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NITROGEN MANAGEMENT

Spatial and Temporal Variability of Soil Nitrate and Corn Yield

Multifractal Analysis

^a USDA-ARS, 121 Keim Hall, Univ. of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE 68583
^b Dep. of Eng. Mechanics, Univ. of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE 68583

^* Corresponding author (beghball1{at}unl.edu)

Received for publication February 9, 2002. High levels of residual soil NO₃–N can contaminate ground water by leaching through the soil. Our objective was to reduce the level and spatial variability of residual soil NO₃–N while maintaining optimum corn (Zea mays L.) production by variable rate N fertilizer application. The experiment was located on a 60-ha sprinkler-irrigated corn field in central Nebraska and included four N management practices: uniform rate, variable rate (VRAT), variable rate at 75% of recommended amount (VRAT @ 75%), and variable rate plus 10% (VRAT + 10%). VRAT @ 75% decreased the amount of residual NO₃–N in the soil while maintaining similar grain yield to the other treatments, indicating over-application of N with treatments receiving the recommended rate. Increasing the recommended rate by 10% (VRAT + 10%) did not increase corn yield or residual soil NO₃–N. Based on multifractal spectrum, no consistent pattern of spatial variability of soil NO₃–N was observed for each treatment across years. Spatial variability in corn grain yield was much lower than that for soil NO₃–N, indicating noneffectiveness of using soil NO₃–N spatial distribution for variable rate N application unless some areas in the field are severely N deficient. Variable rate N application did not reduce variability of residual soil NO₃–N or corn grain yield as compared with uniform N. Multifractal analysis quantitatively characterized the extent and pattern of spatial and temporal variability in corn grain yield and residual soil nitrate.

Abbreviations: adiff, the distance between minimum and maximum a values of each multifractal spectrum • CEC, cation exchange capacity • VRAT, variable rate • VRAT @ 75%, variable rate at 75% of the recommended amount • VRAT + 10%, variable rate of the recommended amount plus 10%

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