Summary
Nitrogen-15 labelled urea, aqueous NH3 and (NH4)2SO4 were applied to soils contained in pots. The fertilizers were injected in 5 cm3 of solution, 3.5 cm below the soil surface, to simulate a fertilizer band in the field. Ryegrass (Lolium perenne) was planted, and several cuttings and roots were harvested. Efficiency was determined as the recovery of fertilizer-N in the plant tissues and soil.
Total recovery varied from 94 to 100%. There was no significant difference between the total recovery of the 3 fertilizer forms, although recovery in the soil component was lower for (NH4)2SO4 than for urea or NH3. There was a significant difference in total recovery between soils due to the soil component. Only small amounts of15N were not recovered, whereas laboratory experiments reported elsewhere had demonstrated that substantial gaseous losses of N as N2, N2O and NO +NO2 occurred in these soils during nitrification of added NH3 fertilizer.
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Smith, C.J., Chalk, P.M. Comparison of the efficiency of urea, aqueous ammonia and ammonium sulphate as nitrogen fertilizers. Plant Soil 55, 333–337 (1980). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02181813
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02181813