Potato yield response and seasonal nitrate leaching as influenced by nitrogen management

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DOI

https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy11102055

Language of the publication
English
Date
2021-10-13
Type
Article
Author(s)
  • Clément, Chedzer-Clarc
  • Cambouris, Athyna N.
  • Ziadi, Noura
  • Zebarth, Bernie J.
  • Karam, Antoine
Publisher
MDPI

Abstract

Nitrate leaching is of great environmental concern, particularly with potatoes grown on sandy soils. This 3-year study evaluated the effect of three N rates (100, 150, and 200 kg ha−1) of single applications of polymer-coated urea (PCU) and a 75% PCU + 25% urea mixture, plus a conventional split application of 200 kg N ha−1 of a 50% ammonium sulfate + 50% calcium ammonium nitrate mixture (CONV) on NO3−-N leaching, potato yield, and N uptake under irrigated and non-irrigated conditions on a sandy soil in Quebec (Canada). Fertilizer N application increased growing season NO3−-N leaching only under irrigation. On average, irrigation increased seasonal NO3−-N leaching by 52%. Under irrigated conditions, PCU reduced NO3−-N leaching compared to PCU + urea. However, both PCU and PCU + urea significantly increased NO3−-N leaching compared to the CONV at the equivalent N rate of 200 kg N ha−1. This was attributed to the timing of soil N availability and deep-water percolation. Total (TY) and marketable (MY) yields in the CONV were similar to those in the PCU applied at the equivalent N rate of 200 kg N ha−1. Despite lower plant N uptake, PCU resulted in greater TY and MY compared to PCU + urea. Residual soil inorganic N was greater for PCU and PCU + urea compared to the CONV, providing evidence that PCU products have the potential to increase NO3−-N leaching after the growing season. In this study, PCU was an agronomically and environmentally better choice than PCU + urea. The results also showed that the efficiency of PCU to reduce seasonal NO3−-N leaching may vary according to the timing of precipitation and irrigation.

Subject

  • Agriculture

Keywords

  • polymer-coated urea,
  • irrigation,
  • suction lysimeter,
  • residual soil nitrogen

Rights

Peer review

Yes

Open access level

Gold

Identifiers

ISSN
2073-4395

Article

Journal title
Agronomy
Journal volume
11
Journal issue
10
Article number
2055
Accepted date
2021-10-08
Submitted date
2021-09-16

Citation(s)

Clément, C.-C., Cambouris, A. N., Ziadi, N., Zebarth, B. J., & Karam, A. (2021). Potato yield response and seasonal nitrate leaching as influenced by nitrogen management. Agronomy, 11(10), 2055. https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy11102055

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Crops and horticulture

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