Abstract
Research on corn and winter wheat has shown that a critical N concentration in the grain exists above which a yield response to N fertilizer is unlikely. This indicator can be used for post-harvest evaluation of N sufficiency and for mapping N availability in the field, which may be helpful for making future N fertilizer decisions. The purpose of this study was to determine if a critical N concentration in the seed exists for cotton. The study was conducted in the Georgia Coastal Plain during 1998, 1999, and 2001, using a different variety of cotton in each year. In 1998, 12 N fertilizer rates ranging from 38 to 203 kg ha–1 were applied to Delta Pineland 90 at three locations within one field that differed in soil organic matter and clay concentration, and in 1999 and 2001, 6 N fertilizer rates ranging from 22 to 179 kg ha–1 were applied to Stoneville 474 and Delta Pineland 458 in a different field. At all locations, the N concentration in the cottonseed increased linearly with increasing N fertilizer rates. Maximum yields were obtained at less than maximum seed N concentration. Lower seed N concentrations indicated some degree of N deficiency. Based on these results, it appears that a critical N concentration of 35 g kg–1 exists for cottonseeds, above which no yield response to N fertilizer is likely. Information on the spatial distribution of cottonseed N concentrations could therefore help to evaluate the adequacy of N fertilization for cotton, thereby providing a basis for adjustment of N fertilization rates in future crops.
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Egelkraut, T., Kissel, D., Cabrera, M. et al. Nitrogen concentration in cottonseed as an indicator of N availability. Nutrient Cycling in Agroecosystems 68, 235–242 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1023/B:FRES.0000019461.39144.29
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/B:FRES.0000019461.39144.29