Abstract
Four consecutive 15N mass balance experiments lasting 18 months from February 1993 to August 1994 were carried out to assess the fate of applied 15N at 3 sites after 4 years of lucerne or snail medic and 20 years of Mitchell grass/naturalised medic pastures respectively in the Roma district of Queensland, Australia. 15N loss via denitrification was estimated from the difference between the recovery of applied Br(100kg Br/ha) and that of applied 15N(40kg N/ha) in the top 250mm at the end of each mass balance experiment. From February to August 1993, denitrification losses were 12–38% of applied 15N. N losses increased to 36–51% during August to November 1993, responding to the higher rainfall during this period. With even more rainfall during the period between November 1993 and March 1994, N losses were estimated to be 16–23%while displacement of 15N below 250 mm was 74–81%. When rainfall was much less between March 1994 and August 1994, N losses of only 15–19% of the applied 15N occurred at the 3 sites. It was found that although rainfall was the dominant factor controlling denitrification of the applied 15N, soil available carbon (C) (measured as water-soluble C) and the quantity of nitrate available were also important for soils already containing a considerable quantity of organic matter and N from residues of pasture legumes.
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Pu, G., Strong, W., Saffigna, P. et al. Denitrification, leaching and immobilisation of applied 15N following legume and grass pastures in a semi-arid climate in Australia. Nutrient Cycling in Agroecosystems 59, 199–207 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1014462305825
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1014462305825