Drought, Nitrogen and Water Quality
Mother Nature pummeled farmers across the U.S. this past
summer (2012). Crops wilted and collapsed, soils parched, and some
streams faded to trickles. Important nitrogen (N) management questions faced by farmers suffering through this drought are:
Nitrate-N is very mobile and will move readily with the wetting front through the soil. We typically think of sandy soils as more conducive to nitrate leaching loss, but when clay soils shrink and large cracks form upon drying, any nitrate adjacent to those voids can move downward readily with the first pulse of a good rain. One must consider the way water infiltrates the soil, the permeability of the soil and the soil drainage characteristics to estimate potential nitrate leaching losses. If heavy rains fall between this fall and spring, and the soil is underlain by tile or a subsurface drainage system, then a large portion of that nitrate can be lost to streams and waterways. If a silt loam soil contains one to three inches of available water per foot, and the soil is near wilting point, and 10 or more inches of rain occurs between fall and spring, then it’s possible for the rainfall infiltration and wetting front to push any nitrate at least 36 to 48 inches downward in the soil profile.
Information on water-holding capacity, soil permeability and other physical characteristics of your soil type(s) can be found at your local NRCS office, or online at their website (http://websoilsurvey.nrcs.usda.gov/app/HomePage.htm).
USDA ARS research in central Iowa has shown that a winter cover crop of wheat following corn can reduce tile drain nitrate-N losses by as much as 60 percent. Vigorous cover-crop growth can result in uptake and retention of more than 40 to 60 pounds of N per acre (A) with N savings alone valued at more than $15 to $25/A. A good cover crop can serve as an “N bank,” and release the plant N via soil decomposition of crop residues after the cover crop is mechanically or chemically terminated. Besides conserving N, good cover crops can protect water quality.
Many will want to consider collecting profile nitrate-N samples in the spring near planting time or shortly thereafter to verify the soil nitrate supply for appropriate adjustment of fertilizer rates. As always, seek the advice of your certified crop adviser (CPA), agricultural consultant or extension specialist when making your cover crop and N management decisions.
Source: The International Plant Nutrition Institute (IPNI)
- How much of my applied N is left in the soil profile this fall?
- How much of that N will remain in the soil until next spring?
- What can I do to prevent loss of the residual N from the field?
- How do I adjust my fertilizer N rates for the next crop?
Nitrate-N is very mobile and will move readily with the wetting front through the soil. We typically think of sandy soils as more conducive to nitrate leaching loss, but when clay soils shrink and large cracks form upon drying, any nitrate adjacent to those voids can move downward readily with the first pulse of a good rain. One must consider the way water infiltrates the soil, the permeability of the soil and the soil drainage characteristics to estimate potential nitrate leaching losses. If heavy rains fall between this fall and spring, and the soil is underlain by tile or a subsurface drainage system, then a large portion of that nitrate can be lost to streams and waterways. If a silt loam soil contains one to three inches of available water per foot, and the soil is near wilting point, and 10 or more inches of rain occurs between fall and spring, then it’s possible for the rainfall infiltration and wetting front to push any nitrate at least 36 to 48 inches downward in the soil profile.
Information on water-holding capacity, soil permeability and other physical characteristics of your soil type(s) can be found at your local NRCS office, or online at their website (http://websoilsurvey.nrcs.usda.gov/app/HomePage.htm).
USDA ARS research in central Iowa has shown that a winter cover crop of wheat following corn can reduce tile drain nitrate-N losses by as much as 60 percent. Vigorous cover-crop growth can result in uptake and retention of more than 40 to 60 pounds of N per acre (A) with N savings alone valued at more than $15 to $25/A. A good cover crop can serve as an “N bank,” and release the plant N via soil decomposition of crop residues after the cover crop is mechanically or chemically terminated. Besides conserving N, good cover crops can protect water quality.
Many will want to consider collecting profile nitrate-N samples in the spring near planting time or shortly thereafter to verify the soil nitrate supply for appropriate adjustment of fertilizer rates. As always, seek the advice of your certified crop adviser (CPA), agricultural consultant or extension specialist when making your cover crop and N management decisions.
Source: The International Plant Nutrition Institute (IPNI)
With best regards,
“Join the race to make the world a better place”.(2016)
Dr. AMAR NATH GIRI“Join the race to make the world a better place”.(2016)
M.Sc. -Environmental Science,Ph.D -Environmental Science law & DIPLOMA AS - P.G.D.E.P.L,CES, DCA,
EX IIM LUCKNOW FELLOW, EX RESEARCH SCIENTIST
IGIDR-MUMBAI
9912511918
amarnathgiri@nagarjunagroup.com
http://www.nagarjunagroup.com
http://www.nagarjunafertilizers.com
http://www.gprofonline.com/members/Default.aspx
http://dramarnathgiri.blogspot.in/2013/10/curriculum-vitae-of-dr-amar-nath-giri.html?q=BIO+DATA
http://dramarnathgiri.blogspot.in/2012/05/nagarjuna-management-services.html
No comments:
Post a Comment