Long-Term Manure Application and Forages Reduce Nitrogen Fertilizer Requirements of Silage Corn–Cereal Cropping Systems

• Published in: Agronomy journal Vol. 102; no. 4; pp. 1244 - 1251
• Main Authors: Nyiraneza, J, Chantigny, M.H, N'Dayegamiye, A, Laverdière, M.R
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Madison American Society of Agronomy 01.07.2010
• Subjects: Agronomy. Soil science and plant productions; ammonium nitrogen; animal manures; barley; Biological and medical sciences; Cereal crops; corn silage; Cropping systems; Cropping systems. Cultivation. Soil tillage; fertilizer rates; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; General agronomy. Plant production; Generalities. Cropping systems and patterns; Hordeum vulgare; isotope labeling; long term experiments; losses from soil; Nitrogen fertilization; nitrogen fertilizers; Nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium fertilizations; nutrient uptake; organic fertilizers; Other nutrients. Amendments. Solid and liquid wastes. Sludges and slurries; seasonal variation; soil aggregates; soil fertility; soil organic matter; Soil-plant relationships. Soil fertility. Fertilization. Amendments; stable isotopes; Triticum aestivum; wheat; Zea mays; Non metal; Monocotyledones; Vegetals; Zea mays; Cropping system; Fodder; Corn; C4-Type; Organic fertilization; Nitrogen; Long term; Cereal crop; Group VA element; Nutrient requirement; Gramineae; Silage; Agronomy; Angiospermae; Cereal; Spermatophyta; Fodder crop; Nitrogen fertilizer; Feed
• ISSN: 0002-1962; 1435-0645
• DOI: 10.2134/agronj2009.0480

Assessment of the soil N supply capacity is essential to optimize fertilizer N use. We investigated soil N supply capacity and fertilizer N recovery for three cropping systems established in 1977: silage corn (Zea mays L.)–cereal without (CC) and with 20 Mg ha–1 yr–1 manure (CCM), and silage corn–forage (3-yr) with manure (CFM). During the present study (2005–2008), manure applications were suspended and a silage corn–silage corn–barley (Hordeum vulgaris L.)–wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) sequence was imposed to all systems. Fertilizer (15NH415NO3, 3.1 atom % 15N) was applied in 2005 to silage corn (160 kg N ha–1) and in 2007 to barley (80 kg N ha–1). The 15N recovery in silage corn and barley ranged from 40 to 59%, with the lowest values measured in CFM. Compared to the CC systems (47 kg N ha–1) in 2005, soil-derived N in silage corn was two times higher under CCM (98 kg N ha–1), and four times higher under CFM (208 kg N ha–1). These differences decreased over years, but were still noticeable at the end of the experiment. Twenty-two to 58% of applied 15N was recovered in the soil at harvest. More than 50% of this residual N was present in macroaggregates (>0.25 mm), whereas <20% was present in particulate organic matter (POM). Up to 75% of residual 15N was lost during the winter period, and little residual N was transferred to the following crop. These findings indicate that soil macroaggregates may be a preferential sink for residual fertilizer N, but this N is not present in stable forms and is vulnerable to environmental loss.