scholarly journals 15 N fertilizer recovery and partitioning by cover crops under greenhouse conditions

2020 ◽  
Vol 112 (6) ◽  
pp. 5300-5311
Author(s):  
Kelsey L. H. Greub ◽  
Trenton L. Roberts
2001 ◽  
Vol 1 ◽  
pp. 22-29 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Kuo ◽  
B. Huang ◽  
R. Bembenek

Biculture of nonlegumes and legumes could serve as cover crops for increasing main crop yield, while reducing NO3leaching. This study, conducted from 1994 to 1999, determined the effect of monocultured cereal rye (Secale cereale L.), annual ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum), and hairy vetch (Vicia villosa), and bicultured rye/vetch and ryegrass/vetch on N availability in soil, corn (Zea mays L.) yield, and NO3-N leaching in a silt loam soil. The field had been in corn and cover crop rotation since 1987. In addition to the cover crop treatments, there were four N fertilizer rates (0, 67, 134, and 201 kg N ha-1, referred to as N0, N1, N2, and N3, respectively) applied to corn. The experiment was a randomized split-block design with three replications for each treatment. Lysimeters were installed in 1987 at 0.75 m below the soil surface for leachate collection for the N0, N2, and N3treatments. The result showed that vetch monoculture had the most influence on soil N availability and corn yield, followed by the bicultures. Rye or ryegrass monoculture had either no effect or an adverse effect on corn yield and soil N availability. Leachate NO3-N concentration was highest where vetch cover crop was planted regardless of N rates, which suggests that N mineralization of vetch N continued well into the fall and winter. Leachate NO3-N concentration increased with increasing N fertilizer rates and exceeded the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s drinking water standard of 10 mg N l�1 even at recommended N rate for corn in this region (coastal Pacific Northwest). In comparisons of the average NO3-N concentration during the period of high N leaching, monocultured rye and ryegrass or bicultured rye/vetch and ryegrass/vetch very effectively decreased N leaching in 1998 with dry fall weather. The amount of N available for leaching (determined based on the presidedress nitrate test, the amount of N fertilizer applied, and N uptake) correlated well with average NO3-N during the high N leaching period for vetch cover crop treatment and for the control without the cover crops. The correlation, however, failed for other cover crops largely because of variable effectiveness of the cover crops in reducing NO3leaching during the 5 years of this study. Further research is needed to determine if relay cover crops planted into standing summer crops is a more appropriate approach than fall seeding in this region to gain sufficient growth of the cover crop by fall. Testing with other main crops that have earlier harvest dates than corn is also needed to further validate the effectiveness of the bicultures to increase soil N availability while protecting the water quality.


2022 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah Köbke ◽  
Hongxing He ◽  
Matthias Böldt ◽  
Haitao Wang ◽  
Mehmet Senbayram ◽  
...  

Oilseed rape (Brassica napus L.) is an important bioenergy crop that contributes to the diversification of renewable energy supply and mitigation of fossil fuel CO2 emissions. Typical oilseed rape crop management includes the use of nitrogen (N) fertilizer and the incorporation of oilseed rape straw into soil after harvest. However, both management options risk increasing soil emissions of nitrous oxide (N2O). The aim of this 2-years field experiment was to identify the regulating factors of N cycling with emphasis on N2O emissions during the post-harvest period. As well as the N2O emission rates, soil ammonia (NH4+) and nitrate (NO3−) contents, crop residue and seed yield were also measured. Treatments included variation of fertilizer (non-fertilized, 90 and 180 kg N ha−1) and residue management (straw remaining, straw removal). Measured N2O emission data showed large intra- and inter-annual variations ranging from 0.5 (No-fert + str) to 1.0 kg N2O-N ha−1 (Fert-180 + str) in 2013 and from 4.1 (Fert-90 + str) to 7.3 kg N2O-N ha−1 (No-fert + str) in 2014. Cumulative N2O emissions showed that straw incorporation led to no difference or slightly reduced N2O emissions compared with treatments with straw removal, while N fertilization has no effect on post-harvest N2O emissions. A process-based model, CoupModel, was used to explain the large annual variation of N2O after calibration with measured environmental data. Both modeled and measured data suggest that soil water-filled pore space and temperature were the key factors controlling post-harvest N2O emissions, even though the model seemed to show a higher N2O response to the N fertilizer levels than our measured data. We conclude that straw incorporation in oilseed rape cropping is environmentally beneficial for mitigating N2O losses. The revealed importance of climate in regulating the emissions implies the value of multi-year measurements. Future studies should focus on new management practices to mitigate detrimental effects caused by global warming, for example by using cover crops.


HortScience ◽  
2000 ◽  
Vol 35 (3) ◽  
pp. 461E-461
Author(s):  
H.J. Hruska ◽  
G.R. Cline ◽  
A.F. Silvernail ◽  
K. Kaul

Research began in 1999 to examine sustainable production of bell peppers (Capsicum annuum L.) using conservation tillage and legume winter cover crops. Tillage treatments included conventional tillage, strip-tillage, and no-tillage, and winter covers consisted of hairy vetch (Vicia villosa Roth), winter rye (Secale cereale L.), and a vetch/rye biculture. Pepper yields following the rye winter cover crop were significantly reduced if inorganic N fertilizer was not supplied. However, following vetch, yields of peppers receiving no additional N were similar to yields obtained in treatments receiving the recommended rate of inorganic N fertilizer. Thus, vetch supplied sufficient N to peppers in terms of yields. Pepper yields following the biculture cover crop were intermediate between those obtained following vetch and rye. When weeds were controlled manually, pepper yields following biculture cover crops were similar among the three tillage treatments, indicating that no-tillage and strip-tillage could be used successfully if weeds were controlled. With no-tillage, yields were reduced without weed control but the reduction was less if twice the amount of residual cover crop surface mulch was used. Without manual weed control, pepper yields obtained using strip-tillage were reduced regardless of metolachlor herbicide application. It was concluded that a vetch winter cover crop could satisfy N requirements of peppers and that effective chemical or mechanical weed control methods need to be developed in order to grow peppers successfully using no-tillage or strip-tillage.


Author(s):  
Inderjot Chahal ◽  
Khagendra R. Baral ◽  
Kate A. Congreves ◽  
Laura L. Van Eerd ◽  
C. Wagner-Riddle

Horticultural systems, specifically vegetable production systems, are considered intensive agricultural systems as they are characterized by high nitrogen (N) fertilizer application rate, frequent tillage and irrigation operations. Accordingly, horticultural production in temperate climates is prone to N losses—mainly during post-harvest (during fall and winter) or pre-plant (spring) periods—such as N2O emissions and nitrate leaching. The risk for N losses is linked to low crop N use efficiency (NUE) combined with a narrow C:N and high N content of crop residues. Here we reviewed the studies conducted in Canada and similar climates to better understand the risk of N2O emission and potential agronomic management strategies to reduce N2O emissions from horticultural systems. Current knowledge on N2O emissions from horticultural systems indicate that increasing crop NUE, modifying the amount, type, time, and rate of N fertilizer inputs, and adopting cover crops in crop rotations are some of the effective approaches to decrease N2O emissions. However, there is uncertainty related to the efficiency of the existing N2O mitigation strategies due to the complex interactions between the factors (soil characteristics, type of plant species, climatic conditions, and soil microbial activity) responsible for N2O production from soil. Little research on N2O emissions from Canadian horticultural systems limits our ability to understand and manage the soil N2O production processes to mitigate the risk of N2O emissions. Thus, continuing to expand this line of research will help to advance the sustainability of Canadian horticultural cropping systems.


1997 ◽  
Vol 41 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 75-86 ◽  
Author(s):  
I.J. Rochester ◽  
G.A. Constable ◽  
P.G. Saffigna

1998 ◽  
Vol 130 (1) ◽  
pp. 61-67 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. F. ALLISON ◽  
M. J. ARMSTRONG ◽  
K. W. JAGGARD ◽  
A. D. TODD

Between 1989 and 1993, 17 experiments tested the effects of autumn-sown cover crops on the yield, processing quality and N nutrition of subsequent sugarbeet crops. Cover crops had no effect on sugarbeet plant population density or pesticide requirement. In nitrogen response experiments, the mean beet yield at the economic optimum was 83 t/ha. The mean N fertilizer requirement was 96 kg N/ha and the N uptake at maximum yield averaged 180 kg N/ha. Cover crops had no effect on yield, fertilizer requirement or N uptake. In addition, cover crops generally had no effect on the efficiency of N fertilizer use, the mineralization of N from the soil organic matter nor the amount of soil mineral nitrogen at sowing or at harvest of the beet crop. Processing quality was also not affected by cover crops. The cost of growing a cover crop ranged from 0 to 50 £/ha. Since these costs cannot be offset against increases in yields or reduced fertilizer application rates, cover crops need to be low cost, i.e. cheap seed and minimal cultivation. Cover crops using volunteer cereals and weeds or farm-saved grain that are established with a single stubble-cultivation should fulfil these criteria.


Agronomy ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (12) ◽  
pp. 293 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jie Liu ◽  
Jumei Li ◽  
Yibing Ma ◽  
Yuehui Jia ◽  
Qiong Liang

Recovery efficiency of nitrogen fertilizers has always been an important issue, especially for N fertilizer recommendation rate in cropping systems. Based on the equilibrium of N in the soil–plant system, apparent accumulated N fertilizer recovery (NREac) was determined for long-term (15-years) experiments in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and maize (Zea mays L.) rotations at five field sites with various soils and climate characteristics in China. The result showed that the frequency of cropping and the content of soil clay affected NREac positively and negatively, respectively. In the absence of nutrient deficiencies and other soil constraints (from NPK (nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium) in S2-CP (site2-Changping) in Beijing, S3-ZZ (site3-Zhengzhou) in Henan province and S4-YL (site4-Yangling) in Shaanxi province), NREac had a narrow range from 70% to 78% with the highest average of 75% in wheat and maize cropping system. Meanwhile, the value 75% of NERac is a rational value proved by 3414 experiments. Additionally, the nitrate-N approach suggested that nitrate-N could be utilized by subsequent crops, the amount of which is calculated by the equation −1.23 × [(NO3−-N) − 87]. Furthermore, another simpler and feasible method was proposed to maintain basic soil fertility while achieving a rational grain yield and maintaining a safe environmental upper threshold of nitrate. The present study provided a suit of methods for N fertilizer recommendations for the optimization of N applications in wheat and maize cropping system in China.


2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (11) ◽  
pp. 4403
Author(s):  
G. Y. Mahama ◽  
P. V. V. Prasad ◽  
K. L. Roozeboom ◽  
J. B. Nippert ◽  
C. W. Rice

Nitrous oxide (N2O) emission from denitrification in agricultural soils often increases with nitrogen (N) fertilizer and soil nitrate (NO3−) concentrations. Our hypothesis is that legume cover crops can improve efficiency of N fertilizer and can decrease N2O emissions compared to non–cover crop systems. The objectives of this study were to (a) evaluate the performance of summer leguminous cover crops in terms of N uptake and carbon (C) accumulation following winter wheat and (b) to quantify the effects of summer leguminous cover crops and N fertilizer rates on N2O emissions and grain yield of the subsequent grain sorghum crop. Field experiments were conducted in the context of a wheat-sorghum rotation for two seasons in Kansas. Treatments consisted of double-cropped leguminous cover crops following winter wheat harvest with no fertilizer applied to the following grain sorghum or no cover crop after wheat harvest and N fertilizer rates applied to the grain sorghum. The cover crops were cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L. Walp.), pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan L. Millsp.), and sunn hemp (Crotalaria juncea L.). The three N treatments (were 0, 90, and 180 kg·N·ha−1). Fallow systems with 90 and 180 kg·N·ha−1 produced significantly greater N2O emissions compared with cropping systems that received no N fertilizer. Emissions of N2O were similar for various cover crops and fallow systems with 0 kg·N·ha−1. Among cover crops, pigeon pea and cowpea had greater C accumulation and N uptake than sunn hemp. Grain yield of sorghum following different cover crops was similar and significantly higher than fallow systems with 0 kg·N·ha−1. Although fallow systems with 90 and 180 kg·N·ha−1 produced maximum sorghum grain yields, N2O emissions per unit of grain yield decreased as the amount of N fertilizer was reduced. We conclude that including leguminous cover crops can decrease N fertilizer requirements for a subsequent sorghum crop, potentially reducing N2O emissions per unit grain yield and providing options for adaptation to and mitigation of climate change.


Author(s):  
Letusa Momesso ◽  
Carlos A. C. Crusciol ◽  
Rogério P. Soratto ◽  
Carlos A. C. Nascimento ◽  
Ciro A. Rosolem ◽  
...  

AbstractOptimizing agronomic efficiency (AE) of nitrogen (N) fertilizer use by crops and enhancing crop yields are challenges for tropical no-tillage systems since maintaining crop residues on the soil surface alters the nutrient supply to the system. Cover crops receiving N fertilizer can provide superior biomass, N cycling to the soil and plant residue mineralization. The aims of this study were to (i) investigate N application on forage cover crops or cover crop residues as a substitute for N sidedressing (conventional method) for maize and (ii) investigate the supply of mineral N in the soil and the rates of biomass decomposition and N release. The treatments comprised two species, i.e., palisade grass [Urochloa brizantha (Hochst. Ex A. Rich.) R.D. Webster] and ruzigrass [Urochloa ruziziensis (R. Germ. and C.M. Evrard) Crins], and four N applications: (i) control (no N application), (ii) on live cover crops 35 days before maize seeding (35 DBS), (iii) on cover crop residues 1 DBS, and (iv) conventional method (N sidedressing of maize). The maximum rates of biomass decomposition and N release were in palisade grass. The biomass of palisade grass and ruzigrass were 81 and 47% higher in N application at 35 DBS compared with control in ruzigrass (7 Mg ha−1), and N release followed the pattern observed of biomass in palisade and ruzigrass receiving N 35 DBS (249 and 189 kg N ha−1). Mineral N in the soil increased with N application regardless of cover crop species. Maize grain yields and AE were not affected when N was applied on palisade grass 35 DBS or 1 DBS (average 13 Mg ha−1 and 54 kg N kg−1 maize grain yield) compared to conventional method. However, N applied on ruzigrass 35 DBS decreased maize grain yields. Overall, N fertilizer can be applied on palisade grass 35 DBS or its residues 1 DBS as a substitute for conventional sidedressing application for maize.


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