Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Effects of fertigation scheme on N uptake and N use efficiency in cotton

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Plant and Soil Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

While fertigation can increase fertilizer use efficiency, there is an uncertainly as to whether the fertilizer should be introduced at the beginning of the irrigation or at the end, or introduced during irrigation. Our objective was to determine the effect of different fertigation schemes on nitrogen (N) uptake and N use efficiency (NUE) in cotton plants. A pot experiment was conducted under greenhouse conditions in year 2004 and 2005. According to the application timing of nitrogen (N) fertilizer solution and water (W) involved in an irrigation cycle, four nitrogen fertigation schemes [nitrogen applied at the beginning of the irrigation cycle (N–W), nitrogen applied at the end of the irrigation cycle (W–N), nitrogen applied in the middle of the irrigation cycle (W–N–W) and nitrogen applied throughout the irrigation cycle (N&W)] were employed in a completely randomized design with four replications. Cotton was grown in plastic containers with a volume of 84 l, which were filled with a clay loam soil and fertilized with 6.4 g of N per pot as unlabeled and 15N-labeled urea for 2004 and 2005, respectively. Plant total dry matter (DM) and N content in N–W was significantly higher than in N&W in both seasons, but these were not consistent for W–N and W–N–W treatments. In year 2005, a significantly higher nitrogen derived from fertilizer (NDFF) for the whole plant was found in W–N and N–W than that in W–N–W and N&W. Fertigation scheme had a consistent effect on total NUE: N–W had the highest NUE for the whole plant, but this was not significantly different from W–N. Treatments W–N and W–N–W had similar total NUE, and N&W had the lowest total NUE. After harvesting, the total residual fertilizer N in the soil was highest in W–N, lowest in N–W, but this was not significantly different from N&W and W–N–W treatments. Total residual NO3–N in the soil in N&W and W–N treatments was 20.7 and 21.2% higher than that in N–W, respectively. The total 15N recovery was not statistically significant between the four fertigation schemes. In this study, the fertigation scheme N–W (nitrogen applied at the beginning of an irrigation cycle) increased DM accumulation, N uptake and NUE of cotton. This study indicates that Nitrogen application at the beginning of an irrigation cycle has an advantage on N uptake and NUE of cotton. Therefore, NUE could be enhanced by optimizing fertilization schemes with drip irrigation.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3

Similar content being viewed by others

Abbreviations

N–W:

Nitrogen applied at the beginning of the irrigation cycle

W–N:

Nitrogen applied at the end of the irrigation cycle

W–N–W:

Nitrogen applied in the middle of the irrigation cycle

N&W:

Nitrogen applied throughout the irrigation cycle

DAP:

Days after planting

DM:

Dry matter

NDFF:

Nitrogen derived from fertilizer

NUE:

Nitrogen use efficiency

References

  • Allen SC, Jose S, Nair PKR, Brecke BJ, Ramsey CL (2004) Competition for 15N-labeled fertilizer in a pecan (Carya illinoensis K. Koch)-cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) alley cropping system in the southern United States. Plant Soil 263:151–164

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Barber LD, Joern BC, Volenec JJ, Cunningham SM (1996) Supplemental nitrogen effects on alfalfa regrowth and nitrogen mobilization from roots. Crop Sci 36:1217–1223

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bar-Yosef B (1977) Trickle irrigation and fertigation of tomatoes in sand dunes: Water, N, and P distributions in the soil and uptake by plants. Agron J 69:486–491

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bar-Yosef B, Sheikhoslami MR (1976) Distribution of water and ions in soils irrigated and fertilized from a trickle source. Soil Sci Soc Am J 40:575–582

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Chen DL, Freney JR, Mosier AR, Chalk PM (1994) Reducing denitrification loss with nitrification inhibitors following presowing applications of urea to a cotton field. Aust J Exp Agric 34:75–83

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Chua TT, Bronson KF, Booker JD, Keeling JW, Mosier AR, Bordovsky JP, Lascano RJ, Green CJ, Segarra E (2003) In-season nitrogen status sensing in irrigated cotton: I yields and nitrogen-15 recovery. Soil Sci Soc Am J 67:1428–1438

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Cote CM, Bristow KL, Charlesworth PB, Cook FJ, Thorburn PJ (2003) Analysis of soil wetting and solute transport in subsurface trickle irrigation. Irrig Sci 22:143–156

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dorich RA, Nelson DW (1984) Evaluation of manual cadmium reduction methods for determination of nitrate in potassium chloride extracts. Soil Sci Soc Am J 48:72–75

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Feigin A, Letey J, Jarrell WM (1982) N utilization efficiency by drip irrigated celery receiving preplant or water applied N fertilizer. Agron J 74:978–983

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fritschi FB, Roberts BA, Rains DW, Travis RL, Hutmacher RB (2004) Fate of nitrogen-15 applied to irrigated acala and pima cotton. Agron J 96:646–655

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Freney JR, Chen DL, Mosier AR, Rochester IJ, Constable GA, Chalk PM (1993) Use of nitrification inhibitors to increase fertilizer nitrogen recovery and lint yield in irrigated cotton. Fert Res 34:37–44

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Gibb D, Rochester I, Constable G, Freney J (2002) Nitrogen fertiliser efficiency – denitrification. Publication 1 (4), Australian Cotton Cooperative Research Centre, Narrabri, NSW, Australia

  • Glendining MJ, Poulton PR, Powlson DS, Jenkinson DS (1997) Fate of 15N-labelled fertilizer applied to spring barley grown on soils of contrasting nutrient status. Plant Soil 195:83–98

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Haynes RJ (1985) Principles of fertilizer use for trickle irrigated crops. Fert Res 6:235–255

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Haynes RJ (1990) Movement and transformations of fertigated N below trickle emitters and their effects on pH in the wetted soil volume. Fert Res 23:105–112

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hou HY, Pang HB, Qi XB, Wang JL, Fan XY (2003) Experimental Study on the Principles of Urea-N Transformation and Transportation under Drip-irrigation in the Greenhouse (In Chinese). J Irrig Drain 22(6):18–22

    Google Scholar 

  • Karlen DL, Hunt PG, Matheny TA (1996) Fertilizer 15nitrogen recovery by corn, wheat, and cotton grown with and without pre-plant tillage on Norfolk loamy sand. Crop Sci 36:975–981

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Keeney DR, Nelson DW (1982) Nitrogen-inorganic forms. In: Page AL, Miller RH, Keeney DR (eds) Methods of soilanalysis. American Society of Agronomy, Madison, pp 643–698

    Google Scholar 

  • Li J, Zhang J, Rao M (2004) Wetting patterns and N distributions as affected by fertigation schemes from a surface point source. Agr Water Manage 67:89–104

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mahmood T, Ali R, Sajjad MI, Chaudhri MB, Tahir GR, Azam F (2000) Denitrification and total fertilizer-N losses from an irrigated cotton field. Biol Fertil Soils 31:270–278

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Miller RJ, Rolston DE, Rauschkolb RS, Wolfe DE (1981) Labeled N uptake by drip-irrigated tomatoes. Agron J 73:256–270

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mmolawa K, Or D (2000) Root zone solute dynamics under drip irrigation: A review. Plant Soil 222:163–190

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Mohammad MJ, Zuraiqi S, Quasmeh W, Papadopoulos I (1999) Yield response and N utilization efficiency by drip-irrigated potato. Nutr Cycl Agroecosys 54:243–249

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mohammad MJ (2004) Utilization of applied fertilizer nitrogen and irrigation water by drip-fertigated squash as determined by nuclear and traditional techniques. Nutr Cycl Agroecosys 68:1–11

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mohammad MJ (2004) Squash yield, nutrient content and soil fertility parameters in response to methods of fertilizer application and rates of N fertigation. Nutr Cycl Agroecosys 68:99–108

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Navarro JC, Silvertooth JC, Galadima A (1997) Fertilizer nitrogen recovery in irrigated upland cotton. In Proc. Beltwide Cotton Conf., New Orleans, LA, 6–10 Jan. 1997. Natl. Cotton Counc., Memphis, pp 581–583

  • Oikeh SO, Kling JG, Horst WJ, Chude VO, Carsky RJ (1999) Growth and distribution of maize roots under nitrogen fertilization in plinthite soil. Field Crop Res 62:1–13

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Papadopoulos I (1985) Constant feeding of field-grown tomatoes irrigated with sulphate water. Plant soil 88:231–236

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Papadopoulos I (1988) N fertigation of trickle-irrigated potato. Fert Res 16:157–167

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Quiñones A, Banuls J, Primo-Millo E, Legaz F (2003) Effects of 15N application frequency on N uptake efficiency in Citrus trees. J Plant Physiol 160:1429–1434

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Quiñones A, Bañuls J, Primo-Millo E, Legaz F (2005) Recovery of the 15N-labelled fertilizer in citrus trees in relation with timing of application and irrigation system. Plant Soil 268:367–376

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Rochester IJ, Constable GA, MacLeod DA (1993) Cycling of fertilizer and cotton crop residue nitrogen. Aust J Soil Res 31:597–609

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Rochester IJ, Constable GA, Saffigna PG (1994) Etridiazole may conserve applied nitrogen and increase yield of irrigated cotton. Aust J Soil Res 32:1287–1300

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Rochester IJ, Constable GA, Saffigna PG (1997) Retention of cotton stubble enhances N fertilizer recovery and lint yield of irrigated cotton. Soil Tillage Res 41:75–86

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Silber A, Xu G, Levkovitch I, Soriano S, Bilu A, Wallach R (2003) High fertigation frequency: the effects on uptake of nutrients, water and plant growth. Plant Soil 253:467–477

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Singandhupe RB, Rao GN, Patil NG, Brahmanand PS (2003) Fertigation studies and irrigation scheduling in drip irrigation system in tomato crop (Lycopersicon esculentum L.). Eur J Agron 19:327–340

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stevensa WB, Hoeftb RG, Mulvaney RL (2005) Fate of nitrogen-15 in a long-term nitrogen rate study: II. nitrogen uptake efficiency. Agron J 97:1046–1053

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Thorburn PJ, Dart IK, Biggs IM, Baillie CP, Smith MA, Keating BA (2003) The fate of N applied to sugarcane by trickle irrigation. Irrig Sci 22:201–209

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Thompson TL, Doerge TA, Godin RE (2000) Nitrogen and water interactions in subsurface drip-irrigated cauliflower: II. Agro-nomic, economic, and environmental outcomes. Soil Sci Soc Am J 64:412–418

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Torbert HA, Reeves DW (1994) Fertilizer nitrogen requirements for cotton production as affected by tillage and traffic. Soil Sci Soc Am J 58:1416–1423

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wienhold BJ, Trooien TP, Reichman GA (1995) Yield and nitrogen use efficiency of irrigated corn in the northern great plains. Agron J 87:842–846

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

This study was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (grant no. 30460062), the Program for Changjiang Scholars and Innovative Resaerch Team in the University (grant no. IRT0412) and the Key Teacher Foundation of Shihezi University (grant no. NX02002).

Author information

Author notes

  1. Pinfang Li

    Present address: College of Resources and Environment, China Agricultural University, No. 2, Yuanmingyuan West Road, Beijing, 100094, China

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Key Laboratory of Plant–Soil Interactions, Ministry of Education, Beijing, 100094, China

    Zhenan Hou, Pinfang Li & Baoguo Li

  2. Department of Resources and Environmental Sciences, Shihezi University, Shihezi Xinjiang, 832003, China

    Zhenan Hou, Jiang Gong & Yanna Wang

Authors
  1. Zhenan Hou
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Pinfang Li
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Baoguo Li
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Jiang Gong
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Yanna Wang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Pinfang Li.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Hou, Z., Li, P., Li, B. et al. Effects of fertigation scheme on N uptake and N use efficiency in cotton. Plant Soil 290, 115–126 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-006-9140-1

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-006-9140-1

Keywords

Search

Navigation