Bermudagrass management in the Southern Piedmont USA: VI. Soil-profile inorganic nitrogen.
Fate of applied N in forage-based agricultural systems is important to long-term production and environmental impacts. We evaluated the factorial combination of N fertilization targeted to supply 20 g N m 2 yr(-1) and harvest strategies on soil-profile inorganic N during the first 5 yr of 'Coastal' bermudagrass [Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers.] management. Harvest strategy had much larger effects than fertilization strategy, most notably that soil-profile inorganic N was lower when hayed than under other systems. In the upper rooting zone (0- to 0.3-m depth), soil inorganic N (initially at 3.1 g m(-2)) remained unchanged during the 5 yr under unharvested and low and high grazing pressures (0.00 +/- 0.08 g m(-2) yr(-1)), but declined with haying (-0.25 g m(-2) yr(-1)). In the lower rooting zone (0.3- to 0.9-m depth), soil inorganic N (initially at 2.9 g m(-2)) accumulated with unharvested and low and high grazing pressure (0.64 +/- 0.20 g m(-2) yr(-1)), but remained unchanged with haying (-0.06 g m(-2) yr(-1)). Below the rooting zone (0.9- to 1.5-m depth), soil inorganic N (initially at 5.8 g m(-2)) increased with unharvested and high grazing pressure (0.34 +/- 0.03 g m(-2) yr(-1)), was unchanged with low grazing pressure (-0.10 g m(-2) yr(-1)), and declined with haying (-0.50 g m(-2) yr(-1)). Applied N appears to have been efficiently utilized by forage with subsequent sequestration into soil organic matter and little movement of inorganic N below the rooting zone (< 2% of applied N), irrespective of inorganic or organic fertilization strategy designed to supply sufficient N for high animal production from grazing.
Franzluebbers
Alan J
AJ
USDA-ARS, J. Phil Campbell Sr. Natural Resource Conservation Center, 1420 Experiment Station Road, Watkinsville, GA 30677-2373, USA. afranz@arches.uga.edu
Stuedemann
John A
JA
D000383:Agriculture; D000818:Animals; D000829:Animals, Domestic; D031744:Cynodon / Q000254:growth & development*; D004787:Environmental Pollution / Q000517:prevention & control; D005308:Fertilizers; D009584:Nitrogen / Q000032:analysis* / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D018517:Plant Roots; D010945:Plants, Edible; D014018:Tissue Distribution; D014481:United States
D005308:Fertilizers; D009584:Nitrogen