Cover crops affect the partial nitrogen balance in a maize-forage cropping system

• Published in: Geoderma Vol. 360; p. 114000
• Main Authors: Rocha, Kassiano F., de Souza, Murilo, Almeida, Danilo S., Chadwick, David R., Jones, Davey L., Mooney, Sacha J., Rosolem, Ciro A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier B.V 15.02.2020
• Subjects: ammonia; carbon; corn; cover crops; crop rotation; Cropping system; eutrophication; fertilizer rates; global warming; grasses; greenhouse gas emissions; groundwater contamination; land degradation; leaching; Megathyrsus maximus; nitrogen; Nitrogen balance; nitrogen fertilizers; Nitrogen loss; Nitrogen volatilization; nitrous oxide production; pastures; soil organic nitrogen; soil quality; Tropical forage; tropical soils; Ultisols; Urochloa ruziziensis; volatilization; winter; Zea mays; Tropical forage; Nitrogen loss; Nitrogen balance; Nitrogen volatilization; Cropping system

•Part of the N applied to crops is lost to the environment.•Cover crops are one tool to improve N use efficiency, avoiding N loss.•In a N poor environment, cover crops can help prevent N leaching.•N loss is not modified by different cover crops grown in rotation with maize.•N export in maize grains...