Apparent fertilizer nitrogen recovery and residual soil nitrate under continuous potato cropping: Effect of N fertilization rate and timing

2008 ◽  
Vol 88 (5) ◽  
pp. 813-825 ◽  
Author(s):  
A N Cambouris ◽  
B J Zebarth ◽  
M C Nolin ◽  
M R Laverdière
Keyword(s):  
Electrical Conductivity ◽  
Solanum Tuberosum ◽  
N Fertilization ◽  
N Fertilizer ◽  
Nitrogen Recovery ◽  
Residual Soil ◽  
Soil Nitrate ◽  
Soil Electrical Conductivity ◽  
Fertilizer Nitrogen ◽  
N Rates

Adequate nitrogen (N) fertilization is crucial to optimize yield and quality of potato and also to minimize N environmental losses. Effects of rates and timing of N fertilizer on residual soil nitrate (RSN) [NO3-N, 0-0.7 m], soil solution nitrate (SWN) concentrations and apparent fertilizer nitrogen recovery (Nrec) by potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) tubers were evaluated from 1999 to 2001. Two sites representative of the management zones (MZ) previously delineated by apparent soil electrical conductivity and differing in soil water availability were selected. The MZ differed primarily with depth to a clayey substratum, with average values of 1.06 m and 1.34 m in the shallow MZ (SMZ) and in the deep MZ (DMZ), respectively. At each site, a trial with 21 treatments including five rates of ammonium nitrate (0–200 kg N ha-1 in 1999; 0–240 kg N ha-1 in 2000 and 2001) was conducted. Each N rate was applied according to five application timings (100, 75, 50, 25 or 0% of N applied at planting with the remainder at hilling). The effects of N rates and timing on Nrec, RSN and SWN sometimes differed between sites. The Nrec was less responsive to N rates and timing in the SMZ site compared with the DMZ site. Application of the same rate of fertilizer N generally resulted in higher values of RSN at harvest in the SMZ site compared with the DMZ site. Measured SWN was higher in the DMZ than in the SMZ on several occasions in 1999 and 2001, indicating greater nitrate (NO3) leaching in the DMZ site compared with the SMZ site. Different site-specific N management regimes could thus be used at the two sites to improve N use efficiency and to limit the risk of NO3 leaching. However, the temporal variability in the measured parameters, influenced mainly by climatic conditions, was greater than the spatial N variability and this emphasizes the fact that a dynamic model of the N status based on the soil and/or the plant is a prerequisite to help growers to adjust the N fertilizer application within fields and seasons. Key words: Solanum tuberosum, apparent soil electrical conductivity, suction lysimeter

Predicting nitrogen fertilizer requirements of potatoes in Atlantic Canada with soil nitrate determinations

2001 ◽  
Vol 81 (5) ◽  
pp. 535-544 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. Bélanger ◽  
J. R. Walsh ◽  
J. E. Richards ◽  
P. H. Milburn ◽  
N. Ziadi
Keyword(s):  
Solanum Tuberosum ◽  
Relative Yield ◽  
N Fertilization ◽  
N Fertilizer ◽  
Yield Response ◽  
Atlantic Canada ◽  
Soil Nitrate ◽  
Marketable Yield ◽  
N Application ◽  
N Content

Nitrogen greatly affects potato ( Solanum tuberosum L.) yield, but excess N can result in environmental degradation. In this study soil nitrate (NO3-N) content was determined pre-plant to predict fertilizer N requirements of potatoes in Atlantic Canada and in mid-season to adjust N fertilization during the growing season. Soil NO3-N contents were measured to a 0.30-m depth in spring prior to planting at four on-farm sites in each of 3 yr (1995 to 1997) in the upper St. John River Valley of New Brunswick, Canada. Mid-season soil NO3-N contents at a 0–0.30 m depth were also determined (32–47 days after planting) at two sites in three N treatments in 1995 (0, 50, and 250 kg N ha-1) and in four N treatments in 1996 and 1997 (0, 50, 100, and 250 kg N ha-1). The yield response of potatoes to six rates of N fertilization (0–250 kg N ha-1) with and without supplemental irrigation was used to determine the economically optimum N application (Nop). The pre-plant spring soil NO3-N test alone could not adequately predict the N requirements of potatoes in Atlantic Canada; the Nop and relative yield were poorly correlated (0.07 < R2< 0.52) with spring soil NO3-N content. The mid-season soil NO3-N test, however, could be used to determine the need for supplemental N fertilizer; NO3-N content correlated well (0.44 < R2< 0.68) with the relative yield for total and marketable yield. We suggest a critical mid-season value of 80 mg NO3-N kg-1 soil for marketable yield, above which additional N application might not be necessary. Key Words: N fertilizer, nitrate, Nop, relative yield, Solanum tuberosum, critical value

scholarly journals Nitrogen Requirements and N Status Determination of Lettuce

HortScience ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 47 (12) ◽  
pp. 1768-1774 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas G. Bottoms ◽  
Richard F. Smith ◽  
Michael D. Cahn ◽  
Timothy K. Hartz
Keyword(s):  
N Uptake ◽  
N Fertilization ◽  
Fertilizer Efficiency ◽  
Residual Soil ◽  
N Application ◽  
Fresh Biomass ◽  
N Concentration ◽  
Whole Plant ◽  
Crop N Uptake ◽  
N Rates

As concern over NO3-N pollution of groundwater increases, California lettuce growers are under pressure to improve nitrogen (N) fertilizer efficiency. Crop growth, N uptake, and the value of soil and plant N diagnostic measures were evaluated in 24 iceberg and romaine lettuce (Lactuca sativa L. var. capitata L., and longifolia Lam., respectively) field trials from 2007 to 2010. The reliability of presidedressing soil nitrate testing (PSNT) to identify fields in which N application could be reduced or eliminated was evaluated in 16 non-replicated strip trials and five replicated trials on commercial farms. All commercial field sites had greater than 20 mg·kg−1 residual soil NO3-N at the time of the first in-season N application. In the strip trials, plots in which the cooperating growers’ initial sidedress N application was eliminated or reduced were compared with the growers’ standard N fertilization program. In the replicated trials, the growers’ N regime was compared with treatments in which one or more N fertigation through drip irrigation was eliminated. Additionally, seasonal N rates from 11 to 336 kg·ha−1 were compared in three replicated drip-irrigated research farm trials. Seasonal N application in the strip trials was reduced by an average of 77 kg·ha−1 (73 kg·ha−1 vs. 150 kg·ha−1 for the grower N regime) with no reduction in fresh biomass produced and only a slight reduction in crop N uptake (151 kg·ha−1 vs. 156 kg·ha−1 for the grower N regime). Similarly, an average seasonal N rate reduction of 88 kg·ha−1 (96 kg·ha−1 vs. 184 kg·ha−1) was achieved in the replicated commercial trials with no biomass reduction. Seasonal N rates between 111 and 192 kg·ha−1 maximized fresh biomass in the research farm trials, which were conducted in fields with lower residual soil NO3-N than the commercial trials. Across fields, lettuce N uptake was slow in the first 4 weeks after planting, averaging less than 0.5 kg·ha−1·d−1. N uptake then increased linearly until harvest (≈9 weeks after planting), averaging ≈4 kg·ha−1·d−1 over that period. Whole plant critical N concentration (Nc, the minimum whole plant N concentration required to maximize growth) was estimated by the equation Nc (g·kg−1) = 42 − 2.8 dry mass (DM, Mg·ha−1); on that basis, critical N uptake (crop N uptake required to maintain whole plant N above Nc) in the commercial fields averaged 116 kg·ha−1 compared with the mean uptake of 145 kg·ha−1 with the grower N regime. Soil NO3-N greater than 20 mg·kg−1 was a reliable indicator that N application could be reduced or delayed. Neither leaf N nor midrib NO3-N was correlated with concurrently measured soil NO3-N and therefore of limited value in directing in-season N fertilization.

Season of year effect on response of orchardgrass to N fertilizer in a maritime climate

2004 ◽  
Vol 84 (1) ◽  
pp. 129-142 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Bittman ◽  
B. J. Zebarth ◽  
C. G. Kowalenko ◽  
D. E. Hunt
Keyword(s):  
Crude Protein ◽  
N Uptake ◽  
Maximum Yield ◽  
Relative Yield ◽  
Dactylis Glomerata ◽  
N Fertilizer ◽  
Residual Soil ◽  
Soil Nitrate ◽  
Year Effect ◽  
Nitrate Concentrations

This study compared the response of harvests taken in May, June, August and September-October in terms of crop responses (yield, N uptake, and concentrations of crude protein and nitrate) to N fertilizer and residual soil nitrate and ammonium. Three trials were conducted in south coastal British Columbia in 1990–1992 to evaluate the response of an established sward of orchardgrass (Dactylis glomerata L.) to a range of N fertilizer rates. Both yields and daily crop growth rates were highest in cut 1, lowest in cut 4 and intermediate in cuts 2 and 3. For all four cuts, 95 and 90% of maximum yield was attained at about 136 and 82 kg ha-1 of applied N, respectively. Crop N supply from non-fertilizer sources ranged from 36 to 90 kg N ha-1, of which about 52% was attributed to nitrate present in the soil prior to growth and about 48% was N released from the soil, translocated from roots or deposited from the atmosphere. At 95% of maximum yield, crude protein concentrations ranged from 147 g kg-1 in the higher yielding cut 1 to 189 g kg-1 in cuts 2 and 4, while at 90% of maximum yield concentrations were 10 g kg-1 lower in each cut. Plant nitrate concentrations were close to levels that are toxic to cattle for the 95% target yield, but relatively safe at the 90% yield. The crop removed about 50 kg ha-1 more N when fertilized for 95% of maximum yield than for 90%, which translates to over 300 kg ha-1 more crude protein. High relative yield leaves behind more soil nitrate after harvest. The results suggest that the first cut should be managed for 95% of maximum yield with about 130 kg N ha-1. Cuts 2 and 3 should be managed for 90% of maximum yield, to avoid high plant nitrate concentrations, with 100–110 kg N ha-1. Cut 4 should be given no more than 50 kg N ha-1 for less than 90% of maximum yield because of the risk of residual soil nitrates. This study shows for the first time the benefits and disadvantages of applying N at different rates for each harvest over the growing season. Key words: Plant nitrate, nitrogen use efficiency, nitrogen recovery, Dactylis glomerata, relative yield, maximum economic yield

Utilisation de l'engrais azoté marqué au 15N par le maïs selon les modes d'application et les doses d'azote

1997 ◽  
Vol 77 (1) ◽  
pp. 9-19 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thi Sen Tran ◽  
Marcel Giroux ◽  
Michel P. Cescas
Keyword(s):  
Field Experiments ◽  
N Uptake ◽  
Field Trials ◽  
N Fertilization ◽  
N Fertilizer ◽  
N Recovery ◽  
Split Application ◽  
N Application ◽  
Application Methods ◽  
N Rates

The main objective of this study was to compare the recovery of 15N-labelled fertilizer by different methods of N application and N rates. Field experiments were carried out for 3 yr at Saint-Hyacinthe (Saint-Damase, Du Contour, Sainte-Rosalie soils) and at Saint-Lambert, Lévis (Le Bras soil). Grain corn (cv. Pride K228, 2700 CHU) and silage corn (cv. Hyland 3251, 2300 CHU) were grown at Saint-Hyacinthe and Saint-Lambert, respectively. In 1988 and 1989, field trials were arranged in a randomized complete bloc design consisting of five treatments in three replications: control 0 N and four split application methods of N fertilizer. Labelled 15NH4 15NO3 fertilizer was applied either banded at planting as starter (D), broadcast and incorporated before planting (Vs) or sidedressing between rows at V6 to V8 stages of corn (Bp). In 1990 field trials, treatments consisted of four N rates (0, 60, 120 and 180 kg N ha−1) labelled with 15NH4 15NO3. The effect of N rates on yield and N uptake by corn was significant in all years. However, the effect of application methods was significant only on the soil Du Contour in 1989 where corn grain yield was highest when N fertilizer was split as starter and sidedress band. The CUR of N fertilizer applied broadcast before planting (42 to 48%) was generally lower than sidedressing band application (43 to 54%). N fertilizer recovery in the starter showed also high CUR values (45 to 60%). Consequently, it is recommended to split N fertilizers and apply in band to increase efficiency for grain corn. The CUR values decreased with N rates only in Le Bras soil in 1990. Residual N fertilizer increased from 27 to 103 kg N ha−1 for 60 and 180 kg N ha−1 rates, respectively. Consequently, the environmental impact of N fertilization may increased with high N rate. Key words: Grain corn, silage corn, 15N recovery, fertilizer N split application

Effects of mulch, N fertilizer, and plant density on wheat yield, wheat nitrogen uptake, and residual soil nitrate in a dryland area of China

2009 ◽  
Vol 85 (2) ◽  
pp. 109-121 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yajun Gao ◽  
Yun Li ◽  
Jianchang Zhang ◽  
Wenguo Liu ◽  
Zhanping Dang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Nitrogen Uptake ◽  
Plant Density ◽  
Wheat Yield ◽  
N Fertilizer ◽  
Residual Soil ◽  
Soil Nitrate

scholarly journals Effect of Long-Term Nitrogen Addition on Wheat Yield, Nitrogen Use Efficiency, and Residual Soil Nitrate in a Semiarid Area of the Loess Plateau of China

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (5) ◽  
pp. 1735 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aixia Xu ◽  
Lingling Li ◽  
Junhong Xie ◽  
Xingzheng Wang ◽  
Jeffrey A. Coulter ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Grain Yield ◽  
Loess Plateau ◽  
Nitrogen Use Efficiency ◽  
Wheat Yield ◽  
N Fertilization ◽  
N Fertilizer ◽  
Residual Soil ◽  
Nitrogen Use ◽  
N Application ◽  
Use Efficiency

Nitrogen (N) fertilizer plays an important role in wheat yield, but N application rates vary greatly, and there is a lack of data to quantify the residual effects of N fertilization on soil N availability. A 17-yr experiment was conducted in a semiarid area of the Loess Plateau of China to assess the effects of N fertilization on spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) grain yield, N uptake, N utilization efficiency, and residual soil nitrate. Treatments included a non-N-fertilized control and annual application of 52.5, 105.0, 157.5, and 210.0 kg N ha−1 in the first two years (2003 and 2004). In the third year (2005), the four main plots with N fertilizer application were split. In one subplot, N fertilization was continued as mentioned previously, while in the other subplot, N fertilization was stopped. The concentration of NO3-N in the 0–110 cm depth soil layers was significantly affected by N application, with higher N rates associated with greater soil NO3-N concentration. With the annual application of N over 17 years, residual soil NO3-N concentration in the 100–200 cm soil layer in the last study year was significantly greater than that in the non-N-fertilized control and was increased with rate of N application. There was a significant positive relationship of soil NO3-N in the 0–50 cm and 50–110 cm soil layers at wheat sowing with wheat grain N content and yield. Wheat grain yield in the third year (2005) was significantly, i.e., 22.57–59.53%, greater than the unfertilized treatment after the N application was stopped. Nitrogen use efficiency decreased in response to each increment of added N fertilizer, and was directly related to N harvest index and grain yield. Therefore, greater utilization of residual soil N through appropriate N fertilizer rates could enhance nitrogen use efficiency while reducing the cost of crop production and risk of N losses to the environment. For these concerns, optimum N fertilizer application rate for spring wheat in semiarid Loess Plateau is about 105 kg N ha−1, which is below the threshold value of 170 kg N ha−1 per year as defined by most EU countries.

scholarly journals In-season Soil Nitrate Testing as a Guide to Nitrogen Management for Annual Crops

2002 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 706-710 ◽  
Author(s):  
J.R. Heckman
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Organic Matter Content ◽  
N Fertilization ◽  
Matter Content ◽  
N Fertilizer ◽  
Growth Stages ◽  
N Availability ◽  
Soil Nitrate ◽  
Annual Crops ◽  
Crop Growth Stages

In-season soil nitrate testing is most useful when there is reason to believe, based on field history, that N availability may be adequate. These reasons may include soil organic matter content, applied manure, compost, legumes in the rotation, or residual N fertilizer. Soil nitrate testing is not helpful when crops are grown on sandy, low organic matter content soils that are known from experience to be N deficient. Soil nitrate testing is useful for annual crops such as vegetables or corn for which supplemental N fertilization is a concern. Soil nitrate tests must be performed at critical crop growth stages, and the results must be obtained rapidly to make important decisions about the need for N fertilization. Soil nitrate-N (NO3-N) concentrations in the range of 25 to 30 mg·kg-1 (ppm) indicate sufficiency for most crops, but N fertilizer practice should be adjusted based on local extension recommendations.

scholarly journals 303 Pre-sidedress Soil Nitrate Concentrations and Yield Response to Fertilizer Applications in Processing Tomatoes

HortScience ◽  
2000 ◽  
Vol 35 (3) ◽  
pp. 444A-444
Author(s):  
H.H. Krusekopf ◽  
J.P. Mitchell ◽  
T.K. Hartz ◽  
D.M. May ◽  
E.M. Miyao ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
N Mineralization ◽  
Fertilizer Application ◽  
N Fertilizer ◽  
Nitrate Contamination ◽  
Yield Response ◽  
Residual Soil ◽  
Soil Nitrate ◽  
N Application ◽  
Tomato Production ◽  
Processing Tomato

Overuse of chemical N fertilizers has been linked to nitrate contamination of both surface and ground water. Excessive fertilizer use is also an economic loss to the farmer. Typical N application rates for processing tomato production in California's Central Valley are 150-250 kg·ha-1, and growers generally fail to fully consider the field-specific effects of residual soil NO3-N concentration, or N mineralization potential of the soil. The purpose of this research was to determine the effects of sidedress N fertilizer application, residual soil NO3-N, and in-season N mineralization, on processing tomato yield. Research was conducted during the 1998 and 1999 growing seasons at 16 field sites. Pre-sidedress soil nitrate concentration was determined at each trial site to a depth of 1 m, and aerobic incubation tests were conducted on these soils (top 0.3 m depth) to estimate N mineralization rate. Sidedress fertilizer was applied at six incremental rates from 0 to 280 kg N/ha, with six replications of each treatment per field. Only five fields showed yield response to fertilizer application; yield response to fertilizer was associated with lower pre-sidedress soil nitrate levels. In most fields with fertilizer response, yield was not increased with sidedress N application above 56 kg·ha-1. Mineralization was estimated to contribute an average of ≈60 kg N/ha between sidedressing and harvest. These results suggest that N fertilizer inputs could be reduced substantially below current industry norms without lowering yields, especially in fields with higher residual soil nitrate levels.

scholarly journals Impact of Nitrogen Fertilizer on Yield and Associated Revenues in No-tillage Pumpkin

HortScience ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 55 (4) ◽  
pp. 522-527
Author(s):  
S. Alan Walters
Keyword(s):  
Chlorophyll Content ◽  
Production System ◽  
Crop Residues ◽  
N Fertilization ◽  
N Fertilizer ◽  
Yield Response ◽  
No Tillage ◽  
Leaf Chlorophyll Content ◽  
Leaf Chlorophyll ◽  
N Rates

The use of no tillage (NT) integrated with cover cropping is a management practice that is becoming more popular with commercial ‘jack-o-lantern’ pumpkin (Cucurbita pepo) growers in the eastern and midwestern United States, although little is known about nitrogen (N) fertilizer requirements for this production system. A field study was established at the Southern Illinois University Horticulture Research Center in Carbondale to evaluate the yield response of pumpkin and associated revenues to N fertilization in a NT production system after wheat (Triticum aestivum) harvest. Nitrogen application rate affected pumpkin leaf chlorophyll content, and resulting yields and revenues. At all sampling dates, pumpkin fertilized with 224 kg·ha−1 N had the greatest leaf chlorophyll content. Quadratic relationships best described pumpkin fruit size and diameter increase with N rates from 0 to 224 kg·ha−1. Furthermore, pumpkin fruit number and weight per hectare also increased in a quadratic manner, as N application rates increased from 0 to 224 kg·ha−1. The application of 168 kg·ha−1 N also provided high yields and large fruit sizes, although quadratic models indicated that maximum net revenues for NT pumpkins were achieved with 224 kg·ha−1 N. Growers applying 224 kg·ha−1 N would increase net revenues by ≈54%, 52%, and 51% at pumpkin fruit price points of $0.33, $0.44, $0.55 per kg, respectively, compared with 0 kg·ha−1 N fertilization. An additional 123 kg·ha−1 N from fertilizer was required for NT pumpkin production after wheat harvest in fields with high amounts of cereal straw residues on the soil surface compared with the 101 kg·ha−1 N recommended for conventional tillage systems with no cover crop residues. This study suggests that N fertilizer investments will provide significant monetary returns in NT pumpkin systems. However, the 168 kg·ha−1 N rate provided the highest return on fertilizer investment at all pumpkin pricing points compared with all other N rates evaluated. Additionally, pumpkins grown in NT systems using a winter grain crop that is ended at flowering should require similar N amounts, because little N is used during heading and grain ripening. Although growers often look for ways to reduce input costs in vegetable production systems, N fertilization is clearly an important investment that provides increased yields and revenues in NT pumpkins. The results of this study should provide additional information to establish N fertilizer recommendations for NT pumpkin production.

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