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Effect of simulated wet spring conditions on the relative efficiency of three forms of nitrogen fertilizer on grassland

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 March 2009

Catherine J. Watson  and
S. N. Adams
Catherine J. Watson
Affiliation:
Department of Agriculture, Agricultural and Food Chemistry Research Division, Newforge Lane, Belfast, BT9 5PX, Northern Ireland
S. N. Adams
Affiliation:
Department of Agriculture, Agricultural and Food Chemistry Research Division, Newforge Lane, Belfast, BT9 5PX, Northern Ireland
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Extract

There is evidence from solution culture studies that ammonium nitrogen is taken up by grass preferentially to NO3-N at low temperatures (Clarkson & Warner, 1979). In addition NH4 ions are less subject to leaching losses or denitrification (Ryden, 1982). It has been speculated therefore that ammonium N could be the best form of nitrogen for early grass, especially in wet springs. Field experiments have studied the efficiency of different nitrogen forms at the first application over a number of years (McAllister et al. 1965; Van Burg, Dilz & Prins, 1982). The yield response has tended to be variable and may have depended on climatic and soil conditions. Investigations of climatic effects on fertilizer efficiency have often necessitated long-term field studies, but it is proposed that the importance of rainfall in particular could be investigated by means of a short-term irrigation experiment. This paper reports such an experiment using irrigation to simulate a wet spring while keeping other conditions the same for all treatments.

Type
Short Note
Information
The Journal of Agricultural Science , Volume 107 , Issue 1 , August 1986 , pp. 219 - 222
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1986

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References

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