Freezing–thawing effects on phosphorus leaching from catch crops

It is suggested that catch crops be grown to reduce phosphorus (P) losses. However, after exposure to freezing–thawing cycles (FTCs), catch crop material can become a source of P losses to waters in moderately cold climates. This study screened potential P leaching from intact plant material of eight catch crop species: chicory (Cichorium intybus L.), cocksfoot (Dactylis glomerata L.), perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.), red clover (Trifolium pratense L.), phacelia (Phacelia tanacetifolia L.), white mustard (Sinapis alba L.), oilseed radish (Raphanus sativus L. oleiformis) and white radish (R. longipinnatus). The catch crops were grown in six field experiments on clay soils, where soil lysimeters (0.25 m deep) with intact crops were extracted in autumn and used for leaching experiments before and after seven FTCs in the laboratory. The eight catch crops did not reduce P leaching before FTCs. After FTCs, leachate total-P concentrations from ryegrass, oilseed radish and red clover lysimeters were significantly (p = 0.0022) higher than those from the other species and the control without a catch crop. FTCs significantly (p = 0.0064) altered total-P concentration and the proportions of different forms of P. There was a significant increase in total-P concentration in leachate from ryegrass (p = 0.0008) and oilseed radish (p = 0.02). Thus the potential risk of P leaching from ryegrass and oilseed radish material after FTCs must be considered, since they are commonly grown as nitrogen catch crops in the Nordic countries. Moreover, the roots of the tested catch crops contained 7–86 % total-P, which is important when evaluating P leaching risks.     

The effect of nitrogen catch crop species on the nitrogen nutrition of succeeding crops

Ten widely different plant species were compared for their ability to reduce soil mineral nitrogen levels in the autumn and their ability to improve the nitrogen nutrition of the succeeding crop. The species included monocots and dicots, crops that survived the winter (persistent) or were winter killed (non-persistent) as well as legumes and non legumes. Their ability to reduce soil mineral nitrogen content was dependent on both root depth and persistency of the crops in the autumn. For non-persistent catch crops most of the mineralization of plant nitrogen occurred during the winter, and for some of these so early as to allow leaching of some mineralized nitrogen. For persistent crops most of the mineralization occurred shortly after incorporation in the spring. The effect of the catch crops on nitrogen uptake by the succeeding barley crop varied from 13 to 66 kg N ha^–1 and the differences between the crops could not be related to any single character, but to a combination of root depth, persistency, plant nitrate accumulation, and depletion of the soil mineral nitrogen pool in spring.     

Nutrient cycling in a cropping system with potato, spring wheat, sugar beet, oats and nitrogen catch crops. I. Input and offtake of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium

Nutrient balances, defined as the difference between input with manures, fertilizers and atmospheric deposition and offtake of nutrients with harvested products in arable cropping systems, need to be positive to compensate for unavoidable losses to the environment, but should be kept at the lowest possible level to minimize emissions or unnecessary accumulation of nutrients in the soil. Data from five consecutive years are reported from a long-term nutrient monitoring experiment with three replicates, managed comparably to conventional farming practice. There were four nutrient treatments (T1–T4). Treatment T1 received chemical fertilizer only. T2 received processed organic manure, supplying 50 per cent of the crop N-requirement, supplemented by chemical fertilizers. In treatments T1 and T2 the soil was bare during winter. In T3 and T4 the crops were fertilized as in T1 and T2, respectively, but nitrogen catch crops were grown in autumn and winter. Averaged over five years, the N-balances were 46 kg N ha^-1 y^-1 in T1 and T2 and 25 kg ha^-1 y^-1 in T3 and T4 (atmospheric deposition of 44 kg N ha^-1y^-1 included). Averaged over all treatments and years, the P-balance was 7 kg ha^-1 y^-1 and the K-balance -33 kg ha^-1 y^-1. The initially high soil fertility indices for both P and K declined over the experimental period. Catch crops and organic manure did not affect crop yields or nutrient balances, except that their combination in T4 resulted in 1.5 ton ha^-1 extra dry matter yield of sugar beet roots. Between spring and harvest, potato and sugar beet showed positive N balances and the cereals negative N-balances. Sugar beet was the only crop with a positive K-balance. NPK concentrations in plant products were not systematically affected by treatments but varied considerably between seasons. At harvest, on average 63, 71, 75 and 112 kg N ha^-1 (0–90 cm) were found after sugar beet, spring wheat, oats and potato, respectively. In November catch crops accumulated on average 39 kg N ha^-1 after cereals and 33 and 5 kg ha^-1 after potato and sugar beet, respectively. In March catch crops after the cereals contained 4 kg N ha^-1 less than in autumn, but after potato and sugar beet N-accumulation in spring had increased to 49 and 29 ha N ha^-1, respectively. In spring soil mineral N (0–90 cm) varied across years from 31 to 63 kg ha^-1. The results indicate that compliance with a maximum excess of input over offtake, as imposed by future legislation, is feasible for N for cropping systems comparable to the system examined, but that the standard for P will probably turn out to be a tight one.     

Nitrogen dynamics following grain legumes and subsequent catch crops and the effects on succeeding cereal crops

The effects of faba bean, lupin, pea and oat crops, with and without an undersown grass-clover mixture as a nitrogen (N) catch crop, on subsequent spring wheat followed by winter triticale crops were determined by aboveground dry matter (DM) harvests, nitrate (NO₃) leaching measurements and soil N balances. A 2½-year lysimeter experiment was carried out on a temperate sandy loam soil. Crops were not fertilized in the experimental period and the natural ¹⁵N abundance technique was used to determine grain legume N₂ fixation. Faba bean total aboveground DM production was significantly higher (1,300 g m^?2) compared to lupin (950 g m^?2), pea (850 g m^?2) and oat (1,100 g m^?2) independent of the catch crop strategy. Faba bean derived more than 90% of its N from N₂ fixation, which was unusually high as compared to lupin (70–75%) and pea (50–60%). No effect of preceding crop was observed on the subsequent spring wheat or winter triticale DM production. Nitrate leaching following grain legumes was significantly reduced with catch crops compared to without catch crops during autumn and winter before sowing subsequent spring wheat. Soil N balances were calculated from monitored N leaching from the lysimeters, and measured N-accumulation from the leguminous species, as N-fixation minus N removed in grains including total N accumulation belowground according to Mayer et al. (2003a). Negative soil N balances for pea, lupin and oat indicated soil N depletion, but a positive faba bean soil N balance (11 g N m^?2) after harvest indicated that more soil mineral N may have been available for subsequent cereals. However, the plant available N may have been taken up by the grass dominated grass-clover catch crop which together with microbial N immobilization and N losses could leave limited amounts of available N for uptake by the subsequent two cereal crops.     

Evaluation of different agronomic strategies to reduce nitrate leaching after winter oilseed rape (Brassica napus L.) using a simulation model

Winter oilseed rape (OSR) demands high levels of N fertilizer, often exceeding 200 kg N ha⁻¹. Large amounts of residual soil mineral nitrogen (SMN) after harvest are regularly observed, and therefore N leaching during the percolation period over winter is increased. In this study agronomic strategies (fertilization level, crop rotation, tillage intensity) to control nitrate leaching after OSR were investigated by combining field measurements (soil mineral nitrogen, soil water content, crop N uptake) of a 2-year trial and another 5-year field trial with simulation modeling. The crop-soil model uses a daily time step and was built from existing and partly refined submodels for soil water dynamics, mineralization processes, and N uptake. It was used to reproduce the complex processes of the N dynamics and to calculate N concentration in the leachate and total volume of percolation water. Some parameters values were thereby newly identified based on the agreement between measured data and model results. Although SMN in the 60–90 cm layer was overestimated, the model could reproduce the measured data with an acceptable degree of accuracy. Overfertilization of OSR increased N leaching and therefore the precise calculation of N fertilizer doses is a first step towards prevent N leaching. Compared to ploughing, minimum tillage decreased N leaching when winter wheat was grown as the subsequent crop. Volunteer OSR and Phacelia tanacetifolia were grown as catch crops after OSR harvest. N leaching could be decreased especially when Phacelia was grown, but nitrate concentrations in the drainage water were higher and exceeded the European Union (EU) threshold for drinking water when volunteer OSR was grown. The results of this study provide strong evidence that reduced tillage or growing of noncruciferous catch crops decrease N leaching and may be used as an agricultural measure to prevent N pollution.     

The fate of nitrogen from incorporated cover crop and green manure residues

Nitrogen retention and release following the incorporation of cover crops and green manures were examined in field trials in NE Scotland. These treatments reduced the amounts of nitrate-N by between 10–20 kg ha^-1 thereby lowering the potential for leaching and gaseous N losses. However, uptake of N by overwintering crops was low, reflecting the short day-lengths and low soil temperatures associated with this part of Britain. Vegetation that had regenerated naturally was as effective as sown cover crops at taking up N over winter and in returning N to the soil for the following crop. Incorporation of residues generally resulted in lower mineralisation rates and reduced N₂O emissions than the cultivation of bare ground, indicating a temporary immobilisation of soil N following incorporation. Emissions from incorporated cover crops ranged from 23–44 g N₂O-N ha^-1 over 19 days, compared with 61 g N₂O-N ha^-1 emitted from bare ground. Emissions from incorporated green manures ranged from 409–580 g N₂O-N ha^-1 over 53 days with 462 g N₂O-N ha^-1 emitted from bare ground. Significant positive correlations between N₂O and soil NO₃ ^- after incorporation (r=0.8–0.9; P<0.001 and r=0.1–0.4; P<0.05 for cover crops and green manures, respectively) suggest that this N₂O was mainly produced during nitrification. There was no significant effect of either cover cropping or green manuring on the N content or yield of the subsequent oats crop, suggesting that N was not sufficiently limiting in this soil for any benefits to become apparent immediately. However, benefits of increased sustainability as a result of increased organic matter concentrations may be seen in long-term organic rotations, and such systems warrant investigation.     

Cadmium concentration in vegetable crops grown in a sandy soil as affected by Cd levels in fertilizer and soil pH

Field trials were conducted over a three-year period with chinese cabbage (Brassica pekinensis Rupr.) and carrots (Daucus carota L.) grown in a sandy soil with pH adjusted to 5.5 and 6.5. The NPK fertilizers containing 1, 30, 90, and 400 mg Cd kg^–1 P were applied at the rate of 0.07, 2.1, 6.3 and 28 g Cd ha^–1 yr^–1. The amounts of Cd added through phosphate rock also ranged between 0.1 and 28 g ha^–1 yr^–1. The increased Cd application rates through NPK fertilizers increased the Cd concentration in both vegetables but the differences among treatments were not found to be significant. The Cd uptake by both crops was significantly (p<0.01) higher at pH 5.5 than at pH 6.5. Chinese cabbage exhibited lower Cd concentration than carrots. Carrot leaves contained higher Cd than its roots. Cadmium removals by chinese cabbage and carrot were about 0.7 and 1.3 g ha^–1 yr^–1, respectively. At pH 5.5, Cd concentrations in the two crops, based on a three-year average, were 23 and 46% higher than at pH 6.5. Cadmium uptake by chinese cabbage from different sources of phosphate rock was affected to a very limited extent. Cadmium concentration generally increased over the years. Cadmium extracted by ammonium nitrate after harvest of the crops was closely related with soil pH and Cd concentration in the plants.     

Effects of a catch crop and reduced nitrogen fertilization on nitrogen leaching in greenhouse vegetable production systems

Greenhouse vegetable cultivation has greatly increased productivity but has also led to a rapid accumulation of nitrate in soils and probably in plants. Significant losses of nitrate–nitrogen (NO₃-N) could occur after heavy N fertilization under open-field conditions combined with high precipitation in the summer. It is urgently needed to improve N management under the wide spread greenhouse vegetable production system. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of a summer catch crop and reduced N application rates on N leaching and vegetable crop yields. During a 2-year period, sweet corn as an N catch crop was planted between vegetable crops in the summer season under 5 N fertilizer treatments (0, 348, 522, 696, and 870 kg ha⁻¹) in greenhouse vegetable production systems in Tai Lake region, southern China. A water collection system was installed at a depth of 0.5 m in the soil to collect leachates during the vegetable growing season. The sweet corn as a catch crop reduced the total N concentration from 94 to 59 mg l⁻¹ in leached water and reduced the average soil nitrate N from 306 to 195 mg kg⁻¹ in the top 0.1-m soil during the fallow period of local farmers’ N application rate (870 kg ha⁻¹). Reducing the amount of N fertilizer and using catch crop during summer fallow season reduced total N leaching loss by 50 and 73%, respectively, without any negative effect on vegetable yields.     

The comparison of nitrogen use and leaching in sole cropped versus intercropped pea and barley

The effect of sole and intercropping of field pea (Pisumsativum L.) and spring barley (Hordeum vulgareL.) and of crop residue management on crop yield,NO₃ ^– leaching and N balance in the cropping systemwas tested in a 2-year lysimeter experiment on a temperate sandy loam soil. Thecrop rotation was pea and barley sole and intercrops followed by winter-rye anda fallow period. The Land Equivalent Ratio (LER), which is defined as therelative land area under sole crops that is required to produce the yieldsachieved in intercropping, was used to compare intercropping performancerelative to sole cropping. Crops received no fertilizer in the experimentalperiod. Natural ¹⁵N abundance techniques were used to determine peaN₂ fixation. The pea–barley intercrop yielded 4.0 Mg grainha^–1, which was about 0.5 Mg lowerthan theyields of sole cropped pea but about 1.5 Mg greater than harvestedin sole cropped barley. Calculation of the LER showed thatplant growth resources were used from 17 to 31% more efficiently by theintercrop than by the sole crops. Pea increased the N derived fromN₂fixation from 70% when sole cropped to 99% of the total aboveground Naccumulation when intercropped. However, based upon aboveground N accumulationthe pea–barley intercrop yielded about 85 kg Nha^–1, which was about 65 kg lower thansolecropped pea but about three times greater than harvested in sole croppedbarley.Despite different preceding crops and removal or incorporation of straw, therewas no significant difference between the subsequent non-fertilized winter-ryegrain yields averaging 2.8 Mg ha^–1, indicating anequalization of the quality of incorporated residue by theNO₃ ^– leaching pattern.NO₃ ^– leaching throughout the experimental periodwas61 to 76 kg N ha^–1. Leaching dynamics indicateddifferences in the temporal N mineralization comparing lysimeters previouslycropped with pea or with barley. The major part of this N was leached duringautumn and winter. Leaching tended to be smaller in the lysimeters originallycropped with the pea–barley intercrops, although not significantly differentfromthe sole cropped pea and barley lysimeters. Soil N balances indicated depletionof N in the soil–plant system during the experimental period, independent ofcropping system and residue management. N complementarity in the croppingsystemand the synchrony between residual N availability and crop N uptake isdiscussed.     

Nitrogen leaching and crop availability in manured catch crop systems in Sweden

Results are presented from five years (1990–1995) of a field leaching experiment on a sandy soil in south-west Sweden. The aim was to study N leaching, change in soil organic N and N mineralization in cropping systems with continuous use of liquid manure (two application rates) and catch crops. N leaching from drains, N uptake in crops and mineral N in the soil were measured. Simulation models were used to calculate the N budget and N mineralization in the soil and to make predictions of improved fertilization strategies in relation to manure applications and changing the time for incorporation of catch crops. In treatments without catch crops, a normal and a double application of manure increased average N leaching by 15 and 34%, respectively, compared to treatment with commercial fertilizer. Catch crops reduced N leaching by, on average, 60% in treatments with a normal application of manure and commercial fertilizer, but only by 35% in the treatment with double the normal application rate of manure. Incorporation of catch crops in spring increased simulated net N mineralization during the crop vegetation period, and also during early autumn. In conclusion, manured systems resulted in larger N leaching than those receiving commercial fertilizer, mainly due to larger applications of mineral N in spring. More careful adaptation of commercial N fertilization with respect to the amounts of NH₄-N applied with manure could, according to the simulations, reduce N leaching. Under-sown ryegrass catch crops effectively reduced N leaching in manured systems. Incorporating catch crop residues in late autumn instead of spring might be preferable with respect to N availability in the soil for the next crop, and would not increase N leaching.     

Effect of climate change on greenhouse gas emissions from arable crop rotations

The DAISY soil–plant–atmosphere model was used to simulate crop production and soil carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) turnover for three arable crop rotations on a loamy sand in Denmark under varying temperature, rainfall, atmospheric CO₂ concentration and N fertilization. The crop rotations varied in proportion of spring sown crops and use of N catch crops (ryegrass). The effects on CO₂ emissions were estimated from simulated changes in soil C. The effects on N₂O emissions were estimated using the IPCC methodology from simulated amounts of N in crop residues and N leaching. Simulations were carried out using the original and a revised parameterization of the soil C turnover. The use of the revised model parameterization increased the soil C and N turnover in the topsoil under baseline conditions, resulting in an increase in crop N uptake of 11 kg N ha^–1 y^–1 in a crop rotation with winter cereals and a reduction of 16 kg N ha^–1 y^–1 in a crop rotation with spring cereals and catch crops. The effect of increased temperature, rainfall and CO₂ concentration on N flows was of the same magnitude for both model parameterizations. Higher temperature and rainfall increased N leaching in all crop rotations, whereas effects on N in crop residues depended on use of catch crops. The total greenhouse gas (GHG) emission increased with increasing temperature. The increase in total GHG emission was 66–234 kg CO₂-eq ha^–1 y^–1 for a temperature increase of 4°C. Higher rainfall increased total GHG emissions most in the winter cereal dominated rotation. An increase in rainfall of 20% increased total GHG emissions by 11–53 kg CO₂-eq ha^–1 y^–1, and a 50% increase in atmospheric CO₂ concentration decreased emissions by 180–269 kg CO₂-eq ha^–1 y^–1. The total GHG emissions increased considerably with increasing N fertilizer rate for a crop rotation with winter cereals, but remained unchanged for a crop rotation with spring cereals and catch crops. The simulated increase in GHG emissions with global warming can be effectively mitigated by including more spring cereals and catch crops in the rotation.     

Comparing the effectiveness of radish cover crop, oilseed rape volunteers and oilseed rape residues incorporation for reducing nitrate leaching

The soil water and N dynamics have been studied during two long fallow periods (between wheat or oilseed rape and a spring crop) in a field experiment in Châlons-en-Champagne (eastern France, 48°50 N, 2°15 E). The experiment involved frequent measurements of soil water, soil mineral N, dry matter and N uptake by cover crops. Water and N budgets were established using Ritchie's model for calculating evapotranspiration in cropped soils and a model (LIXIM) for calculating water drainage, N leaching and N mineralisation in bare soils. During the first autumn and winter, a radish cover crop (grown from September 1994 to January 1995) was compared to a bare soil. During the second period (July 1995 to April 1996), a comparison was carried out between (i) oilseed rape volunteers, (ii) bare soil with two types of oilseed rape residues incorporated into the soil (R0 and R270 residues) and (iii) bare soil without residues incorporation. R0 and R270 residues came from two preceding oilseed rape crops which received two rates of N fertilizer (0 and 270 kg N ha^-1).Soil mineral N content was markedly reduced by the presence of radish cover crop or oilseed rape volunteers during autumn. The calculated actual evapotranspiration (AET) did not differ much between treatments, meaning that the transpiration by the cover crop or volunteers was relatively low (100–150 L kg^-1 of dry matter). Consequently, nitrate leaching was reduced during the rest of the winter and spring as well as nitrate concentration in the percolating water: 45 vs. 91 mg NO₃ ^- L^-1 for radish cover crop and bare soil, respectively. The incorporation of oilseed rape residues to soil also exerted a beneficial but smaller action on reducing the nitrate content in the soil. This effect was due to extra N immobilisation which reached a maximum of about 20 kg N ha^-1 in mid-autumn for both types of residues. Nine months after the incorporation of the oilseed rape residues, and comparing to the control soil without residues incorporation, N rich residues induced a significant positive N net effect (+ 9 kg N ha^-1) corresponding to 10% of N added whereas for N poor residues no net effect was still obtained at the end of experiment (–3 kg N ha^-1, not significantly different from 0).To reduce nitrate leaching during long fallow periods, it is necessary to promote techniques leading to decrease mineral-N contents in the soil during autumn before the drainage period, such as (i) residue incorporation after harvest (without fertiliser-N) and (ii) allowing volunteers to grow or sowing a cover crop just after the harvest of the last main crop.     

Legume cover crops and mulches: effects on nitrate leaching and nitrogen input in a pepper crop (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Capsicum annuum</Emphasis> L.)

There is not sufficient knowledge concerning the risks involved in NO₃–N leaching in relation to the use of cover crops and mulches. A 2 year field experiment was carried out in a pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) crop transplanted into different soil management treatments which involved the addition of mulch of three different types of winter cover crops (CC) [hairy vetch (Vicia villosa Roth.), subclover (Trifolium subterraneum L.), and a mixture of hairy vetch/oat (Avena sativa L.)], and an un-mulched plot. At the time of CC conversion into mulch, the hairy vetch/oat mixture accumulated the highest aboveground biomass (5.30 t ha⁻¹ of DM), while hairy vetch in pure stand accumulated the highest quantity of N (177 kg ha⁻¹) and showed the lowest C/N ratio (12). The marketable pepper yield was higher in mulched than in conventional (on average 33.5, 28.9, 27.7 and 22.2 t ha⁻¹ of FM for hairy vetch, subclover, hairy vetch/oat mixture, and conventional, respectively). Generally, the NO₃–N content of the soil was minimum at CC sowing, slightly higher at pepper transplanting and maximum at pepper harvesting (on average 15.2, 16.8, and 23.3 mg NO₃-N kg⁻¹ of dry soil, respectively). The cumulative leachate was higher during the CC period (from October to April) than the pepper crop period (from April to September), on average 102.1 vs 66.1 mm over the years, respectively. The cumulative NO₃–N leached greatly depended on the type of mulch and it was 102.3, 95.3, 94.7, and 48.2 kg ha⁻¹ in hairy vetch, subclover, hairy vetch/oat mixture, and conventional, respectively. A positive linear correlation was found between the N accumulated in the CC aboveground biomass and the NO₃–N leached during pepper cultivation (R ² = 0.87). This research shows that winter legume cover crops, especially hairy vetch in pure stand, converted into dead mulch in spring could be used successfully for adding N to the soil and increasing the yield of the following pepper crop although the risks of N losses via leaching could be increased compared to an un-mulched soil. Therefore when leguminous mulches are used in the cultivation of a summer crop, appropriate management practices of the system, such as a better control of the amount of irrigation water and the cultivation of a graminaceous or a cruciferous catch crop after the harvesting of the summer crop, should be adopted in order to avoid an increase in NO₃–N leaching.     

Effects of catch crops on silage maize (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Zea mays</Emphasis> L.): yield,nitrogen uptake efficiency and losses

Under the climatic conditions of north-western Europe, silage maize (Zea mays L.) production optimized with respect to nitrogen (N) fertilization and crop rotation is required to reduce N losses. Whether winter catch crops (CC) can serve as a beneficial biological tool in terms of N-loss abatement as well as maize yield also under optimized N management, is unclear. Therefore, a 2-year field experiment was conducted to study the short-term effects of a continuous maize-catch cropping system on maize yield performance, N₂O emission and N leaching, as affected by maize harvest/CC sowing date (10, 20, 30 September and 15 October, respectively, hd₁–hd₄) and CC species (rye, Secale cereale L. and Italian ryegrass, Lolium multiflorum Lam.). Treatments without CC served as control and N fertilization was applied as synthetic N to better adjust to maize N demand. The CC treatment (with or without) had no effect on maize dry matter and N yields, but the N uptake efficiency of maize responded significantly to the N accumulation (N_tot) of CC. Nitrate leaching mostly stayed below the critical load value for EU drinking water and rye significantly reduced nitrate leaching, given that environmental conditions allowed sufficiently high CC biomass accumulation. Annual nitrous oxide emission was unaffected by CC treatment. Restricted N fertilization of maize following CC led to N deficiency, since CC decomposition obviously was not synchronized with maize N demand. Under the given environmental conditions, rye may serve as beneficial CC in continuous maize cropping even in already optimized N management.     

Effect of manure quality on nitrate leaching and groundwater pollution in wetland soil under field tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum, Mill var. Heinz) rape (Brassica napus, L var. Giant)

Recent decades have seen an increase in groundwater pollution thought to be a consequence of increasing intensity of land use, primarily through greater use of high N analysis materials as fertilizers. A two-season lysimeter experiment was carried out in a wetland in central Zimbabwe in order to determine the effect of cattle manure quality on (1) NO₃–N concentration in leachate and nitrate leaching (2) dry matter accumulation and uptake of N by tomato and rape crops grown in wetland conditions. Two cattle manure quality types based on N content were used in the experiment. The manure collected from a kraal of the smallholder wetland community was classified as high quality manure (high N, 1.36 % N) while that collected from the adjacent commercial farming area was classified as low quality manure (low N, 0.51 % N). The two manure types were applied in rates of 0, 15, 30 Mg ha^?1. The treatments were arranged in a randomized complete block design with four replicates. When 15 and 30 Mg high and low N manure ha^?1 were applied, the concentration of NO₃–N in leachate exceeded the recommended 10 mg L^?1 concentration in portable water by 15–104 and 53–174 % respectively. The substitution of 15 and 30 Mg of high N manure with 15 and 30 Mg ha^?1 of low N manure reduced total N lost through leaching by 10–43 and 22–69 % respectively. Ground water contamination by nitrate overload can be considerably reduced by application of low N manure to vegetable crops.     

Nitrogen leaching and plant uptake from controlled-release fertilizers

Controlled-release N fertilizers are commonly used in the production of container-grown ornamental crops, yet the relative effects of various nutrient sources on N leaching are not well known. A 27-week experiment was conducted to evaluate N leaching loss and plant growth following two applications of six controlled-release N fertilizers and one soluble N fertilizer to container-grownEuonymus patens Rehd. The controlled-release fertilizers evaluated were (noncoated) isobutylidene diurea, oxamide, urea formaldehyde, and (coated) Osmocote, Prokote Plus, and sulfur-coated urea. Of the fertilizers tested, the coated fertilizers generally out-performed the noncoated fertilizers in reducing N leaching losses, stimulating plant growth, and increasing tissue N concentrations. Low N concentrations in the leachate of some treatments indicated efficient nutrient use by the plant. In other treatments, low N concentrations in the leachate merely reflected incomplete N release from the fertilizer. A daily application of NH₄NO₃ resulted in a constant rate of N loss but was not the most effective in promoting growth. Plant growth, tissue N concentrations, and N leaching losses were all increased by doubling the fertilizer application rate from 1 kg N m^–3 to 2 kg N m^–3.     

Effects of applied nitrogen on soil nitrate-nitrogen content after harvest of winter barley

Seven field trials were conducted on winter barley to define relationships between rate of applied N, the amount of nitrate-N present in the soil after harvest and the ratio of soil nitrate-N to grain yield. Applying N up to the economic optimum rate (estimated from yield and N rate data from individual trials) was associated with small increases in soil nitrate-N after harvest (the mean increase was 4 kg N ha^–1). Where the optimum N rate was exceeded, soil nitrate-N levels increased to a greater extent. In every trial, the ratio of soil nitrate-N to yield showed a minimum at a fertilizer N rate below the economic optimum. However, the value of the ratio was always lower at the optimum N rate (mean value 6.0 kg N t^–1) than at the zero-N treatment (mean value 8.9 kg N t^–1) and the difference between the minimum value (mean 5.6 kg N t^–1) and that found at the optimum N rate was small.Overall, application of fertilizer N up to the economic optimum rate for practical purposes could be regarded as consistent with the objective of minimising the risk of nitrate leaching per hectare and per tonne of grain in the trials.     

Effect of winter catch crops on nitrogen surplus in intensive vegetable crop rotations

The nitrogen (N) use efficiency of field vegetable production systems needs to be increased in order to, reduce the detrimental effects of N losses on other ecosystems, save on production costs, and meet the limits set by the German government concerning N balance surpluses. Winter catch crops (CCs) have been shown to be a useful tool for reducing N losses in many agricultural production systems. This study was designed to test the effects of different CCs: rye (Secale cereale L.), fodder radish (Raphanus sativus L. var. oleiformis Pers.), bunch onion (Allium cepa L.), and sudangrass (Sorghum sudanense Stapf), planted at different sowing dates (early, late), on the N balance of 2-year vegetable crop rotation systems. The crop rotations started with a cauliflower (Brassica oleracea L. var. botrytis L.) crop, which was fertilized with N in a conventional manner. The experiments took place at three different sites in Germany. Results revealed that the average N balance surplus, when taking into consideration, fertilization, soil mineral N, and aboveground plant biomass N, was 217 kg N ha⁻¹ in the control treatments without a CC. This high value was mainly a consequence of large quantities of crop N and soil mineral N remaining after the harvest of the cauliflower. In spite of these high N surpluses, the application of CC only reduced the N balance surplus, on average across all sites and experiments, by 13 kg N ha⁻¹, when compared to the control treatments. The type of CC and the sowing date had only minor effects on the N balance. The findings of this study suggest that for many sites the application of CCs does not solve the problem of high N balance surpluses in intensive field vegetable production systems.     

Effects of liming,K fertilization and leaching on K retention,nutrient uptake and dry matter production of maize grown on a Samoan Oxic Inceptisol

Effects of coralline lime and leaching on dry matter production and nutrient uptake by maize (Zea mays) were studied in 21 cm deep leaching columns/pots filled with an Oxic Inceptisol (12 kg) from Alafua, Western Samoa. Ground (<0.25mm) coralline material containing approximately 80% CaCO₃ was used as lime. There were 12 treatments, factorially arranged: 4 liming rates (0, 10.5, 21.0 and 31.5 g pot^–1) which were applied to the top 5 cm of the pots, and 3 K applications (0, 0.69 1.38 g pot^–1) which were applied after the initial leaching period of 10 days (3 1 pot^–1 day^–1) following the lime applications. Leaching continued for 15 more days, using 1 1 pot^–1 day^–1, after K fertilizations. During the initial leaching period, liming intensified K losses. The applied Ca-ions displaced the exchangeable K which was subsequently leached out of the pots. During the second leaching period, liming increased K retention only when K concentrations in the soil were high (treatment receiving 1.38 g K pot^–1). These effects of liming and leaching on K retention were not detectable in the nutrient uptake of maize grown for 50 days after the second leaching period. This may have been because the leaching losses made up only approximately 2 % of the K-turnover in the pots. A calculated nutrient balance for the pots showed that a large portion of K taken up by maize came out of a pool of nonexchangeable K. The Alafua soil had 0.45 % (11.5 cmol(+)kg^–1) total-K, indicating a relatively large K reserve. Since mineralogical studies failed to detect the presence of any known 2:1 minerals, the K reserve of the Alafua soil might be located in amorphous material.The project that made this research possible was supported under Grant No. 936-5542-G-SS-9092 of the Program in Science and Technology Cooperation, AID/ST/AGR, U.S. Agency for International Development     

Measurement and simulation of the effects of N-fertilizer on growth,plant composition and distribution of soil mineral-N in nationwide onion experiments

To aid the development of simulation models for N-response, N-fertilizer experiments with onions (Allium cepa L.) were carried out on 5 different sites. In each experiment, there was little loss of fertilizer-N in soil during the period between application and rapid crop growth and little loss of mineral N by leaching at any time. Even so, a substantial proportion of the N applied as fertilizer could not be accounted for in the crop and soil at harvest; the sum of soil mineral-N plus crop N (excluding fibrous roots) was always linearly related to N rate applied over the entire range (0–300 kg N ha^–1) and the gradient was always approximately the same, 0.64, irrespective of soil type or the amount of nitrate remaining in soil at harvest. Evidence was obtained that the phenomena resulted from roots retaining N and inducing immobilization at a rate proportional to soil nitrate concentration and that the proportionality constant was similar on all sites.Throughout plant growth there was little luxury consumption of N and the critical %N was related to plant mass by an equation previously deduced for other C3 crops (Plant and Soil 85, 163); plant nitrate concentration in the early stages increased with soil mineral-N (0–30 cm) to a maximum which varied from site to site but the nitrate concentration in the mature crop was always negligible. Plant yield in the early stages of growth generally declined with increase in fertilizer-N, despite the crops having been planted as sets and no more than 150 kg N ha^–1 broadcast at one time; but at maturity, yield always increased asymptotically with increase in fertilizer-N. Mineralization rates were approximately the same in the first as in the second half of each experiment. At harvest, residual soil mineral-N in the upper 30, 60 and 90 cm of soil increased with increase in fertilizer-N even when crop demand for N exceeded supply. At harvest in every experiment, the ratio of crop dry weight in the absence of added N to the maximum obtained was approximately equal to the ratio of plant %N (with no fertilizer) to critical %N.The various phenomena concerning yields, plant-N contents, and values of soil mineral-N at harvest were quite well simulated by a slightly modified version of a previously published model (Fert. Res. 18, 153) with few site-dependent inputs.