SAES-422 Multistate Research Activity Accomplishments Report
Sections
Status: Approved
Basic Information
- Project No. and Title: NC218 : Assessing Nitrogen Mineralization And Other Diagnostic Criteria To Refine Nitrogen Rates For Crops And Minimize Losses
- Period Covered: 04/01/2002 to 04/01/2003
- Date of Report: 08/18/2003
- Annual Meeting Dates: 03/19/2003 to 03/20/2003
Participants
Larry Bundy (lgbundy@wisc.edu)University of Wisconsin; Alan Olness (olness@morris.ars.usda.gov)USDA-ARS from Minnesota; John Schmidt (schmidt@ksu.edu)Kansas State University; Gyles Randall (grandall@soils.umn.edu)University of Minnesota; Warren Dick (dick.5@osu.edu)Ohio State University; Carrie A.M. Laboski (laboski@msu.edu)Michigan State University; Daniel Walters (dwalters1@unl.edu)University of Nebraska; Robert Hoeft (rhoeft@uiuc.edu)University of Illinois; Ali Tabatabai (malit@iastate.edu)Iowa State University; Peter Scharf (scharfp@missouri.edu)University of Missouri; William Horwath (wrhorwath@ucdavis.edu)University of California - Davis; David Clay (David_Clay@sdstate.edu)South Dakota State University; Gary Lemme- Administrative Advisor (lemme@msu.edu)Michigan State University.
Activities of the annual meeting primarily concerned committee business, a review of contributions of individual states to overall committee objectives, and development of plans for the coming year.
Committee Business: Complete minutes of the March 19-20, 2003 meeting can be found on the NC-218 home page on the NIMSS (http://www.lgu.umd.edu/project/home.cfm?trackID=1014). Archives of past meeting minutes and annual reports of accomplishments for 2002 and 2003 can also be found at this same web site. Committee officers for the coming year were elected (William Horwath, Chair), John Schmidt (Secretary), Carrie Laboski (Member-at-Large) and Warren Dick (Past Chair). The location (Holiday Inn-Airport, Kansas City, MO), date (March 17-18, 2004) and time (8:00 AM on 3/17 through noon on 3/18) for the next meeting were established.
Report of Meeting Activities and Plans for Next Year: The administrative report was presented by Gary Lemme. Members of the committee reviewed efforts to write draft manuscripts of data collected from the previous NC218 project. These papers tentatively plan to focus on the following topics:
1. Methods and characterization of data collected during last project including crop
response and field histories.
2. Potential N mineralization quick test and their relationship to thermal units.
3. Plant sensing of N status.
4. Relationship of soil mineralizable C to mineralizable N.
5. Using testing techniques to predict soil N mineralization and develop fertilizer recommendations.
D. Walters presented a new maize growth model. Initial results of model simulations suggest that planting date is critical to avoid high night temperatures during the latter part of the growing season.
Discussion of the protocols to be used for the new project ensued. Each state reported on their plans to conduct field experiments according to the protocol developed for NC218 studies in the previous year.
Committee Business: Complete minutes of the March 19-20, 2003 meeting can be found on the NC-218 home page on the NIMSS (http://www.lgu.umd.edu/project/home.cfm?trackID=1014). Archives of past meeting minutes and annual reports of accomplishments for 2002 and 2003 can also be found at this same web site. Committee officers for the coming year were elected (William Horwath, Chair), John Schmidt (Secretary), Carrie Laboski (Member-at-Large) and Warren Dick (Past Chair). The location (Holiday Inn-Airport, Kansas City, MO), date (March 17-18, 2004) and time (8:00 AM on 3/17 through noon on 3/18) for the next meeting were established.
Report of Meeting Activities and Plans for Next Year: The administrative report was presented by Gary Lemme. Members of the committee reviewed efforts to write draft manuscripts of data collected from the previous NC218 project. These papers tentatively plan to focus on the following topics:
1. Methods and characterization of data collected during last project including crop
response and field histories.
2. Potential N mineralization quick test and their relationship to thermal units.
3. Plant sensing of N status.
4. Relationship of soil mineralizable C to mineralizable N.
5. Using testing techniques to predict soil N mineralization and develop fertilizer recommendations.
D. Walters presented a new maize growth model. Initial results of model simulations suggest that planting date is critical to avoid high night temperatures during the latter part of the growing season.
Discussion of the protocols to be used for the new project ensued. Each state reported on their plans to conduct field experiments according to the protocol developed for NC218 studies in the previous year.
[Minutes]
Accomplishments
The use of the Illinois Nitrogen Soil Test (INST), which is based on estimating amino sugar nitrogen (AS-N) content in soil, was tested in several states. The preliminary data from Michigan suggest that the INST may be useful in helping to predict sites where sugar beet will not benefit from additional fertilizer N, and perhaps may be used to fine tune N fertilizer recommendations for individual fields. The strong correlation of AS-N with organic matter suggests that organic matter may be as useful when making field specific nitrogen recommendations.
Temporal variation of INST values was studied in soils from Illinois and Minnesota. At two Illinois locations, the values decreased from early spring into the summer, but at two other Illinois locations, the values remained constant throughout the sampling period. There was a significant decrease in INST values at two of the Minnesota locations, but the decrease was somewhat later in the season than observed at Illinois. If, in fact, the amino sugar levels, as measured by the INST, reflect the easily mineralizable N source found in the soil, this decrease in values in early to midsummer would be expected. The decrease in Illinois N Soil Test values occurred at the same time and at approximately the same magnitude at the 0-6 inch and 6-12 inch depth. This trend offers promise that a 6 inch soil sample will adequately characterize the available N supply of a field.
Spatial variability of the INST within a field ranged from a low of 35 ppm in one field to as much as 189 ppm in another. In three of the four fields studied, over 70 percent of the samples were within 10 percent of the mean. However, in the field that varied by 189 ppm from the low to high sample, only 14 percent of the samples were within 10 percent of the mean. In general, the variation tended to follow a pattern within a field, with the high values being grouped together, most likely indicating an effect of past management.
Small plot research conducted in 2001 showed that only one site tested in Illinois, that had an INST value >240 mg N/kg soil, had corn that responded to fertilizer inputs. In 2002, there was no response to applied N at any site that had an INST level greater than 240 mg N/kg soil. Over two years of work in Illinois, the INST has done a good job predicting non-responsive sites with only one failure out of 29 experiments. Results collected from the farmer-conducted WATER plots, however, were much less consistent than from the small plot studies. Corn, grown at 12 of the sites (over the two years of the WATER plot studies) that were projected as non-responsive by INST, responded to fertilizer N. Most of these failures occurred in 2002, a year characterized by heavy rains early in the spring and early summer followed by very dry soils through most of the rest of the growing season. These unusual climatic conditions undoubtedly would have had a negative impact on microbial activity necessary to convert the AS-N to plant available inorganic N.
A total of twelve field (new-small plot) sites were developed in Nebraska in 2002 following the NC-218 protocol. Sites were located across the state in all irrigated maize agroecosystems. In addition, one existing long-term tillage site (1985-2002) was sampled for the NC-218 project. 2002 was an excellent year for maize growth and all twelve sites were N responsive with average fertilized grain yields for nine of the twelve sites, for which data have been processed, being 232 bu/acre (14.5 Mg/ha). Exhaustive surface soil samples were also taken in 2002 from a long-term tillage x rotation study located in Concord, NE. Results showed that crop rotation with soybean nearly always resulted in greater native N supply than is experienced under continuous corn even though there is a net deficit of nitrogen to the soil following soybean harvest. The overall N budget of corn/soybean rotation and the estimates of indigenous N supply to corn following soybean suggest that N is being depleted from soil as a result of this rotation.
Other soil N test studies were conducted as part of NC218. The activity of the enzyme b-glucosaminidase (EC 3.2.1.30) has also been proposed as a means of rapidly assessing N mineralization and, thus, available N in soil. Results from Iowa, clearly show b-glucosaminidase plays a major role in N mineralization in soils, and is affected by cropping systems and soil management. A preplant soil nitrate test was a good predictor of the economic optimum N rate for continuous corn, second-year corn following alfalfa, and corn following soybean grown in Wisconsin, but not for corn following alfalfa. Soil N tests including the INST, direct alkalization of soil samples, or the soil arylamidase activity test are being evaluated individually and in combination with other diagnostic N tests. The light fraction of organic matter (i.e. relatively undecomposed particulate organic matter) is being tested in California as an assessment tool to help determine soils that are not responsive to fertilizer addition.
First year studies, at The Ohio State University, revealed N uptake by corn was increased when applied in combination with S. This first year study was conducted under severe drought conditions.
A File Transfer Protocol (FTP) site has been set up on the University of Nebraska - Lincoln server for sharing data among the NC-218 participating states. Work is also progressing at the University of Nebraska Lincoln on the development of a crop production model entitled Hybrid-Maize. The model will be used to generate yield potential maps for agroeco-regions within the corn belt for more precise development of fertility recommendations that better match yield potential.
Temporal variation of INST values was studied in soils from Illinois and Minnesota. At two Illinois locations, the values decreased from early spring into the summer, but at two other Illinois locations, the values remained constant throughout the sampling period. There was a significant decrease in INST values at two of the Minnesota locations, but the decrease was somewhat later in the season than observed at Illinois. If, in fact, the amino sugar levels, as measured by the INST, reflect the easily mineralizable N source found in the soil, this decrease in values in early to midsummer would be expected. The decrease in Illinois N Soil Test values occurred at the same time and at approximately the same magnitude at the 0-6 inch and 6-12 inch depth. This trend offers promise that a 6 inch soil sample will adequately characterize the available N supply of a field.
Spatial variability of the INST within a field ranged from a low of 35 ppm in one field to as much as 189 ppm in another. In three of the four fields studied, over 70 percent of the samples were within 10 percent of the mean. However, in the field that varied by 189 ppm from the low to high sample, only 14 percent of the samples were within 10 percent of the mean. In general, the variation tended to follow a pattern within a field, with the high values being grouped together, most likely indicating an effect of past management.
Small plot research conducted in 2001 showed that only one site tested in Illinois, that had an INST value >240 mg N/kg soil, had corn that responded to fertilizer inputs. In 2002, there was no response to applied N at any site that had an INST level greater than 240 mg N/kg soil. Over two years of work in Illinois, the INST has done a good job predicting non-responsive sites with only one failure out of 29 experiments. Results collected from the farmer-conducted WATER plots, however, were much less consistent than from the small plot studies. Corn, grown at 12 of the sites (over the two years of the WATER plot studies) that were projected as non-responsive by INST, responded to fertilizer N. Most of these failures occurred in 2002, a year characterized by heavy rains early in the spring and early summer followed by very dry soils through most of the rest of the growing season. These unusual climatic conditions undoubtedly would have had a negative impact on microbial activity necessary to convert the AS-N to plant available inorganic N.
A total of twelve field (new-small plot) sites were developed in Nebraska in 2002 following the NC-218 protocol. Sites were located across the state in all irrigated maize agroecosystems. In addition, one existing long-term tillage site (1985-2002) was sampled for the NC-218 project. 2002 was an excellent year for maize growth and all twelve sites were N responsive with average fertilized grain yields for nine of the twelve sites, for which data have been processed, being 232 bu/acre (14.5 Mg/ha). Exhaustive surface soil samples were also taken in 2002 from a long-term tillage x rotation study located in Concord, NE. Results showed that crop rotation with soybean nearly always resulted in greater native N supply than is experienced under continuous corn even though there is a net deficit of nitrogen to the soil following soybean harvest. The overall N budget of corn/soybean rotation and the estimates of indigenous N supply to corn following soybean suggest that N is being depleted from soil as a result of this rotation.
Other soil N test studies were conducted as part of NC218. The activity of the enzyme b-glucosaminidase (EC 3.2.1.30) has also been proposed as a means of rapidly assessing N mineralization and, thus, available N in soil. Results from Iowa, clearly show b-glucosaminidase plays a major role in N mineralization in soils, and is affected by cropping systems and soil management. A preplant soil nitrate test was a good predictor of the economic optimum N rate for continuous corn, second-year corn following alfalfa, and corn following soybean grown in Wisconsin, but not for corn following alfalfa. Soil N tests including the INST, direct alkalization of soil samples, or the soil arylamidase activity test are being evaluated individually and in combination with other diagnostic N tests. The light fraction of organic matter (i.e. relatively undecomposed particulate organic matter) is being tested in California as an assessment tool to help determine soils that are not responsive to fertilizer addition.
First year studies, at The Ohio State University, revealed N uptake by corn was increased when applied in combination with S. This first year study was conducted under severe drought conditions.
A File Transfer Protocol (FTP) site has been set up on the University of Nebraska - Lincoln server for sharing data among the NC-218 participating states. Work is also progressing at the University of Nebraska Lincoln on the development of a crop production model entitled Hybrid-Maize. The model will be used to generate yield potential maps for agroeco-regions within the corn belt for more precise development of fertility recommendations that better match yield potential.
Impacts
- Development of more accurate nitrogen fertility tests is absolutely essential in maintaining high levels of production that is economical and environmentally acceptable.
- NC218 has been the leader in proposing, developing and testing new methods to assess N fertility in soils.
- These studies make it possible to identify soils that require additional N inputs to improve crop growth and soils that are non-responsive and should not have fertilizer N applied to them.
Publications
Acosta-Martinez, V. and M.A. Tabatabai. 2001. Arylamidase activity of soils: effect of trace elements and relationships to soil properties and activities of amidohydrolases. Soil Biol. Biochem. 33:17-23.
Acosta-Martinez, V. and M.A. Tabatabai. 2002. Inhibition of arylamidase activity in soils by toluene. Soil Biol. Biochem 34:229-237.
Andraski, T.W. and L.G. Bundy. 2002. Using the presidedress soil nitrate test and organic nitrogen crediting to improve corn nitrogen recommendations. Agron. J. 94: 1411-1418.
Bundy, L.G. 2002. Approaches for implementing variable rate N applications. Proc. Wis. Fert. Aglime and Pest Mgmt. Conf. 41:52-54.
Bundy, L.G. and T.W. Andraski. 2002. Using the presidedress soil nitrate test and organic nitrogen crediting to improve corn nitrogen recommendations. In 2002 Agronomy abstracts. ASA, Madison, WI.
Cassman, K.G., A. Dobermann and D.T. Walters. 2002. Agroecosystems, nitrogen-use efficiency, and nitrogen management. Ambio. 13:132-140.
Dodor, D.E. 2002. Enzyme activities in soils as affected by long-term cropping systems. Ph.D Dissertation, Iowa State University. 268p.
Dodor, D.E. and M.A. Tabatabai. 2002. Effects of cropping systems and microbial biomass on arylamidase activity in soils. Biol. Fetil. Soils 35:253-261.
Dodor, D.E. and M.A. Tabatabai. 2003. Effect of cropping systems on phosphatases in soils. J. Plant Nutr. Soil Sci. 166:7-13.
Ekenler, M. 2002. Enzyme activities in soils as affected by management practices. Ph.D Dissertation, Iowa State University. 280 p.
Ekenler, M. and M.A. Tabatabai. 2002. Effects of trace elements on B-glucosaminidase activity in soils. Soil Biol. Biochem. 34:1829-1832.
Ekenler, M. and M.A. Tabatabai. 2002. B-Glucosaminidase activity of soils: effect of cropping systems and its relationship to nitrogen mineralization. Biol Fertil Soils 36:307-376.
Ekenler, M. and M.A. Tabatabai. 2002. Liming and tillage effects of the activities of fifteen enzymes in soils. Agron. Abstr. (on CD).
Ekenler, M. and M.A. Tabatabai. 2002. B-Glucosaminidase activity and nitrogen mineralization in soils under different cropping systems. Agron. Abstr. (on CD).
Hanson, M., T. Novak and L. Bundy. 2002. Evaluating optimum sidedress N application rates for corn following soybeans. Proc. Wis. Fert. Aglime and Pest Mgmt. Conf. 41:299-303.
Khan, S.A., R.L. Mulvaney and R.G. Hoeft. 2001. A simple soil test for detecting sites that are nonresponsive to nitrogen fertilizers. Soil Sci. Soc. of Amer. J. 65: 1751-1760.
Kramer, A.W., T.A. Doane, W.R. Horwath and C. van Kessel. 2002. Combining fertilizer and organic inputs to synchronize N supply in alternative cropping systems in California. Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment 91:233-243.
Lacorbiniere-Jn-Baptiste, M. 2002. Nutrient-enriched mixtures of exogenous humic substances as organic fertilizers. M.S. Thesis. Iowa State University, Ames. 108p.
Randall, G. W. 2002. The impact of climate and agricultural practices on nitrogen losses in tile drainage in Minnesota. Hydrological Sci and Technol. 18:187-195.
Tabatabai, M.A. A.M. Garcia-Manzanedo and V. Acosta-Martinez. 2002. Substrate specificity of arylamidase in soils. Soil Biol. Biochem. 34:103-110.
Yang, H, K.G. Cassman, A. Dobermann and D. Walters, 2002. Sensitivity of C sequestration to net primary productivity and tillage in irrigated maize systems. Presentation to the American Soc. of Agronomy and Soil Science Soc. of Am. annual meeting, Nov 10-14, Indianapolis, IN.
Acosta-Martinez, V. and M.A. Tabatabai. 2002. Inhibition of arylamidase activity in soils by toluene. Soil Biol. Biochem 34:229-237.
Andraski, T.W. and L.G. Bundy. 2002. Using the presidedress soil nitrate test and organic nitrogen crediting to improve corn nitrogen recommendations. Agron. J. 94: 1411-1418.
Bundy, L.G. 2002. Approaches for implementing variable rate N applications. Proc. Wis. Fert. Aglime and Pest Mgmt. Conf. 41:52-54.
Bundy, L.G. and T.W. Andraski. 2002. Using the presidedress soil nitrate test and organic nitrogen crediting to improve corn nitrogen recommendations. In 2002 Agronomy abstracts. ASA, Madison, WI.
Cassman, K.G., A. Dobermann and D.T. Walters. 2002. Agroecosystems, nitrogen-use efficiency, and nitrogen management. Ambio. 13:132-140.
Dodor, D.E. 2002. Enzyme activities in soils as affected by long-term cropping systems. Ph.D Dissertation, Iowa State University. 268p.
Dodor, D.E. and M.A. Tabatabai. 2002. Effects of cropping systems and microbial biomass on arylamidase activity in soils. Biol. Fetil. Soils 35:253-261.
Dodor, D.E. and M.A. Tabatabai. 2003. Effect of cropping systems on phosphatases in soils. J. Plant Nutr. Soil Sci. 166:7-13.
Ekenler, M. 2002. Enzyme activities in soils as affected by management practices. Ph.D Dissertation, Iowa State University. 280 p.
Ekenler, M. and M.A. Tabatabai. 2002. Effects of trace elements on B-glucosaminidase activity in soils. Soil Biol. Biochem. 34:1829-1832.
Ekenler, M. and M.A. Tabatabai. 2002. B-Glucosaminidase activity of soils: effect of cropping systems and its relationship to nitrogen mineralization. Biol Fertil Soils 36:307-376.
Ekenler, M. and M.A. Tabatabai. 2002. Liming and tillage effects of the activities of fifteen enzymes in soils. Agron. Abstr. (on CD).
Ekenler, M. and M.A. Tabatabai. 2002. B-Glucosaminidase activity and nitrogen mineralization in soils under different cropping systems. Agron. Abstr. (on CD).
Hanson, M., T. Novak and L. Bundy. 2002. Evaluating optimum sidedress N application rates for corn following soybeans. Proc. Wis. Fert. Aglime and Pest Mgmt. Conf. 41:299-303.
Khan, S.A., R.L. Mulvaney and R.G. Hoeft. 2001. A simple soil test for detecting sites that are nonresponsive to nitrogen fertilizers. Soil Sci. Soc. of Amer. J. 65: 1751-1760.
Kramer, A.W., T.A. Doane, W.R. Horwath and C. van Kessel. 2002. Combining fertilizer and organic inputs to synchronize N supply in alternative cropping systems in California. Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment 91:233-243.
Lacorbiniere-Jn-Baptiste, M. 2002. Nutrient-enriched mixtures of exogenous humic substances as organic fertilizers. M.S. Thesis. Iowa State University, Ames. 108p.
Randall, G. W. 2002. The impact of climate and agricultural practices on nitrogen losses in tile drainage in Minnesota. Hydrological Sci and Technol. 18:187-195.
Tabatabai, M.A. A.M. Garcia-Manzanedo and V. Acosta-Martinez. 2002. Substrate specificity of arylamidase in soils. Soil Biol. Biochem. 34:103-110.
Yang, H, K.G. Cassman, A. Dobermann and D. Walters, 2002. Sensitivity of C sequestration to net primary productivity and tillage in irrigated maize systems. Presentation to the American Soc. of Agronomy and Soil Science Soc. of Am. annual meeting, Nov 10-14, Indianapolis, IN.