Agriculture

Nitrogen Fertilizers Used Off-Season Help Crops Planted Later

Oct. 7, 2008 ? Combating soil erosion is a primary concern for agricultural producers in the United States, and many have incorporated conservation tillage systems in their effort to maintain a profitable crop output.

Cover crops are an important tool in this cycle, and while it is known that using nitrogen fertilizers can increase these crops biomass, the resulting levels of nitrogen for the following cash crops have been unknown.

Researchers found that areas that did have fertilizer applied to their cover crops had less biomass output for soil protection, while plots that did use fertilizer had greater biomass along with an increased amount of nitrogen available for the cash crop.

?Use of high-residue cover crops is imperative to prevent soil erosion, to bank leftover nutrients during the winter for summer cash crops, and to improve soil quality,? said Mark Reiter, lead author of the study. ?From this data we see that we can increase cover crop biomass by using nitrogen fertilizer and that the nitrogen will later be available to our cash crop. It is a win-win situation.?

The study was conducted by USDA-ARS scientists with the Conservation Systems Research Team in Auburn, AL and the J. Phil Campbell Senior Natural Resource Conservation Center in Watkinsville, GA, in cooperation with Auburn University. Scientists investigated the effects of using nitrogen fertilization on rye cover crops, as well as the subsequent fertilizer availability to cotton.

The focus of the study was on plots in the Tennessee Valley Region of northern Alabama, which is a highly productive region in the nation?s Cotton Belt. To study the effects of fertilizer, rye cover crops were varied in the amount of nitrogen used.

After the rye had dried up, cotton was planted in the same soils and fertilized with different amounts of nitrogen. Researchers collected the plant and soil samples and determined how much nitrogen had been integrated into the plant and soil systems. A nitrogen isotope was used to trace the nitrogen used in the fertilizer, as opposed to nitrogen that is native to those soils.

While the results of the study are positive to understanding conservation tillage, further research is still needed before establishing new fertility management guidelines in all crops using high-residue cereal cover crops. In applying this research, it is expected that soil quality, along with management of the nutrients in the soil, will improve the success of American agricultural producers.

Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Soil Science Society of America.
Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.

Journal Reference:

Reiter et al. Cotton Nitrogen Management in a High-Residue Conservation System: Cover Crop Fertilization. Soil Science Society of America Journal, 2008; 72 (5): 1321 DOI: 10.2136/sssaj2007.0313

Website Source: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081001125958.htm

- Biofertilizers
BiofertilizersThe use of biofertilizers, biological systems that supply plant nutrients such as nitrogen to agricultural crops, could reduce agriculture?s dependency on chemical fertilizers, which are often detrimental to the environment. Plants require...

- Sustainable Agriculture
Sustainable AgricultureSustainable agriculture is the practice of growing and harvesting crops in a manner that will allow the land to return to its pre cultivation state. It seeks to maintain the quality of air, soil, and water resources for future human...

- Soil Management Practices
Besides storing more carbon and making more efficient use of nitrogen, good soil management will provide economic benefits through increased productivity, more efficient use of nutrients, and improved air and water quality. Agricultural soils act as efficient...

- Technology Breakthrough: Enables Crops To Take Nitrogen From The Air
A potentially ?world-changing? technology has been developed by researchers at the University of Nottingham ? a means of enabling any type of crop to take nitrogen from the air. In other words, an effective means of phasing out expensive and environmentally...

- How To Make Homemade Plant Fertilizer
Saturday, July 20, 2013 There is no need to spend money on feeding your house plants expensive fertilizers and chemicals. There is an easy way to make homemade plant fertilizer with products that you use at home every day. Instructions Save your...

Agriculture