Fertilizer application and deep leaching of nitrate under long term crop rotation
Date
1992-02-20
Authors
Akinremi, O.O.
Campbell, C.A.
Zentner, R.P.
Lafond, G.P.
Moulin, A.P.
Townley-Smith, L.
Brandt, S.
Curtin, D.
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It is commonly believed that the use of nitrogen fertilizers in agriculture will lead eventually to the loss of nitrate via leaching. The nitrate leached below the root zone has the potential to contaminate
underground water. The results obtained from various long term crop rotation studies in Saskatchewan suggest that this common belief may not hold in general. This is especially true where nitrogen fertilizers were applied based on soil test recommendation and the land was continuously cropped. Under long term crop rotation studies in the Black Soil Zone at Melfort, the application of nitrogen fertilizer in recent years were based on the general recommendation for wheat. The deep core sample revealed that more nitrate was present in the soil profile under fertilized continuous wheat compared to the unfertilized plots. However, in the Black Soil at Indian Head, where fertilizer application was based on soil test values, similar amounts of nitrate were found below the root zone of fertilized and unfertilized plots after 34 years of continuous wheat. This was in spite of applying 1584 kg of N ha-1 to the fertilized plot over 34 years. A result similar to that at Indian Head was obtained from the crop rotation experiment in the Brown Soil Zone at Swift Current. In the Brown Soil Zone, the inclusion of a fallow phase in the rotation, increased the amount of nitrate found below the root zone although this system had received less fertilizer over the years than the continuously cropped plots. The fallow phase appeared to provide a window for the
leakage of nitrate accumulated within the root zone. This was attributed to a better moisture (antecedent moisture) regime and higher amount of mineralized nitrate during the fallow phase. On the other hand, frequent summerfallow can deplete the soil of its N supplying power and this may eventually result in less nitrate leached as was found for the 2-yr rotation at Indian Head after 34 yr.
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Soils and Crops Workshop