Agronomy Journal Journal of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Education
HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced]


     

Published online 1 May 1972
Published in Agron J 64:341-344 (1972)
© 1972 American Society of Agronomy
677 S. Segoe Rd., Madison, WI 53711 USA
This Article
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow reprints & permissions
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Power, J. F.
Right arrow Articles by Grunes, D. L.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow Articles by Power, J. F.
Right arrow Articles by Grunes, D. L.
Agricola
Right arrow Articles by Power, J. F.
Right arrow Articles by Grunes, D. L.

Effect of Nitrogen Source on Corn and Bromegrass Production, Soil pH, and Inorganic Soil Nitrogen1

J. F. Power, J. Alessi, G. A. Reichman and D. L. Grunes2

Little information is presently available on the effects of N source on dryland crop production in the Northern Plains. Therefore a field experiment was conducted for 4 years to assess the relative merits of ammonium sulfate, ammonium nitrate, calcium nitrate, and urea applied annually at 55 and 110 kg N/ha to both corn (Zea mays, L.) and bromegrass (Bromus inermis, L.) grown on a fine sandy loam (pachic haploboroll) with surface pH of 6.5 and no free carbonates. Plants were harvested at maturity and soils were periodically sampled for water content, inorganic N content, and pH. Corn production was highest for ammonium sulfate and ammonium nitrate at 110 kg N/ha. Leaf tissue at silking from all fertilized corn contained over 2.8% total N. Soil inorganic N accumulating during the first 3 years under corn was leached below the root zone by 514 mm of precipitation during the fourth growing season. At the 110-kg N rate, bromegrass production was lowest with urea, possibly because of ammonia volatilization. Nitrate sources of N greatly enhanced early season growth of bromegrass. All fertilizer N applied was immobilized in the bromegrass ecosystem, prohibiting any carryover or leaching of soil nitrate. Soil pH changes due to fertilization were not reflected in plant growth.

Key Words: Nitrogen fertilizers • Nitrogen transformation • Soil nitrogen

1 Contribution from the Northern Plains Branch, Soil and Water Conservation Research Division, Agricultural Research Service, USDA.

2 Soil Scientists, Northern Great Plains Research Center, Mandan, North Dakota. Dr. Grunes is now at the US Plant, Soil, and Nutrition Laboratory, Ithaca, N.Y.

Received for publication August 30, 1971.




HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
The SCI Journals Crop Science Vadose Zone Journal
Journal of Natural Resources
and Life Sciences Education		 Soil Science Society of America Journal
Journal of Plant Registrations Journal of
Environmental Quality		 The Plant Genome
Copyright © 1972 by the American Society of Agronomy.