Abstract
Background
Nitrate leaching is a primary pathway of nitrogen loss from agricultural systems, and is affected by both tillage and cropped species. However, there is little information on conservation systems without nitrogen fertilization.
Methods
Nitrate leaching was assessed in soybean (Glycine max) cropped in rotation with the following cover crops under no-till and chiseling: ruzigrass (Brachiaria ruziziensis), grain sorghum (Sorghum bicolor), pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum), forage sorghum (Sorghum bicolor), Sunn hemp (Crotalaria juncea), triticale (X Triticosecale) and sunflower (Helianthus annuus).
Results
Ruzigrass and grain sorghum cropped in the fall/winter resulted in similar NO3 − leaching, which was greater under sunflower than under triticale, likely due to high N uptake and immobilization in plant residues. Sunn hemp as a spring crop resulted in higher NO3 − leaching than pearl millet at two locations and forage sorghum at one location likely due to a higher N input by biological fixation. Millet resulted in the lowest N leaching by depleting the soil solution. Chiseling/fallow resulted in higher nitrogen leaching as compared with non-fixing N cover crops.
Conclusions
Even when N is not applied, it is important to intensify cropping systems in tropical environments using cover crops with vigorous root systems and high N demand, which prevent N leaching, as well as provides N to the following crop as the straw is mineralized.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Allen RG, Pereira LS, Raes D, Smith M (1998) Crop evapotranspiration: guidelines for computing crop water requirements. FAO Irrigation and Drainage. Paper no. 56. FAO, Rome
Andrade Júnior AS, Silva JL, Bastos EA, Maciel GA, Ribeiro VQ (2010) Coeficientes de cultura da braquiária em cultivo solteiro e consorciado com milho (in Portuguese). In: Congresso Latinoamericano y Del Caribe de Ingenieria Agricola, 9.; Congresso Brasileiro de Engenharia Agrícola, 39. SBEA, Vitória (CD-ROM)
Askegaard M, Olesen JE, Kristensen K (2005) Nitrate leaching from organic arable crop rotations: effects of location, manure and catch crop. Soil Use Manag 21:181–188
Calonego JC, Rosolem CA (2010) Soybean root growth and yield in rotation with cover crops under chiseling and no-till. Eur J Agron 33:242–249
Cunha AR, Martins D (2009) Classificação climática para os municípios de Botucatu e São Manuel, SP. Irriga 14:1–11
Eaton AD, Clesceri LS, Greenberg AE (1993) Standard methods for the examination of water and wastewater, 18th edn. APHA, AWWA and WEF, Washington, DC
Errebhi M, Rosen CJ, Gupta SC, Birong DE (1998) Potato yield response and nitrate leaching as influenced by nitrogen management. Agron J 90:10–15
Fernandes FCS, Libardi PL (2009) Drenagem interna e lixiviação de nitrato em um Latossolo sob sucessão milho-braquiária-milho, com diferentes doses de nitrogênio. R Bras Ci Solo 33:1163–1173
Fernandes FCS, Libardi PL, Carvalho LA (2006) Internal drainage and nitrate leaching in corn-black oat corn succession with two split nitrogen applications. Sci Agric 63:483–492
Ghiberto PJ, Libardi PL, Brito AS, Trivelin PCO (2011) Nitrogen fertilizer leaching in an Oxisol cultivated with sugarcane. Sci Agric 68:86–93
Hansen EM, Munkholm LJ, Olesen JE, Melander B (2015) Nitrate leaching, yields and carbon sequestration after noninversion tillage, catch crops, and straw retention. J Environ Qual 44:868–881
Harmand J-M, Ávila H, Oliver R, Saint-André L, Dambrine E (2010) The impact of kaolinite and oxi-hydroxides on nitrate adsorption in deep layers of a Costarican Acrisol under coffee cultivation. Geoderma 158:216–224
Lara Cabezas WAR, Alves BJR, Urquiaga S, Santana DG (2004) Influência da cultura antecessora e da adubação nitrogenada na produtividade de milho em sistema plantio direto e solo preparado. Ci Rural 34:1005–1013
Lombardi Neto F, Belinazzi Júnior R, Lepsch IF, Oliveira JB, Bertolini D, Galeti PA, Drugowich MI (1994) Terraceamento agrícola. In: Bertolini D, Lombardi Neto F, Lepsch IF, Oliveira JB, Drugowich MI, Andrade NO, Galeti PA, Belinazzi Junior R, Dechen SCF (eds) Manual técnico de manejo e conservação de solo e água. v.4: Tecnologias disponíveis para controlar o escorrimento superficial do solo. CATI, Campinas, pp 11–35
Meisinger JJ, Hargrove WL, Mikkelsen RL, Williams JR, Benson VW (1991) Effects of cover crops on groundwater quality. In: Hargrove WL (ed) Cover crops for clean water. Soil and water conservation Society of America, Ankeny, pp 57–68
Menezes RSC, Gascho GJ, Hanna WW, Cabrera ML, Hook JE (1997) Subsoil nitrate uptake by grain pearl millet. Agron J 89:189–194
Mkhabela MS, Madani A, Gordon R, Burton D, Cudmore D, Elmi A, Hart W (2008) Gaseous and leaching nitrogen losses from no-tillage and conventional tillage systems following surface application of cattle manure. Soil Tillage Res 98:187–199
Nakagawa FK, Forti GBS, Alves ME, Lavorenti A, Miranda JH (2012) Estimating subsoil resistance to nitrate leaching from easily measurable pedological properties. Rev Bras Ciênc Solo 36:1491–1498
Ochsner TE, Albrecht KA, Schumacher TW, Baker JM, Berkevich RJ (2010) Water balance and nitrate leaching under corn in cura clover living mulch. Agron J 102:1169–1178
Paul EA, Clark FE (1989) Reduction and transport of nitrate. In: Paul EA, Clark FE (eds) Soil microbiology and biochemistry. Academic, New York, pp 147–162
Paulino GM, Alves BJR, Barroso DG, Urquiaga S, Espindola JAA (2009) Fixação biológica e transferência de nitrogênio por leguminosas em pomar orgânico de mangueira e gravioleira. Pesq Agropec Bras 44:1598–1607
Perego A, Basile A, Bonfante A, Mascellis R, Terribile F, Brenna S, Acutis M (2012) Nitrate leaching under maize cropping systems in Po Valley (Italy). Agric Ecosyst Environ 147:57–65
Perin A, Santos RHS, Urquiaga SC, Guerra JGM, Cecon PR (2004) Produção de fitomassa, acúmulo de nutrientes e fixação biológica de nitrogênio por adubos verdes em cultivo isolado e consorciado. Pesq Agropec Bras 39:35–40
Pivetta LA, Castoldi G, Santos GP, Rosolem CA (2011) Crescimento e atividade de raízes de soja em função do sistema de produção. Pesq Agropec Bras 46:1547–1554
Prando MB, Olibone D, Olibone APE, Rosolem CA (2010) Infiltração de água no solo sob escarificação e rotação de culturas. R Bras Ci Solo 34:693–700
Reichardt K, Libardi PL, Meirelles NMF, Ferreyra FFH, Zagatto EAG, Matsui E (1977) Extração e análise de nitratos em solução de solo. R Bras Ci Solo 1:130–132
Rekha PN, Kanwar RS, Nayak AK, Hoang CK, Pederson CH (2011) Nitrate leaching to shallow groundwater systems from agricultural fields with different management practices. J Environ Monit 13:2550–2558
Ritchie JT (1998) Soil water balance and plant water stress. In: Tsuji GY, Hoogenboom G, Thornton PK (eds) Understanding options for agricultural production. Kluwer academic publishers, Dordretcht, pp 41–54
Schneider U, Haider K (1992) Denitrification and nitrate leaching losses in an intensively cropped watershed. J Plant Nutr Soil Sc 155:135–141
Sexton BT, Moncrief JF, Rosen CJ, Gupta SC, Cheng HH (1996) Optimizing nitrogen and irrigation inputs for corn based on nitrate leaching and yield on a course-textured soil. J Environ Qual 25:983–992
Silva RH, Rosolem CA (2002) Crescimento radicular de soja em razão da sucessão de cultivos e da compactação do solo. Pesq Agropec Bras 37:855–860
Six J, Conant RT, Paul EA, Paustian K (2002) Stabilization mechanisms of soil organic matter: implications for C-saturation of soils. Plant Soil 241:155–176
Soil Conservation Service (1985) National engineering handbook. Section 4. Hydrology. US Department of Agriculture, Washington, DC
Soil Survey Staff (2014) Keys to soil taxonomy, 12th edn. USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service, Washington, DC
Soltani A, Sinclair TR (2012) Modeling physiology of crop development, growth and yield. CAB International, Wallingford
Swift RS (1996) Organic matter characterization. In: Sparks DL (ed) Methods of soil analysis. Part 3. Chemical methods-SSSA book series no. 5. Soil science Society of America and American Society of Agronomy, Madison, pp 1011–1069
Thivierge M-N, Chantigny MH, Seguin P, Vanasse A (2015) Sweet pearl millet and sweet sorghum have high nitrogen uptake efficiency under cool and wet climate. Nutr Cycl Agroecosyst 102:195–208
Wang Q, Cameron K, Buchan G, Zhao L, Zhang EH, Smith N, Carrick S (2012) Comparison of lysimeters and porous ceramic cups for measuring nitrate leaching in different soil types, new zeal. J Agric Res 55:333–345
Wilcke W, Lilienfein J (2005) Nutrient leaching in oxisols under native and managed vegetation in Brazil. Soil Sci Soc Am J 69:1152–1161
Williams JD, Wilkins DE, Douglas Jr CL, Rickman RW (2000) Mow-plow crop residue management influence on soil erosion in north-central Oregon. Soil Tillage Res 55:71–78
Zotarelli L, Scholberg JM, Dukes MD, Mufioz-Carpena R (2007) Monitoring of nitrate leaching in sandy soils: comparison of three methods. J Environ Qual 36:953–962
Acknowledgements
The authors thank São Paulo Research Foundation (Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo – FAPESP, grant 2011/02117-7) for financial support.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
Responsible Editor: W Richard Whalley.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Rosolem, C.A., Castoldi, G., Pivetta, L.A. et al. Nitrate leaching in soybean rotations without nitrogen fertilizer. Plant Soil 423, 27–40 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-017-3494-4
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-017-3494-4