Archived

This content is available here strictly for research, reference, and/or recordkeeping and as such it may not be fully accessible. If you work or study at University of Kentucky and would like to request an accessible version, please use the SensusAccess Document Converter.

Publication Date

1981

Description

In recent field trials on all-grass swards on clay soils, fertilizer rates of 480 kg/ha and higher showed distinct residual effects in the following year. This paper analyzes the considerable residual effects of one treatment on heavy clay soil over 2 experimental years, after very high rates of N had been applied during 3 pretreatment years (totaling 800 kg N or more/ha/yr). The residual effect was measured through the increase in yield over a reference treatment, at one rate of N application ( 40 kg N/ha/cut, total­ing 200 and 240 kg N/ha in the first and second experimental years, respectively). Over the 3 pretreatment years the amount of N applied exceeded the amount of N harvested by 941 kg N /ha. The excess N was reflected in accumulation of mineral N in the soil. At the beginning of the first experimental year the soil contained 314 kg mineral N/ha against the reference treatment 21 kg N. The accumulated mineral N was nearly depleted by the end of the first season. A residual effect was evident at every cut, and over the whole growing season the increase in yield was 6 metric tons (t) dry matter (DM) and 199 kg N/ha. In the second experimental year, there was no difference in soil mineral N status of the treatments. Still, a residual effect was observed through an increase in yield of 1.1 t DM and 21 kg N/ha. The study showed that on heavy clay soils-despite N losses from the soil, especially through leaching in winter-part of the applied N may remain in the soil-plant ecosystem and will be available for grass growth in the following season(s).

Share

COinS
 

Residual Effects of Two Years of Very High Nitrogen Applications on Clay Soil under Grass in a Humid Temperate Climate

In recent field trials on all-grass swards on clay soils, fertilizer rates of 480 kg/ha and higher showed distinct residual effects in the following year. This paper analyzes the considerable residual effects of one treatment on heavy clay soil over 2 experimental years, after very high rates of N had been applied during 3 pretreatment years (totaling 800 kg N or more/ha/yr). The residual effect was measured through the increase in yield over a reference treatment, at one rate of N application ( 40 kg N/ha/cut, total­ing 200 and 240 kg N/ha in the first and second experimental years, respectively). Over the 3 pretreatment years the amount of N applied exceeded the amount of N harvested by 941 kg N /ha. The excess N was reflected in accumulation of mineral N in the soil. At the beginning of the first experimental year the soil contained 314 kg mineral N/ha against the reference treatment 21 kg N. The accumulated mineral N was nearly depleted by the end of the first season. A residual effect was evident at every cut, and over the whole growing season the increase in yield was 6 metric tons (t) dry matter (DM) and 199 kg N/ha. In the second experimental year, there was no difference in soil mineral N status of the treatments. Still, a residual effect was observed through an increase in yield of 1.1 t DM and 21 kg N/ha. The study showed that on heavy clay soils-despite N losses from the soil, especially through leaching in winter-part of the applied N may remain in the soil-plant ecosystem and will be available for grass growth in the following season(s).