Availability of nitrogen from municipal biosolids for dryland forage grass

2000 ◽  
Vol 80 (3) ◽  
pp. 575-582 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. J. Zebarth ◽  
R. McDougall ◽  
G. Neilsen ◽  
D. Neilsen

A 3-yr study, initiated in 1996, evaluated the availability of N from applied biosolids for dryland forage grass production under the cool, continental climatic conditions in central British Columbia. Treatments included 600 (LB), 1200 (MB) and 1800 (HB) kg total N ha−1 applied as municipal biosolids, a single application of 150 kg N ha−1 as urea in the first year of the experiment (SF), a multiple application of 150, 60 and 30 kg N ha−1 as urea in the first, second, and third years of the experiment (MF), and a control that received no biosolids or urea. All treatments were roto-tilled to 15-cm depth and seeded to a mixture of four grasses. The LB treatment was predicted to supply a similar quantity of plant-available N as the MF treatment, assuming 25, 10, and 5% of biosolids N is available in the first, second, and third year, respectively. Soil N fertility was poor as indicated by the very low forage yield and N uptake in the control, and minimal apparent net soil N mineralisation. Recovery of urea N in the crop over 3 yr averaged only 27%, likely reflecting net immobilisation in this recently broken site and accumulation of N in non-harvested portions of the crop. Cumulative recovery of N from biosolids in the harvested forage averaged only 11%. However, the fertiliser N equivalency of the biosolids N (ratio of recovery of biosolids N to urea N) was estimated at 41%, close to the predicted value of 40%. Forage yield and N uptake were similar for the LB and MF treatments, suggesting that actual biosolids N availability was similar to that predicted. Limited forage yield increase for the HB compared with the MB treatment early in the experiment, and high forage nitrate content for the HB treatment in the first year, suggest that the HB treatment initially supplied an excessive quantity of N. Both urea and biosolids applications increased cumulative uptake of other macro- and micro-nutrients, with forage Cu concentrations reaching values in the establishment year that may be of concern for some animal species. Monitoring of forage NO3 and Cu concentrations is advisable where biosolids are applied. Key words: Phleum pratense L., Dactylis glomerata, Bromus inermis, Bromus biebersteinii, soil N mineralisation, NO3 toxicity

2013 ◽  
Vol 59 (No. 6) ◽  
pp. 235-240 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bordoloi LJ ◽  
Singh AK ◽  
Manoj-Kumar ◽  
Patiram ◽  
S. Hazarika

Plant&rsquo;s nitrogen (N) requirement that is not fulfilled by available N in soil has to be supplied externally through chemical fertilizers. A reliable estimate of soil N-supplying capacity (NSC) is therefore essential for efficient fertilizer use. In this study involving a pot experiment with twenty acidic soils varying widely in properties, we evaluated six chemical indices of soil N-availability viz. organic carbon (C<sub>org</sub>), total N (N<sub>tot</sub>), acid and alkaline-KMnO<sub>4</sub> extractable-N, hot KCl extractable-N (KCl-N) and phosphate-borate buffer extractable-N (PBB-N), based on their strength of correlation with available-N values obtained through aerobic incubation (AI-N) and anaerobic incubation (ANI-N), and also with the dry matter yield (DMY), N percentage and plant (maize) N uptake (PNU). In general, the soils showed large variability in NSC as indicated by variability in PNU which ranged from 598 to 1026 mg/pot. Correlations of the N-availability indices with AI-N and ANI-N decreased in the order: PBB-N (r = 0.784** and 0.901**) &gt; KCl-N (r = 0.773** and 0.743**) &gt; acid KMnO<sub>4</sub>-N (r = 0.575** and 0.651**) &ge; C<sub>org</sub> (r = 0.591** and 0.531**) &ge; alkaline KMnO<sub>4</sub>-N (r = 0.394** and 0.548**) &gt; N<sub>tot</sub> (r = 0.297** and 0.273*). Of all the indices evaluated, PBB-N showed the best correlations with plant parameters as well (r = 0.790** and 0.793** for DMY and PNU, respectively). Based on the highest correlations of PBB-N with biological indices as well as plant responses, we propose PBB-N as an appropriate index of N-availability in the acidic soils of India and other regions with similar soils.


2011 ◽  
Vol 2011 ◽  
pp. 1-7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Craig G. Cogger ◽  
Andy I. Bary ◽  
Elizabeth A. Myhre

As heat-dried biosolids become more widely produced and marketed, it is important to improve estimates of N availability from these materials. Objectives were to compare plant-available N among three different heat-dried biosolids and determine if current guidelines were adequate for estimating application rates. Heat-dried biosolids were surface applied to tall fescue (Festuca arundinaceaSchreb.) in Washington State, USA, and forage yield and N uptake measured for two growing seasons following application. Three rates of urea and a zero-N control were used to calculate N fertilizer efficiency regressions. Application year plant-available N (estimated as urea N equivalent) for two biosolids exceeded 60% of total N applied, while urea N equivalent for the third biosolids was 45%. Residual (second-year) urea N equivalent ranged from 5 to 10%. Guidelines for the Pacific Northwest USA recommend mineralization estimates of 35 to 40% for heat-dried biosolids, but this research shows that some heat-dried materials fall well above that range.


2014 ◽  
Vol 84 ◽  
pp. 83-92 ◽  
Author(s):  
Muhammad Imtiaz Rashid ◽  
Ron G.M. de Goede ◽  
Lijbert Brussaard ◽  
Jaap Bloem ◽  
Egbert A. Lantinga

2008 ◽  
Vol 23 (03) ◽  
pp. 250-259 ◽  
Author(s):  
Derek H. Lynch ◽  
Zhiming Zheng ◽  
Bernie J. Zebarth ◽  
Ralph C. Martin

AbstractThe market for certified organic potatoes in Canada is growing rapidly, but the productivity and dynamics of soil N under commercial organic potato systems remain largely unknown. This study examined, at two sites in Atlantic Canada (Winslow, PEI, and Brookside, NS), the impacts of organic amendments on Shepody potato yield, quality and soil mineral nitrogen dynamics under organic management. Treatments included a commercial hog manure–sawdust compost (CP) and pelletized poultry manure (NW) applied at 300 and 600 kg total N ha−1, plus an un-amended control (CT). Wireworm damage reduced plant stands at Brookside in 2003 and those results are not presented. Relatively high tuber yields (~30 Mg ha−1) and crop N uptake (112 kg N ha−1) were achieved for un-amended soil in those site-years (Winslow 2003 and 2004) when soil moisture was non-limiting. Compost resulted in higher total yields than CT in one of three site-years. Apparent recovery of N from CP was negligible; therefore CP yield benefits were attributed to factors other than N availability. At Winslow, NW300, but not NW600, significantly increased total and marketable yields by an average of 5.8 and 7.0 Mg ha−1. Plant available N averaged 39 and 33% for NW300 and NW600, respectively. Soil (0–30 cm) NO3−-N at harvest was low (&lt;25 kg N ha−1) for CT and CP, but increased substantially both in season and at harvest (61–141 kg N ha−1) when NW was applied. Most leaching losses of NO3−-N occur between seasons and excessive levels of residual soil NO3-N at harvest, as obtained for NW600, must be avoided. Given current premiums for certified organic potatoes, improving yields through application of amendments supplying moderate rates of N or organic matter appears warranted.


1991 ◽  
Vol 42 (1) ◽  
pp. 31 ◽  
Author(s):  
J Evans ◽  
NA Fettell ◽  
DR Coventry ◽  
GE O'Connor ◽  
DN Walsgott ◽  
...  

At 15 sites in the cereal belt of New South Wales and Victoria, wheat after lupin or pea produced more biomass and had a greater nitrogen (N) content than wheat after wheat or barley; on average these crops assimilated 36 kg N/ha more. The improved wheat yield after lupin averaged 0 . 9 t/ha and after pea 0.7 t/ha, increases of 44 and 32% respectively. The responses were variable with site, year and legume. Soil available N was increased by both lupin and pea and the levels of surface inorganic N measured at the maturity of first year crops was often related to N in wheat grown in the following year. Of two possible sources of additional N for wheat after legumes, namely mineral N conserved in soil by lupin or pea (up to 60 kg N/ha) and the total N added in the residues of these legumes (up to 152 kg N/ha), both were considered significant to the growth of a following wheat crop. Their relative contribution to explaining variance in wheat N is analysed, and it is suggested wheat may acquire up to 40 kg N/ha from legume stubbles. Non-legume break crops also increased subsequent wheat yield but this effect was not as great as the combined effect of added N and disease break attained with crop legumes.


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.


1987 ◽  
Vol 17 (6) ◽  
pp. 516-523 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. Côté ◽  
C. Camiré

The cycling of N, P, K, Ca, and Mg was quantified during the third growing season in plantings (33 × 33 cm) of black alder (Alnusglutinosa (L.) Gaertn.) and hybrid poplar cv. Roxbury (Populusnigra L. × Populustrichocarpa Torr and Gray). First-year nutrient uptake, tree growth, and nutrient status of poplar were also assessed. During the 1st year, height and above-ground biomass growth of poplar were positively correlated with the proportion of alder in a plot. Poplar was twice as tall as alder in a mixed treatment and produced three times the aboveground biomass of alder in mixed plantings. On an individual tree basis, 1st year soil N uptake of alder averaged 46% of poplar N uptake. First-year winter dieback of poplar in this study prevented alder from being completely shaded by the poplars. Biomass growth and N status of poplar in the 2nd year were improved in mixed culture. After 3 years, accumulation of N and P in trees increased with the proportion of alder in a plot (maxima of 219 and 21 kg ha−1, respectively), but the greatest accumulations of N derived from the soil and K, Ca, and Mg were in mixed plantings (140, 88, 69, and 22.4 kg ha−1). Except for P, soil nutrient uptake during the third growing season was highest in plots with one alder for two poplars (maxima of 108, 9.1, 50, 60, and 19 kg ha−1 for N, P, K, Ca, and Mg). Throughfall nutrient content was not affected by species mixture. Except for Ca, nutrient content of total leaf litter increased with the proportion of alder (maxima of 80, 3.1, 13, 35, and 6.9 kg ha−1 for N, P, K, Ca, and Mg). After 3 years, no accretion of total N was detected in the soil, but exchangeable K increased 93% in the top 5 cm. Because stimulatory effect of interplanted alder on poplar growth decreased with time, reduced competition for soil N and light from the smaller alder during the first growing season were considered the most important factors in increasing individual poplar growth in our plantation.


2009 ◽  
Vol 89 (4) ◽  
pp. 403-411 ◽  
Author(s):  
S S Malhi ◽  
Y K Soon ◽  
S Brandt

Growing season rainfall affects fertilizer N recovery, particularly in semi-arid environments. However, the influence of rainfall distribution during the growing season is not well-understood. We conducted a 7-yr study (from 1997 to 2006) to assess this effect, and that of no-till (NT) vs. conventional tillage (CT), on fertilizer N recovery by spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) fertilized with 15N-labelled urea at 40 kg N ha–1 and grown on stubble on a Dark Brown Chernozem soil in Saskatchewan, Canada. Two of the seven experimental years had growing season rainfall close to normal, one was above normal and four were below normal. Tillage treatment did not affect 15N recovery by wheat; however, 15N recovery in the top 15 cm of soil averaged 47% under NT vs. 39% under CT (P = 0.02). Total N and 15N uptakes were most affected by "year" due to variation in growing season rainfall distribution. Excluding an ultra-low value of 3.8% (or 1.5 kg N ha–1) in 2002, due to extreme drought, 15N recovery by wheat averaged 47.5% (range 30–57%), and percent N derived from fertilizer was 12–20%. Rainfall in May correlated significantly with 15N and total N uptake (r = 0.605 and 0.699, respectively). The recovery of 15N in wheat head correlated negatively with June rainfall (r = –0.624), probably because more moisture increased soil N mineralization, which diluted the 15N pool. During grain filling, soil N uptake was 12–30 kg ha–1, compared with negligible amounts (< 7%) of 15N; however, about 15 kg ha–1 of 15N were remobilized vs. 34–74 kg ha–1 of soil N. It is concluded that, in this semi-arid region, fertilizer N uptake is influenced more by rainfall in May than other months of the growth period.Key words: 15N-labelled urea, fertilizer N recovery, N uptake, rainfall, remobilized N, tillage


2021 ◽  
Vol 2 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jonathan M. Berlingeri ◽  
Joseph R. Lawrence ◽  
S. Sunoj ◽  
Karl J. Czymmek ◽  
Quirine M. Ketterings

A field nutrient balance (supplied minus harvested) can be an effective, end-of-season management evaluation tool. However, development of guidance for balance-based management requires knowledge of variability in balance inputs. To contribute to development of such guidelines, we evaluated the impact of corn silage hybrid selection, nutrient management, and growing conditions on field nitrogen (N) balances and documented variability in N and phosphorus (P) balances at the whole-farm, field, within-field levels. Variability in N removal among hybrids was evaluated using hybrid trials (5 locations, 4 years each). Variability in farm and field balances (4 farms, 2 years each) and within-field balances (2 farms, 2 years each) was assessed as well. Nitrogen supply comprised soil N (soil type-specific book values), rotation N, past manure N, and current year N (fertilizer and/or manure). Total N balances included all current year manure N while available N balances considered only plant-available N from manure. Phosphorus balances were derived as total P applied minus P harvested. Yield explained 81% of the variability in N uptake across hybrids. Nitrogen uptake intensity (NUI; N uptake per unit of yield) varied across locations and years, averaging 4.3 ± 0.1 kg N/Mg for short-season hybrids [≤95 days-to-maturity (DTM)] vs. 4.1 ± 0.1 kg N Mg−1 for longer-season hybrids. Whole-farm N balances ranged from 139 to 251 kg N ha−1 for total N and 43 to 106 kg N ha−1 for available N. Phosphorus balances ranged from 28 to 154 kg P ha−1. Balances per field ranged from −8 to 453, −66 to 250 kg N ha−1, and −30 to 315 kg P ha−1 for total N, available N, and total P, respectively, while within-field balances showed even larger ranges. We conclude that (1) variability in corn silage N and P balances at field and within-field scales and across year is large, emphasizing the need for field and within-field (where feasible) evaluation tools and management options, and (2) feasible limits for N balances should include both total and available N.


2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Xianyu Yao ◽  
Qianchun Zhang ◽  
Haiju Zhou ◽  
Zhi Nong ◽  
Shaoming Ye ◽  
...  

Abstract Background There is substantial evidence that Eucalyptus for nitrogen (N) absorption and increasing the growth benefit from the introduction of N-fixing species, but the underlying mechanisms for microbially mediated soil N cycling remains unclear. Methods We investigated the changes of soil pH, soil water content (SWC), soil organic carbon (SOC), total N (TN), inorganic N (NH4+-N and NO3−-N), microbial biomass and three N-degrading enzyme activities as well as the biomass and N productivity of Eucalyptus between a pure Eucalyptus urophylla × grandis plantation (PP) and a mixed Dalbergia odorifera and Eucalyptus plantation (MP) in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China. Results Compared with the PP site, soil pH, SWC, SOC and TN in both seasons were significantly higher at the MP site, which in turn enhanced microbial biomass and the activities of soil N-degrading enzymes. The stimulated microbial activity at the MP site likely accelerate soil N mineralization, providing more available N (NH4+-N in both seasons and NO3−-N in the wet-hot season) for Eucalyptus absorption. Overall, the N productivity of Eucalyptus at the MP site was increased by 19.7% and 21.9%, promoting the biomass increases of 15.1% and 19.2% in the dry-cold season and wet-hot season, respectively. Conclusion Our results reveal the importance of microbially mediated soil N cycling in the N absorption on Eucalyptus. Introduction of D. odorifera enhances Eucalyptus biomass and N productivity, improve soil N availability and increased soil C and N concentration, which hence can be considered to be an effective sustainable management option of Eucalyptus plantations.


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