Skip to main content
Log in

Seasonal N2 fixation by cool-season pulses based on several15N methods

  • Published:
Plant and Soil Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Summary

Accurate estimates of N2 fixation by legumes are requisite to determine their net contribution of fixed N2 to the soil N pool. However, estimates of N2 fixation derived with the traditional15N methods of isotope dilution and AN value are costly.

Field experiments utilizing15N-enriched (NH4)2SO4 were conducted to evaluate a modified difference method for determining N2 fixation by fababean, lentil, Alaska pea, Austrian winter pea, blue lupin and chickpea, and to quantify their net contribution of fixed N2 to the soil N pool. Spring wheat and non-nodulated chickpea, each fertilized with two N rates, were utilized as non-fixing controls.

Estimates of N2 fixation based on the two control crops were similar. Increasing the N rate to the controls reduced AN values 32, 18 and 43% respectively in 1981, 1982 and 1983 resulting in greater N2 fixation estimates. Mean seasonal N2 fixation by fababean, lentil and Austrian winter pea was near 80 kg N ha−1, pea and blue lupin near 60 kg N ha−1, and chickpea less than 10 kg N ha−1. The net effects of the legume crops on the soil N pool ranged from a 70 kg N ha−1 input by lentil in 1982, to a removal of 48 kg N ha−1 by chickpea in 1983.

Estimates of N2 fixation obtained by the proposed modified difference method approximate those derived by the isotope dilution technique, are determined with less cost, and are more reliable than the total plant N procedure.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

Literature cited

  1. Aleksic Z, Broeshart H and Middleboe V 1968 The effect of nitrogen fertilization on the release of soil nitrogen. Plant and Soil 29, 474–478.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Bezdicek D F Evans D W, Abebe B and Witters R E 1978 Evaluation of peat and granular inoculum for soybean yield and N fixation under irrigation. Agron. J. 70, 865–868.

    Google Scholar 

  3. Bole J B and Rennie R J 1983 Letter to the editor. Agron. J. 75, 717.

    Google Scholar 

  4. Bremner J M 1965 Isotope ratio analysis of nitrogen in nitrogen-15 tracer investigations.In Methods of Soil Analysis, Part 2. Eds. C A Black, D D Evans, J L White, L E Ensminger and F E Clark. pp 1256–1286. Am. Soc. Agron., Madison, Wisconsin, USA

    Google Scholar 

  5. Bremner J M 1965 Total nitrogen and inorganic forms of nitrogen.In Methods of Soil Analysis, Part 2. Eds. C A Black, D D Evans, J L White, L E Ensminger and F E Clark pp. 1149–1178. Am. Soc. Agron., Madison, Wisconsin, USA.

    Google Scholar 

  6. Broadbent F E, Nakashima T and Chang G Y 1983a Response to letter to the editor. Agron. J. 75, 717–718.

    Google Scholar 

  7. Broadbent F E, Nakashima T and Chang G Y 1983b Response to letter to the editor. Agron. J. 75, 718.

    Google Scholar 

  8. Fried M and Broeshart H 1983 Letter to the editor. Agron. J. 75, 718.

    Google Scholar 

  9. Fried M and Middleboe V 1977 Measurement of amount of nitrogen fixed by a legume crop. Plant and Soil 47, 713–715.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Ham G E 1978 Use of15N in evaluating symbiotic N2 fixation of field-grown soybeans,In Isotopes in biological dinitrogen fixation. FAO/IAEA, Vienna, Austria, pp 151–162.

    Google Scholar 

  11. Heichel G H and Barnes D K 1983 Opportunities for meeting crop nitrogen needs from symbiotic nitrogen fixation.In Organic Farming: Current Technology, and its Role in a Sustainable Agriculture. Eds. D F Bezdicek, J P Power, D R Keeney and M J Wright. pp 49–59 Spec. Pub. 46, American Society of Agronomy, Madison, Wisconsin, USA.

    Google Scholar 

  12. LaRue T A and Patterson T G 1981 How much nitrogen do legumes fix? Adv. Agron. 34, 15–38.

    Google Scholar 

  13. Legg J O and Stanford G 1967 Utilization of soil and fertilizer N by oats in relation to the available N status of soils. Soil Sci. Soc. Am. Proc. 31, 215–219.

    Google Scholar 

  14. Mahler R L, Bezdicek D F and Witters R E 1979 Influence of slope position on nitrogen fixation and yield of dry peas. Agron. J. 71, 348–351.

    Google Scholar 

  15. Porter L K and O'Deen W A 1977. Apparatus for preparing nitrogen from ammonium chloride for nitrogen-15 determinations. Anal. Chem. 49, 514–516.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. Rennie R J 1979 Comparison of15N aided methods for determining symbiotic dinitrogen fixation. Rev. Ecol. Biol. Sol. 16, 453–463.

    Google Scholar 

  17. Rennie R J 1982 Quantifying dinitrogen (N2) fixation in soybeans by15N isotope dilution: the question of the non-fixing control plant. Can. J. Bot. 60, 856–861.

    Google Scholar 

  18. Rennie R J 1984 Comparison, of N balance and15N isotope dilution to quantify N2 fixation in field-grown legumes. Agron. J. 76, 785–790.

    Google Scholar 

  19. Rennie R J, Rennie D A and Fried M 1978 Concepts of15N usage in dinitrogen fixation studies.In Isotopes in Biological Dinitrogen Fixation. FAO/IAEA, Vienna, Austria, pp 107–133.

    Google Scholar 

  20. Rennie R J and Kemp G A 1983 N2 fixation in field beans quantified by15N isotope dilution. I. Effects of strains ofRhizobium phaseoli. Agron. J. 75, 640–644.

    Google Scholar 

  21. Ross R J and Martin A E 1970 A rapid procedure for preparing gas samples for nitrogen-15 determinations. Analyst (London) 95, 817–822.

    Google Scholar 

  22. Schuman G E, Stanley M A and Knudsen D 1973 Automated total nitrogen analysis of soil and plant samples. Soil Sci. Soc. Am. Proc. 37, 480–481.

    Google Scholar 

  23. Stüpnagel, V R 1982 Schatzong der von Ackerbohnen Symbiontisch fixierten Sticksoffmenge in Feldversuch mit der ertweiterten Differenzmethode. Z. Acker-und Pflanzenbau 151, 446–458.

    Google Scholar 

  24. Vasilas, B L and Ham G E 1984 Nitrogen fixation in soybeans: an evaluation of measurement techniques. Agron. J. 76, 759–764.

    Google Scholar 

  25. Voss R D and Shrader W D 1983 Rotation effects and legume sources of nitrogen for corn.In Organic Farming: Current Technology, and its Role in a Sustainable Agriculture. Eds. D F Bezdicek, J P Power, D R Keeney and M J Wright pp 61–68, Spec. Pub. 46, American Society of Agronomy, Madison, Wisconsin, USA.

    Google Scholar 

  26. Wagner G H and Zapata F 1982 Field evaluation of reference crops in the study of nitrogen fixed by legumes using isotope techniques. Agron. J. 74, 607–612.

    Google Scholar 

  27. Witty J F 1983 Estimating N2-fixation in the field using15N labelled fertilizers: some problems and solutions. Soil Biol. Biochem. 15, 631–639.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Additional information

Scientific paper No. 6605. College of Agriculture and Home Economics Research Center, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164, U.S.A.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Smith, S.C., Bezdicek, D.F., Turco, R.F. et al. Seasonal N2 fixation by cool-season pulses based on several15N methods. Plant Soil 97, 3–13 (1987). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02149818

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02149818

Key words

Navigation