scholarly journals Quantification of nitrogen balance components in a commercial broiler barn 

2013 ◽  
Vol 58 (No. 12) ◽  
pp. 566-577 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. von Bobrutzki ◽  
S. Ammon ◽  
W. Berg ◽  
M. Fiedler
Keyword(s):  
Mass Balance ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
N Accumulation ◽  
Total N ◽  
N Input ◽  
Commercial Broiler ◽  
Use Efficiency ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Inputs And Outputs

Characterizing the respective nitrogen (N) use efficiency requires understanding the N flow of inputs and outputs from a commercial broiler barn. In this study, an N mass balance was performed for one entire growing cycle. The objectives were to quantify, sample, and analyze all N components entering and leaving the barn. The N from feed, chickens, and bedding material was considered as inputs, the outputs included the N accretion in mature broilers, the total N emissions (N<sub>TNE</sub>), the N accumulation in litter, and the N of mortality. Of particular relevance was the determination of an appropriate method to mirror the heterogenic texture of the litter. Litter samples were collected weekly according to a defined procedure. The major N input was feed N, accounting for 99% of the total N input. After the 36-day growing cycle, the N outputs were portioned as follows: 59% (1741.3 kg N) in mature broilers, 37% (1121.3 kg N) accumulated in litter, and 4% in NTNE (114.3 kg N). The N accumulations in broiler tissue and litter agree well with other studies. The measured emissions were consistently lower compared to other references, due to the fact that these references were mainly based on studies where broilers were raised on built-up litter. In contrast to in situ quantified N emissions in this study, other published values were assumed to be the difference of N between inputs and outputs. This study illustrates that extensive sampling of litter is a prerequisite for calculating litter masses. The accurate specification of the litter texture proved to be crucial within the mass balance approach. With this information, the feasible improvements within management practices can be identified.

scholarly journals Effects of seabird nitrogen input on biomass and carbon accumulation after 50 years of primary succession on a young volcanic island, Surtsey

2014 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. 6269-6302 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. I. W. Leblans ◽  
B. D. Sigurdsson ◽  
P. Roefs ◽  
R. Thuys ◽  
B. Magnússon ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Primary Succession ◽  
Soil Depth ◽  
Carbon Accumulation ◽  
Volcanic Island ◽  
N Accumulation ◽  
Total N ◽  
N Retention ◽  
C Storage ◽  
C Stocks ◽  
N Input

Abstract. What happens during primary succession after the first colonizers have occupied a pristine surface largely depends on how they ameliorate living conditions for other species. For vascular plants the onset of soil development and associated increase in nutrient (mainly nitrogen, N) and water availability is especially important. Here, we report the relation between N accumulation and biomass- and ecosystem carbon (C) stocks in a 50 year old volcanic island, Surtsey, in Iceland, where N stocks are still exceptionally low. However, 27 year old seagull colony on the island provided nutrient-enriched areas, which enabled us to assess the relationship between N stock and biomass- and ecosystem C stocks across a much larger range in N stock. Further, we compared areas on shallow and deep tephra sands as we expected that deep-rooted systems would be more efficient in retaining N. The sparsely vegetated area outside the colony was more efficient in N retention than we expected and had accumulated 0.7 kg N ha−1 yr−1, which was ca. 60% of the estimated N input rate from wet deposition. The seagulls have added, on average, 47 kg N ha−1 yr−1, which induced a shift from belowground to aboveground in ecosystem N and C stocks and doubled the ecosystem "N use efficiency", determined as the ratio of biomass and C storage per unit N input. Soil depth did not significantly affect total N stocks, which suggests a high N retention potential. Both total ecosystem biomass and C stocks were strongly correlated with N stock inside the colony, which indicated the important role of N during the first steps of primary succession. Inside the colony, the ecosystem biomass C stocks (17–27 kg C ha−1) had reached normal values for grasslands, while the soil organic carbon stocks (SOC; 4–10 kg C ha−1) were only a fraction of normal grassland values. Thus, it will take a long time until the SOC stock reaches equilibrium with the current primary production; during which conditions for new colonists may change.

scholarly journals Effects of seabird nitrogen input on biomass and carbon accumulation after 50 years of primary succession on a young volcanic island, Surtsey

2014 ◽  
Vol 11 (22) ◽  
pp. 6237-6250 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. I. W. Leblans ◽  
B. D. Sigurdsson ◽  
P. Roefs ◽  
R. Thuys ◽  
B. Magnússon ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Primary Succession ◽  
Soil Depth ◽  
Carbon Accumulation ◽  
Volcanic Island ◽  
N Accumulation ◽  
Total N ◽  
C Storage ◽  
C Stocks ◽  
N Input ◽  
The Relationship

Abstract. What happens during primary succession after the first colonizers have occupied a pristine surface largely depends on how they ameliorate living conditions for other species. For vascular plants the onset of soil development and associated increase in nutrient (mainly nitrogen; N) and water availability is especially important. Here, we report the relationship between N accumulation and biomass and ecosystem carbon (C) stocks in a 50-year-old volcanic island, Surtsey, Iceland, where N stocks are still exceptionally low. However, a 28-year-old seagull colony on the island provided nutrient-enriched areas, which enabled us to assess the relationship between N stock and biomass and ecosystem C stocks across a much larger range in N stock. Further, we compared areas on shallow and deep tephra sands as we expected that deep-rooted systems would be more efficient in retaining N. The sparsely vegetated area outside the colony had accumulated 0.7 kg N ha−1 yr−1, which was ca. 50–60% of the estimated N input rate from wet deposition. This approximates values for systems under low N input and bare dune habitats. The seagulls have added, on average, 47 kg N ha−1 yr−1, which induced a shift from belowground to aboveground in ecosystem N and C stocks and doubled the ecosystem N-use efficiency, determined as the ratio of biomass and C storage per unit N input. Soil depth did not significantly affect total N stocks, which suggests a high N retention potential. Both total ecosystem biomass and C stocks were strongly correlated with N stock inside the colony, which indicated the important role of N during the first steps of primary succession. Inside the colony, the ecosystem biomass C stocks (17–27 ton C ha−1) had reached normal values for grasslands, while the soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks (4–10 ton C ha−1 were only a fraction of normal grassland values. Thus, it will take a long time until the SOC stock reaches equilibrium with the current primary production, during which conditions for new colonists may change.

scholarly journals Nitrification Inhibitor 3,4-dimethylpyrazole Phosphate Improves Nitrogen Recovery and Accumulation in Cotton Plants by Reducing NO3- Leaching Under 15N-urea Fertilization

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ezio Nalin de Paulo ◽  
Fernando Shintate Galindo ◽  
Flávio Henrique Silveira Rabêlo ◽  
Joaquim José Frazão ◽  
Jose Lavres
Keyword(s):  
Nitrification Inhibitor ◽  
Tropical Soil ◽  
Soil Conditions ◽  
N Recovery ◽  
N Accumulation ◽  
Total N ◽  
Leaching Losses ◽  
Cotton Plants ◽  
Use Efficiency ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Purpose: The use of nitrification inhibitors could be an interesting alternative to enhance nitrogen (N) fertilizer use efficiency in annual crops such as cotton, under tropical soil conditions. Thus, our aim was to evaluate the efficiency of nitrification inhibitor 3,4-dimethylpyrazole phosphate (DMPP) in a typical tropical soil, evaluating the fate of nitrogen (N-NO3-, N-NH4+ and total N in soil and leached water), N-accumulation and N recovery by cotton plants and soil. Methods: Leaching columns with cotton plants were used to access N-NO3- and N-NH4+ losses in drainage water. Treatments consisted in three N levels applied in side-dressing (corresponding to 50, 100 and 150 kg N ha-1) as 15N-urea with and without DMPP application. An additional treatment (absence of N application in side-dressing) was used as control. Results: 3,4-dimethylpyrazole phosphate was efficient to improve N recovery from applied urea fertilizer in plants and in the soil by reducing NO3- leaching, leading to enhanced N acquisition from fertilizer and soil, augmenting plants N-accumulation, mainly when high N levels above 100 kg N ha-1 were applied. We found that total N recovery increased 31% when 150 kg N ha-1 was applied as urea + DMPP source compared to conventional urea. In addition, DMPP application reduced NO3- leaching losses (c.a. of 11 to 20%), although had no significant effect on shoot and root dry matter yield. Conclusion: The reduction of NO3- leaching losses highlights the potential of DMPP to mitigate the impact of increased urea input on leaching losses thereby improving N use efficiency and N uptake in cotton crop.

Determination of fixed ammonium in soil

1959 ◽  
Vol 52 (2) ◽  
pp. 147-160 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. M. Bremner
Keyword(s):  
Acid Hydrolysis ◽  
Soil Nitrogen ◽  
Room Temperature ◽  
Soil Profiles ◽  
Distillation Method ◽  
Single Treatment ◽  
Surface Soils ◽  
Total N ◽  
The Difference

1. A method of determining fixed ammonium in soil based on estimation of the difference in the amounts of ammonium released on treatment with N-HF:N-HC1 and with N-KCI has been investigated and compared with the hydrofluoric acid method of Rodrigues and the alkaline distillation method of Barshad.2. Results obtained by the N-HF:N-HCl procedure with profile samples of various soils indicated that 3–8% (average, 5·6%) of the nitrogen in the surface soils and 9–44% (average, 21·5%) of the nitrogen in the subsoils examined was in the form of fixed ammonium. Rodrigues's method gave much higher values and Barshad's method gave much lower values.3. Studies on the forms of nitrogen in soil profiles showed that the proportion of soil nitrogen released by acid hydrolysis as total-N and α-amino-N decreased with depth in the profile, whereas the proportion liberated as ammonium by acid hydrolysis increased with depth. They also showed that a considerable amount of the ammonium released by acid hydrolysis was derived from fixed ammonium in clay minerals.4. It was found that the proportion of soil nitrogen dissolved by N-HF:N-HCl increased with depth in the profile, whereas the proportion dissolved by neutral and alkaline reagents used to extract soil organic matter decreased with depth. On the average, 23·2% of the nitrogen in the surface soils and 47·4% of the nitrogen in the subsoils was dissolved by a single treatment with N-HF:N-HCl at room temperature for 24 hr.5. The reliability and significance of the results obtained by the N-HF:N-HCl method are discussed.

scholarly journals Denitrification as a component of Nitrogen Budget in a Tropical Paddy Field

2013 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 159-165 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Mass Balance ◽  
Direct Method ◽  
Balance Model ◽  
N Fixation ◽  
N Loss ◽  
Total N ◽  
Biological N Fixation ◽  
Weed Growth ◽  
Before And After ◽  
The Difference

The direct assessment of denitrification suffers from a number of problems. A mass balance model is simple and widely accepted to calculate nitrogen (N) loss as a denitrification component. The objective of study was to estimate the potential N loss a denitrification from a tropical paddy in the central region of Thailand. N inputs to and outputs from field were measured by direct method. Inputs of N to the site were commercial fertilizer, precipitation, irrigation water, seeds and pre-cultivation soils. Outputs of nitrogen from the site were leaching to groundwater, harvested crops, loads in surface runoff, post harvest soils and loss from the field as denitrification. Biological N fixation, groundwater contribution, ammonium volatilization and contribution to weed growth were ignored. Based on the three month observation, the total amount of N load in irrigation, precipitation, fertilizer, drainage, percolation and plant uptake were 9.22, 10.85, 100, 4.65, 18.20 and 80.57 kg ha-1 respectively. The difference of total N in the soil before and after cultivation was not significant and taken as constant value. Sum of N loss calculated as denitrification component from the nitrogen mass balance model was 16.7 kg ha-1 and rate of loss was 0.19 kg ha-1 d-1. It means that the contribution of applied N fertilizer to the atmosphere was 13.6% of total N input; indicating one of the major source pollutants.

Partitioning evapotranspiration into transpiration and evaporation by use of isotope balance calculation

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gunther Liebhard ◽  
Andreas Klik ◽  
Peter Strauß ◽  
Reinhard Nolz
Keyword(s):  
Stable Isotope ◽  
Water Balance ◽  
Mass Balance ◽  
Soil Water ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Vegetation Period ◽  
Soil Samples ◽  
Productive Water ◽  
Use Efficiency ◽  
Isotope Mass Balance

&lt;p&gt;Knowledge and quantification of water fluxes within the soil-vegetation-atmosphere continuum is fundamental to understand ecohydrological systems. It is also essential to further develop water management practices and irrigation systems in times of increasing needs for water and rising water scarcity. A major component in this regard is evapotranspiration (ET) as it links the energy balance and the water balance. Evapotranspiration can be fractionated into productive water fluxes through plants&amp;#8217; stomata (transpiration) and non-productive water loss from soil surface (evaporation). Determination and understanding of factors influencing this ratio are assumed to help improving water use efficiency through best management practices in agriculture, especially in water limited environments. Aim of this study was to adapt a stable isotope mass balance method for determining evapotranspiration and its components transpiration and evaporation for soybeans under natural conditions.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The study site was in Gro&amp;#223;-Enzersdorf, east of Vienna, Austria (48&amp;#176;12&amp;#8217; N, 16&amp;#176;34&amp;#8217; E; 157&amp;#160;m elevation a.s.l.). The study period covered the vegetation period of soybeans in 2019. Crop evapotranspiration was determined using a weighing lysimeter with 1.8 m diameter. For the fractionation, a stable isotope mass balance method from literature was adapted and further developed for soybeans under natural (stressed) climatic conditions. The underlying principle of isotope fractionation is that different physical properties of naturally occurring stable isotopes in water cause shifts in the isotopic composition due to evaporation. Therefore, evaporation causes enrichment of heavier stable isotopes in the near surface soil water, whereas water uptake by plant roots does not cause considerable partitioning in soil water. This allows determination of both fractions, assuming all other water balance components are known. Soil samples for the stable isotope mass balance were taken near a weighing lysimeter (1.8 m diameter). Evapotranspiration determined by the lysimeter provided the basis for the mass balance fractionation calculations. Monitoring throughout the soybeans vegetation period included weekly analyses of isotopic composition of soil samples, measurements of water content over the soil profile in 10&amp;#160;cm steps down to 80&amp;#160;cm, weather data, and crop growing stages.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Results reveal a plausible course of soybean evapotranspiration and its components. The preliminary designed method of soil water sampling could be adequately adapted to determine representative isotopic soil profiles for water balance determination under the given conditions. Water extraction from the soil samples worked well under moist as well as very dry soil conditions. Further data analysis was done to assess applicability of the modified method to determine fractionation ratios for different plant development stages. The available results encourage further experiments to test and investigate the versatility of this method with respect to different soil cultivation methods for a water use efficiency review.&lt;/p&gt;

scholarly journals Effects of Nitrogen Rates on Nitrogen, Phosphorous, and Potassium Partitioning, Accumulation, and Use Efficiency in Seepage-irrigated Fresh Market Tomatoes

HortScience ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 50 (11) ◽  
pp. 1636-1643 ◽  
Author(s):  
Monica Ozores-Hampton ◽  
Francesco Di Gioia ◽  
Shinjiro Sato ◽  
Eric Simonne ◽  
Kelly Morgan
Keyword(s):  
Plant Growth ◽  
Best Management Practices ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Winter Season ◽  
The United States ◽  
Fruit Yield ◽  
Fresh Market ◽  
Total N ◽  
Fruit Samples ◽  
Use Efficiency

Florida had the largest fresh-market tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) production in the United States, with a value of $437 million and 13,355 ha harvested in 2014. Despite the development of Best Management Practices (BMPs) and University of Florida/Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) fertilizer recommendations, tomato growers often use fertilizer rates above the recommended ones, especially when seepage irrigation is used and a longer growing season is foreseen. If a mass balance of N–P–K partitioning could be made in field conditions, a better understanding of nutrition applications could be reached. Therefore, a field study was conducted on seepage-irrigated tomato on a commercial farm in southwest Florida, during the spring and winter season of 2006 to evaluate the nitrogen (N) rate and season effects on tomato plant growth, fruit yield, N, phosphorous (P), and potassium (K) accumulation and use efficiency. The UF/IFAS N-recommended rate (224 kg·ha−1) was compared with a commercial grower (CG) rate (358 kg·ha−1). Both N rates were incorporated at bedding with 61 and 553 kg·ha−1 of P and K, respectively. Fruit yield and plant growth were measured and roots, stems, leaves, and fruit samples were analyzed to determine total N, P, and K content and accumulation in different plant parts. Nutrient recovery (REC) and the partial factor of productivity of applied nutrients (PFP) were calculated for each N rate. In the spring, 120 days after transplanting, plants dry biomass was 11.5% higher (P = 0.01) in the CG N rate than with UF/IFAS N rate, while no significant differences were observed in the winter season. In the spring, N, P, and K accumulation were 250, 56, and 285 kg·ha−1 in plants grown with CG N rate and were significantly lower (23%, 5%, and 23%, respectively) with the UF/IFAS N rate, respectively. In the winter, total N accumulation was 231 kg·ha−1 in plants fertilized at CG N rate and significantly lower (16%) with the UF/IFAS N rate. N rate did not significantly affect P and K accumulation, which were on average 64 and 312 kg·ha−1, respectively. Marketable fruit yield was significantly higher (P = 0.03) with CG N rate than with UF/IFAS N rate (91.1 vs. 81.5 Mg·ha−1), and was significantly higher (P = 0.03) in the spring than in the winter (100.8 vs. 71.8 Mg·ha−1). The NREC was significantly higher (P = 0.01) with the UF/IFAS N rate than with CG N rate and was not significantly affected (P = 0.94) by seasons. The PFPN was significantly higher (P = 0.001) with the UF/IFAS N-rate than with CG N-rate, and was significantly higher (P = 0.04) in the spring than in the winter season. These results suggest that current UF/IFAS N recommendations are more conservative of N and this should lead to reduced leaching potential but, UF/IFAS recommendations must be season specific due to the difference in environmental conditions of fruit maturation in cooler weather of the winter season compared with a warmer environment of the spring season.

scholarly journals Targeting Hotspots to Achieve Sustainable Nitrogen Management in China’s Smallholder-Dominated Cereal Production

Agronomy ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 557
Author(s):  
Qingsong Zhang ◽  
Tingyu Li ◽  
Yulong Yin ◽  
Hao Ying ◽  
Zhenling Cui ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Spatial Variation ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Smallholder Farmers ◽  
County Level ◽  
Total N ◽  
N Removal ◽  
Use Efficiency ◽  
Using Data ◽  
N Management ◽  
N Use

Agriculture in China, which is dominated by millions of smallholders, consumes 30% of global nitrogen (N) fertilizers and results in a high surplus and vast spatial variability of N. Identifying the N-management practices of smallholder farmers is critical to pursuing sustainable agricultural productivity. However, at the national scale, N budgets and spatial distribution based on first-hand data from smallholder farmers are not well characterized. Here, using data collected from a national survey involving 7.3 million farmers from 2005 to 2014, we quantified N budgets, evaluated their spatial variation, and revealed “hotspots” of low N removal and high N surplus for wheat, maize, and rice systems at the county level. The N surplus for cereal crops was 122–140 kg N ha−1, which is equivalent to an annual N surplus of 11.3 megaton (Mt). Chemical N was the most important contributor to the N surplus, while farmers used manure N less than 10% of the total N input. N budgets exhibited vast spatial variation at the county level, and the hotspots contributed to 56% of the total N surplus in China. Targeted efforts for eliminating hotspots could increase N removal by 13–21%, increase N use efficiency to 0.55–0.70, and significantly reduce the N surplus for all counties and crops, by 42%. Based on farmer survey data, our results provide updated estimates of N budgets and highlight hotspots of N surplus for cereal crop systems in China. They provide a benchmark for the development of new agricultural N management policies and technologies in the country.

Radiographic Prevalence of Osteochondrosis in Yearling Feral Horses

1999 ◽  
Vol 12 (03) ◽  
pp. 151-155 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. W. Valentino ◽  
E. M. Gaughan ◽  
D. R. Biller ◽  
R. H. Raub ◽  
J. D. Lillich
Keyword(s):  
Subchondral Bone ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Articular Surface ◽  
Radiographic Images ◽  
Feral Horses ◽  
Metacarpophalangeal Joints ◽  
Genetic Base ◽  
Domestic Horses ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Metatarsophalangeal Joints

The purpose of the study is to document the prevalence of articular surface osteochondrosis lesions in feral horses. Eighty yearling feral horses were used. Radiographic images of the left stifle, both tarsocrural, metatarsophalangeal, metacarpophalangeal joints were taken. Radiographs were examined for the presence of osteochondral fragmentation and abnormal outline of subchondral bone suggestive of osteochondrosis. The prevalence of each lesion was calculated for each joint as well as for overall prevalence within the group, the latter being 6.25%. Typical osteochondrosis lesions were found within the tarsocrural and metatarsophalangeal joints. Based on the difference in prevalence of osteochondrosis between feral and certain domestic horses, management practices and perhaps genetic base may have a greater influence on the development of the disease in horses than trauma alone.

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