Strategic timing of nitrogen fertilization to increase root biomass and nitrogen-use efficiency of Lolium perenne L
| Autor: | H.C. de Boer, N.J.M. van Eekeren, Nyncke J. Hoekstra, J. Deru |
|---|---|
| Jazyk: | angličtina |
| Předmět: |
0106 biological sciences
N-use efficiency Denitrification Animal Nutrition Field experiment chemistry.chemical_element Soil Science Lolium perenne L Plant Science Biology 01 natural sciences Lolium perenne Grassland Timing Leaching (agriculture) Bodembiologie geography geography.geographical_feature_category Delayed N application Root biomass Plant physiology 04 agricultural and veterinary sciences Soil Biology biology.organism_classification Nitrogen Diervoeding N fertilization Nitrogen fertilizer Agronomy chemistry 040103 agronomy & agriculture 0401 agriculture forestry and fisheries 010606 plant biology & botany |
| Zdroj: | Plant and Soil (2016) Plant and Soil |
| ISSN: | 0032-079X |
| DOI: | 10.1007/s11104-016-2917-y |
| Popis: | Aims: During the first days after harvest of Lolium perenne L., N remobilized from roots and stubble forms the main N source for regrowth. Low N uptake from the soil during this period may lead to N loss if N fertilizer is applied too soon. Furthermore, temporary N deprivation has been found to stimulate root growth. We therefore hypothesized that a strategic delay in N application after harvest may improve N-use efficiency of L. perenne grassland by increasing root biomass and reducing N loss. Methods: In a laboratory and field experiment with L. perenne, we delayed N fertilizer application after harvest for 0, 3, 6, 9 and 12 days, repeated this for up to six harvest cycles, and determined effects on herbage yield, herbage N uptake and root biomass. Results: In both experiments, delaying N application for up to 12 days had no significant effect on root biomass or total herbage N uptake, but it significantly reduced total herbage yield in the laboratory experiment. Total yield tended to be highest when N application was delayed for 3 days. Two growth periods in the field experiment showed significantly higher N uptake when N application was delayed, possibly due to rainfall-induced N losses in the treatments with shorter delay. Conclusions: Our results do not provide evidence that delaying N application improves N-use efficiency of L. perenne grassland by increasing root biomass. However, strategic timing of N fertilizer application based on rainfall forecasts could contribute to improve N-use efficiency by reducing N losses from leaching and denitrification. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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