Abstract
Field experiments with silage maize during eight years on a sandy soil in The Netherlands, showed that dicyandiamide (DCD) addition to autumn-applied cattle slurry retarded nitrification, thus reducing nitrate losses during winter. Spring-applied slurry without DCD, however, was on average associated with even lower losses and higher maize dry matter yields.
Economically optimum supplies of mineral N in the upper 0.6 m soil layer in spring (EOSMN), amounted to 130–220 kg ha−1. Year to year variation of EOSMN could not be attributed to crop demand only. According to balance sheet calculations on control plots, apparent N mineralization between years varied from 0.36 to 0.94 kg ha−1 d−1. On average, forty percent of the soil mineral N (SMN) supply in spring, was lost during the growing season. Hence, the amounts of residual soil mineral N (RSMN) were lower than expected. Multiple regression with SMN in spring, N crop uptake and cumulative rainfall as explanatory variables, could account for 79 percent of the variation in RSMN.
Postponement of slurry applications to spring and limiting N inputs to economically optimum rates, were insufficient measures to keep the nitrate concentration in groundwater below the EC level for drinking water.
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Schröder, J.J., ten Holte, L., van Keulen, H. et al. Effects of nitrification inhibitors and time and rate of slurry and fertilizer N application on silage maize yield and losses to the environment. Fertilizer Research 34, 267–277 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00750573
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00750573