N-leaching in hill country; farmer led research

2010 ◽  
pp. 55-60 ◽  
Author(s):  
A.N. Crofoot ◽  
E.W. Crofoot ◽  
C.J. Hoogendoorn ◽  
A.J. Litherland ◽  
C.B. Garland
Keyword(s):  
Nitrate Leaching ◽  
East Coast ◽  
Animal Production ◽  
N Leaching ◽  
Hill Country ◽  
Wise Use ◽  
Nitrate N ◽  
The Face ◽  
N Use

There is scant information on nitrate-N leaching in East Coast hill country. Castlepoint Station, a focus farm in the Wise Use of fertiliser Nitrogen (N) project and in the face of potential restrictions on fertiliser N use, ran a 3 year trial focused on the impacts of N fertiliser on pasture and animal production as well as nitrate leaching.

scholarly journals CRITICAL INPUTS INTO GISBORNE HILL COUNTRY

1984 ◽  
pp. 27-37
Author(s):  
M.J. Fitzharris ◽  
D.F. Wright
Keyword(s):  
East Coast ◽  
Farm Management ◽  
Animal Production ◽  
Management Study ◽  
Hill Country ◽  
Farm Production ◽  
The Future ◽  
Farm Profit ◽  
Stocking Rates ◽  
Practical Implications

The results of an analysis of four years data, 1975/76-1978/79, from a farm management study of Gisborne-East Coast hill country farms were presented at the 1980 Grasslands Conference. Analysis of three more years data, 1979/80-1981/82, essentially confirms the association of fencing and fertiliser with high levels of animal production. Recent escalating costs of fertiliser have cast doubts on its profitability. High stocking rates (usually beyond 12 su/ha) and high proportions of cattle (usually up to 50% of su) have emerged as other factors consistently associated with greater productivity and frequently with profitability. It is suggested that manipulation of these factors would be worthy of farmers consideration. The practical implications for the future of these findings are discussed. Keywords: Farm production, farm profit, Gisborne hill country

The effect of sulphur application on the efficiency of nitrogen use in two contrasting grassland soils

2000 ◽  
Vol 135 (2) ◽  
pp. 131-138 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. BROWN ◽  
D. SCHOLEFIELD ◽  
E. C. JEWKES ◽  
N. PREEDY ◽  
K. WADGE ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Nitrate Leaching ◽  
Peak Concentration ◽  
Dry Matter ◽  
Sandy Loam ◽  
Clay Loam ◽  
Nitrogen Use ◽  
N Level ◽  
Nitrate N ◽  
S Application ◽  
N Use

The effect of sulphur (S) application on the efficiency of nitrogen (N) use was investigated using cut plot experiments on two contrasting soil types. Nitrogen was applied at 200 and 450 kg N/ha per year, with and without 38 kg SO3/ha (15·2 kg S/ha) per cut. Over three conventionally timed silage cuts for 2 years, measurements were made of herbage dry matter, the yield of N and S in herbage and losses of N and S by leaching, and N by denitrification.Herbage dry matter and N yields were significantly increased by the application of S at the high N level at the sandy loam site (Halse). At the clay loam site (Great Close) the application of S had no significant effect on herbage dry matter or N yields. At Halse, the pattern of response through the year was not the same in the 2 years studied, although in both, the effect of S was significant at third cut at high N. Deficiency was suggested by the N[ratio ]S ratio of herbage on the plots without S, especially at first cut, and at later cuts at Halse. Nitrate leaching was reduced by S at Halse by 72% and 58% with high N in 1997 and 1998, respectively, and by 10% and 5% on the low N treatments in 1997 and 1998, respectively. Application of S at high N at Halse reduced the peak concentration of nitrate-N in leachate from 27·3 mg N/l to 9·3 mg N/l. At Great Close, application of S had no significant effect on the amount or peak concentration of nitrate-N leached. The improvement in efficiency reported at Halse suggests that on permeable soils receiving high levels of N, the application of S could have a large effect on nitrate leaching and its associated environmental impact.

White clover or nitrogen fertiliser for dairying under nitrate leaching limits?

2020 ◽  
Vol 60 (1) ◽  
pp. 78 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Chapman ◽  
Ina Pinxterhuis ◽  
Stewart Ledgard ◽  
Tony Parsons
Keyword(s):  
Nitrate Leaching ◽  
Soluble Sugar ◽  
Grass Species ◽  
N Leaching ◽  
N Fixation ◽  
N Losses ◽  
Total N ◽  
Mixed Grass ◽  
Dairy Systems ◽  
N Use

As the pressure intensifies to reduce nitrogen (N) losses to the environment from pasture-based dairy systems, interest in reducing N-fertiliser inputs and returning to grass–clover mixtures, where more N for pasture growth is supplied by biological N fixation (BNF), have been revived. However, the following question then arises: is BNF fundamentally different from fertiliser N with respect to N losses, especially nitrate-N leaching risk? The present paper addresses this question by reviewing empirical evidence in the context of N-cycling processes and the efficiency of N use for herbage production. Nitrate leaching data from studies comparing different sward treatments at the same level of total N inputs (fertiliser plus BNF) provide no evidence to suggest that leaching differs when N is supplied solely by fixation in mixtures, by fixation plus fertiliser in mixtures, or solely as a fertiliser to grass monoculture. Increasing clover content in mixed grass–clover pastures is likely to increase N leaching due to a lower ratio of soluble sugar and starch to N in herbage than the common companion grass species perennial ryegrass, and, therefore, a higher partitioning of N eaten to urine. Counteracting this effect, mixed grass–clover pastures may offer some potential for increasing N-use efficiency and reducing the whole-farm N surplus compared with grass-dominant pasture receiving high rates of N fertiliser. While there are undeniable benefits for the productivity of dairy systems from maintaining strong grass–clover mixtures, it is the total amount of N entering the system, rather than the form of N (BNF or fertiliser), that influences nitrate leaching rates.

scholarly journals The use of a nitrification inhibitor (DCn™) to reduce nitrate leaching under a winter-grazed forage crop in the Central Plateau

2012 ◽  
pp. 103-103 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Shepherd ◽  
A. Stafford ◽  
D. Smeaton
Keyword(s):  
Dairy Cows ◽  
Nitrate Leaching ◽  
Nitrification Inhibitor ◽  
N Leaching ◽  
Forage Crops ◽  
Central Plateau ◽  
Forage Crop ◽  
Nitrate N

Grazing of brassica winter forage crops returns large amounts of excreted nitrogen (N) back to the paddock during winter when risk of leaching is high. This experiment measured nitrate-N leaching below 60 cm of 132 and 173 kg N/ha following June grazing by dairy cows of swede/kale crops in 2008 and 2009. Application of DCD immediately after grazing plus 6 weeks later decreased leaching by 20-27% (significant at P

PASTURE ESTABLISHMENT ON EAST COAST NORTH ISLAND HILL COUNTRY

1984 ◽  
pp. 216-218
Author(s):  
B.J. Arnst ◽  
O.L. Park
Keyword(s):  
White Clover ◽  
Carrying Capacity ◽  
Return On Investment ◽  
East Coast ◽  
Close Association ◽  
Development Programme ◽  
Low Fertility ◽  
Stock Management ◽  
Hill Country

Large areas of North Island hill country are producing below potential as a result of low fertility and poor pasture composition. Removal of undesirable species and replacement with a higher producing pasture is essential for increased productivity but is difficult to achieve. A development programme is described where the use of glyphosate in close association with oversowing and stock management has allowed rapid pasture establishment, marked increase in carrying capacity and a quick return on investment. Keywords: Pasture establishment, glyphosate, oversowing, white clover, subdivision, productivity.

NLEAP Computer Model and Multiple Linear Regression Prediction of Nitrate Leaching in Vegetable Systems

2002 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 250-256 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hudson Minshew ◽  
John Selker ◽  
Delbert Hemphill ◽  
Richard P. Dick
Keyword(s):  
Linear Regression ◽  
Multiple Linear Regression ◽  
Nitrate Leaching ◽  
Cover Crops ◽  
N Uptake ◽  
N Leaching ◽  
Residual Soil ◽  
Vegetable Crops ◽  
Crop N Uptake ◽  
Mlr Model

Predicting leaching of residual soil nitrate-nitrogen (NO3-N) in wet climates is important for reducing risks of groundwater contamination and conserving soil N. The goal of this research was to determine the potential to use easily measurable or readily available soilclimatic-plant data that could be put into simple computer models and used to predict NO3 leaching under various management systems. Two computer programs were compared for their potential to predict monthly NO3-N leaching losses in western Oregon vegetable systems with or without cover crops. The models were a statistical multiple linear regression (MLR) model and the commercially available Nitrate Leaching and Economical Analysis Package model (NLEAP 1.13). The best MLR model found using stepwise regression to predict annual leachate NO3-N had four independent variables (log transformed fall soil NO3-N, leachate volume, summer crop N uptake, and N fertilizer rate) (P < 0.001, R2 = 0.57). Comparisons were made between NLEAP and field data for mass of NO3-N leached between the months of September and May from 1992 to 1997. Predictions with NLEAP showed greater correlation to observed data during high-rainfall years compared to dry or averagerainfall years. The model was found to be sensitive to yield estimates, but vegetation management choices were limiting for vegetable crops and for systems that included a cover crop.

scholarly journals The implications of lag times between nitrate leaching losses and riverine loads for water quality policy

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
R. W. McDowell ◽  
Z. P. Simpson ◽  
A. G. Ausseil ◽  
Z. Etheridge ◽  
R. Law
Keyword(s):  
Water Quality ◽  
Mean Transit Time ◽  
Lag Time ◽  
Practice Change ◽  
N Leaching ◽  
N Losses ◽  
Leaching Losses ◽  
Nitrate N ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Lag Times

AbstractUnderstanding the lag time between land management and impacts on riverine nitrate–nitrogen (N) loads is critical to understand when action to mitigate nitrate–N leaching losses from the soil profile may start improving water quality. These lags occur due to leaching of nitrate–N through the subsurface (soil and groundwater). Actions to mitigate nitrate–N losses have been mandated in New Zealand policy to start showing improvements in water quality within five years. We estimated annual rates of nitrate–N leaching and annual nitrate–N loads for 77 river catchments from 1990 to 2018. Lag times between these losses and riverine loads were determined for 34 catchments but could not be determined in other catchments because they exhibited little change in nitrate–N leaching losses or loads. Lag times varied from 1 to 12 years according to factors like catchment size (Strahler stream order and altitude) and slope. For eight catchments where additional isotope and modelling data were available, the mean transit time for surface water at baseflow to pass through the catchment was on average 2.1 years less than, and never greater than, the mean lag time for nitrate–N, inferring our lag time estimates were robust. The median lag time for nitrate–N across the 34 catchments was 4.5 years, meaning that nearly half of these catchments wouldn’t exhibit decreases in nitrate–N because of practice change within the five years outlined in policy.

scholarly journals Nitrate-Nitrogen Leaching and Modeling in Intensive Agriculture Farmland in China

2013 ◽  
Vol 2013 ◽  
pp. 1-10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ligang Xu ◽  
Hailin Niu ◽  
Jin Xu ◽  
Xiaolong Wang
Keyword(s):  
Nitrate Leaching ◽  
Soil Profile ◽  
Nitrate Nitrogen ◽  
Initial Conditions ◽  
Simulated Data ◽  
Intensive Agriculture ◽  
Health Concern ◽  
N Leaching ◽  
And Migration ◽  
Leachm Model

Protecting water resources from nitrate-nitrogen (NO3-N) contamination is an important public health concern and a major national environmental issue in China. Loss of NO3-N in soils due to leaching is not only one of the most important problems in agriculture farming, but is also the main factor causing nitrogen pollution in aquatic environments. Three typical intensive agriculture farmlands in Jiangyin City in China are selected as a case study for NO3-N leaching and modeling in the soil profile. In this study, the transport and fate of NO3-N within the soil profile and nitrate leaching to drains were analyzed by comparing field data with the simulation results of the LEACHM model. Comparisons between measured and simulated data indicated that the NO3-N concentrations in the soil and nitrate leaching to drains are controlled by the fertilizer practice, the initial conditions and the rainfall depth and distribution. Moreover, the study reveals that the LEACHM model gives a fair description of the NO3-N dynamics in the soil and subsurface drainage at the field scale. It can also be concluded that the model after calibration is a useful tool to optimize as a function of the combination “climate-crop-soil-bottom boundary condition” the nitrogen application strategy resulting for the environment in an acceptable level of nitrate leaching. The findings in this paper help to demonstrate the distribution and migration of nitrogen in intensive agriculture farmlands, as well as to explore the mechanism of groundwater contamination resulting from agricultural activities.

scholarly journals Limitations of Improved Nitrogen Management to Reduce Nitrate Leaching and Increase Use Efficiency

2001 ◽  
Vol 1 ◽  
pp. 10-16 ◽  
Author(s):  
James L. Baker
Keyword(s):  
Water Quality ◽  
Nitrate Leaching ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Nitrate Nitrogen ◽  
Nitrogen Management ◽  
N Leaching ◽  
N Loss ◽  
Use Efficiency ◽  
Rate Method ◽  
N Management

The primary mode of nitrogen (N) loss from tile-drained row-cropped land is generally nitrate-nitrogen (NO3-N) leaching. Although cropping, tillage, and N management practices can be altered to reduce the amount of leaching, there are limits as to how much can be done. Data are given to illustrate the potential reductions for individual practices such as rate, method, and timing of N applications. However, most effects are multiplicative and not additive; thus it is probably not realistic to hope to get overall reductions greater than 25 to 30% with in-field practices alone. If this level of reduction is insufficient to meet water quality goals, additional off-site landscape modifications may be necessary.

Soil inorganic-N and nitrate leaching on organic farms

1993 ◽  
Vol 120 (3) ◽  
pp. 361-369 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. A. Watson ◽  
S. M. Fowlerf ◽  
D. Wilman
Keyword(s):  
Nitrate Leaching ◽  
Arable Soils ◽  
Surface Layers ◽  
Inorganic N ◽  
Organic Farms ◽  
Soil Layers ◽  
Crop Uptake ◽  
Nitrate N ◽  
Ammonium N ◽  
Soil Inorganic N

SUMMARYOn two organic farms, nitrate-N and ammonium-N in the surface layers of the soil of representative fields were recorded for 2 years. Nitrate-N was also determined in different soil layers down to 120 cm at the beginning, middle and end of two winters and at intervals after ploughing three fields, to seek evidence of leaching.Nitrate-N and ammonium-N were both consistently low in the surface layers of fields in ley. Nitrate-N accumulated in arable soils on some occasions when there was little or no crop uptake of N, after ploughing, and after very heavy applications of manure.There was some evidence of nitrate leaching in all five fields which were deep-sampled. In four cases, the loss by leaching appeared to be < 25 kg N/ha per winter. In the other case, in which a 4-year ley was ploughed on 5 October, the loss by leaching appeared to be c. 70 kg N/ha. Ploughing in winter, rather than early autumn, might have reduced the nitrate leached, but the drilling of the next crop might have been delayed.The nitrate concentration of water draining from recently ploughed sandy soil in Shropshire was high, but it would have been diluted by water draining from unploughed fields.

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