Relationship of the Illinois soil nitrogen test to spring wheat yield and response to fertilizer nitrogen

2008 ◽  
Vol 88 (5) ◽  
pp. 837-848 ◽  
Author(s):  
S J Steckler ◽  
D J Pennock ◽  
F L Walley
Keyword(s):  
Soil Nitrogen ◽  
Crop Yields ◽  
Wheat Yield ◽  
N Fertilizer ◽  
Yield Response ◽  
Regression Equations ◽  
Soil N ◽  
Fertilizer N ◽  
Available N ◽  
Nitrate N

The Illinois soil N test (ISNT) has been used to distinguish between soils that are responsive and non-responsive to fertilizer N in Illinois. We examined the suitability of this test, together with more traditional measures of soil fertility, including spring nitrate-N and soil organic carbon (SOC), for predicting yield and N fertilizer response of wheat (Triticum aestivum) on hummocky landscapes in Saskatchewan. The relationship between ISNT-N and wheat yield and fertilizer N response was assessed using data and soils previously collected for a variable-rate fertilizer study. Soils were re-analyzed for ISNT-N. Our goal was to determine if ISNT-N could be used to improve the prediction of crop yields. Although ISNT-N was correlated with both unfertilized wheat yield (r = 0.467, P = 0.01) and fertilizer N response (r = -0.671, P = 0.01) when data from all study sites were combined, correlations varied according to landscape position and site. Stronger correlations between nitrate-N and both unfertilized wheat yield (r = 0.721, P = 0.01) and fertilizer N response (r = -0.690, P = 0.01) indicated that ISNT-N offered no advantage over nitrate-N. Although both tests broadly discriminated between sites with high or low N fertility, few relationships were detected on a point-by-point basis within a field. Stepwise regression equations predicting yield and yield response did not include ISNT-N, due in part to the high degree of collinearity between ISNT-N and other variables such as SOC, suggesting that ISNT-N alone was not a key indicator of soil N supply. Key words: Illinois soil nitrogen test, potentially available N, soil N, fertilizer N recommendations

Validation of NBudget for estimating soil N supply in Australia's northern grains region in the absence of soil test data

Soil Research ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 55 (6) ◽  
pp. 590 ◽  
Author(s):  
David F. Herridge
Keyword(s):  
Soil Water ◽  
Organic N ◽  
Soil N ◽  
Limited Information ◽  
Available N ◽  
Support Tool ◽  
Grain Yields ◽  
N Supply ◽  
Nitrate N ◽  
Winter Crop

Effective management of fertiliser nitrogen (N) inputs by farmers will generally have beneficial productivity, economic and environmental consequences. The reality is that farmers may be unsure of plant-available N levels in cropping soils at sowing and make decisions about how much fertiliser N to apply with limited information about existing soil N supply. NBudget is a Microsoft (Armonk, NY, USA) Excel-based decision support tool developed primarily to assist farmers and/or advisors in Australia’s northern grains region manage N. NBudget estimates plant-available (nitrate) N at sowing; it also estimates sowing soil water, grain yields, fertiliser N requirements for cereals and oilseed crops and N2 fixation by legumes. NBudget does not rely on soil testing for nitrate-N, organic carbon or soil water content. Rather, the tool relies on precrop (fallow) rainfall data plus basic descriptions of soil texture and fertility, tillage practice and information about paddock use in the previous 2 years. Use is made of rule-of-thumb values and stand-alone or linked algorithms describing, among other things, rates of mineralisation of background soil organic N and fresh residue N. Winter and summer versions of NBudget cover the 10 major crops of the region: bread wheat, durum, barley, canola, chickpea and faba bean in the winter crop version; sorghum, sunflower, soybean and mung bean in the summer crop version. Validating the winter crop version of NBudget estimates of sowing soil nitrate-N against three independent datasets (n=65) indicated generally close agreement between measured and predicted values (y=0.91x+16.8; r2=0.78). A limitation of the tool is that it does not account for losses of N from waterlogged or flooded soils. Although NBudget also predicts grain yields and fertiliser N requirements for the coming season, potential users may simply factor predicted soil N supply into their fertiliser decisions, rather than rely on the output of the tool. Decisions about fertiliser N inputs are often complex and are based on several criteria, including attitudes to risk, history of fertiliser use and costs. The usefulness and likely longevity of NBudget would be enhanced by transforming the current Excel-based tool, currently available on request from the author, to a stand-alone app or web-based tool.

Comparative soil water, pasture production, and crop yields in phase farming systems with lucerne and annual pasture in Western Australia

2001 ◽  
Vol 52 (2) ◽  
pp. 295 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. A. Latta ◽  
L. J. Blacklow ◽  
P. S. Cocks
Keyword(s):  
Soil Water ◽  
Western Australia ◽  
Oil Content ◽  
Field Experiments ◽  
Crop Yields ◽  
Wheat Yield ◽  
Farming Systems ◽  
Yield Response ◽  
Grain Protein ◽  
Pasture Production

Two field experiments in the Great Southern region of Western Australia compared the soil water content under lucerne (Medicago sativa) with subterranean clover (Trifolium subterranean) and annual medic (Medicago polymorpha) over a 2-year period. Lucerne depleted soil water (10–150 cm) between 40 and 100 mm at Borden and 20 and 60 mm at Pingrup compared with annual pasture. There was also less stored soil water after wheat (Triticum aestivum) and canola (Brassica napus) phases which followed the lucerne and annual pasture treatments, 30 and 48 mm after wheat, 49 and 29 mm after canola at Borden and Pingrup, respectively. Lucerne plant densities declined over 2 seasons from 35 to 25 plants/m2 (Borden) and from 56 to 42 plants/m2 (Pingrup), although it produced herbage quantities similar to or greater than clover/medic pastures. The lucerne pasture also had a reduced weed component. Wheat yield at Borden was higher after lucerne (4.7 t/ha) than after annual pasture (4.0 t/ha), whereas at Pingrup yields were similar (2 t/ha) but grain protein was higher (13.7% compared with 12.6%) . There was no yield response to applied nitrogen after lucerne or annual pasture at either site, but it increased grain protein at both sites. There was no pasture treatment effect on canola yield or oil content at Borden (2 t/ha, 46% oil). However, at Pingrup yield was higher (1.5 t/ha compared to 1.3 t/ha) and oil content was similar (41%) following lucerne–wheat. The results show that lucerne provides an opportunity to develop farming systems with greater water-use in the wheatbelt of Western Australia, and that at least 2 crops can be grown after 3 years of lucerne before soil water returns to the level found after annual pasture.

Relating the nitrogen fertilizer needs of winter wheat crops to the soil's mineral nitrogen. Influence of the downward movement of nitrate during winter and spring

1991 ◽  
Vol 117 (2) ◽  
pp. 241-249 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. M. Addiscott ◽  
R. J. Darby
Keyword(s):  
Winter Wheat ◽  
Computer Model ◽  
Nitrogen Fertilizer ◽  
Lower Boundary ◽  
N Fertilizer ◽  
Soil N ◽  
Fertilizer N ◽  
Downward Movement ◽  
Mineral N ◽  
The Uk

SUMMARYOptimum applications of N fertilizer, Nopt have been related successfully to the amount of mineral N in the soil, Nmin in some parts of Europe but not always in the UK. If there is a body of mineral N, QN, that ultimately lessens the need for N fertilizer, it will not remain constant in its amount or its position. Mineralization will add to QN, while the nitrate component of QN will be leached downwards.Also, part of QN will be taken up into the crop where it will continue to lessen the need for fertilizer N but will be safe from leaching. A computer model was used to simulate these processes for 23 experiments, covering five sites and five years, in which N opt had been estimated. From these simulations we derived trial values of QN that took account of mineral N to a series of depths on a series of dates. For each date we used the trial values to find the depth for which Nopt was best correlated with QN andassumed that this was the depth, dL, of the lower boundary of QN on that date. Thus dL was a collective value for all 23 experiments. The value of dLincreased throughout the winter and the spring and was very closely related to the cumulative average drainage through 0·5 m soil at Rothamsted. By 15 April, dL, was 1·66 m, a depth that was compatible with observations by others that winter wheat can remove mineral N to a depth of at least 1·5 m. We inferred two likely reasons why Nmin may fail as a predictor of Nopt in the UK: insufficient depth of sampling, and too wide a spread of sampling dates. The values of Nopt were shown to be related satisfactorily to the values of QN computed, without any measurements of mineral N, for appropriate depths on single dates.

scholarly journals Yield, Nitrogen Dynamics, and Fertilizer Use Efficiency in Machine-harvested Cucumber

HortScience ◽  
2009 ◽  
Vol 44 (6) ◽  
pp. 1712-1718 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura L. Van Eerd ◽  
Kelsey A. O'Reilly
Keyword(s):  
N Uptake ◽  
Growing Season ◽  
Control Treatment ◽  
Yield Response ◽  
N Recovery ◽  
Fertilizer N ◽  
N Budget ◽  
Available N ◽  
N Removal ◽  
Use Efficiency

The increase in fertilizer costs as well as environmental concerns has stimulated growers to re-evaluate their fertilizer applications to optimize nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) while maintaining crop yields and minimizing N losses. With these objectives, field trials were conducted at seven sites with five N rates (0 to 220 kg N/ha) of ammonium-nitrate applied preplant broadcast and incorporated as well as a split application treatment of 65 + 45 kg N/ha. In three contrasting years (i.e., cool/wet versus warm/dry versus average), N treatment had no observable effect on grade size distribution or brine quality. Based on the zero N control treatment, the limited yield response to fertilizer N was the result of sufficient plant-available N over the growing season. In the N budget, there was no difference between N treatments in crop N removal, but there was a positive linear relationship between N applied and the quantity of N in crop residue as well as in the soil after harvest. As expected, apparent fertilizer N recovery and N uptake efficiency were lower at 220 versus 110 kg N/ha applied preplant or split. The preplant and split applications of 110 kg N/ha were not different in yield, overall N budget, or NUE. Considering the short growing season, planting into warm soils, and the generally productive, nonresponsive soils in the region, growers should consider reducing or eliminating fertilizer N applications in machine-harvested cucumber.

scholarly journals Nitrogen Availability in Pecan Orchard Soil: Implications for Pecan Fertilizer Management

HortScience ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 46 (9) ◽  
pp. 1294-1297 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Lenny Wells
Keyword(s):  
Nitrogen Availability ◽  
Poultry Litter ◽  
Growing Season ◽  
N Fertilizer ◽  
N Availability ◽  
Soil N ◽  
N Dynamics ◽  
Available N ◽  
Crimson Clover ◽  
Soil N Dynamics

Nitrogen (N) fertilizer application to plants at rates not adjusted for the N contribution from soil N availability may result in overapplication of fertilizer. Further understanding of proper timing of N applications based on soil N dynamics and plant demand can be valuable information for the efficient use of fertilizer N. The present study measures soil N dynamics in a pecan orchard under various N fertilizer regimes on a southeastern U.S. Coastal Plain soil. The following treatments were evaluated: 1) crimson clover (Trifolium incarnatum L.); 2) poultry litter; 3) crimson clover + poultry litter; 4) ammonium nitrate (NH4NO3); and 5) untreated control. Crimson clover provided from 20 to 75 kg·ha−1 N over the course of the two growing seasons; however, most of the available N from crimson clover became available late in the growing season. As a result, supplemental N may be required in spring where crimson clover is used as an orchard cover crop. Poultry litter, with and without clover, provided available N consistently throughout the growing season with more N becoming available later in the season than earlier. This suggests that poultry litter applications for pecan should be timed before budbreak. Under optimum environmental conditions, N from NH4NO3 is most available within the first 30 days of application. Thus, it appears that synthetic fertilizer applications using NH4NO3 as the N source should be targeted at or 2 to 3 weeks after pecan budbreak.

Wild Oat (Avena fatua) Competition with Spring Wheat: Effects of Nitrogen Fertilization

Weed Science ◽  
1986 ◽  
Vol 34 (1) ◽  
pp. 29-33 ◽  
Author(s):  
Harry L. Carlson ◽  
James E. Hill
Keyword(s):  
Spring Wheat ◽  
Nitrogen Fertilization ◽  
Field Experiments ◽  
Plant Density ◽  
Crop Yields ◽  
Wheat Yield ◽  
Avena Fatua ◽  
Yield Response ◽  
Wild Oat ◽  
Total Plant

Field experiments were conducted to determine the effect of nitrogen fertilization on competition between wild oat (Avena fatuaL. # AVEFA) and spring wheat (Triticum aestivum‘Anza’). Nitrogen fertilizer treatments were applied over several wild oat-wheat density combinations. Wheat grain yield in wild oat-infested plots generally declined with fertilization while the density of wild oat panicles increased. Apparently, in competition with wheat, wild oat was better able to utilize the added nitrogen and thus gained a competitive advantage over the wheat. The increased competitiveness of wild oat resulted in reduced crop yields. Under the conditions of these experiments, nitrogen fertilization resulted in positive wheat yield response only when the wild oat plant density was below 1.6 percent of the total plant density.

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.

Yield and protein responses to nitrogen, and nitrogen fertiliser requirements of grain sorghum, in relation to soil nitrate levels

1997 ◽  
Vol 48 (8) ◽  
pp. 1187 ◽  
Author(s):  
I. C. R. Holford ◽  
J. F. Holland ◽  
A. J. Good ◽  
C. Leckie
Keyword(s):  
Yield Response ◽  
N Recovery ◽  
Soil Nitrate ◽  
Soil N ◽  
Response Curves ◽  
The North ◽  
Nitrate N ◽  
South Wales ◽  
Yield Responses ◽  
Protein Response

Sorghum fertiliser experiments at 40 sites on the north-western slopes andplains of New South Wales demonstrated that many soils are severely deficientin nitrogen (N), but most yield responses to fertiliser N occurred on sites inthe southern part of the region. Grain yields responded to fertiliser in fewerthan half of the experiments but protein concentrations responded in about75%.There were 4 distinct types of protein response curve, and the type of curvewas related to the degree of N deficiency. In the most deficient experiments(mean protein 6·1% or less), response curves were convex to thex -axis or linear; at intermediate deficiency (mean protein7·2%), response curves were sigmoid; and at low deficiency (meanprotein 9·7%), response curves were Mitscherlich. Yield responsenever occurred where grain protein was >10%.Maximum grain yield responses and amounts of fertiliser N for maximum profit,estimated by fitting the Mitscherlich equation to response curves, weresignificantly correlated with soil nitrate N levels at various depths in thesouthern experiments, but not in the northern experiments. This difference inN responses appeared to be caused by lower rainfall and higher soil N in mostof the northern experiments. Nitrate-N levels in soils sampled to 15 or 30 cmdepth were better correlated with yield response ( r> 0·81) and fertiliser requirement (r >0·72) than N levels to deeper depths.There was little or no fertiliser N recovery in the grain in the northern experiments but substantial recovery in the south where it was generallygreater than recovery by wheat in earlier experiments in the same region.Fertiliser requirement in relation to soil nitrate-N levels was lower thanthat of these wheat experiments. This was attributed to mid-spring soilsampling for sorghum which underestimates the soil N available to the sorghum

Effect of P fertilizer and precipitation on wheat under permanent beds in the absence of N fertilizer application

2022 ◽  
pp. 1-8
Author(s):  
A. Limon-Ortega ◽  
A. Baez-Perez
Keyword(s):  
Vegetation Index ◽  
Wheat Yield ◽  
Relative Yield ◽  
Fertilizer Application ◽  
N Fertilizer ◽  
Reproductive Stage ◽  
Soil N ◽  
Soil P ◽  
N Supply ◽  
P Application

Abstract Environmental conditions contribute to a large percentage of wheat yield variability. This phenomenon is particularly true in rainfed environments and non-responsive soils to N. However, the effect of P application on wheat is unknown in the absence of N fertilizer application. This study was conducted from 2012 to 2019 in permanent beds established in 2005. Treatments were arranged in a split-plot design and consisted of superimposing three P treatments (foliar, banded and broadcast application) plus a check (0P) within each one of four preceding N treatments (applied from 2005 to 2009). Foliar P generally showed a greater response than granular P treatments even though the soil tests high P (>30 mg/kg). Precipitation estimated for two different growth intervals explained through regression procedures the Years' effect. Seasonal precipitation (224–407 mm) explained variation of relative yield, N harvest index (NHI) and P agronomic efficiency (AE). Reproductive stage precipitation (48–210 mm) explained soil N supply. In dry years, foliar P application improved predicted relative yield 14% and AE 155 kg grain/kg P compared to granular P treatments. Similarly, soil N supply increased 15 kg/ha in dry moisture conditions during the reproductive stage. The NHI consistently improved over the crop seasons. This improvement was relatively larger for 0 kg N/ha. On average, NHI increased from about 0.57 to 0.72%. Normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) readings at the booting growth stage were negatively associated with NHI. Foliar P in this non-responsive soil to N showed the potential to replace granular P sources. However, the omission of granular P needs to be further studied to estimate the long-term effect on the soil P test.

scholarly journals Comparing the performance of 11 crop simulation models in predicting yield response to nitrogen fertilization

2015 ◽  
Vol 154 (7) ◽  
pp. 1218-1240 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. J. SALO ◽  
T. PALOSUO ◽  
K. C. KERSEBAUM ◽  
C. NENDEL ◽  
C. ANGULO ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
N Mineralization ◽  
Simulation Models ◽  
N Fertilizer ◽  
Precipitation Event ◽  
Yield Response ◽  
Soil N ◽  
Soil N Mineralization ◽  
Crop Simulation ◽  
Crop Simulation Models ◽  
Model Predictions

SUMMARYEleven widely used crop simulation models (APSIM, CERES, CROPSYST, COUP, DAISY, EPIC, FASSET, HERMES, MONICA, STICS and WOFOST) were tested using spring barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) data set under varying nitrogen (N) fertilizer rates from three experimental years in the boreal climate of Jokioinen, Finland. This is the largest standardized crop model inter-comparison under different levels of N supply to date. The models were calibrated using data from 2002 and 2008, of which 2008 included six N rates ranging from 0 to 150 kg N/ha. Calibration data consisted of weather, soil, phenology, leaf area index (LAI) and yield observations. The models were then tested against new data for 2009 and their performance was assessed and compared with both the two calibration years and the test year. For the calibration period, root mean square error between measurements and simulated grain dry matter yields ranged from 170 to 870 kg/ha. During the test year 2009, most models failed to accurately reproduce the observed low yield without N fertilizer as well as the steep yield response to N applications. The multi-model predictions were closer to observations than most single-model predictions, but multi-model mean could not correct systematic errors in model simulations. Variation in soil N mineralization and LAI development due to differences in weather not captured by the models most likely was the main reason for their unsatisfactory performance. This suggests the need for model improvement in soil N mineralization as a function of soil temperature and moisture. Furthermore, specific weather event impacts such as low temperatures after emergence in 2009, tending to enhance tillering, and a high precipitation event just before harvest in 2008, causing possible yield penalties, were not captured by any of the models compared in the current study.

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