scholarly journals Case Study of Effects of Mineral N Fertilization Amounts on Water Productivity in Rainfed Winter Rapeseed Cultivation on a Sandy Soil in Brandenburg (Germany) over Three Years

Water ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (14) ◽  
pp. 1958
Author(s):  
Katrin Drastig ◽  
Ulrich Kreidenweis ◽  
Andreas Meyer-Aurich ◽  
Christian Ammon ◽  
Annette Prochnow

Detailed knowledge about farm management practices and related hydrological processes on water productivity is required to substantially increase the productivity of precipitation water use in agriculture. With this in mind, the effect of the nitrogen (N) fertilization level on water productivity of winter oilseed rape (Brassica napus L.) was analyzed using a modeling approach and field measurements. In this first study of interception loss and water productivity in winter oilseed rape, the crop was cultivated in a field experiment on a sandy soil in Brandenburg (Germany) under five nitrogen fertilization treatments with 0, 60, 120, 180, and 240 kg mineral N ha−1 a−1. Based on data from three vegetation periods the water flows and the mass-based water productivity of seeds were calculated on a daily basis with the AgroHyd Farmmodel modeling software. As recommended from the recently developed guidelines of the FAO on water use in agriculture, the method water productivity was applied and uncertainties associated with the calculations were assessed. Economic profit-based water productivity (WPprofit) was calculated considering the costs of fertilization and the optimal level of N fertilization, which was determined based on a quadratic crop yield response function. Mean water productivity of seeds varied from 1.16 kg m−3 for the unfertilized control sample to 2.00 kg m−3 under the highest fertilization rate. N fertilization had a clearly positive effect on WPprofit. However, fertilizer application rates above 120 kg N ha−1 a−1 led to only marginal increases in yields. Water productivity of seeds under the highest fertilization rate was only insignificantly higher than under medium application rates. The optimum N level for the maximal WPprofit identified here was higher with 216 kg N ha−1 a−1. The conclusion is that further research is needed to investigate the interaction between fertilization and other farm management practices.

2015 ◽  
Vol 66 (2) ◽  
pp. 52-56 ◽  
Author(s):  
Edmund Hajduk ◽  
Stanisław Właśniewski ◽  
Ewa Szpunar-Krok

AbstractThe paper presents the results of a 3-year field experiment designed to evaluate the content of organic carbon in brown soil (Haplic Cambisol Dystric) developed from a light loamy sand under legumes cultivation. Experimental factors were: species of legume crop (colorful-blooming pea(Pisum sativum), chickling vetch(Lathyrus sativus), narrow-leafed lupin(Lupinus angustifolius), methods of legumes tillage (legumes in pure culture and in mixture with naked oats) and mineral N fertilization (0, 30, 60, 90 kg N·ha−1). Cultivation of legumes on sandy soil did not result in an increase of organic carbon content in the soil after harvest as compared to the initial situation, i.e. 7.39 vs. 7.76 g·kg−1dry matter (DM), on average, respectively. However, there was the beneficial effect of this group of plants on soil abundance in organic matter, the manifestation of which was higher content of organic carbon in soils after legume harvest as compared to soils with oats grown (7.21 g·kg−1DM, on average). Among experimental crops, cultivation of pea exerted the most positive action to organic carbon content (7.58 g·kg−1, after harvest, on average), whereas narrow-leaved lupin had the least effect on organic carbon content (7.23 g·kg−1, on average). Pure culture and greater intensity of legume cultivation associated with the use of higher doses of mineral nitrogen caused less reduction in organic carbon content in soils after harvest.


2014 ◽  
Vol 153 (3) ◽  
pp. 422-431 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. CHENG ◽  
M. YAN ◽  
D. NAYAK ◽  
G. X. PAN ◽  
P. SMITH ◽  
...  

SUMMARYAssessing carbon footprint (CF) of crop production in a whole crop life-cycle could provide insights into the contribution of crop production to climate change and help to identify possible greenhouse gas (GHG) mitigation options. In the current study, data for the major crops of China were collected from the national statistical archive on cultivation area, yield, application rates of fertilizer, pesticide, diesel, plastic film, irrigated water, etc. The CF of direct and indirect carbon emissions associated with or caused by these agricultural inputs was quantified with published emission factors. In general, paddy rice, wheat, maize and soybean of China had mean CFs of 2472, 794, 781 and 222 kg carbon equivalent (CE)/ha, and 0·37, 0·14, 0·12 and 0·10 kg CE/kg product, respectively. For dry crops (i.e. those grown without flooding the fields: wheat, maize and soybean), 0·78 of the total CFs was contributed by nitrogen (N) fertilizer use, including both direct soil nitrous oxide (N2O) emission and indirect emissions from N fertilizer manufacture. Meanwhile, direct methane (CH4) emissions contributed 0·69 on average to the total CFs of flooded paddy rice. Moreover, the difference in N fertilizer application rates explained 0·86–0·93 of the provincial variations of dry crop CFs while that in CH4 emissions could explain 0·85 of the provincial variation of paddy rice CFs. When a 30% reduction in N fertilization was considered, a potential reduction in GHGs of 60 megatonne (Mt) carbon dioxide equivalent from production of these crops was projected. The current work highlights opportunities to gain GHG emission reduction in production of crops associated with good management practices in China.


HortScience ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 46 (4) ◽  
pp. 643-647 ◽  
Author(s):  
John E. Erickson ◽  
Kevin E. Kenworthy

Irrigation of residential lawns represents one of the major uses of potable water in many regions. An increased understanding of physiological responses underlying effects of turfgrass genotypes and management practices on water use rates and water use efficiencies could contribute to water conservation. Thus, we evaluated the effects of nitrogen (N) fertilization (0.0 and 2.5 g·m−2) and light environment (full sun and 50% shade) on average daily evapotranspiration (ETAVE), daily ET per unit leaf area (ETLA), carbon exchange rate (CER), and water use efficiency (WUE) in upright (experimental TAES 5343-22) and prostrate (‘Empire’) zoysiagrasses (Zoysia japonica Steud.) during two repeated trials. Across all treatments, ETAVE was 4.0 and 5.4 mm·d−1 during Trials 1 and 2, respectively. In the upright-growing genotype, ETAVE was ≈10% greater than the prostrate genotype during Trial 1. Nitrogen fertilization increased water use by ≈20% compared with non-fertilized pots. However, N fertilization reduced ETLA and increased WUE. Thus, ETAVE was positively related with WUE. As a result, there was a tradeoff between ETAVE and WUE, indicating that efforts to achieve reductions in water use through low N fertilization or genotypes can be accomplished, but in some cases at the expense of using water less efficiently to assimilate carbon for plant growth processes. In turfgrass, reductions in growth and WUE might be acceptable to minimize water use, but vigor and quality need to be maintained.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Felix SATOGNON ◽  
Seth F.O. Owido ◽  
Joyce J. Lelei

Abstract BackgroundThe yield of potato (8.86 tonnes/ha), the second staple food and cash crop in Kenya is remained low due to a reduction in seasonal precipitation and low soil fertility. Drought or dry periods between rainfall seasons and increased temperatures, which leads to high crop evapotranspiration, are experienced in 70-80% of the smallholder farms. Among major elements require by potato, nitrogen is the most important influential element but it is deficient in most potato-growing soils in Kenya because of nutrient depletion with inadequate nutrient replenishment results from continuous production. Hence the introduction of supplemental irrigation with an adequate application of this nutrient could increase crop yields. Therefore, this study was conducted in Nakuru, one of the major potato growing areas in Kenya, to determine the effects of full supplemental irrigation (FI) and four nitrogen levels, N0(0), N1(60), N2(90) and N3(130 kg N/ha) on tuber yield, water use efficiency (WUE) and nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) of potato grown in a mollic Andosol in Kenya compared to conventionnel rain-fed potato production. Results The results showed that tuber yield, marketable tuber yield and NUE significantly differed due to the interaction effect between irrigation and N-fertilization rate (P<0.001) whereas the WUE was statistically different due to the N-fertilization rate (P<0.001). The highest tuber yield 58.28 tonnes/ha was found in supplemental irrigation with an application of 130kg N/ha treatment. Full supplemental irrigation treatment increased marketable yield by 129.84, 94.63, 151.21 and 126.63% for 0, 60, 90 and 130 kg N/ha, respectively compared to rain-fed N-fertilization treatments. NUE increased statistically with an increase in N rate up to 90 kg N/ha, then tended to increase slightly as nitrogen rate increased further. An increase in potato tuber yield was positively correlated with number of tubers/plant (r=0.75), NUE (r=0.95), WUE (r=0.72) (P < 0.001).ConclusionsThe high potato yield and marketable tuber yield in mollic Andosol can be obtained when all water deficits of the growing season are eliminated with supplemental irrigation and an application of 130kg N/ha but it is essential to exploit water regimes for acceptable yield with water-saving.


2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (9) ◽  
pp. 1094 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marta Aranguren ◽  
Ander Castellón ◽  
Ana Aizpurua

It is difficult to predict the crop-available nitrogen (N) from farmyard manures applied to soil. The aim of this study was to assess the usefulness of the proximal sensors, Yara N-TesterTM and RapidScan CS-45, for diagnosing the N nutritional status of wheat after the application of manures at sowing. Three annual field trials were established (2014–2015, 2015–2016 and 2016–2017) with three types of fertilizer treatments: dairy slurry (40 t ha−1 before sowing), sheep manure (40 t ha−1 before sowing) and conventional treatment (40 kg N ha−1 at tillering). For each treatment, five different mineral N fertilization doses were applied at stem elongation: 0, 40, 80, 120, and 160 kg N ha−1. The proximal sensing tools were used at stem elongation before the application of mineral N. Normalized values of the proximal sensing look promising for adjusting mineral N application rates at stem elongation. For dairy slurry, when either proximal sensor readings were 60–65% of the reference plants with non-limiting N, the optimum N rate for maximizing yield was 118–128 kg N ha−1. When the readings were 85–90%, the optimum N rate dropped to 100–110 kg N ha−1 for both dairy slurry and conventional treatments. It was difficult to find a clear relationship between sensor readings and yield for sheep manure treatments. Measurements taken with RapidScan C-45 were less time consuming and better represent the spatial variation, as they are taken on the plant canopy. Routine measurements throughout the growing season are particularly needed in climates with variable rainfall. The application of 40 kg N ha−1 at the end of winter is necessary to ensure an optimal N status from the beginning of wheat crop development. These research findings could be used in applicator-mounted sensors to make variable-rate N applications.


2018 ◽  
Vol 7 (11) ◽  
pp. 414 ◽  
Author(s):  
Megan Blatchford ◽  
Poolad Karimi ◽  
W.G.M. Bastiaanssen ◽  
Hamideh Nouri

Crop water productivity (CWP) has become a recognised indicator in assessing the state of Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) 6.4—to substantially increase water use efficiency. This indicator, while useful at a global scale, is not comprehensive at a local scale. To fill this gap, this research proposes a CWP framework, that takes advantage of the spatio-temporal availability of remote sensing, that identifies CWP goals and sub-indicators specific to the needs of the targeted domain. Three sub-indicators are considered; (i) a global water productivity score (GWPS), (ii) a local water productivity score (LWPS) and (iii) a land and water use productivity score (YWPS). The GWPS places local CWP in the global context and focuses on maximised CWP. The LWPS differentiates yield zones, normalising for potential product, and focuses on minimising water consumption. The YWPS focuses simultaneously on improving land and water productivity equally. The CWP framework was applied to potato in the West Bank, Palestine. Three management practices were compared under each sub-indicator. The case study showed that fields with high and low performance were different under each sub-indicator. The performance associated with different management practices was also different under each sub-indicator. For example, a winter rotation had a higher performance under the YWPS, the fall rotation had a higher performance under the LWPS and under the GWPS there was little difference. The results showed, that depending on the basin goal, not only do the sub-indicators required change, but also the management practices or approach required to reach those basin goals. This highlights the importance of providing a CWP framework with multiple sub-indicators, suitable to basin needs, to ensure that meeting the SDG 6.4 goal does not jeopardise local objectives.


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