Details
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Article number | 108826 |
| Journal | Agricultural water management |
| Volume | 297 |
| Early online date | 20 Apr 2024 |
| Publication status | Published - 31 May 2024 |
Abstract
High emissions of nitrogen to the environment are one of the major drawbacks of modern agriculture. Subsurface drip fertigation (SDF) is a technology to apply fertilizer in small amounts continuously and directly into the root zone with the potential of mitigating deep percolation losses when accurately managed. Our study was established to analyze possible benefits of SDF, i.e. nitrate losses reduction without decrease in yield, as alternative to the conventional application of nitrogen fertilizer. In this five-year field study, effects of SDF on red cabbage (Brassica oleracea) growth, yield, root distribution and nitrogen uptake were evaluated. The experiments took place in northern Germany. Application of fertilizer in a solution with water was managed to match the needs of crops and placed directly in the root zone through permanently buried driplines. The outcomes of crop growth under SDF were compared with a control crop receiving fertilizer at one or two dates by surface broadcasting. Yield and agronomic nitrogen use efficiency were higher for crops grown under SDF. Total dry mass increase was especially high under dry conditions (34%) but as well under wet conditions with efficient management (20%). Head dry mass of crops grown under SDF had a stronger reaction to the available nitrogen than crops under conventional application, with values of 0.19 and 0.1 Mg ha-1 per kg N ha-1 respectively. Moreover, SDF treatment resulted on average ca. 14 kg ha−1 higher nitrogen uptake. In SDF plots, yield formation and nitrogen uptake was higher for plants grown directly above drip lines. Effect of the distance to nitrogen source was supported with numerical simulations. The root structure showed different distributions for the two treatments, particularly in years with low rainfall. Overall, the results showed the potential of SDF to effectively control nitrogen supply, thereby increasing yield formation of marketable plant organs.
Keywords
- Distance to dripline, Nitrate leaching, Nitrogen balance, Partial productivity factor, Root structure, Yield
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Agricultural and Biological Sciences(all)
- Agronomy and Crop Science
- Environmental Science(all)
- Water Science and Technology
- Agricultural and Biological Sciences(all)
- Soil Science
- Earth and Planetary Sciences(all)
- Earth-Surface Processes
Sustainable Development Goals
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In: Agricultural water management, Vol. 297, 108826, 31.05.2024.
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer review
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Effect of high frequency subsurface drip fertigation on plant growth and agronomic nitrogen use efficiency of red cabbage
AU - Callau-Beyer, Ana Claudia
AU - Mburu, Martin Mungai
AU - Weßler, Caspar Friedrich
AU - Amer, Nasser
AU - Corbel, Anne Laure
AU - Wittnebel, Mareille
AU - Böttcher, Jürgen
AU - Bachmann, Jörg
AU - Stützel, Hartmut
N1 - Funding Information: Author Martin Mungai Mburu has received research support from the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), Germany (grant number 91733210, \u201CKenyan - German Postgraduate Training Programme\u201D).
PY - 2024/5/31
Y1 - 2024/5/31
N2 - High emissions of nitrogen to the environment are one of the major drawbacks of modern agriculture. Subsurface drip fertigation (SDF) is a technology to apply fertilizer in small amounts continuously and directly into the root zone with the potential of mitigating deep percolation losses when accurately managed. Our study was established to analyze possible benefits of SDF, i.e. nitrate losses reduction without decrease in yield, as alternative to the conventional application of nitrogen fertilizer. In this five-year field study, effects of SDF on red cabbage (Brassica oleracea) growth, yield, root distribution and nitrogen uptake were evaluated. The experiments took place in northern Germany. Application of fertilizer in a solution with water was managed to match the needs of crops and placed directly in the root zone through permanently buried driplines. The outcomes of crop growth under SDF were compared with a control crop receiving fertilizer at one or two dates by surface broadcasting. Yield and agronomic nitrogen use efficiency were higher for crops grown under SDF. Total dry mass increase was especially high under dry conditions (34%) but as well under wet conditions with efficient management (20%). Head dry mass of crops grown under SDF had a stronger reaction to the available nitrogen than crops under conventional application, with values of 0.19 and 0.1 Mg ha-1 per kg N ha-1 respectively. Moreover, SDF treatment resulted on average ca. 14 kg ha−1 higher nitrogen uptake. In SDF plots, yield formation and nitrogen uptake was higher for plants grown directly above drip lines. Effect of the distance to nitrogen source was supported with numerical simulations. The root structure showed different distributions for the two treatments, particularly in years with low rainfall. Overall, the results showed the potential of SDF to effectively control nitrogen supply, thereby increasing yield formation of marketable plant organs.
AB - High emissions of nitrogen to the environment are one of the major drawbacks of modern agriculture. Subsurface drip fertigation (SDF) is a technology to apply fertilizer in small amounts continuously and directly into the root zone with the potential of mitigating deep percolation losses when accurately managed. Our study was established to analyze possible benefits of SDF, i.e. nitrate losses reduction without decrease in yield, as alternative to the conventional application of nitrogen fertilizer. In this five-year field study, effects of SDF on red cabbage (Brassica oleracea) growth, yield, root distribution and nitrogen uptake were evaluated. The experiments took place in northern Germany. Application of fertilizer in a solution with water was managed to match the needs of crops and placed directly in the root zone through permanently buried driplines. The outcomes of crop growth under SDF were compared with a control crop receiving fertilizer at one or two dates by surface broadcasting. Yield and agronomic nitrogen use efficiency were higher for crops grown under SDF. Total dry mass increase was especially high under dry conditions (34%) but as well under wet conditions with efficient management (20%). Head dry mass of crops grown under SDF had a stronger reaction to the available nitrogen than crops under conventional application, with values of 0.19 and 0.1 Mg ha-1 per kg N ha-1 respectively. Moreover, SDF treatment resulted on average ca. 14 kg ha−1 higher nitrogen uptake. In SDF plots, yield formation and nitrogen uptake was higher for plants grown directly above drip lines. Effect of the distance to nitrogen source was supported with numerical simulations. The root structure showed different distributions for the two treatments, particularly in years with low rainfall. Overall, the results showed the potential of SDF to effectively control nitrogen supply, thereby increasing yield formation of marketable plant organs.
KW - Distance to dripline
KW - Nitrate leaching
KW - Nitrogen balance
KW - Partial productivity factor
KW - Root structure
KW - Yield
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85190744739&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.agwat.2024.108826
DO - 10.1016/j.agwat.2024.108826
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85190744739
VL - 297
JO - Agricultural water management
JF - Agricultural water management
SN - 0378-3774
M1 - 108826
ER -