Soil tests for predicting the N requirement of corn

2004 ◽  
Vol 84 (1) ◽  
pp. 103-113 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. G. Beauchamp ◽  
B. D. Kay ◽  
R. Pararajasingham
Keyword(s):  
Cover Crop ◽  
Crop Residues ◽  
Red Clover ◽  
Growing Season ◽  
Soil Samples ◽  
Soil N ◽  
Available N ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
N Requirement ◽  
Corn Grain

Several soil N tests were compared with the one currently used for predicting the N requirement for corn in Ontario. The current test involves a measurement of nitrate (NO3−, 0–30 cm) before N fertilizer sidedressing. The study was done to determine the efficacy of other tests for N fertilizer prediction. The tests chosen varied in the quantity of N “extracted” and included hot KCl-extractable NH4+, anaerobically released NH4+, extractable NH4+ following autoclaving in CaCl2 solution and total N of soil sampled to a depth of 30 cm. The 3-yr study was conducted on a sloped (simple) field site, which provided a wide range in soil organic matter (SOM) contents. A corn crop was grown each year following a barley crop with or without red clover cover crop residues incorporated in the spring and with or without N fertilization. Corn grain yields were obtained at the end of the growing season. Grain yields were lowest at the shoulder and backslope locations and highest at the footslope and toeslope locations. Corn plant shoot biomass and N content and soil mineral (NH4+and NO3−) N (0–30 cm) were measured biweekly to provide an estimate or index of available N. Plant and soil samples were taken at the summit, shoulder, backslope, footslope and toeslope locations providing a wide range of SOM levels, which, in turn, provided a range in available N for comparing the various soil N tests. The increase in estimated available N during the growing season was most rapid in the 120–180 day of year (DOY) period and substantially slower in the 230–260 DOY period. An available N index (AVN) was obtained by averaging the N measured with three plant and soil samples taken in the late August to early September period. Thus, the AVN was determined during a period when the increase in available N was relatively slow. Regressions of corn grain yield (not fertilized with N) on AVN produced R2 values ranging from 0.61 to 0.93. Values of R2 for AVN vs. the soil tests ranged from 0.34 to 0.88 where red clover crop residues were not involved. The AVN values were less correlated with the soil N test values where red clover cover crop residues were incorporated with R2 values ranging from 0.11 to 0.92. It was concluded that the hot KCl test would be a suitable alternative to the currently used soil NO3− test because of relatively simple soil sample preparations and storage, and analytical procedures. Key words: Soil N tests, corn, available N index, soil organic matter, landscape location

scholarly journals Crop and Residue Management Improves Productivity and Profitability of Rice–Maize System in Salt-Affected Rainfed Lowlands of East India

Agronomy ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (12) ◽  
pp. 2019
Author(s):  
Sukanta K. Sarangi ◽  
Sudhanshu Singh ◽  
Ashish K. Srivastava ◽  
Madhu Choudhary ◽  
Uttam K. Mandal ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Soil Salinity ◽  
Crop Residues ◽  
Dry Season ◽  
Residue Management ◽  
Rice Grain ◽  
Rice Varieties ◽  
Available N ◽  
Cropping Intensity ◽  
Hybrid Maize ◽  
N Requirement

This study was conducted over 3 years in a salt-affected coastal rainfed lowland ecosystem. Farmers most commonly grow tall rice varieties in the wet season to cope with flash and/or stagnant floods, leading to large amounts of rice residue production. Most of the land remains fallow during the dry season because of increased salinity and scarcity of freshwater for irrigation. The study aims to provide options for increasing cropping intensity through management of crop residues (CR) and soil salinity, conservation of soil moisture, and reduction in production cost. The rice–maize rotation was assessed with rice as the main plot as (1) puddled transplanted rice (PTR) with CR of both rice and maize removed, (2) PTR and 40% CR of both crops retained, (3) dry direct-seeded rice (DSR) with CR of both crops removed, and (4) DSR with 40% CR of both crops retained. Maize in the dry season was supplied with different N levels as sub-plots—control (0 kg N ha−1), 80, 120, and 160 kg N ha−1. DSR, when combined with CR retention (DSR + R), reduced soil salinity. The increase in rice grain yield with CR retention (observed in second and third years) and crop establishment (higher in DSR versus PTR in the third year) was 16 and 24%, respectively. The cost of production increased by 17% (USD 605 ha−1) in PTR compared with DSR (USD 518 ha−1). CR retention reduced irrigation water requirement by 37% and N requirement by 40 kg ha−1 for hybrid maize. When CR was removed (−R), the N requirement for hybrid maize increased to 160 kg N ha−1 compared to when it was partially (40%) retained, where the requirement was 120 kg ha−1 with similar yields. Available N was highest under DSR + R (314 kg ha−1) and lowest under PTR − R (169 kg ha−1), and it also increased with increasing N application up to 120 kg ha−1 (+R) and 160 kg ha−1 (−R). The results of the study hold promise for increasing cropping intensity and farmers’ incomes, with broader implications for increasing productivity on about 2.95 million hectares currently under a rice–fallow system in eastern India, and in coastal areas affected by similar conditions in South and Southeast Asia.

Nutrient release from decomposing crop residues in soil: A laboratory experiment

1997 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 10-13 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Scagnozzi ◽  
A. Saviozzi ◽  
R. Levi-Minzi ◽  
R. Riffaldi
Keyword(s):  
Laboratory Experiment ◽  
Crop Residues ◽  
Nutrient Release ◽  
Soil Samples ◽  
Water Soluble ◽  
Microbial Immobilization ◽  
Total N ◽  
Available N ◽  
Treated Soil ◽  
Quantitative Changes

AbstractIn a 400-day laboratory experiment, soil was amended with rape, sunflower and soybean residues to monitor the quantitative changes in the main inorganic nutrients. Total N, available P, exchangeable K+, Ca2+, and Mg2+ in all the amended samples increased significantly. Generally, the increase in the amounts of these nutrients was maintained until the end of the incubation period, suggesting that the mineralization of the three crop residues enhanced soil fertility. In amended soil samples, disappeared within 14 days, while available N was released as after 60 days in soybean-treated and after 120 days in rape- and sunflower-treated soil, respectively. Water-soluble P was completely lacking in each treatment because of microbial immobilization and adsorption or precipitation processes in soil.

scholarly journals Effect of Winter Cover Crop Residue on No-till Pumpkin Yield

HortScience ◽  
2007 ◽  
Vol 42 (7) ◽  
pp. 1568-1574 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. Ryan Harrelson ◽  
Greg D. Hoyt ◽  
John L. Havlin ◽  
David W. Monks
Keyword(s):  
Cover Crops ◽  
Cover Crop ◽  
Crop Residues ◽  
Fruit Size ◽  
Vegetable Production ◽  
Surface Residue ◽  
No Till ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Winter Cover Crop ◽  
Winter Cover

Throughout the southeastern United States, vegetable growers have successfully cultivated pumpkins (Cucurbita pepo) using conventional tillage. No-till pumpkin production has not been pursued by many growers as a result of the lack of herbicides, no-till planting equipment, and knowledge in conservation tillage methods. All of these conservation production aids are now present for successful no-till vegetable production. The primary reasons to use no-till technologies for pumpkins include reduced erosion, improved soil moisture conservation, long-term improvement in soil chemical and microbial properties, and better fruit appearance while maintaining similar yields compared with conventionally produced pumpkins. Cover crop utilization varies in no-till production, whereas residue from different cover crops can affect yields. The objective of these experiments was to evaluate the influence of surface residue type on no-till pumpkin yield and fruit quality. Results from these experiments showed all cover crop residues produced acceptable no-till pumpkin yields and fruit size. Field location, weather conditions, soil type, and other factors probably affected pumpkin yields more than surface residue. Vegetable growers should expect to successfully grow no-till pumpkins using any of the winter cover crop residues tested over a wide range in residue biomass rates.

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.

Soil N 2 O emissions following termination of grass pea and oat cover crop residues with different maturity levels

2020 ◽  
Vol 183 (6) ◽  
pp. 734-744
Author(s):  
Hardeep Singh ◽  
Tanka P. Kandel ◽  
Prasanna H. Gowda ◽  
Brian K. Northup ◽  
Vijaya G. Kakani ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cover Crop ◽  
Crop Residues ◽  
Soil N ◽  
Grass Pea

Cover Crop Impact on Weed Dynamics in an Organic Dry Bean System

Weed Science ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 64 (2) ◽  
pp. 261-275 ◽  
Author(s):  
Erin C. Hill ◽  
Karen A. Renner ◽  
Christy L. Sprague ◽  
Adam S. Davis
Keyword(s):  
Cover Crops ◽  
Cover Crop ◽  
Red Clover ◽  
Soil N ◽  
Dry Beans ◽  
Dry Bean ◽  
Cereal Rye ◽  
Seed Persistence ◽  
Giant Foxtail ◽  
Weed Dynamics

Weed suppression is one possible benefit of including cover crops in crop rotations. The late spring planting date of dry beans allows for more growth of cover crops in the spring. We assessed the influence of cover crops on weed dynamics in organic dry beans and weed seed persistence. Medium red clover, oilseed radish, and cereal rye were planted the year before dry beans; a no-cover-crop control was also included. After cover-crop incorporation, common lambsquarters, giant foxtail, and velvetleaf seeds were buried in the red clover, cereal rye, and no-cover control treatments and then retrieved 0, 1, 2, 4, 6, and 12 mo after cover-crop incorporation. Dry beans were planted in June and weed emergence and biomass measured. Eleven or more site-years of data were collected for each cover-crop treatment between 2011 and 2013, allowing for structural equation modeling (SEM), in addition to traditional analyses. Cereal rye residue increased giant foxtail and velvetleaf seed persistence by up to 12%; red clover decreased common lambsquarters seed persistence by 22% in 1 of 2 yr relative to the no-cover-crop control. Oilseed radish and incorporated cereal rye rarely reduced weed densities. When red clover biomass exceeded 5 Mg ha−1, soil inorganic N was often higher (5 of 6 site-years), as were weed density and biomass (5 and 4 of 12 main site sample times, respectively). Using SEM, we identified one causal relationship between cover-crop N content and weed biomass at the first flower stage (R1), as mediated through soil N at the time of dry bean planting and at the stage with two fully expanded trifoliates. Increasing cover-crop C : N ratios directly reduced weed biomass at R1, not mediated through changes in soil N. Cover crops that make a significant contribution to soil N may also stimulate weed emergence and growth.

Net nitrogen mineralization from a Gray Luvisol under diverse cropping systems in the Peace River region of Alberta

1996 ◽  
Vol 76 (2) ◽  
pp. 117-123 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. Broersma ◽  
N. G. Juma ◽  
J. A. Robertson
Keyword(s):  
N Mineralization ◽  
Cropping Systems ◽  
Cropping System ◽  
Red Clover ◽  
Growing Season ◽  
Soil Samples ◽  
Net N Mineralization ◽  
Mineralization Rate ◽  
River Region ◽  
Gray Luvisol

Proper management of crops on Gray Luvisols requires knowledge of net soil N mineralization during the growing season. Soil samples from a long-term field experiment at Beaverlodge, Alberta, were used to determine the kinetics of net N mineralization in soil samples from different crop rotations. The cropping systems established in 1968 consisted of (i) continuous barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) (CB); (ii) barley–forage (BF) [bromegrass (Bromus inermis Leyss.) and red clover (Trifolium pratense L.)]; (iii) continuous bromegrass (CG); and (iv) continuous legume (red clover) (CL.). The BF rotation was generally alternated every 3 yr, and each phase of the rotation (BF and BF) was present in every year. Soil samples from each cropping system were sampled to a depth of 15 cm in 1984. Net N mineralized during a 20-wk laboratory incubation at 30 °C and optimum moisture ranged from 32 to 207 mg kg−1 soil and followed the trend BF < CB = CG = BF < CL. The potentially mineralizable N (N0) ranged from 29 to 364 mg kg−1 soil; the mineralization rate constant (k) ranged from 0.04 to 0.26 wk−1; and the ratio of N0 to total N (active fraction) ranged from 1.1 to 11.4%. The net N mineralization rate of CL soil was 10-fold greater than that of the other cropping systems at the end of 20 wk of incubation. This suggests that the CL cropping system provides more N than other cropping systems during the growing season. Results support the observation that forages improve the N-supplying power of Gray Luvisols. Key words: Gray Luvisol, Typic Cryoboralf, N mineralization potential, cropping rotations, active N fraction

scholarly journals Fate of a 15N-labeled Urea Pulse in Heavily Fertilized Banana Crops

Agronomy ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (5) ◽  
pp. 666
Author(s):  
Line Raphael ◽  
Sylvie Recous ◽  
Harry Ozier-Lafontaine ◽  
Jorge Sierra
Keyword(s):  
Crop Residues ◽  
Growing Season ◽  
N Fertilization ◽  
N Leaching ◽  
N Recovery ◽  
Fertilizer N ◽  
Mineral N ◽  
Total Recovery ◽  
Available N ◽  
Banana Crops

Banana crops in the Caribbean are characterized by the use of high rates of nitrogen (N) fertilization which causes severe environmental damages. The aim of this study was to assess the fertilizer N use efficiency (NUE) of banana crops in the field. To do so, a field trial was carried out during the first (GS1) and the fourth (GS4) growing seasons of banana crops, and the fate of a 15N-labeled pulse applied late in the growing season (flowering stage) was determined. At harvest, NUE (average 24% 15N applied) and the total recovery of fertilizer 15N in the soil–plant system (i.e., 40% in GS1 and 62% in GS4) were low. Low NUE resulted mainly from the dilution in a large soil mineral N pool derived from earlier applications of the labeled-N fertilizer applied at flowering, combined with leaching caused by numerous high-intensity rainfall events (>20 mm d−1). Crop residues from previous cycles present at time of fertilizer application in the fourth growing season, promoted fertilizer N immobilization, which in turn favored fertilizer N recovery by decreasing N leaching. The results suggest that N fertilization after the first season could be reduced by 30% (i.e., −90 kg N ha−1) corresponding to the suppression of two applications from flowering to harvest with the current fertilizer management, as available N derived from earlier applications is sufficient to meet plant requirements.

scholarly journals Analogy-Based Crop Yield Forecasts Based on Temporal Similarity of Leaf Area Index

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (16) ◽  
pp. 3069
Author(s):  
Yadong Liu ◽  
Junhwan Kim ◽  
David H. Fleisher ◽  
Kwang Soo Kim
Keyword(s):  
Time Series ◽  
Leaf Area Index ◽  
Leaf Area ◽  
Crop Yield ◽  
Satellite Data ◽  
Growing Season ◽  
Environmental Data ◽  
Area Index ◽  
Current Season ◽  
Wide Range

Seasonal forecasts of crop yield are important components for agricultural policy decisions and farmer planning. A wide range of input data are often needed to forecast crop yield in a region where sophisticated approaches such as machine learning and process-based models are used. This requires considerable effort for data preparation in addition to identifying data sources. Here, we propose a simpler approach called the Analogy Based Crop-yield (ABC) forecast scheme to make timely and accurate prediction of regional crop yield using a minimum set of inputs. In the ABC method, a growing season from a prior long-term period, e.g., 10 years, is first identified as analogous to the current season by the use of a similarity index based on the time series leaf area index (LAI) patterns. Crop yield in the given growing season is then forecasted using the weighted yield average reported in the analogous seasons for the area of interest. The ABC approach was used to predict corn and soybean yields in the Midwestern U.S. at the county level for the period of 2017–2019. The MOD15A2H, which is a satellite data product for LAI, was used to compile inputs. The mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) of crop yield forecasts was <10% for corn and soybean in each growing season when the time series of LAI from the day of year 89 to 209 was used as inputs to the ABC approach. The prediction error for the ABC approach was comparable to results from a deep neural network model that relied on soil and weather data as well as satellite data in a previous study. These results indicate that the ABC approach allowed for crop yield forecast with a lead-time of at least two months before harvest. In particular, the ABC scheme would be useful for regions where crop yield forecasts are limited by availability of reliable environmental data.

scholarly journals Development of an Online Tool for Tracking Soil Nitrogen to Improve the Environmental Performance of Maize Production

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (10) ◽  
pp. 5649
Author(s):  
Giovani Preza-Fontes ◽  
Junming Wang ◽  
Muhammad Umar ◽  
Meilan Qi ◽  
Kamaljit Banger ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Real Time ◽  
N Uptake ◽  
Growing Season ◽  
Weather Data ◽  
N Availability ◽  
Soil N ◽  
N Losses ◽  
Online Tool ◽  
Support Tool ◽  
Soil N Availability

Freshwater nitrogen (N) pollution is a significant sustainability concern in agriculture. In the U.S. Midwest, large precipitation events during winter and spring are a major driver of N losses. Uncertainty about the fate of applied N early in the growing season can prompt farmers to make additional N applications, increasing the risk of environmental N losses. New tools are needed to provide real-time estimates of soil inorganic N status for corn (Zea mays L.) production, especially considering projected increases in precipitation and N losses due to climate change. In this study, we describe the initial stages of developing an online tool for tracking soil N, which included, (i) implementing a network of field trials to monitor changes in soil N concentration during the winter and early growing season, (ii) calibrating and validating a process-based model for soil and crop N cycling, and (iii) developing a user-friendly and publicly available online decision support tool that could potentially assist N fertilizer management. The online tool can estimate real-time soil N availability by simulating corn growth, crop N uptake, soil organic matter mineralization, and N losses from assimilated soil data (from USDA gSSURGO soil database), hourly weather data (from National Weather Service Real-Time Mesoscale Analysis), and user-entered crop management information that is readily available for farmers. The assimilated data have a resolution of 2.5 km. Given limitations in prediction accuracy, however, we acknowledge that further work is needed to improve model performance, which is also critical for enabling adoption by potential users, such as agricultural producers, fertilizer industry, and researchers. We discuss the strengths and limitations of attempting to provide rapid and cost-effective estimates of soil N availability to support in-season N management decisions, specifically related to the need for supplemental N application. If barriers to adoption are overcome to facilitate broader use by farmers, such tools could balance the need for ensuring sufficient soil N supply while decreasing the risk of N losses, and helping increase N use efficiency, reduce pollution, and increase profits.

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