Nitrogen use efficiency and N-competition betweenLeucaena hedgerows and maize in an alley cropping system

A two-year field experiment was undertaken on an Alfisol in the forest-savanna transition zone of southwestern Nigeria, to study the effect of alley cropping, root barrier, application of N fertilizer andLeucaena leucocephala (Lam.) de Wit. prunings, on N utilization by maize andLeucaena hedgerows. The trial was conducted using a split-plot design with three replications. Mainplot treatments were alley cropping withLeucaena leucocephala planted at 4m interhedgerow spacing and control (no hedgerows). Four subplot treatments were with and without addition of hedgerow prunings, and with and without presence of root barriers. There were no significant effects of presence ofLeucaena hedgerows and root barriers on maize grain yield.Leucaena hedgerows recovered about 7% of the 30 kgN/ha applied as (¹⁵NH₄)₂SO₄ to maize during one year. Application of hedgerow prunings increased maize yield by 82% and N-uptake in the grain by 50% over the treatment without prunings. Recoveries of¹⁵N-labelled prunings and fertilizer N by maize plants were about 10 and 16% respectively. Prunings addition increased¹⁵N-fertilizer recovery in main season maize and the residual value during the minor season by about 36% over the treatment without prunings. Pruning N-use efficiency was higher for plants grown adjacent to the hedgerows than in the middle of alleys during main season and the reverse was observed during the minor season. Absence of a root barrier increased N-use from prunings. Large amounts of applied N in the system were unaccounted for. Results of the trial showed, that without root barrier there was no measurable below-ground N competition betweenLeucaena hedgerows and maize.     

Pruning management effects on soil carbon and nitrogen in contour-hedgerow cropping with Leucaena leucocephala (Lam.) De Wit on sloping land in Haiti

Application of hedgerow prunings to the soil in alley cropping ispracticed to sustain crop yield but information is lacking on effects ofhedgerow management on soil C and N dynamics under continuous cropping.Cumulative effects of 3.5 years of leucaena [Leucaenaleucocephala (Lam.) De Wit] hedgerow management on soil organic CandN and potential C and N mineralization were determined in an alley croppingexperiment in Haiti. Treatments were combinations of pruning uses and pruningregimes in a 3 × 3 factorial with a no-tree control (rock walls) in arandomized complete block design with 3 replicates. A hedgerow + fertilizertreatment in an adjacent trial was included for comparison. Soil samplescollected at 0–5, 5–10 and 10–20 cm depths weresealed in mason jars and incubated at 25 °C for 30 days.Organic C and N and inorganic N were measured before the incubation. InorganicNand respired CO₂-C were measured after the incubation. After 3.5years, surface soil samples with prunings applied as mulch or incorporated atplanting had, respectively, 20 and 16% higher organic C, 34 and 18% higherorganic N concentrations, higher potential C and N mineralization and higherrelative N mineralization than with prunings removed. Soil C and N dynamicsweresimilar between pruning application methods. The two-cut regime with a longerregrowth period after cutting (0–40 DAP) had highest organic C in the0–20 cm soil layer whereas two-cut with a shorter regrowthperiod (0–30 DAP) had highest C turnover. Within soil layers, pruningapplication had higher organic C and N and potential C and N mineralizationthanthe no-tree control and alley plots with prunings removed in the 0–5cm layer whereas the latter treatments had similar C and Ndynamicsat all depths. Addition of N-P-K fertilizer in presence of fresh prunings didnot increase soil organic C and N but enhanced N dynamics in the surface soil.     

Leucaena (Leucaena leucocephala (Lam) de Wit) prunings as nitrogen source for maize (Zea mays L.)

The effectiveness ofLeucaena leucocephala (Lam.) de Wit, prunings as N source for maize (Zea mays L.) was evaluated in field and pot trials at Ibadan, southern Nigeria. An N deficient, sandy Apomu soil (Psammentic Usthorthent) was used. The prunings significantly increased N uptake of seedlings and N percentage in ear leaves of maize. High maize gain yield was obtained with application of 10 tons fresh prunings or a combination of 5 tons fresh prunings and N at 50 kg ha^–1. The prunings as N source, appeared to be more effective when incorporated in the soil than when applied as mulch. In the pot trial, prunings applied two weeks before planting was more effective than when applied at time of planting maize. Under screen house conditions, the apparent N recovery from prunings with early incorporation about equals that of fertilizer N.     

Green leaf manuring with prunings of Leucaena leucocephala for nitrogen economy and improved productivity of maize (Zea mays)–wheat (Triticum aestivum) cropping system

Green leaf manuring with prunings of Leucaena leucocephala is regarded as a useful source of N to plants but the actual substitution of N fertilizer, release and recovery of N as well as effects on soil fertility are not adequately studied. The present studies investigated the effect of sole and combined use of Leucaena prunings and urea N fertilizer in different proportions on productivity, profitability, N uptake and balance in maize (Zea mays)–wheat (Triticum aestivum) cropping system at New Delhi during 2002–2003 and 2003–2004. Varying quantities of Leucaena green leaf biomass containing 3.83–4.25% N (18.2–20.5 C:N ratio) were applied to provide 0, 25, 50, 75 and 100% of recommended N (120 kg ha⁻¹) to both maize and wheat before sowing. In general, direct application of urea N increased the productivity of both crops more than Leucaena green leaf manure, but the reverse was true for the residual effect of these sources. The productivity of maize increased progressively with increasing proportions of N through urea fertilizer and was 2.41–2.52 t ha⁻¹ with 60 kg N ha⁻¹ each applied through Leucaena and urea, which was at par with that obtained with 120 kg N ha⁻¹ through urea alone (2.56–2.74 t ha⁻¹). Similarly, wheat yield was also near maximum (4.46–5.11 t ha⁻¹) when equal amounts of N were substituted through Leucaena and urea. Residual effects were obtained on the following crops and were significant when greater quantity of N (>50%) was substituted through Leucaena. Nitrogen uptake and recovery were also maximum with urea N alone, and N recovery was higher in maize (33.4–42.1%) than in wheat (27.3–29.8%). However, recovery of residual N in the following crop was more from Leucaena N alone (8.5–10.3%) than from urea fertilizer (1.7–3.8%). Residual soil fertility in terms of organic C and KMnO₄ oxidizable N showed improvement with addition of Leucaena prunings, which led to a positive N balance at the end of second cropping cycle. Net returns were considerably higher with wheat than with maize, and were comparatively lower with greater proportion of Leucaena because of its higher cost. Nonetheless, it was beneficial to apply Leucaena and urea on equal N basis for higher productivity and sustainability of this cereal-based cropping system.     

Nitrogen fertilizer in leucaena alley cropping. I. Maize response to nitrogen fertilizer and fate of fertilizer-15N

Field microplot experiments were conducted in the semi-arid tropics of northern Australia to evaluate the response of maize (Zea mays L.) growth to addition of N fertilizer and plant residues and to examine the fate of fertilizer¹⁵N in a leucaena (Leucaena leucocephala) alley cropping system, in which supplemental irrigation was used. Leucaena prunings, maize residues and N fertilizer were applied to alley-cropped maize grown in microplots which were installed in the alleys formed by leucaena hedgerows spaced 4.5 metres apart. The¹⁵N-labelled fertilizer was used to examine the fate of fertilizer N applied in the presence of mulched leucaena prunings and maize residues.Application of leucaena prunings increased maize yield while addition of N fertilizer in the presence of the prunings produced a further increase in maize production. There was a significant positive interaction between N fertilizer and leucaena prunings in increasing maize production. The addition of maize residues in the presence of N fertilizer and leucaena prunings decreased maize yield and N uptake and increased fertilizer¹⁵N loss from 38% to 47%. Maize recovered 24–79% of fertilizer¹⁵N in one cropping season, depending on application rate of N fertilizer and field management of plant residues. About 20–34% of fertilizer¹⁵N remained in the soil. More than 37% of fertilizer¹⁵N was apparently lost from the soil and plant system largely through denitrification when N fertilizer was applied at 40 kg N ha^–1 or more in the presence or absence of plant residues. Application of N fertilizer improved maize yield and increased the contribution of mulched leucaena prunings to crop production in the alley cropping system.     

Integrating legumes to improve N cycling on smallholder farms in sub-humid Zimbabwe: resource quality, biophysical and environmental limitations

The release of mineral-N in soil from plant residues is regulated by their ‘quality’ or chemical composition. Legume materials used by farmers in southern Africa are often in the form of litter with N concentration <2%. We investigated the decomposition of Sesbania sesban and Acacia angustissima litter in the field using litterbags, and N mineralization of a range of legume materials using a leaching tube incubation method in the laboratory. The mass loss of the litter could be described using a modified exponential decay model: Y = (Y ₀−Q)e^−kt + Q. The relative decomposition constants for Sesbania and Acacia litter were 0.053 and 0.039 d⁻¹, respectively. The % N mineralized from fresh Sesbania prunings was 55% compared with only 27% for the Sesbania litter after 120 days of incubation under leaching conditions. During the same period, fresh prunings of Acacia released only 12% of the added N while Acacia litter released 9%. Despite the large differences in N concentration between Acacia prunings and its litter, the total mineralized N was similar, as mineralization from prunings was depressed by the highly active polyphenols. While N supply may be poor, these slow decomposing litter materials are potentially useful for maintaining soil organic matter in smallholder farms. In two field experiments with contrasting soil texture, Sesbania, Acacia and Cajanus produced large amounts of biomass (>5 Mg ha⁻¹) and improved N cycling significantly (>150 kg N ha⁻¹) on the clay loam soil, but adapted poorly on the sandier soil. There was a rapid N accumulation in the topsoil at the beginning of the rains in plots where large amounts of Sesbania or Acacia biomass had been incorporated. Despite the wide differences in resource quality between these two, there was virtually no difference in N availability in the field as this was, among other factors, confounded by the quantity of N added. A substantial amount of the nitrate was leached to greater than 0.4 m depth within a three-week period. Also, the incidence of pests in the first season, and drought in the second season resulted in poor nitrogen use efficiency. Our measurements of gaseous N losses in the field confirmed that N₂O emissions were <0.5 kg N ha⁻¹. As we had measurements of all major N flows, we were able to construct overall N budgets for the improved fallow – maize rotation systems. These budgets indicated that, in a normal rainfall season with no major pest problems, reducing nitrate leaching would be the single largest challenge to increased N recovery of added organic N in the light textured soils.     

Moisture conservation and nitrogen recycling through legume mulching in rainfed maize (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Zea mays</Emphasis>)–wheat (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Triticum aestivum</Emphasis>) cropping system

Mulching with vegetative materials is a highly beneficial and widely-investigated agro-technique in rainfed areas but the adoption of this practice has been constrained due to non-availability of mulch biomass locally. Live mulching with fast-growing annual green manure legumes like sunnhemp (Crotalaria juncea) or prunings of Leucaena leucocephala grown as hedge rows can be done for moisture conservation as well as nutrient cycling in the maize–wheat cropping system, which is predominantly followed in the high rainfall sub-mountainous region of north-western India. A field experiment was conducted at Selakui, Dehradun during 2000–2004 to study the effect of legume mulching, viz. in situ grown sunnhemp and Leucaena prunings, along with varying N levels, viz. 0, 30, 60 and 90 kg N ha⁻¹ (to maize), and 0, 40 and 80 kg N ha⁻¹ (to wheat) on productivity, soil moisture conservation and soil physico-chemical properties. Intercropped sunnhemp added 0.75–1.45 t dry matter and 21.6–41.3 kg N ha⁻¹ at 30–35 days, while Leucaena twigs added 1.89–4.15 t dry matter and 75.2–161.3 kg N ha⁻¹ at 60–65 days of maize growth. Live mulching with sunnhemp or Leucaena biomass improved soil moisture content at maize harvest (+1.15–1.57%) and crop productivity by 6.8–8.8% over no mulching. Combined use of both the mulching materials was more effective in improving the soil moisture content (+2.08–2.29%) and grain yield (15.1%) over their single application. Response of maize to N fertilizer application was significant up to 90 kg N ha⁻¹, and it was relatively more pronounced under the mulching treatments. Residual effect of mulching on wheat showed an increase in yield of 10.2% with sunnhemp or Leucaena, and 27.9% with sunnhemp + Leucaena. There was an improvement in organic C and total N status of soil, and a decrease in bulk density associated with an increase in infiltration rate due to mulching at the end of 4 cropping cycles. It was concluded that legume mulching is a highly beneficial practice for enhanced moisture and nutrient conservation, leading to increased productivity and soil health of maize–wheat cropping system under Doon valley conditions of north-western India.     

Phosphorus,Potassium and Leucaena Pruning Interactions on Corn in Haiti

Few P and K fertility studies have been conducted on Haitian soils. Alley cropping is promoted in Haiti but has not been studied in relation to P and K fertility. The effects of P and K fertilizer and leucaena (Leucaena leucocephala (Lam) De Witt) pruning mulch applications on corn (Zea mays L.) were assessed in field experiments on Rhodudalfs over limestone at Salagnac, Lithic Hapludolls over limestone at Bergeau and Typic Hapludalfs over basalt at St. Georges, Haiti. Complete block designs arranged in incomplete factorials of P and K rates were carried out during three seasons. Additional treatments consisted of 30 Mg ha⁻¹ of leucaena prunings applied with and without 60 kg P and 40 kg K ha⁻¹. Grain yield and net income were analyzed and a surface response curve was fitted on treatments without pruning applications. The soils differed markedly in response to P and K with significant PXK interactions. Without leucaena prunings, response surface analysis predicted maximum yields with applications of 95–117 kg P ha⁻¹ and 51–72 kg K ha⁻¹ and maximum net returns with applications of 0.22–89 kg P ha⁻¹ and 43–79 kg K ha⁻¹. Leucaena pruning applications increased yield at all sites. Highest net income was obtained at Salagnac and St. Georges with leucaena prunings applied with P and K, at Bergeau with prunings applied without P and K, suggesting that alley cropping with judicial fertilizer use is a good economic alternative for low resource farmers. Soil parent material and mineralogy should be considered in making fertilizer recommendations.     

Longterm alley cropping with four hedgerow species on an Alfisol in southwestern Nigeria – effect on crop performance, soil chemical properties and nematode population

A longterm alley cropping trial was undertaken on an eroded Oxic paleustalf in the forest-savanna transition zone of southwestern Nigeria from 1981–1993. Two nitrogen fixing hedgerow species (Gliricidia sepium and Leucaena leucocephala) and two non legume hedgerow species (Alchornea cordifolia and Dactyladenia barteri) were used in the trial compared to a control (with no hedgerow) treatment. Plots were sequentially cropped with maize (main season) followed by cowpea (minor season). With 4 m interhedgerow spacing and pruning at 0.75 m height, the mean annual pruning biomass yields were observed in the following order: Leucaena (7.1 t ha-1 ) > Gliricidia (4.9 t ha-1 ) > Alchornea (3.7 t ha-1) > Dactyladenia (3.0 t ha-1 ). Alley cropping with the four woody species greatly enhanced the total plot (woody species + crop) biomass yield/ha as follows; Leucaena (21.8 t ha-1) > Gliricidia (17.7 t ha-1) > Alchornea (11.7 t ha-1) > Dactyladenia (9.5 t ha-1). Total biomass yield of crops in control plot was 5.3 t ha-1. Higher biomass yields with alley cropping also increased nutrient yield and cycling. Gliricidia and Leucaena showed higher nutrient yields than Alchornea and Dactyladenia. Alley cropping with Gliricidia and Leucaena could sustain maize yield at moderate level (>2 t ha-1), which would require a N-rate of 45 kg N ha-1 with sole cropping. Application of N in Gliricidia and Leucaena alley cropping still improved maize yield. Higher nitrogen rates are required for alley cropping with Alchornea and Dactyladenia hedgerows. A low rate of phosphorus application is needed for sustaining crop yields with all treatments. Occasional tillage is recommended to increase maize yield. Alley cropping and tillage showed little effect on cowpea seed yield. Surface soil properties declined with time with continuous cultivation. Alley cropping with woody species maintained higher soil organic carbon, phosphorus and potassium levels. Plots alley cropped with Gliricidia and Leucaena showed lower pH and extractable calcium level. Leucaena alley cropped plot also showed lower magnesium level. The decline in soil pH and extractable cations may be due to increased cation leaching with application of high rates of Gliricidia and Leucaena prunings. Alley cropping with the four woody species showed no effect on population of parasitic nematodes.     

Predicting N mineralized in a Georgia Coastal Plain field

The N mineralized from soil organic matter provides an important portion of N available for crop production. The objective of this study was to determine the amount of spatial variability in N mineralization potential in a field and to evaluate three different methods that might be used to estimate this variability. The three methods tested included predicting the N mineralized from surface soil properties as well as from a biological and a chemical procedure. Three soils varying in N mineralization potential were selected for the study from a field in the Georgia Coastal Plain. The N mineralized from these soils was determined by an N balance of unfertilized and cropped plots. The amount of N mineralized could not be reliably predicted from surface soil organic C, although surface soil clay concentration was positively correlated with the N mineralized. The N mineralized that was predicted using mineralization parameters determined by aerobic incubation, adjusted daily for soil water content and temperature, was approximately 50% of the field measurements of N mineralized. The values of NH₄-N extracted with hot 2 M KCl were related significantly to N mineralized in the field (r²= 0.60) and also to the zero order rate constant of mineralization, k₀ (r²= 0.77), determined from the N mineralized in the aerobic laboratory incubation.     

Effects of drying and rewetting on carbon and nitrogen mineralization in soils and incorporated residues

An understanding of nitrogen mineralization from residues and soil organic matter is important to understand the quantity of N available from the soil for crop production. The objective of this study was to determine effects of repeated wetting and drying of soils on rates of N mineralization. The study compared mineralization rates in three kaolinitic, low organic matter soils, utilizing cotton leaves or compost as residues. One set of treatments was subjected to repeated drying and rewetting, whereas the other was kept at constant moisture content. Mineralized N was measured by leaching with 0.01 M CaCl₂ periodically, for 185 days. Rates of C mineralization were measured in the treatment containers by periodic measurement of CO₂ respiration rates. In constant moisture conditions, soils with cotton leaf residue mineralized between 25% and 40% of N applied as residue, whereas soils with compost mineralized between 3.8% and 9.3%. In fluctuating moisture conditions, soils with cotton leaf residue mineralized between –1.3% and 6.9%, whereas soils with compost mineralized from 1.6% to 3.3%. Moisture effect was not significant in soils without residue, with soils mineralizing between 16 and 47 mg N kg^–1. Carbon mineralization rates were not significantly affected by moisture. Both residue and soil type affected rates of C mineralization.     

Production and Diversity of Volatile Terpenes from Plants on Calcareous and Siliceous Soils: Effect of Soil Nutrients

Fertilizer effects on terpene production have been noted in numerous reports. In contrast, only a few studies have studied the response of leaf terpene content to naturally different soil fertility levels. Terpene content, as determined by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry/flame ionization detector, and growth of Pinus halepensis, Rosmarinus officinalis, and Cistus albidus were studied on calcareous and siliceous soils under field conditions. The effect of nitrogen (N) and extractable phosphorus (P_E) from these soils on terpenes was also investigated since calcareous soils mainly differ from siliceous soils in their higher nutrient loadings. Rich terpene mixtures were detected. Twenty-one terpenes appeared in leaf extracts of R. officinalis and C. albidus and 20 in P. halepensis. Growth of all species was enhanced on calcareous soils, while terpene content showed a species-specific response to soil type. The total monoterpene content of P. halepensis and that of some major compounds (e.g., δ-terpinene) were higher on calcareous than on siliceous soils. A significant and positive relationship was found between concentration of N and P_E and leaf terpene content of this species. These findings suggest that P. halepensis may respond to an environment characterized by increasing soil deposition, by allocating carbon resources to the synthesis of terpene defense metabolites without growth reduction. Results obtained for R. officinalis showed high concentrations of numerous major monoterpenes (e.g., myrcene, camphor) in plants growing on calcareous soils, while α-pinene, β-caryophyllene, and the total sesquiterpene content were higher on siliceous soils. Finally, only alloaromadendrene and δ-cadinene of C. albidus showed higher concentrations on siliceous soils. Unlike P. halepensis, soil nutrients were not involved in terpene variation in calcareous and siliceous soils of these two shrub species. Possible ecological explanations on the effect of soil type for these latter two species as well as the ecological explanation of rich terpene mixtures are discussed.     

Mineralization of organic N originating in treated effluent used for irrigation

Reclaimed wastewater and, particularly, secondary effluent used for irrigation, may contain considerable amounts of mineral and organic N. The knowledge regarding N-transformations of effluent-originated organic N in soil is not well established. A method based on ion-exchangers (IE) was developed to remove the mineral N and other ionic species from the effluents, enabling a better follow-up of the reactions of effluent-originated organic N. Modifications of two incubation methods were used to evaluate net mineralization rates and the contributions of ammonification and nitrification of the effluent-originated organic N. A mixture of the ion-exchangers, IRN-77 (H⁺) and IRN-78 (OH^–), was found effective in removing mineral N and other ions from effluents without significantly affecting the content of organic N. In suspension-based experiments performed with a microbially active calcareous clay soil, the nitrification started after about a 1 to 4 d lag (higher lag associated with higher BOD), and the total mineral N reached plateau values after about 9 to 14 d. The time estimated for completion of ammonification of the organic N in the well-mixed and aerated suspensions was 3 to 6 d. Soil incubations were performed after adding the IE-treated effluents to small soil columns. Ammonification of both soil and effluent-originated organic N occurred concomitantly with the nitrification, making the evaluation of rates more complicated. Tracing the time differences in total mineral N between the soils irrigated with the IE-treated effluent and the blank (no added N) enabled the estimation of first order rate constants for the net mineralization of the effluent-originated organic N in: a sandy loam (0.3 wk^–1), a loess (0.4 wk^–1), and in the calcareous clay (1.1 wk^–1). About two thirds of the organic N added to the soils in the columns during the pre-incubation stage were not retained in the soils, whereas ammonium was practically not leached out. The relatively fast movement of the effluent-originated organic N in soil and its mineralization characteristics indicate that this fraction significantly affects the short (days) and middle (weeks) range transformations of N in effluent-irrigated soils.     

Fruit yield of Valencia sweet orange fertilized with different N sources and the loss of applied N

Nutrient management recommendations are needed to increase nitrogen uptake efficiency, minimize nutrient losses and reduce adverse effects on the environment. A study of the effects of nitrogen fertilization on N losses and fruit yield of 6-yr-old Valencia sweet orange (Citrus sinensis (L.) Osb.) on Rangpur lime rootstock (C. limonia Osb.) grove was conducted in an Alfisol in Brazil from 1996 to 2001. Urea (UR) or ammonium nitrate (AN) fertilizers were surface-applied annually at rates of 20, 100, 180, and 260 kg N ha^–1 split into three applications from mid-spring to early fall. A semi-open trapping system, using H₃PO₄ + glycerol-soaked plastic foams, was used for selected treatments in the field to evaluate NH₃ volatilized from applied N fertilizers. Ammonia volatilization reached 26 to 44% of the N applied as UR at the highest rate of N used. Ammonia volatilization losses with AN were lower (4% of the N applied). On the other hand, AN resulted in greater nitrate leaching and greater soil acidification than UR. A marked effect of AN fertilizer on soil pH (CaCl₂) in the 0–20 cm depth layer was observed with a decrease of up to 1.7 pH units at the highest N rate. Acidification was followed by a decrease in exchangeable Ca and Mg; consequently, after 5 yr of fertilization with AN, soil base saturation dropped from 77% in the plots treated with 20 kg N ha^–1 per year, to 24% in those that received 260 kg N ha^–1 per year. The effect of N sources on fruit yield varied from year to year. In 2001, for a calculated N application rate of 150 kg ha^–1, the fertilizer efficiency index of UR was 75% of that of AN.     

The effect of delaying autumn incorporation of green manure crop on N mineralization and spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) performance

The use of legumes as green manuring crops does involve a potential riskof N leaching losses over the winter period. The susceptibility of cropresidue-derived N to losses and the pre-crop value of a green manuring crop canbe manipulated by proper timing of incorporation into soil. In this study,mineralization of C and N was investigated in a range of low temperatures,including thawing and freezing, that are characteristic to autumn green manureincorporation and its decomposition. The pre-crop effect of green manuring wasfurther tested with spring wheat under field conditions. We hypothesized thatdelaying green manure incorporation in the autumn would reduce the risk of Nlosses from the field and maximize the N transfer to a successive spring wheatcrop. To test the hypothesis, N mineralization was followed in alaboratory experiment where red clover (Trifoliumpratense L.) shoots were incubated at 4–8 °Cfor 40–80 days to simulate early autumn, delayed autumn and late autumnincorporation of a green manuring crop, followed by an incubation at–2 °C or at –2 °C to+4 °C for 25 days to simulate winter conditions. In asimultaneous field experiment, we measured the effect ofdelayed autumn incorporation of common vetch (Vicia sativaL.) green fallow on spring wheat performance. In the laboratoryexperiment, significant N mineralization during incubation wasdetected when simulating both early autumn and delayed autumn incorporation. Incontrast, no net N mineralization was detected when simulating lateincorporation. In the field experiment, the N supply fromsoil to spring wheat was higher in the late and delayed incorporationtreatmentsthan in early or spring incorporation of green manure. Late incorporationalso produced most wheat grain. We conclude that different amounts of N becomeavailable to wheat, depending on the time of incorporation of green manureresidues in soil. This difference is due to temperature. Late or delayedincorporation of green manure residues has the potential to reduce thesusceptibility of mineral N to leaching and yields more N available to asubsequent crop.     

Adapting the potentially mineralizable N concept for the prediction of fertilizer N requirements

Quantification of N dynamics in the ecosystem has taken on major significance in today's society, for economic and environmental reasons. A major fraction of the available N in soils is derived from the mineralization of organic matter. For decades, scientists have attempted to quantify the rate at which soils mineralize N, but the complexity of the N cycle has made this a major task. Further, agronomists have long sought soil test methods that are practical, yet will provide accurate means of predicting the amounts and rates of release of N from soils. Such tests would allow us to make more precise fertilization decisions. This paper discusses the potentially mineralizable N concept, first promoted by Stanford and colleagues [61, 62, 64], and suggests how it may be incorporated into deterministic models, such as CERES and LEACHM, so as to provide more accurate estimates of N mineralization under field conditions. We also suggest how the potentially mineralizable N concept may be coupled to quick, routine laboratory methods of determining available soil N, such as the hot 2M KCl extracted NH₄-N method recently developed by Gianello and Bremner [35], and used together with deterministic N models, such as CERES, for predicting probable fertilizer N requirements.     

Unconventional feeds for small ruminants in dry areas have a minor effect on manure nitrogen flow in the soil–plant system

In dry areas, unconventional feeds are increasingly used for mitigating feed shortages and rangeland degradation. We evaluated how feeding sheep diets containing olive leaves, saltbush leaves and olive cake affects manure quality compared to a barley straw based diet. Soil incubation and plant growth experiments were carried out to measure soil nitrogen (N) mineralization and N uptake by barley plants and to calculate N flow through the feed-animal-soil–plant system. Fresh feces, composts consisting of feces, urine and straw, and ammonium sulfate fertilizer were mixed with soil at rate of 90 mg N kg^?1 soil dry matter. Comparisons were made with non-amended soils (control) and soils amended with fresh olive cake applied at 90 and 22.5 mg N kg^?1 soil dry matter, respectively. The latter treatment enabled investigation of the effect of passage of olive cake through the digestive tract of sheep on N availability and phenol transformation. Applying fresh olive cake and feces, except the saltbush leaf derived feces, resulted in a net N immobilization. All composts resulted in net N mineralization, although not significantly different from the 0N control soil. Barley growing in soils with amendment that caused N immobilization took up less N than barley growing on the 0N treatment. Reduction in N uptake was most pronounced after amendment with fresh-olive cake. Treatments with net mineralization increased barley N uptake over the 0N treatment with 2–16 % of N applied being taken up. Dietary composition had a minor effect on N fertilizer value of either feces or compost, but feces N alone was not an efficient N source.     

Corn and soybean’s season-long in-situ nitrogen mineralization in drained and undrained soils

Many factors influence nitrogen (N) mineralization in agricultural soils. Our objective was to quantify cumulative (season-long) net N mineralization in corn (Zea mays L.) and soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr] in a corn-soybean rotation under different N and soil drainage management (drained and undrained) in poorly-drained soils. In-situ incubations were conducted over two growing seasons using a sequential core-sampling technique to measure net N mineralization. Differential drainage was imposed three-years before this study, in which time, the soil lost 2.2 Mg C ha^?1 year^?1 and 0.14 Mg N ha^?1 year^?1 due to tile-drainage. Overall greater total soil organic carbon (TOC) and total soil nitrogen (TN) in the undrained soil resulted in 2.7 times greater net N mineralization compared to the drained soil in the unfertilized control (0N), but the effect of drainage was inconsistent across years with N fertilization. Across all variables, soils mineralized 2.89% of TN in soybean residue and 0.94% of TN in corn residue. Nitrogen fertilization increased mineralization rate, as high as 9.6 kg N ha^?1 day^?1, compared to <2.2 kg N ha^?1 day^?1 for 0N. Overall, net N mineralization was 3.4 times greater with N fertilizer than the 0N, but fertilization made mineralization more variable. The impact of fertilization on boosting mineralization under differential soil drainage needs further refinement if we are to improve decision-making tools for N application based on soil mineralization predictions.     

Allelopathic research of subtropical vegetation in Taiwan

Leucaena leucocephala plantations in Kaoshu, southern Taiwan, exhibit, after several years of growth, a unique pattern of weed exclusion beneathLeucaena canopy. The pattern has been observed in manyLeucaena plantations in Taiwan and is particularly pronounced in the area where a substantial amount ofLeucaena litter has accumulated on the ground. Field data showed that the phenomenon was primarily not due to physical competition involving light, soil moisture, pH, and nutrients. Instead, aqueous extracts ofLeucaena fresh leaves, litter, soil, and seed exudate showed significantly phytotoxic effects on many test species, including rice, lettuce,Acacia confusa, Alnus formosana, Casuarina glauca, Liquidambar formosana, andMimosa pudica. However, the extracts were not toxic to the growth ofLeucaena seedlings. The decomposing leaves ofLeucaena also suppressed the growth of the aforementioned plants grown in pots but did not inhibit that ofLeucaena plants. By means of paper and thin-layer chromatography, UV-visible spectrophotometry, and high-performance liquid chromatography, 10 phytotoxins were identified. They included mimosine, quercetin, and gallic, protocatechuic,p-hydroxybenzoic,p-hydroxyphenylacetic, vanillic, ferulic, caffeic, andp-coumaric acids. The mature leaves ofLeucaena possess about 5% dry weight of mimosine, the amount varying with varieties. The seed germination and radicle growth of lettuce, rice, and rye grass were significantly inhibited by aqueous mimosine solution at a concentration of 20 ppm, while that of the forest species mentioned was suppressed by the mimosine solution at 50 ppm or above. However, the growth ofMiscanthus floridulus andPinus taiwanensis was not suppressed by the mimosine solution at 200 ppm. The seedlings ofAgeratum conzoides died in mimosine solution at 50 ppm within seven days and wilted at 300 ppm within three days. It was concluded that the exclusion of understory plants was evidently due to the allelopathic effect of compounds produced byLeucaena. The allelopathic pattern was clearly shown in the area with a heavy accumulation ofLeucaena leaf litter, which was a result of drought and heavy wind influence.Paper No. 292 of the Scientific Journal Series of the Institute of Botany, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan. This study was supported in part by a grant to C.H. Chou. Part of this paper was a MS thesis submitted by Y.L. Kuo to the Department of Forestry, National Taiwan University, and presented at the Seminar on Allelochemicals and Pheromones, sponsored by the CCNAA and AIT on June 21–26, 1982.     

Field-specific simulations of net N mineralization based on digitally available soil and weather data. I. Temperature and soil water dependency of the rate coefficients

Including field- or even site-specific estimates of current net N mineralization into N fertilizer strategy is essential in order to further reduce N surpluses while maintaining crop yields, but adequate estimates are not available. Simulation models could account for many influencing factors, yet are not easily adjustable to different soil and site characteristics. Nowadays important input data for N mineralization models are digitally available. Thus, our objectives were (1) to experimentally determine specific temperature and soil water dependency functions for the rate coefficients of net N mineralization that could be allocated via digitally mapped data and (2) to find out the least necessary discrimination between soils. Specific and general functions for the rate coefficients of two organic N pools with first-order kinetics were derived using laboratory long- and short-term incubations from a broad variety of soils. Functions were evaluated using comparisons to field incubations of undisturbed soil columns from 27 sites. Interestingly, a differentiation between specific functions of not more than three soil groups was necessary for quite accurate simulations (r ² = 0.87, P < 0.001; RMSE = 23 kg N ha⁻¹, n-RMSE = 29%). The two criteria for grouping, soil texture (loess vs. sandy/loamy classes) and humus content class (applies only to temperature functions for sandy textures), can be taken from digital soil maps. Field studies, especially under suboptimal water contents, with plant cover and N-fertilization, will have to further prove the applicability of the derived functions. Pedotransfer functions for the pool sizes also based on digitally available data are needed for automatically calculating specific estimates of net N mineralization.