Abstract
15N studies of various aspects of the nitrogen cycle in a flooded rice ecosystem on Crowley silt loam soil in Louisiana were reviewed to construct a mass balance model of the nitrogen cycle for this system. Nitrogen transformations modeled included 1) net ammonification (0.22 mg NH4 +−N kg dry soil−1 day−1), 2) net nitrification (2.07 mg NO3 −−N kg−1 dry soil−1 day−1), 3) denitrification (0.37 mg N kg dry soil−1 day−1), and 4) biological N2 fixation (0.16 mg N kg dry soil−1 day−1). Nitrogen inputs included 1) application of fertilizers, 2) incorporation of crop residues, 3) biological N2 fixation, and 4) deposition. Nitrogen outputs included 1) crop removal, 2) gaseous losses from NH3 volatilization and simultaneous occurrence of nitrification-denitrification, and 3) leaching and runoff. Mass balance calculations indicated that 33% of the available inorganic nitrogen was recovered by rice, and the remaining nitrogen was lost from the system. Losses of N due to ammonia volatilization were minimal because fertilizer-N was incorporated into the soil. A significant portion of inorganic-N was lost by ammonium diffusion from the anaerobic layer to the aerobic layer in response to a concentration gradient and subsequent nitrification in the aerobic layer followed by nitrate diffusion into the anaerobic layer and denitrification into gaseous end products. Leaching and surface runoff losses were minimal.
Resumen
Se revisaron varios aspectos del ciclo de nitrógeno estudiados con15N en un ecosistema de arroz de innundación en suelos franco limosos Crowley en Louisiana, USA, conel fin de construir un balance de masas para el nitrógeno.
Las tranformaciones que se incluyeron en el modelo fueron: 1) amonificación neta (0,22 mg NH4−N kg−1 suelo seco dia−1), 2) nitrificación neta (2,07 mg NO3−N kg−1 suelo seco dia−1), 3) desnitrificación (0,37 mg N kg−1 suelo seco dia−1) y 4) fijación biológica de nitrógeno (0,16 mg N kg−1 suelo seco dia−1). Las entradas de nitrógeno al sistema serían aquellas por aplicación de fertilizantes, incorporación de residuos de cosecha, fijación biológica de nitrógeno, deposición. Las salidas serían por cosecha, perdidas gaseosas por volatilización de NH3 y la ocurrencia simultanea de nitrificación y desnitrificación, lixiviación y escorrentía. El balance de masas indicó que el 33% del nitrógeno inorgánico disponible fué recuperado por el arroz y el resto se perdió del sistema. Las pérdidas por volatilización de NH3 fueron minimas porque el fertilizante fué incorporado al suelo. Una proporción significativa del nitrógeno inorgánico se perdió por difusión de NH4 de la capa anaeróbica a la aeróbica en respuesta al gradiente de concentraciones; luego ocurre nitrificación en la capa aeróbica, difusión y finalmente desnitrificación y pérdida en forma gaseosa. Las perdidas por lixiviación y escorrentía fueron minimas.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
DeDatta S K, Magnaye C P and Magbanua J T 1969 Response of rice varieties to time of nitrogen application in the tropics.In Proc. Symp. Trop. Agric. Res., pp 73–87. Manila, Philippines: Inter. Rice Research Institute.
Dolmat M T, Patrick Jr W H and Peterson F J 1980 Relation of available soil nitrogen to rice yield. Soil Sci. 129, 229–238.
IAEA 1970 Rice Fertilization.-IAEA. Tech. Rep. Ser. No. 108, Vienna: International Atomic Energy Agency. 177 p.
Mikkelsen D S, DeDatta S K and Obcemea W N 1978 Ammonia volatilization losses from flooded rice soils. Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J. 42, 725–730.
Patrick Jr W H and Wyatt R 1964 Soil nitrogen loss as a results of alternate submergence and drying. Soil Sci. Soc. Am. Proc. 28, 647–653.
Patrick Jr W H and Reddy K R 1976 Nitrification-denitrification reactions in flooded soils and sediments: Dependence on oxygen supply and ammonium diffusion. J. Environ. Qual. 5, 469–472.
Patrick Jr W H and Reddy K R 1976 Fate of fertilizer nitrogen in flooded soil. Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J. 40, 678–681.
Patrick Jr W H and Tusneem M E 1972 Nitrogen loss from flooded soil. Ecology 53, 735–737.
Patrick Jr W H, De Laune R D and Peterson F J 1974 Nitrogen utilization by rice using15N depleted ammonium sulfate. Agron. J. 66, 819–820.
Reddy K R and Patrick Jr W H 1975 Effect of alternate aerobic and anaerobic conditions on redox potential, organic matter decomposition and nitrogen loss in a flooded soil. Soil Biol. Biochem 7, 87–94.
Reddy K R and Patrick Jr W H 1976 Yield and nitrogen utilization by rice as affected by method and time of application of labelled nitrogen. Agron. J. 68, 965–969.
Reddy K R and Patrick Jr W H 1977 Effect of placement and concentration of applied15NH4−N on nitrogen loss from flooded soil. Soil Sci. 123, 142–147.
Reddy K R and Patrick Jr W H 1978 Residual fertilizer nitrogen in a flooded rice soil. Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J. 42, 316–318.
Reddy K R and Patrick Jr W H 1979 Nitrogen fixation in a flooded rice soil. Soil Sci. 128, 80–86.
Reddy K R and Patrick Jr W H 1980 Losses of applied15NH4−N, urea-15N and organic15N in flooded soil. Soil Sci. 130, 326–330.
Reddy K R, Patrick Jr W H and Phillips R E 1976 Ammonium diffusion as a factor in nitrogen loss from flooded soil. Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J. 40, 528–533.
Reddy K R, Patrick Jr W H and Phillips R E 1978 The role of nitrate diffusion in determining the order and rate of denitrification in flooded soil: I. Experimental results. Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J. 42, 268–272.
Reddy K R, Patrick Jr W H and Phillips R E 1980 Evaluation of selected processes controlling nitrogen loss in flooded soil. Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J. 44, 1241–1246.
Ventura W H and Yoshida T 1977 Ammonia volatilization from a flooded tropical soil. Plant and Soil 46, 521–531.
Vlek P L G and Craswell E T 1979 Effect of nitrogen source and management on ammonia volatilization losses from flooded rice soil systems. Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J. 43, 352–358.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
Florida Agricultural Experiment Station, Journal series No. 3855.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Reddy, K.R. Nitrogen cycling in a flooded-soil ecosystem planted to rice (Oryza sativa L.). Plant Soil 67, 209–220 (1982). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02182768
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02182768