exp. 2, estimates of soil N supply were generally comparable between plant N accumulation at topkill and maximum soil NO3-N accumulation in vegetation-free plots; therefore, the plant bioassay approach is a valid means of estimation of plant available soil N supply. Plant N accumulation at topkill in exp. 3 averaged 86 kg N ha-1, and ranged from 26 to 162 kg N ha-1. Plant N accumulation was higher for sites with a preceding forage crop compared with a preceding cereal or potato crop. Plant N accumulation was generally higher in years with warmer growing season temperatures. Soil NO3-N content at harvest in exp. 3 was less than 20 kg N ha-1, indicating that residual soil mineral N content was low at the time of plant N accumulation measurement. Soil NO3-N content at planting was generally small relative to plant N accumulation, indicating that soil N supply in this region is controlled primarily by growing season soil N mineralization. Use of a plant bioassay approach provides a practical means to quantify climate, soil and management effects on plant available soil N supply in potato production. Key words: Solanum tuberosum, nitrate, ammonium, N mineralization, plant N accumulation

Nitrogen supply and demand in Australian agriculture

2001 ◽  
Vol 41 (3) ◽  
pp. 277 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. F. Angus
Keyword(s):  
Stem Elongation ◽  
Supply And Demand ◽  
Farming Systems ◽  
Continuous Cropping ◽  
Soil N ◽  
Mineral N ◽  
Winter Cereals ◽  
N Supply ◽  
Water Limitations ◽  
N Demand

The supply of and demand for nitrogen by whole industries and individual crops is discussed in relation to changes in farming systems, particularly the relative importance of fertiliser and biologically fixed nitrogen. The use of fertiliser nitrogen (N) in Australia has grown at an annual rate of 14% since the early 1990s, after growing at half that rate since the 1950s. The accelerated growth occurred during a period when world demand has been almost constant. Most of the additional demand has been for the dryland cereal and canola industries of southern Australia, where crops previously obtained almost all their N from mineralisation of soil organic matter and the residues of legume pastures. The most likely reasons for the belated increase in use of fertiliser N in Australia are to replace the supply from pasture residues as the area of pasture decreased and to satisfy the increased demand of cereals following break crops and of the break crops themselves, particularly canola. For a dryland cereal, there is a problem of matching soil N supply with an unpredictable N demand. For winter cereals in Australia, crop N demand is poorly synchronised with soil N supply. The time of greatest demand is normally during the stem-elongation phase when the crop is growing fastest. For crops targeted for high-protein grain, there is an even greater demand around the flowering phase. The peak N demand for well-managed crops growing with no water limitations exceeds the capacity of the soil to supply N from mineralisation at the time, so additional N is required to meet the shortfall, either from fertiliser or mineral N retained in the soil from earlier mineralisation. Predicting the optimum supply of fertiliser N at sowing is difficult in cases where N demand is influenced by variable rainfall. Topdressing and banding fertiliser offer prospects for more closely matching N supply and demand for dryland crops. The future role of legumes in supplying residual N is discussed in relation to the trend towards continuous cropping.

scholarly journals Corn agronomic traits and recovery of nitrogen from fertilizer during crop season and off-season

2018 ◽  
Vol 53 (10) ◽  
pp. 1158-1166
Author(s):  
Luis Felipe Garcia Fuentes ◽  
Luiz Carlos Ferreira de Souza ◽  
Ademar Pereira Serra ◽  
Jerusa Rech ◽  
Antonio Carlos Tadeu Vitorino
Keyword(s):  
Grain Yield ◽  
Nutrient Dynamics ◽  
Agronomic Traits ◽  
Block Design ◽  
Winter Season ◽  
N Fertilization ◽  
N Recovery ◽  
Soil N ◽  
N Supply ◽  
N Rates

Abstract: The objective of this work was to evaluate corn agronomic traits in a cultivation subjected to different N rates, during the fall-winter (off-season) and spring-summer crop seasons, and N recovery from fertilizer. The experiment was set up in a randomized complete block design with four replicates, in a 5x2 factorial arrangement, with the following treatments: five N topdressing rates - 0, 30, 60, 90, and 120 kg ha-1 -, using urea as source; and two crop seasons, fall-winter and spring-summer. The following variables were determined: plant height, height of the first ear insertion, number of grains per ear, diameter and length of ear, 1,000-grain weight, N concentration in the leaves and grains, grain-protein concentration, grain yield, N recovery from fertilizer, and soil-N supply. Nitrogen rates in the fertilizer in the fall-winter season had no effect on grain yield, although corn agronomic traits showed a greater reliance on fertilizer-N rates in that season than in the spring-summer, which is a season associated to a greater capacity of soil-N supply to plants. The quantification of soil-N supply enabled knowing the nutrient dynamics during the fall-winter and the spring-summer seasons, which may be useful to guide N fertilization of corn.

scholarly journals Nitrogen balance in soil under eucalyptus plantations

2012 ◽  
Vol 36 (4) ◽  
pp. 1239-1248 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patrícia Anjos Bittencourt Barreto ◽  
Antonio Carlos da Gama-Rodrigues ◽  
Emanuela Forestieri da Gama-Rodrigues ◽  
Nairam Félix de Barros
Keyword(s):  
N Balance ◽  
Organic N ◽  
Soil N ◽  
Mineral N ◽  
Wood Harvesting ◽  
N Supply ◽  
Eucalyptus Plantations ◽  
Different Ages ◽  
The Difference ◽  
N Pool

An understanding of the role of organic nitrogen (N) pools in the N supply of eucalyptus plantations is essential for the development of strategies that maximize the efficient use of N for this crop. This study aimed to evaluate the distribution of organic N pools in different compartments of the soil-plant system and their contributions to the N supply in eucalyptus plantations at different ages (1, 3, 5, and 13 years). Three models were used to estimate the contributions of organic pools: Model I considered N pools contained in the litterfall, N pools in the soil microbial biomass and available soil N (mineral N); Model II considered the N pools in the soil, potentially mineralizable N and the export of N through wood harvesting; and Model III (N balance) was defined as the difference between the initial soil N pool (0-10 cm) and the export of N, taking the application of N fertilizer into account. Model I showed that N pools could supply 27 - 70 % of the N demands of eucalyptus trees at different ages. Model II suggested that the soil N pool may be sufficient for 4 - 5 rotations of 5 years. According to the N balance, these N pools would be sufficient to meet the N demands of eucalyptus for more than 15 rotations of 5 years. The organic pools contribute with different levels of N and together are sufficient to meet the N demands of eucalyptus for several rotations.

scholarly journals Effects of two wood-based biochars on the fate of added fertilizer nitrogen—a 15N tracing study

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Subin Kalu ◽  
Gboyega Nathaniel Oyekoya ◽  
Per Ambus ◽  
Priit Tammeorg ◽  
Asko Simojoki ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Plant Uptake ◽  
Plant Biomass ◽  
Application Rate ◽  
Control Treatment ◽  
Organic N ◽  
N Leaching ◽  
Soil N ◽  
Mineral N ◽  
Total N ◽  
Application Rates

AbstractA 15N tracing pot experiment was conducted using two types of wood-based biochars: a regular biochar and a Kon-Tiki-produced nutrient-enriched biochar, at two application rates (1% and 5% (w/w)), in addition to a fertilizer only and a control treatment. Ryegrass was sown in pots, all of which except controls received 15N-labelled fertilizer as either 15NH4NO3 or NH415NO3. We quantified the effect of biochar application on soil N2O emissions, as well as the fate of fertilizer-derived ammonium (NH4+) and nitrate (NO3−) in terms of their leaching from the soil, uptake into plant biomass, and recovery in the soil. We found that application of biochars reduced soil mineral N leaching and N2O emissions. Similarly, the higher biochar application rate of 5% significantly increased aboveground ryegrass biomass yield. However, no differences in N2O emissions and ryegrass biomass yields were observed between regular and nutrient-enriched biochar treatments, although mineral N leaching tended to be lower in the nutrient-enriched biochar treatment than in the regular biochar treatment. The 15N analysis revealed that biochar application increased the plant uptake of added nitrate, but reduced the plant uptake of added ammonium compared to the fertilizer only treatment. Thus, the uptake of total N derived from added NH4NO3 fertilizer was not affected by the biochar addition, and cannot explain the increase in plant biomass in biochar treatments. Instead, the increased plant biomass at the higher biochar application rate was attributed to the enhanced uptake of N derived from soil. This suggests that the interactions between biochar and native soil organic N may be important determinants of the availability of soil N to plant growth.

Legume–barley intercropping stimulates soil N supply and crop yield in the succeeding durum wheat in a rotation under rainfed conditions

2015 ◽  
Vol 89 ◽  
pp. 150-161 ◽  
Author(s):  
Antonella Scalise ◽  
Demetrio Tortorella ◽  
Aurelio Pristeri ◽  
Beatrix Petrovičová ◽  
Antonio Gelsomino ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Durum Wheat ◽  
Crop Yield ◽  
Soil N ◽  
N Supply ◽  
Rainfed Conditions
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