Nitrogen application timing and soil inorganic nitrogen dynamics under no-till oat/maize sequential cropping

The timing of N application to maize is a key factor to be considered in no-till oat/maize sequential cropping. This study aimed to evaluate the influence of pre-planting, planting and sidedress N application on oat residue decomposition, on soil N immobilisation and remineralisation and on N uptake by maize plants in no-till oat/maize sequential cropping. Undisturbed soil cores of 10 and 20 cm diameter were collected from the 0-15 cm layer of a no-till Red Latossol, when the oat cover crop was in the milk-grain stage. Two greenhouse experiments were conducted simultaneously. Experiment A, established in the 10 cm diameter cores and without plant cultivation, was used to asses N dynamics in soil and oat residues. Experiment B, established in the 20 cm diameter cores and with maize cultivation, was used to assess plant growth and N uptake. An amount of 6.0 Mg ha-1 dry matter of oat residues was spread on the surface of the cores. A rate of 90 kg N ha-1 applied as ammonium sulphate in both experiments was split in pre-planting, planting and sidedress applications as follows: (a) 00-00-00 (control), (b) 90-00-00 (pre-planting application, 20 days before planting), (c) 00-90-00 (planting application), (d) 00-30-60 (split in a planting and a sidedress application 31 days after emergence), (e) 00-00-00* (control, without oat residue) and (f) 90-00-00* (pre-planting application, without oat residue). The N concentration and N content in oat residues were not affected during decomposition by N fertilisation. Most of the fertiliser NH4+-N was converted into NO3--N within 20 days after application. A significant decrease in NO3--N contents in the 0-4 cm layer was observed in all treatments between 40 and 60 days after the oat residue placement on the soil surface, suggesting the occurrence of N immobilisation in this period. Considering that most of the inorganic N was converted into NO3- and that no immobilisation of the pre planting fertiliser N occurred at the time of its application, it was possible to conclude that pre-planting applied N was prone to losses by leaching. On the other hand, with split N applications, maize plants showed N deficiency symptoms before sidedress application. Two indications for fertiliser-N management in no-till oat/maize sequential cropping could be suggested: (a) in case of split application, the sidedress should be earlier than 30 days after emergence, and (b) if integral application is preferred to save field operations, this should be done at planting.

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Effect of stubble management technique on soil and fertiliser nitrogen recovery by wheat sown after rice

Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture ◽

10.1071/ea9880485 ◽

1988 ◽

Vol 28 (4) ◽

pp. 485 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

PE Bacon ◽

EH Hoult ◽

JW McGarity ◽

D Alter

Keyword(s):

N Uptake ◽

Management Strategies ◽

Soil Surface ◽

Rice Paddy ◽

Management Technique ◽

N Application ◽

No Till ◽

Study Management ◽

Residual 15N ◽

Stubble Burning

Effects of rice stubble and nitrogen (N) fertiliser management strategies on soil and 15N labelled fertiliser recovery by wheat were studied in 2 microplot experiments in the field. In 1 experiment, rice stubble which received 113 kg N ha-1 as 15N labelled (NH4)2SO4 was treated in 1 of 4 ways: (i) burnt, no till; (ii) incorporated 6 weeks before wheat sowing; (iii) incorporated at wheat sowing; or (iv) retained on the soil surface, no till. Burning, instead of incorporating rice stubble at wheat sowing, increased N uptake by wheat by 47% and the uptake of residual 15N applied to the previous rice crop from 1.2 to 2.1 kg N ha-1. Retaining rice stubble on the soil surface increased recovery of residual 15N to 2.5 kg ha-l. In a second experiment, 60 plots within a rice paddy were fertilised with 100 kg N ha-l while another 60 were not fertilised. Fertilised plots produced 21 t ha-l of stubble while unfertilised plots produced 11.5 t ha-1. The 2 stubble levels were factorially combined with 5 stubble management treatments - the 4 treatments mentioned above plus a burn with tillage treatment. 15NH415NO3 was applied at sowing, tillering, or as a 50: 50 split between sowing and tillering. Tillage, with or without stubble burning, reduced yield (by 0.7 t ha-l), and uptake of N from soil (by 12 kg N ha-1) and from fertiliser (by 10 kg N ha-1) compared with the no till treatments. Increasing quantities of rice stubble on plots where stubble was incorporated at wheat sowing significantly reduced wheat performance and increased the proportion of N derived from fertiliser. Delaying N application also increased the proportion of wheat N derived from fertiliser. In the intensive rotations reported in the study, management strategies with no till, and with or without stubble burning, increased wheat uptake of both soil and fertiliser N, and this maximised yield.

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EFFECT OF COVER CROP AND N RATE ON SOIL N AND YIELD OF NO-TILL SWEETCORN AND STRIP-TILL TOMATO

HortScience ◽

10.21273/hortsci.27.6.663d ◽

1992 ◽

Vol 27 (6) ◽

pp. 663d-663

Author(s):

Greg D. Hoyt

Keyword(s):

Cover Crop ◽

Inorganic Nitrogen ◽

Soil Surface ◽

Bare Soil ◽

Soil N ◽

Total N ◽

Residue Decomposition ◽

No Till ◽

N Rates ◽

Total Soil N

A no-till sweetcorn strip-till tomato rotation was established to determine whether a grass or legume winter cover crop would provide greater summer mulch and more soil inorganic nitrogen from residue decomposition. Sweetcorn yields improved as N rate increased in rye residue and bare soil, but only increased at the 50 kg N/ha rate in vetch residue. Strip-till tomato yields improved with all N rates for all covers. Total soil N and C were greater in both the vetch and rye residue treatments than the bare soil. Fertilizer N addition did not affect changes in total N or C percentages. Greater soil nitrate was measured beneath vetch residue at spring planting than in the rye residue or bare soil surface.

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Particulate soil organic carbon and stratification ratio increases in response to crop residue decomposition under no-till

Revista Brasileira de Ciência do Solo ◽

10.1590/s0100-06832012000500012 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 36 (5) ◽

pp. 1483-1490 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Clever Briedis ◽

João Carlos de Moraes Sá ◽

Roberto Simão De-Carli ◽

Erielton Aparecido Pupo Antunes ◽

Lucas Simon ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Organic Carbon ◽

Soil Organic Carbon ◽

Crop Residue ◽

Soil Surface ◽

Residue Decomposition ◽

No Till ◽

Dry Biomass ◽

Particulate Soil ◽

Crop Residue Decomposition ◽

Biomass Decomposition

In soils under no-tillage (NT), the continuous crop residue input to the surface layer leads to carbon (C) accumulation. This study evaluated a soil under NT in Ponta Grossa (State of Paraná, Brazil) for: 1) the decomposition of black oat (Avena strigosa Schreb.) residues, 2) relation of the biomass decomposition effect with the soil organic carbon (SOC) content, the particulate organic carbon (POC) content, and the soil carbon stratification ratio (SR) of an Inceptisol. The assessments were based on seven samplings (t0 to t6) in a period of 160 days of three transects with six sampling points each. The oat dry biomass was 5.02 Mg ha-1 at t0, however, after 160 days, only 17.8 % of the initial dry biomass was left on the soil surface. The SOC in the 0-5 cm layer varied from 27.56 (t0) to 30.07 g dm-3 (t6). The SR increased from 1.33 to 1.43 in 160 days. There was also an increase in the POC pool in this period, from 8.1 to 10.7 Mg ha-1. The increase in SOC in the 0-5 cm layer in the 160 days was mainly due to the increase of POC derived from oat residue decomposition. The linear relationship between SOC and POC showed that 21 % of SOC was due to the more labile fraction. The results indicated that the continuous input of residues could be intensified to increase the C pool and sequestration in soils under NT.

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Decomposition of grain-corn residues (Zea mays L.): A litterbag study under three tillage systems

Canadian Journal of Soil Science ◽

10.4141/s01-013 ◽

2002 ◽

Vol 82 (2) ◽

pp. 127-138 ◽

Cited By ~ 43

Author(s):

M. S. Burgess ◽

G. R. Mehuys ◽

C. A. Madramootoo

Keyword(s):

Mass Loss ◽

Soil Surface ◽

Conventional Tillage ◽

Maize Crop ◽

Plant Parts ◽

Residue Decomposition ◽

No Till ◽

Crop Residue Decomposition ◽

Residue Mass ◽

Corn Residues

This study was undertaken to obtain litterbag decomposition data for grain-corn residues in eastern Canadian conditions, to determine tillage and/or depth effects on residue mass loss, and to compare decomposition patterns for the different plant parts that constitute the residue (cobs, stems, leaves, husks). Mesh bags containing residues were buried or left on the soil surface in grain-corn plots under no-till, reduced tillage, and conventional tillage, and retrieved over a 2-yr period. Data were obtained separately for each plant part, then used to calculate pooled totals for all residues combined, for all residues except cobs, or for stems and leaves only, to facilitate comparison with studies based on different residue mixes. Buried residues lost mass faster than surface residues. Despite low overwinter temperatures, residue mass decreased substantially between placement in November and first sampling in mid- May. Surface litterbag residues lost 20% of initial mass during this period, residues buried at 5 cm lost 33%, and those at 20 cm lost 41%. Corresponding losses from mid-May to mid-October were 21, 42 and 32%, respectively. Mass loss was fastest for buried leaves, husks and stems (89-98% loss in 2 yr) and slowest for surface cobs (32% loss in 2 yr). Key words: Corn, maize, crop residue decomposition, litterbag, no-till, tillage

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Genotypic Difference in the Responses to Nitrogen Fertilizer Form in Tibetan Wild and Cultivated Barley

Plants ◽

10.3390/plants10030595 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (3) ◽

pp. 595

Author(s):

Shama Naz ◽

Qiufang Shen ◽

Jonas Lwalaba Wa Lwalaba ◽

Guoping Zhang

Keyword(s):

Wild Barley ◽

Growth Parameters ◽

Inorganic Nitrogen ◽

N Uptake ◽

Total Soluble Protein ◽

Organic N ◽

Genotypic Difference ◽

N Availability ◽

Tibetan Wild Barley ◽

Cultivated Barley

Nitrogen (N) availability and form have a dramatic effect on N uptake and assimilation in plants, affecting growth and development. In the previous studies, we found great differences in low-N tolerance between Tibetan wild barley accessions and cultivated barley varieties. We hypothesized that there are different responses to N forms between the two kinds of barleys. Accordingly, this study was carried out to determine the response of four barley genotypes (two wild, XZ16 and XZ179; and two cultivated, ZD9 andHua30) under 4Nforms (NO3−, NH4+, urea and glycine). The results showed significant reduction in growth parameters such as root/shoot length and biomass, as well as photosynthesis parameters and total soluble protein content under glycine treatment relative to other N treatments, for both wild and cultivated barley, however, XZ179 was least affected. Similarly, ammonium adversely affected growth parameters in both wild and cultivated barleys, with XZ179 being severely affected. On the other hand, both wild and cultivated genotypes showed higher biomass, net photosynthetic rate, chlorophyll and protein in NO3− treatment relative to other three N treatments. It may be concluded that barley undisputedly grows well under inorganic nitrogen (NO3−), however in response to the organic N wild barley prefer glycine more than cultivated barely.

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Nitrogen Leaching and Nitrogen Balance under Differing Nitrogen Fertilization for Sugarcane Cultivation on a Subtropical Island

Water ◽

10.3390/w13050740 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (5) ◽

pp. 740

Author(s):

Ken Okamoto ◽

Shinkichi Goto ◽

Toshihiko Anzai ◽

Shotaro Ando

Keyword(s):

N Uptake ◽

Fertilizer Application ◽

Application Rate ◽

N Fertilizer ◽

N Leaching ◽

N Recovery ◽

N Application ◽

Fertilizer Application Rate ◽

Sugarcane Yield ◽

Cropping Seasons

Fertilizer application during sugarcane cultivation is a main source of nitrogen (N) loads to groundwater on small islands in southwestern Japan. The aim of this study was to quantify the effect of reducing the N fertilizer application rate on sugarcane yield, N leaching, and N balance. We conducted a sugarcane cultivation experiment with drainage lysimeters and different N application rates in three cropping seasons (three years). N loads were reduced by reducing the first N application rate in all cropping seasons. The sugarcane yields of the treatment to which the first N application was halved (T2 = 195 kg ha−1 N) were slightly lower than those of the conventional application (T1 = 230 kg ha−1 N) in the first and third seasons (T1 = 91 or 93 tons ha−1, T2 = 89 or 87 tons ha−1). N uptake in T1 and T2 was almost the same in seasons 1 (186–188 kg ha−1) and 3 (147–151 kg ha−1). Based on the responses of sugarcane yield and N uptake to fertilizer reduction in two of the three years, T2 is considered to represent a feasible fertilization practice for farmers. The reduction of the first N fertilizer application reduced the underground amounts of N loads (0–19 kg ha−1). However, application of 0 N in the first fertilization would lead to a substantial reduction in yield in all seasons. Reducing the amount of N in the first application (i.e., replacing T1 with T2) improved N recovery by 9.7–11.9% and reduced N leaching by 13 kg ha−1. These results suggest that halving the amount of N used in the first application can improve N fertilizer use efficiency and reduce N loss to groundwater.

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Soil Nitrogen Dynamics in a Managed Temperate Grassland Under Changed Climatic Conditions

Water ◽

10.3390/w13070931 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (7) ◽

pp. 931

Author(s):

Mona Giraud ◽

Jannis Groh ◽

Horst H. Gerke ◽

Nicolas Brüggemann ◽

Harry Vereecken ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Nitrogen Uptake ◽

Inorganic Nitrogen ◽

Nitrogen Concentration ◽

Nitrogen Dynamics ◽

Climatic Conditions ◽

Undisturbed Soil ◽

Nitrogen Emissions ◽

Growing Period ◽

Grassland Type ◽

Wide Range

Grasslands are one of the most common biomes in the world with a wide range of ecosystem services. Nevertheless, quantitative data on the change in nitrogen dynamics in extensively managed temperate grasslands caused by a shift from energy- to water-limited climatic conditions have not yet been reported. In this study, we experimentally studied this shift by translocating undisturbed soil monoliths from an energy-limited site (Rollesbroich) to a water-limited site (Selhausen). The soil monoliths were contained in weighable lysimeters and monitored for their water and nitrogen balance in the period between 2012 and 2018. At the water-limited site (Selhausen), annual plant nitrogen uptake decreased due to water stress compared to the energy-limited site (Rollesbroich), while nitrogen uptake was higher at the beginning of the growing period. Possibly because of this lower plant uptake, the lysimeters at the water-limited site showed an increased inorganic nitrogen concentration in the soil solution, indicating a higher net mineralization rate. The N2O gas emissions and nitrogen leaching remained low at both sites. Our findings suggest that in the short term, fertilizer should consequently be applied early in the growing period to increase nitrogen uptake and decrease nitrogen losses. Moreover, a shift from energy-limited to water-limited conditions will have a limited effect on gaseous nitrogen emissions and nitrate concentrations in the groundwater in the grassland type of this study because higher nitrogen concentrations are (over-) compensated by lower leaching rates.

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Agro-Environmental Sustainability of Anaerobic Digestate Fractions in Intensive Cropping Systems: Insights Regarding the Nitrogen Use Efficiency and Crop Performance

Agronomy ◽

10.3390/agronomy11040745 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (4) ◽

pp. 745

Author(s):

Federico Grillo ◽

Ilaria Piccoli ◽

Ivan Furlanetto ◽

Francesca Ragazzi ◽

Silvia Obber ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Best Management Practices ◽

Environmental Sustainability ◽

Inorganic Nitrogen ◽

Organic Fertilizer ◽

N Uptake ◽

Mineral Fertilizers ◽

Veneto Region ◽

Liquid Digestate ◽

Crop Performance ◽

Use Efficiency

Digestate is an anaerobic digestion by-product rich in inorganic-nitrogen (N) that can be used as an organic fertilizer. Digestate agronomic efficiency and its impact on the environment have not yet been studied in detail, therefore this study tries to fill this gap. The agro-environmental sustainability of digestate fractions was evaluated in a holistic way by comparing the best management practices available in the Veneto Region agroecosystem. A farm experiment involving mineral fertilizer and both liquid and solid digestate fractions was established involving silage winter wheat and silage maize as main crops. Agro-environmental sustainability was investigated coupling crop performance analysis (e.g., yield, N uptake and N use efficiency (NUE)) with a novel proposed agro-environmental sustainability index (AESI) (i.e., product of the dry yield and NUE). The results showed that the liquid digestate fraction gave agronomic performances comparable to mineral fertilizers and a satisfying AESI while solid digestate showed lower performances. In conclusion, liquid digestate fractions might be an effective substitute for mineral fertilizers in the Veneto region agroecosystem reaching encouraging levels of agro-environmental sustainability. On the contrary, longer-term experiments are requested to evaluate solid digestate fraction sustainability.

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Survival of Fusarium moniliforme, F. proliferatum, and F. subglutinans in Maize Stalk Residue

Phytopathology ◽

10.1094/phyto.1998.88.6.550 ◽

1998 ◽

Vol 88 (6) ◽

pp. 550-555 ◽

Cited By ~ 71

Author(s):

T. K. Cotten ◽

G. P. Munkvold

Keyword(s):

Fusarium Moniliforme ◽

Fusarium Species ◽

Soil Surface ◽

Selective Medium ◽

Burial Depth ◽

Linear Pattern ◽

Maize Field ◽

Continuous Maize ◽

Maize Plants

The roles of residue size and burial depth were assessed in the survival of Fusarium moniliforme, F. proliferatum, and F. subglutinans in maize stalk residue. Stalk pieces (small or large sizes) were soaked in a spore suspension of F. moniliforme, F. proliferatum, or F. subglutinans and placed in a field on the soil surface or buried at 15- or 30-cm depths. Residue pieces were recovered periodically, cultured on a selective medium, and microscopically examined for the presence of the inoculated Fusarium species. After 630 days, the inoculated Fusarium species were recovered from 0 to 50% of the inoculated stalk pieces in a long-term, continuous maize field, from 0 to 28% of the inoculated stalk pieces placed in a maize/soybean/oat rotation field, and from 0 to 25% of the noninoculated stalk pieces at both locations. Residue size and residue depth had significant effects on survival, but there were significant interactions among strain, depth, residue size, and time. Up to 343 days after placement in the field, survival of the three Fusarium species was not consistently different between buried residues and surface residues, but after 630 days, survival was greater from surface residues. Overall, fungus survival decreased more slowly in the surface residues than in the buried residues. Linear coefficients of determination ranged from 0.35 to 0.82 for the surface residues and from 0.81 to 0.98 for the buried residues. Decline in survival over time followed a more linear pattern in buried residues than in surface residues. Vegetative compatibility tests confirmed that F. moniliforme, F. proliferatum, and F. subglutinans strains can survive at least 630 days in surface or buried maize residue. These results demonstrate that maize residue can act as a long-term source of inoculum for infection of maize plants by these three Fusarium species.

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Survival and Inoculum Production of Gibberella zeae in Wheat Residue

Plant Disease ◽

10.1094/pdis.2004.88.7.724 ◽

2004 ◽

Vol 88 (7) ◽

pp. 724-730 ◽

Cited By ~ 91

Author(s):

S. A. Pereyra ◽

R. Dill-Macky ◽

A. L. Sims

Keyword(s):

Management Strategies ◽

Soil Surface ◽

Triticum Aestivum L ◽

Gibberella Zeae ◽

Effective Management ◽

Head Blight ◽

Fusarium Spp ◽

Residue Decomposition ◽

Inoculum Production ◽

Mesh Bags

Survival and inoculum production of Gibberella zeae (Schwein.) Petch (anamorph Fusarium graminearum (Schwabe)), the causal agent of Fusarium head blight of wheat and barley, was related to the rate of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) residue decomposition. Infested wheat residue, comprising intact nodes, internodes, and leaf sheaths, was placed in fiberglass mesh bags on the soil surface and at 7.5- to 10-cm and 15- to 20-cm depths in chisel-plowed plots and 15 to 20 cm deep in moldboard-plowed plots in October 1997. Residue was sampled monthly from April through November during 1998 and every 2 months through April to October 1999. Buried residue decomposed faster than residue placed on the soil surface. Less than 2% of the dry-matter residue remained in buried treatments after 24 months in the field, while 25% of the residue remained in the soil-surface treatment. Survival of G. zeae on node tissues was inversely related to the residue decomposition rate. Surface residue provided a substrate for G. zeae for a longer period of time than buried residue. Twenty-four months after the initiation of the trial, the level of colonization of nodes in buried residue was half the level of colonization of residue on the soil surface. Colonization of node tissues by G. zeae decreased over time, but increased for other Fusarium spp. Ascospores of G. zeae were still produced on residue pieces after 23 months, and these spores were capable of inducing disease. Data from this research may assist in developing effective management strategies for residues infested with G. zeae.

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