Date Available
12-12-2024
Year of Publication
2023
Degree Name
Master of Science (MS)
Document Type
Master's Thesis
College
Agriculture, Food and Environment
Department/School/Program
Soil Science
First Advisor
Dr. Chris Matocha
Abstract
Nitrogen (N) is a crucial element, often limiting productivity in ecosystems. This limitation is relieved N fertilizer additions. No-tillage (NT) agroecosystems are prone to lower N availability translating to lower crop yields. The default explanation for lower N availability in NT is microbial immobilization of added N fertilizer. Historically, N availability is often assessed using chemical extractions such as KCl to evaluate levels of inorganic N in the soil. The possibility of this abiotic clay mineral fixation as mechanism in well-drained NT soils has been overlooked. The objectives of this study are to quantify N availability using KCl, NaCl, and water extractions. To tease out the contributions of biotic pathways from abiotic immobilization, the selective inhibitor methionine sulfoximine (MSX) was employed to inhibit glutamine synthetase. Extractable ammonium decreased suggesting that the KCl might be trapping native ammonium. Ammonium removal from solution was rapid under all conditions. In all treatments, ammonium removal was greater in the presence of MSX when compared with control samples. X-ray diffraction analysis of the clay fraction revealed layers of chlorite, vermiculite, mixed-layer vermiculite-illite, illite, kaolinite, and quartz in the 0 kg N/ha treatment. The implications of these results for NT systems will be discussed.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
https://doi.org/10.13023/etd.2023.457
Funding Information
USDA-NIFA grant (2020-67019-31172)
Recommended Citation
Besinger, Alec William Mr., "Nitrogen Behavior in a No-Tillage Agroecosystem Located in the Inner Bluegrass of Kentucky" (2023). Theses and Dissertations--Plant and Soil Sciences. 173.
https://uknowledge.uky.edu/pss_etds/173
