scholarly journals Yield Response, Quality Traits, and Nitrogen-Use Efficiency of a Burley Tobacco Crop Grown in Mediterranean Areas (Southern Italy) as Affected by Intensive N Management

Agronomy ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (9) ◽  
pp. 1837
Author(s):  
Maria Isabella Sifola ◽  
Ida Di Mola ◽  
Eugenio Cozzolino ◽  
Lucia Ottaiano ◽  
Gennaro Piccirillo ◽  
...  

Tobacco is an annual cash crop widely cultivated over the world, which generally needs great amounts (N) of nitrogen to achieve the best yield and quality. However, with a view to sustainable and environmentally friendly agriculture, also for this crop, the reduction in N fertilization is a priority, but without negatively affecting the yield and quality of the cured product. Therefore, field experiments were conducted during 2002 and 2003 on light air-cured (Burley) tobacco at three different locations of the Campania region (Southern Italy) where high-quality light air-cured (Burley) tobacco is traditionally cultivated. At each location, the following six N fertilization treatments were compared with four replications (blocks): (i) a not fertilized control (N0); (ii) 50 kg N ha−1 (N50); 90 kg N ha−1 (N90); 130 kg N ha−1 (N130); 170 kg N ha−1 (N170); 210 kg N ha−1 (N210). The yield of cured leaves appeared positively influenced by N fertilization but not at a rate higher than 170 kg ha−1. N fertilization directly influenced nitrates and the total N content of cured leaves at all locations. The greater values of both parameters were reached at N130 or N90, respectively, at Vitulazio (CE), N170 at Bellizzi (SA), and N90 at San Giorgio del Sannio (BN). The fire holding capacity increased with N fertilization up to N170 treatment (12–13 s at CE and BN but just 8 s at SA). L* (brightness) decreased with increasing N fertilization giving cured leaves less bright and opaquer. The a/b ratio (a*, green/red; b*, blue/yellow) increased with N treatments producing cured leaves of dark hazelnut. The best scores were assigned to cured products obtained by plants fertilized with 170 kg N ha−1. N-use efficiencies were negatively influenced by N fertilization. The best NUE and N-uptake efficiency was recorded in 2002 at Vitulazio (CE), in spite of a higher NO3-N before N fertilization than other locations.

2016 ◽  
Vol 155 (2) ◽  
pp. 261-281 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. E. ROQUES ◽  
D. R. KINDRED ◽  
S. CLARKE

SUMMARYTriticale has a reputation for performing well on poor soils, under drought and with reduced inputs, but there has been little investigation of its performance on the better yielding soils dominated by wheat production. The present paper reports 16 field experiments comparing wheat and triticale yield responses to nitrogen (N) fertilizer on high-yielding soils in the UK in harvest years 2009–2014. Each experiment included at least two wheat and at least two triticale varieties, grown at five or six N fertilizer rates from 0 to at least 260 kg N/ha. Linear plus exponential curves were fitted to describe the yield response to N and to calculate economically optimal N rates. Normal type curves with depletion were used to describe protein responses to N. Whole crop samples from selected treatments were taken prior to harvest to measure crop biomass, harvest index, crop N content and yield components. At commercial N rates, mean triticale yield was higher than the mean wheat yield at 13 out of 16 sites; the mean yield advantage of triticale was 0·53 t/ha in the first cereal position and 1·26 t/ha in the second cereal position. Optimal N requirement varied with variety at ten of the 16 sites, but there was no consistent difference between the optimal N rates of wheat and triticale. Triticale grain had lower protein content and lower specific weight than wheat grain. Triticale typically showed higher biomass and straw yields, lower harvest index and higher total N uptake than wheat. Consequently, triticale had higher N uptake efficiency and higher N use efficiency. Based on this study, current N fertilizer recommendations for triticale in the UK are too low, as are national statistics and expectations of triticale yields. The implications of these findings for arable cropping and cereals markets in the UK and Northern Europe are discussed, and the changes which would need to occur to allow triticale to fulfil a role in achieving sustainable intensification are explored.


Soil Research ◽  
1989 ◽  
Vol 27 (4) ◽  
pp. 685 ◽  
Author(s):  
PE Bacon ◽  
LG Lewin ◽  
JW McGarity ◽  
EH Hoult ◽  
D Alter

The fate of 15N-labelled fertilizer applied to rice (Oryza sativa L) was studied in microplots established within two field experiments comprising a range of stubble levels, stubble management techniques, N application rates and times. The first experiment investigated uptake of soil and fertilizer N in plots where application of 0 or 100 kg N ha-1 to the previous rice crop had produced 11.5 and 16.1 t ha-1 of stubble respectively. The stubble was then treated in one of four ways-burn (no till); burn then cultivated; incorporated in autumn or incorporated at sawing. Microplots within these large plots received 60 kg ha-1 of 5% 15N enriched urea at sowing, just prior to permanent flood (PF), or just after panicle initiation (PI) of the second crop. The second experiment was undertaken within a field in which half of the plots had stubble from the previous three rice crops burned, while the other plots had all stubble incorporated. In the fourth successive rice crop, the two stubble management systems were factorially combined with three N rates (0, 70 or 140 kg N ha-1) and three application times (PF, PI or a 50 : 50 split between PF and PI). Nitrogen uptake and retention in the soil were studied within 15N-labelled microplots established within each of these large plots. Only 4% of the 15N applied at sowing in the first experiment was recovered in the rice crop, while delaying N application to PF or PI increased this to an average of 20% and 44% respectively over the two experiments. The doubling of N application rate doubled fertilizer N uptake and also increased uptake of soil N at maturity by 12 kgN ha-1. Three years of stubble incorporation increased average uptake of fertilizer and soil N in the second experiment by 5 and 12 kg N ha-1 respectively. In both experiments, the soil was the major source of N, contributing 66-96% of total N uptake. On average, in the fourth crop, 20% of fertilizer N was in the grain, 12% in the straw and 3% in the roots, while 23% was located in the top 300 mm of soil. A further 3% was in the soil below 300 mm. The remaining 39% was lost, presumably by denitrification.


Author(s):  
Maria Isabella Sifola ◽  
Linda Carrino ◽  
Eugenio Cozzolino ◽  
Sara Ianuario ◽  
Andrea Lucibelli ◽  
...  

SummaryNitrogen (N) fertilization of Kentucky dark fire-cured tobacco can be used to increase weight of high quality cured leaves for cigar manufacture. We conducted field experiments at 11 different locations in the province of Benevento (Southern Italy) where the following four N treatments were compared: 1) unfertilized control (N0); 2) a site-specific N rate, calculated by a N fertilization plan (NFP) based on physical and chemical soil characteristics, which ranged between 113 and 145 kg N ha−1; 3) 200 kg N ha−1 (rate commonly used by farmers, N200); 4) 100 kg N ha−1 (half of the rate commonly used by farmers, N100). Yields of the following five commercial quality categories of cured leaves were measured: i) wrappers, ii) heavy filler (Fh), iii) light filler (Fl), iv) heavy shredded (Sh) and v) light shredded (Sl). Fh cured products of B1, B4, B6 and B10 locations were analyzed for: total alkaloids, reducing sugars, chlorides, total N (Kjeldahl), ammonium-N (NH4-N), nitrate-N (NO3-N), and tobacco specific nitrosamines (TSNA). Color parameters: Lightness (L), Chroma (C) and Hue (H) were determined on five cured leaves / plot of both Fh and Fl types at B1, B2, B3, B6, B8 and B10. A blind evaluation of cured leaves collected across locations was conducted by a panel test who considered the main basic characteristics of cured leaves (stalk position, leaf structure, texture, etc.). The total yield of cured products increased with fertilization across locations, up to NFP treatment, without any statistically significant increase at N200 treatment. Fertilization increased yield of wrappers at B1 up to NFP treatment (113.5 kg N ha−1), without any significant increase at N200 treatment. Yield of light filler product was positively influenced by fertilization up to the maximum dose only in 5 out of 11 locations. Total alkaloids significantly increased with increasing fertilization up to 100 kg N ha−1 without any significant changes at higher N rate. Fertilization hardly increased L and C of Fl leaves, which appeared light-brown but brilliant-colored. There was a reduction in the H value of Fh products which indicated a darker tone of those leaves with respect to Fl. Increasing N rate affected production costs more than revenues. According to agronomic results, in most locations the best results in terms of net revenues were obtained by NFP treatment. Considering that N rates above the NFP would disqualify growers from the economic aids provided by EU agrienvironmental measures, by economic point of view the NFP treatment would be recommended over the current grower standard (N200).


Agriculture ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (8) ◽  
pp. 752
Author(s):  
Aliasghar Montazar ◽  
Daniel Geisseler ◽  
Michael Cahn

Nitrogen (N) and irrigation water must be effectively used in mineral soils to produce carrots with high yield and minimal environmental impact. This study attempts to identify optimal N and irrigation management practices for low desert carrot production in California by investigating consumptive water use and N uptake and removal rates in fresh market and processing carrots. Field experiments were conducted at the University of California Desert Research and Extension Center and nine farmer fields during two growing seasons. The actual evapotranspiration (ETa) was measured using the residual energy balance method with a combination of surface renewal and eddy covariance equipment. Crop canopy coverage, actual soil nitrate-N from multiple depths as well as total N percentage, dry matter, and fresh biomass in roots and tops were measured over the growing seasons. The length of the crop season had a wide range amongst the experimental sites: from a 128-day period in a processing carrot field to as long as 193 days in a fresh market carrot field. The seasonal ETa varied between 305.8 mm at a silty loam furrow irrigated processing carrot field and 486.2 mm at a sandy clay loam sprinkler irrigated fresh market field. The total N accumulated at harvest ranged between 205.4 kg ha−1 (nearly 52% in roots) and 350.5 kg ha−1 (nearly 64% in roots). While the mean value of nitrogen removed by carrot roots varied from 1.24 to 1.73 kg N/Mg carrot roots, it appears that more N was applied than was removed by carrot roots at all sites. Within the range of N application rates examined at the experimental sites, there was no significant relationship between carrot fresh root yield and N application rate, although the results suggested a positive effect of N application on carrot yield. Sufficient soil N availability over the growing season and the lack of significant yield response to N application illuminated that optimal N rates are likely less than the total amounts of N applied at most sites.


2007 ◽  
Vol 87 (3) ◽  
pp. 565-569 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura L Van

The effects of increasing nitrogen (N) fertilization on N use efficiency (NUE) and yield of green bell pepper were assessed in five field experiments over 2004 and 2005. These data were used to evaluate and contrast conclusions drawn from among 12 different NUE indices. In two diferent years (i.e., cool/wet vs. warm/dry), marketable yield response to N application was either positive or no response was observed. Total percent N in the fruit and shoot was lower in non-fertilized plants compared with plants grown in plots that received 70 or 210 kg N ha-1. There were considerable differences among locations in soil mineral N, yield, NUE, and plant N uptake and removal. For all eight fertilizer- and soil-based NUE indices assessed, NUE decreased as N application increased. However, for plant-based NUE indices, there was no difference in NUE values between N treatments. Thus, the interpretation and applicability of NUE depends on the goals of the research and the index used. Key words: Nutrient use efficiency, green bell peppers, harvest index, nitrogen, fertilizer, vegetable


1989 ◽  
Vol 40 (3) ◽  
pp. 509 ◽  
Author(s):  
DP Heenan ◽  
PE Bacon

Three field experiments over two seasons and on two soil types studied the effects of placement and time of nitrogen fertilizer (N) application on yield and N uptake of aerial-sown semi-dwarf rice. Grain yield and apparent N fertilizer recovery were greatest when fertilizer was drilled into the soil, with no significant difference between 3 cm and 7 cm depth. Placement onto wet soil resulted in significantly lower grain yield and total N uptake than placement onto dry soil or incorporation into the soil. Reducing the time of application before flooding from 15 days to 1 day significantly improved the efficiency of fertilizer use. Delaying the time of application from before flooding to soon after flooding produced much lower grain yield and agronomic efficiency. Further delaying the application time from soon after flooding to around mid-tillering increased the yield response and agronomic efficiency. The results demonstrated that urea should be drilled into the soil as soon as possible before flooding rather than broadcasting onto the soil surface before flooding or into the floodwater after flooding.


2020 ◽  
Vol 56 (5) ◽  
pp. 688-698
Author(s):  
Ali M. Ali

AbstractProximal plant sensing with active canopy sensors offers a leap in the non-destructive assessment of crop agronomic information. For managing fertilizer nitrogen (N), sensor readings must be translated using functional models or algorithms to fertilizer amounts. Six field experiments were conducted in three wheat seasons in the West Nile Delta in Egypt to develop and validate an algorithm based on GreenSeeker canopy reflectance sensor for field-specific fertilizer N management in wheat, which takes into account both spatial and temporal variability of N during the crop growth season. The proposed algorithm is based on the prediction of total N uptake and response index of N uptake determined from normalized difference vegetation index measured by the sensor from plots differing in yield potential as established by applying a range of fertilizer N levels in the four experiments conducted in the first two wheat seasons. The treatments in the two experiments conducted in the third wheat season were designed to define appropriate fertilizer N management prior to applying a sensor-based dose at Feekes 6 stage (jointing stage). The application of 40 and 60 kg N ha−1 at 10 and 30 days after sowing of wheat and a sensor-guided dose of N estimated by using the algorithm developed in this study resulted in yields similar to those obtained by following the general recommendation, but with an average of 66 kg N ha−1 less fertilizer N. These results were also reflected in a substantial increase in N recovery (21.9%) and agronomic (7.7 kg grain kg−1 N) efficiencies compared with the general recommendation, thereby proving the usefulness of the sensor-based algorithm in optimizing fertilizer N management in wheat.


Plants ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (7) ◽  
pp. 1329
Author(s):  
Fernando Shintate Galindo ◽  
Paulo Humberto Pagliari ◽  
Willian Lima Rodrigues ◽  
Guilherme Carlos Fernandes ◽  
Eduardo Henrique Marcandalli Boleta ◽  
...  

Sustainable management strategies are needed to improve agronomic efficiency and cereal yield production under harsh abiotic climatic conditions such as in tropical Savannah. Under these environments, field-grown crops are usually exposed to drought and high temperature conditions. Silicon (Si) application could be a useful and sustainable strategy to enhance agronomic N use efficiency, leading to better cereal development. This study was developed to explore the effect of Si application as a soil amendment source (Ca and Mg silicate) associated with N levels applied in a side-dressing (control, low, medium and high N levels) on maize and wheat development, N uptake, agronomic efficiency and grain yield. The field experiments were carried out during four cropping seasons, using two soil amendment sources (Ca and Mg silicate and dolomitic limestone) and four N levels (0, 50, 100 and 200 kg N ha−1). The following evaluations were performed in maize and wheat crops: the shoots and roots biomass, total N, N-NO3−, N-NH4+ and Si accumulation in the shoots, roots and grain tissue, leaf chlorophyll index, grain yield and agronomic efficiency. The silicon amendment application enhanced leaf chlorophyll index, agronomic efficiency and N-uptake in maize and wheat plants, benefiting shoots and roots development and leading to a higher grain yield (an increase of 5.2 and 7.6%, respectively). It would be possible to reduce N fertilization in maize from 185–180 to 100 kg N ha−1 while maintaining similar grain yield with Si application. Additionally, Si application would reduce N fertilization in wheat from 195–200 to 100 kg N ha−1. Silicon application could be a key technology for improving plant-soil N-management, especially in Si accumulator crops, leading to a more sustainable cereal production under tropical conditions.


2008 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 73 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. NYKÄNEN ◽  
A. GRANSTEDT ◽  
L. JAUHIAINEN

Legume-based leys form the basis for crop rotations in organic farming as they fix nitrogen (N) from the atmosphere for the succeeding crops. The age, yield, C:N, biological N fixation (BNF) and total N of red clover-grass leys were studied for their influence on yields, N uptake and N use efficiency (NUE) of the two sequential cereal crops planted after the leys. Mineral N in deeper soil (30-90 cm) was measured to determine N leaching risk. Altogether, four field experiments were carried out in 1994-1998 at two sites. The age of the ley had no significant effect on the yields and N uptake of the two subsequent cereals. Surprisingly, the residual effect of the leys was negligible, at 0–20 kg N ha-1yr-1. On the other hand, the yield and C:N of previous red clover-grass leys, as well as BNF-N and total-N incorporated into the soil influenced subsequent cereals. NUEs of cereals after ley incorporation were rather high, varying from 30% to 80%. This might indicate that other factors, such as competition from weeds, prevented maximal growth of cereals. The mineral N content deeper in the soil was mostly below 10 kg ha-1 in the sandy soil of Juva, but was 5-25 kg ha-1 in clayey soil of Mietoinen.;


1989 ◽  
Vol 37 (3) ◽  
pp. 269-272
Author(s):  
J.H.G. Slangen ◽  
G.J. Krook ◽  
C.H.M. Hendriks ◽  
N.A.A. Hof

The effect of different amounts (0, 75, 150 and 225 kg/ha) and timings of split application of N on yield and nutrient uptake of 3 hybrid cultivars grown for bulbs was investigated. Efficiency of N-uptake was determined by soil and plant analysis with field experiments in 1983, 1984 and 1985. Leaching of fertilizers applied before planting induced low nutrient efficiencies in sandy soils. Dividing the total N-dressings into 4 monthly applications from Mar. to June or Apr. to July led to a higher N-efficiency, though fertilizers were easily leached with high rainfall. A total of 150 kg N/ha appeared to be adequate. Concentrations of plant nutrients (P, K, Ca, Mg and Na) in mature plants of cultivars Aristo, Connecticut King and Enchantment are presented in relation to bulb yield and N-uptake. (Abstract retrieved from CAB Abstracts by CABI’s permission)


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