HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Figures Only Full Text Free Full Text (PDF) Free Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Sainju, U. M. Articles by Wang, S. Search for Related Content PubMed Articles by Sainju, U. M. Articles by Wang, S. Agricola Articles by Sainju, U. M. Articles by Wang, S. Related Collections Best Management Practices Nitrogen Cover Crops

Cropping Systems

Accumulation and Crop Uptake of Soil Mineral Nitrogen as Influenced by Tillage, Cover Crops, and Nitrogen Fertilization

^a USDA-ARS-NPARL, 1500 North Central Ave., Sidney, MT 59270
^b Agricultural Research Station, Fort Valley State Univ., 1005 State University Dr., Fort Valley, GA 31030

^* Corresponding author (usainju{at}sidney.ars.usda.gov)

Received for publication June 13, 2006. Management practices may influence soil N levels due to crop uptake and leaching. We evaluated the effects of three tillage practices [no-till (NT), strip till (ST), and chisel till (CT)], four cover crops [hairy vetch (Vicia villosa Roth), rye (Secale cereale L.), vetch + rye biculture, and winter weeds or no cover crop], and three N fertilization rates (0, 60–65, and 120–130 kg N ha^–1) on NH₄–N and NO₃–N contents in Dothan sandy loam (fine-loamy, kaolinitic, thermic, Plinthic Paleudults), and N uptake by cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) and sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench] from 2000 to 2002 in central Georgia. Nitrogen content was higher in vetch and vetch + rye than in rye and weeds. Soil NH₄–N content at 0 to 30 cm was higher at harvest than at planting, and higher in NT or vetch with 120 to 130 kg N ha^–1 than with other treatments. The NO₃–N content at 0 to 120 cm varied with date of sampling and was higher with vetch than with rye and weeds. The NO₃–N content at 0 to 10 cm was higher in CT with vetch than in NT and ST with rye or weeds. From November 2000 to April 2001 and from November 2001 to April 2002, N loss from crop residue and soil at 0 to 120 cm was higher with vetch than with other cover crops. Nitrogen removed by cotton lint was higher with rye than with other cover crops in 2000 and higher with 0 and 60 than with 120 kg N ha^–1 in 2002, but N removed by sorghum grain and cotton and sorghum biomass were higher with vetch than with rye, and higher with 120 to 130 than with 0 kg N ha^–1. Because of higher N supply, vetch increased soil mineral N and cotton and sorghum N uptake compared with rye, but also increased the potential for N leaching. The potential for N leaching can be reduced and crop N uptake can be optimized by mixing vetch with rye.

Abbreviations: CT, chisel till • NT, no-till • and ST, strip till

This article has been cited by other articles:

				U. M. Sainju and B. P. Singh Nitrogen Storage with Cover Crops and Nitrogen Fertilization in Tilled and Nontilled Soils Agron. J., May 7, 2008; 100(3): 619 - 627. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				C.J. Dell, P.R. Salon, C.D. Franks, E.C. Benham, and Y. Plowden No-till and cover crop impacts on soil carbon and associated properties on Pennsylvania dairy farms Journal of Soil and Water Conservation, May 1, 2008; 63(3): 136 - 142. [Abstract] [PDF]