Winter crops as bioassays of soil nitrogen-supplying capacity

• Published in: Journal of plant nutrition Vol. 34; no. 5-8; pp. 861 - 876
• Main Authors: Clawson, Ernest L, Mascagni, H.J. Jr, Breitenbeck, Gary A, Boquet, Donald J, Liscano, Jose F, McCarter, Kevin S
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Philadelphia, NJ Dekker 01.02.2011; Taylor & Francis Group; Taylor & Francis; Taylor & Francis Ltd
• Subjects: Agronomy. Soil science and plant productions; bioassays; Biological and medical sciences; biomass; corn; cotton; crops; Economic plant physiology; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; General agronomy. Plant production; Gossypium hirsutum; Metabolism; Metabolism. Physicochemical requirements; Methods and techniques; nitrogen; nitrogen fertilizers; Nutrition. Photosynthesis. Respiration. Metabolism; Plant physiology and development; rye; Secale cereale; soil; soil fertility; Soil science; Soil-plant relationships. Soil fertility; Soil-plant relationships. Soil fertility. Fertilization. Amendments; soil/media testing procedures; Triticum aestivum; vegetation; winter wheat; Zea mays; Non metal; Bioassay; Soil fertility; Property of soil; Soil quality; Nitrogen; Group VA element; Soils; Soil testing; Capacity; Plant nutrition; Winter crops; soil/media testing procedures; Procedure
• ISSN: 0190-4167; 1532-4087
• DOI: 10.1080/01904167.2011.544355

Soil nitrogen (N)-supplying capacity bioassays could present alternatives to traditional soil tests. Objectives were to identify winter crops and associated characteristics with bioassay potential. Saint Joseph and Bossier City, LA experiments used randomized complete block designs with factorial N fertilizer and winter crop treatment arrangements. Nitrogen rates were applied to corn (Zea mays L.) in 2004. Unfertilized winter wheat ( Triticum aestivum L.), cereal rye (Secale cereale L.), native winter vegetation, and weed-free winter fallow treatments followed corn. At Saint Joseph, cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) followed winter crop treatments. Greater corn N rate consistently increased winter crop biomass and N accumulation, suggesting potential as bioassays, and increased Saint Joseph seedcotton yield. Winter crop-seedcotton yield N-response relationships were non-significant by familywise error rate criteria. However, some winter crop characteristics, such as rye N accumulation, for which a relationship to seedcotton yield closely approached significance, may merit further research as soil N-supplying capacity bioassays.