Abstract
We examined the theoretical basis for estimating the transfer of N2 fixed by legumes to companion cereals or grasses in intercropping or pasture systems using 15N isotope dilution methodology. A method was developed to calculate the symbiotic dependence of the legume in a mixed stand based on 15N enrichment of the associated non-legume and the estimate of fixed N transfer. Published field data were used to illustrate the application of the method. Complementary treatments for verifying N transfer and options for increasing the accuracy of estimates of N transfer are discussed.
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Chalk, P.M., Smith, C.J. 15N isotope dilution methodology for evaluating the dynamics of biologically fixed N in legume-non-legume associations. Biol Fert Soils 17, 80–84 (1994). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00418677
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00418677