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The determination of optimum nitrogen (N) fertilisation rates, which maximise yields and minimise N losses, remains problematic due to unknown upcoming crop requirements and near-future supply by the soil. Remote sensing can be used for determining the crop N status and to assess the spatial variability within a field or between fields. This can be used to improve N fertilisation, provided that the optimal fertilisation rate at the time of fertiliser application for an expected yield is known. Using the APSIM-wheat model, we developed an algorithm that relates the N status of the plants at early development stages to the yield response to N. Simulations were performed for winter wheat under growth conditions in Denmark. To obtain a range of different N status in the biomass at early growth stages, the soil N in autumn was varied from 20 to 180 kg N ha−1, and at BBCH23, fertiliser was applied at a rate of 50 kg N ha−1. In a full factorial setup, additional N fertiliser was applied ranging from 0 to 150 kg N ha−1 during three different development stages (BBCH30, 32, and 37). The algorithm was evaluated by comparing model outputs with a standard N application of 50 kg N ha−1 at BBCH23 and 150 kg N ha−1 at BBCH30. The evaluation showed that, depending on the N status of the soil, the algorithm either provided higher or lower optimal N fertilisation rates when targeting 95% of the maximum yield, and these affected the grain yield and the grain N, as well as the amount of N leaching. Split application of fertiliser into three applications was generally beneficial, with decreased product-related N leaching of up to nearly 30%. Further testing of the model under different environmental conditions is needed before such an algorithm can be used to guide N fertilisation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Land cover change has been shown to affect soil characteristics and soil organic carbon (SOC) storage. However, little is known about the driving factors associated with soil carbon (C) stabilisation in complex landscapes. This study was conducted to investigate the effects of both inherent soil characteristics and recent vegetation cover change on soil aggregation and soil fraction associated C in a complex landscape. The specific objectives were: (1) determine bulk soil properties and SOC saturation deficit; (2) quantify soil aggregation, soil size-density fractions, and soil fraction associated C; and (3) identify the factors that influence soil fractions and soil fraction associated C in two adjacent catchments differing in vegetation cover, Central Otago, New Zealand. Catchment GH1 (n = 17 plots) was dominated by tussock grassland and native shrubs. Catchment GH2 (n = 21 plots) was converted from tussock grassland into a pine forest in 1981. The catchments differed in soil texture (e.g. sand content GH1: 62.9%, GH2: 50.7%, P = 0.007), soil SOC stocks (GH1: 5.0 kg C [m.sup.-2], GH2: 4.3 kg C [m.sup.-2], P = 0.04), mean weight diameter (MWD) (GH1: 782.3 [micro]m, GH2: 736.5 [micro]m, P = 0.002), and proportion of the macroaggregate heavy fraction (macro_HF) (GH1: 72%, GH2: 55%, P = 0.01). No significant differences were found in SOC saturation deficit (GH1: 14.8 mg [g.sup.-1], GH2: 13.1 mg [g.sup.-1], P = 0.13). Dominant vegetation cover explained 21% of the variation in MWD in GH1, whereas silt+clay C content explained 31.6% of the MWD variation in GH2. The macro_HF fraction was negatively correlated with the proportion of silt+clay. Our findings illustrate that physical and chemical soil characteristics are important drivers in such a complex landscape and may have masked the effect of recent vegetation change on soil aggregation, and soil fraction associated C. Additional keywords: land cover change, New Zealand, pine forest, shrub encroachment, size-density fractionation, soil aggregation, soil organic carbon saturation. Received 9 July 2018, accepted 1 February 2019, published online 7 March 2019, Introduction Soil is the largest terrestrial carbon (C) pool, storing four times more C than the biosphere and over three times more C than the atmosphere (Lai 2008; Stockmann et [...]

Despite the importance of soil physical properties on water infiltration and redistribution, little is known about the effect of variability in soil properties and its consequent effect on contaminant loss pathways. To investigate the effects of uncertainty and heterogeneity in measured soil physical parameters on the simulated movement of water and the prediction of nitrous oxide ([N.sub.2]O) emissions, we set up the Agricultural Production Systems sIMulator (APSIM) for different soil types in three different regions of New Zealand: the Te Kowhai silt loam and the Horotiu silt loam in the Waikato region, and the Templeton silt loam in the Canterbury region, and the Otokia silt loam and the Wingatui silt loam in the Otago region. For each of the soil types, various measured soil profile descriptions, as well as those from a national soils database (S-map) were used when available. In addition, three different soil water models in APSIM with different complexities (SWIM2, SWIM3, and SoilWat) were evaluated. Model outputs were compared with temporal soil water content measurements within the top 75 mm at the various experimental sites. Results show that the profile description, as well as the soil water model used affected the prediction accuracy of soil water content. The smallest difference between soil profile descriptions was found for the Templeton soil series, where the model efficiency (NSE) was positive for all soil profile descriptions, and the RMSE ranged from 0.055 to 0.069 [m.sup.3]/[m.sup.3]. The greatest difference was found for the Te Kowhai soil, where only one of the descriptions showed a positive NSE, and the other two profile descriptions overestimated measured topsoil water contents. Furthermore, it was shown that the soil profile description highly affects [N.sub.2]O emissions from urinary N deposited during animal grazing. However, the relative difference between the emissions was not always related to the accuracy of the measured soil water content, with soil organic carbon content also affecting emissions.Additional keywords: APSIM modelling, [N.sub.2]O emissions, soil water content, soil water module complexity.Received 23 March 2018, accepted 4 September 2018, published online 11 October 2018, IntroductionLand management models are increasingly being used to inform government policy that addresses challenges such as farming within environmental limits, and climate change mitigation and adaptation (Holzworth et al. 2017). [...]

The emission of nitrous oxide (N 2 O) from agricultural soils to the atmosphere is a significant contributor to anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions. The recycling of organic nitrogen (N) in manure and crop residues may result in spatiotemporal variability in N 2 O production and soil efflux which is difficult to capture by process-based models. We propose a multi-species, reactive transport model to provide detailed insight into the spatiotemporal variability in nitrogen (N) transformations around such N 2 O hotspots, which consists of kinetic reactions of soil respiration, nitrification, nitrifier denitrification, and denitrification represented by a system of coupled partial differential equations. The model was tested with results from an incubation experiment at two different soil moisture levels (-30 and -100 hPa) and was shown to reproduce the recorded N 2 O and dinitrogen (N 2) emissions and the dynamics of important carbon (C) and N components in soil reasonably well. The simulation indicated that the four different microbial populations developed in closely connected but separate layers, with denitrifying bacteria growing within the manure-dominated zone and nitrifying bacteria in the well-aerated soil outside the manure zone and with time also within the manure layer. The modeled N 2 O production within the manure zone was greatly enhanced by the combined effect of oxygen deficit, abundant carbon source, and supply of nitrogenous substrates. In the wetter soil treatment with a water potential of -30 hPa, the diffusive flux of nitrate (NO 3-) across the manure–soil interface was the main source of NO 3- for denitrification in the manure zone, while at a soil water potential of -100 hPa, diffusion became less dominant and overtaken by the co-occurrence of nitrification and denitrification in the manure zone. Scenarios were analyzed where the diffusive transport of dissolved organic carbon or different mineral N species was switched off, and they showed that the simultaneous diffusion of NO 3- , ammonium (NH 4+), and nitrite (NO 2-) was crucial to simulate the dynamics of N transformations and N 2 O emissions in the model. Without considering solute diffusion in process-based N 2 O models, the rapid turnover of C and N associated with organic hotspots can not be accounted for, and it may result in the underestimation of N 2 O emissions from soil after manure application. The model and its parameters allow for new detailed insights into the interactions between transport and microbial transformations associated with N 2 O emissions in heterogeneous soil environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The emission of nitrous oxide (N2O) from agricultural soils to the atmosphere is a significant contributor to anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions. The recycling of organic nitrogen (N) in manure and crop residues may result in spatiotemporal variability of N2O production and soil efflux which is difficult to capture by process-based models. We propose a multi-species, reactive transport model to provide detailed insight into the spatiotemporal variability of nitrogen (N) transformations around such N2O hotspots, which consists of kinetic reactions of soil respiration, nitrification, nitrifier denitrification, and denitrification represented by a system of coupled partial differential equations. The model was tested with results from an incubation experiment at two different soil moisture levels (-30 and -100 hPa, respectively) and was shown to reasonably well reproduce the recorded N2O and dinitrogen (N2) emissions, and the dynamics of important carbon (C) and N components in soil. The simulation indicated that the four populations developed in closely connected, but separate layers, with denitrifying bacteria growing within the manure-dominated zone and nitrifying bacteria in the well-aerated soil outside the manure zone and with time also within the manure layer. The modeled N2O production within the manure zone was greatly enhanced by the combined effect of oxygen deficit, abundant carbon source and supply of nitrogenous substrates. In the wetter soil treatment with a water potential of -30 hPa, diffusive flux of nitrate (NO3-) across the manure-soil interface was the main source of NO3- for denitrification in the manure zone, while at a soil water potential of -100 hPa, diffusion became less dominant and overtaken by the co-occurrence of nitrification and denitrification in the manure zone. Scenarios were analyzed where diffusive transport of dissolved organic carbon or different mineral N species were switched off, and they showed that the simultaneous diffusion of NO3-, ammonium (NH4+), and nitrite (NO2-) were crucial to simulate the dynamics of N transformations and N2O emissions in the model. Without considering solute diffusion in process-based N2O models, the rapid turnover of C and N associated with organic hotspots can not be accounted for, and it may result in underestimation of N2O emissions from soil after manure application. The model and its parameters allow for new detailed insights into the interactions between transport and microbial transformations associated with N2O emissions in heterogeneous soil environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Performance of the APSIM (Agricultural Production Systems sIMulator) wheat model was assessed to simulate winter wheat phenology, biomass, grain yield, and nitrogen (N) uptake for its potential to optimize fertilizer applications for optimal crop growth and minimal environmental degradation. The calibration and evaluation dataset had 144 and 72 different field growing conditions (location (~7) × year (~5) × sowing date (2) × N treatment (7–13)), respectively, and included seven cultivars. APSIM simulated phenological stages satisfactorily with both model calibration and evaluation data sets with r2 of 0.97 and RMSE of 3.98–4.15 BBCH (BASF, Bayer, Ciba-Geigy, and Hoechst) scale. Simulations for biomass accumulation and N uptake during early growth stages (BBCH 28–49) were also reasonable with r2 of 0.65 and RMSE of 1510 kg ha−1, and r2 of 0.64–0.66 and RMSE of 28–39 kg N ha−1, respectively, with a higher accuracy during booting (BBCH 45–47). Overestimation of N uptake during stem elongation (BBCH 32–39) was attributed to (1) high inter-annual variability in simulations, and (2) high sensitivity of parameters regulating N uptake from soil. Calibration accuracy of grain yield and grain N was higher than that of biomass and N uptake at the early growth stages. APSIM wheat model showed high potential for optimizing fertilizer management in winter wheat cultivation in Northern Europe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Investigation of land-use and management changes at regional scales require the linkage of farm-system models with land-resource information, which for pastoral systems includes forage supply. The New Zealand Land Resource Inventory (NZLRI) and associated Land Use Capability (LUC) database include estimates of the potential stock-carrying capacity across the country, which can be used to derive estimates of average annual pasture yields. Farm system models and decision support tools, however, require information on the seasonal patterns of pasture growth. To generate such pasture growth curves (PGCs), the Agricultural Production Systems Simulator (APSIM) was used, with generic soil profiles based on descriptions of LUC classes, to generate PGCs for three regions of New Zealand. Simulated annual pasture yields were similar to the estimates of annual potential pasture yield in the NZLRI spatial database, and they provided information on inter-annual variability. Simulated PGCs generally agreed well with measured long-term patterns of seasonal pasture growth. The approach can be used to obtain spatially discrete estimates of seasonal pasture growth patterns across New Zealand for use in farm system models and for assessing the impact of management practices and climate change on the regional sustainability. Additional keywords: cluster analysis, LUC soil profile descriptions, pasture growths curve., Introduction Pastoral agriculture is the major land use in New Zealand, covering -40% of the total land area. Of this land, -55% comprises improved pastures in flat to rolling terrain [...]

Studies evaluating the complexity of models, which are suitable to simulate grass growth at regional scales in intensive grassland production systems are scarce. Therefore, two different grass growth models (GrasProg1.0 and APSIM) with different complexity and input requirements were compared against long-term observations from variety trials with perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne) in Germany and Denmark. The trial sites covered a large range of environmental conditions, with annual average temperatures ranging from 5.9 to 10.3 °C, and annual rainfall from 536 to 1154 mm. The sites also varied regarding soil type, which were for modelling categorised into three different groups according to their plant available water (PAW) content: light soils with a PAW of 60 mm, medium soils with a PAW of 80 mm, and heavy soils with a PAW of 100 mm. The objective was to investigate whether the simple model performed equally well with the given low number of inputs, namely climate and PAW group. Evaluation statistics showed that both models provided satisfactory results, with root mean square errors for individual cuts ranging from 0.59 to 1.28 t dry matter ha−1. The model efficiency (Nash–Sutcliffe efficiency) for the separate cuts were also good for both models, with 81% of the sites having a positive Nash–Sutcliffe efficiency value with GrasProg1.0, and 72% with APSIM. These results reveal that without detailed site-specific descriptions, the less complex GrasProg1.0 model can be incorporated into a simple decision support tool for optimising grassland management in intensive livestock production systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Knowledge about pasture growth rates is crucial for optimizing forage use efficiencies in intensively managed pasture and silage-based dairy systems, enabling optimized cutting/grazing times for high yields with high forage quality. The aim of this study was to parameterise a simple model, GrasProg, for predicting pasture growth in an intensively managed dairy production system under a cut-and-carry management. For this, pasture crop-growth rates were measured over a period of two years (2016 and 2017) at five contrasting sites in Schleswig-Holstein, Northern Germany. The pastures received nitrogen (N) fertilizer at a rate of 280 kg N ha−1 and were cut on a four-week interval. Average annual dry matter (DM) yields ranged from 10.9 to 11.6 t/ha for the three different locations. The DM accumulation simulated by GrasProg matched actual measurements over the varying intervals well (R2 = 0.65; RMSE = 49.5 g DM m−2; and NSE = 0.44). Two model parameters were adjusted within the vegetation period, namely, the relative growth rate, a proxy of the number of generative tillers, and the initial biomass at the start of each growth period, a proxy for the tillering density. Both predicted and measured pasture growth rates showed the same typical seasonal pattern, with high growth rates in spring, followed by decreasing growth rates to the end of the vegetation period. These good calibration statistics, with adjusting of only two model parameters, for the different sites and different climatic conditions mean that GrasProg can be used to identify optimum grazing or cutting strategies, with optimal yield and forage quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Keeping cover crops to reduce nitrogen leaching often conflicts with timing tillage operations before the soil becomes un-trafficable during winter, while leaving cover crops in the field until spring raises concerns over pre-emptive competition with the following crop. Therefore, farmers may resort to tilling their fields in autumn after letting cover crops remain in the fields for only a short period of time. We explore the effects of this practice in a laboratory lysimeter setting by analyzing the leaching of nitrate from intact topsoil cores. Cores were extracted from no-till (NT) plots and plots tilled in autumn (AuT), in areas kept bare (B) and with volunteer winter rye plant cover (V) after harvest. Nitrate breakthrough curves show that V significantly reduced N leaching by 61% relative to B in NT, but did not have a significant effect in AuT. Dissection of leached cores and undisturbed reference cores indicated a significant removal of mineral N from the soil during the lysimeter experiment for all treatments except V in NT. This indicates that volunteer cover removed a crucial amount of leachable N and suggests that tillage counteracted the effect of V in AuT, likely due to a combination of reduced uptake and re-mineralization of N in cover crop residue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Modelling water and solute transport through soil requires the characterisation of the soil hydraulic functions; however, determining these functions based on measurements is time-consuming and costly. Pedotransfer functions (PTFs), which make use of easily measurable soil properties to predict the hydraulic functions, have been proposed as an alternative to measurements. The better known and more widely used PTFs were developed in the USA or Europe, where large datasets exist. No specific PTFs have been published for New Zealand soils. To address this gap, we evaluated a range of published PTFs against an available dataset comprising a range of different soils from New Zealand and selected the best PTFs to construct an ensemble PTF (ePTF). Assessment (and adjustment when required) of published PTFs was done by comparing measurements and estimates of soil water content and the hydraulic conductivity at selected matric suction values. For each point, the best two or three PTFs were chosen to compose the ePTF, with correcting constants if needed. The outputs of the ePTF are the hydraulic properties at selected matric suctions, akin to obtaining measurements, thus allowing the fit of different equations as well as combining any available measurements. Testing of the ePTF showed promising performance, with reasonably accurate estimates of the water retention of an independent dataset. Root mean square error values averaged 0.06 [m.sup.3] [m.sup.-3] for various New Zealand soils, which is within the accuracy level of published PTF studies. The largest errors were found for soils with high clay content, for which the ePTF should be used with care. The performance of the ePTF for estimating soil hydraulic conductivity was not as reliable as for water content, exhibiting large scatter. Predictions of saturated hydraulic conductivity were of the same magnitude as the measurements, whereas the unsaturated values were generally under- predicted. The conductivity data available for this study were limited and highly variable. The estimates for hydraulic conductivity should therefore be used with much care, and future research should address measurements and analysis to improve the predictions. The cPTF was also used to parameterise the SWIM soil module for use in Agricultural Production Systems Simulator (APSIM) simulations. Comparisons of drainage predicted by APSIM against results from lysimeter experiments suggest that the use of the derived ePTF is suited for the estimation of soil parameters for use in modelling. The ePTF is not envisaged as a substitute for measurements but is a useful tool to complement datasets with limited amounts of measured data. Additional keywords: APSIM, drainage, hydraulic conductivity, simulation modelling, soil water content, volcanic soils., Introduction Soil hydraulic characteristics are among the most important properties for characterising physical behaviour of a soil type. Quantitative descriptions of either the characteristic points (water content values at saturation, [...]

Nitrous oxide ([N.sub.2]O) emissions from agriculture are generally estimated using default IPCC emission factors (EFs) despite the large variation in measured EFs. We used a classification and regression tree (CART) analysis to segregate measured EFs from direct emissions from urine patches and fertiliser and effluent applications, based on temporal and site-specific factors. These segregated EFs were linked to simulations from the DairyNZ Whole Farm Model to obtain N20 emissions for a typical pasture-based dairy farm in New Zealand. The [N.sub.2]O emissions from urine patches, dung pads, and fertiliser and effluent application, as well as from indirect sources, were aggregated to obtain total [N.sub.2]O emissions for the farm-scale. The results, based on segregated EFs, were compared with those obtained using New Zealand-specific EFs. On-farm [N.sub.2]O emissions based on these segregated EFs were 5% lower than those based on New Zealand-specific EFs. Improved farm management by avoiding grazing, effluent, and N fertiliser application during periods of high risk for [N.sub.2]O emissions, or by the use of mitigation technologies such as nitrification inhibitors, could reduce annual farm scale [N.sub.2]O emissions. Additional keywords: CART analysis, fertiliser, nitrous oxide emission factors, [N.sub.2]O database NZ, urine. Received 13 March 2011, accepted 13 April 2012, published online 14 May 2012, Introduction Nitrous oxide ([N.sub.2]O) emissions from agricultural soils are a major source of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in many countries, including New Zealand. Waste from animal excreta contributes as much [...]

The simultaneous retention of both cations and anions due to ion-pair adsorption (IPA) has been identified in several soils. The mechanism controlling IPA is not yet understood, however, and the mathematical description of this phenomenon is only incipient. In this study, a parameterization analysis was performed using a recently proposed adsorption model that considers the occurrence of IPA. The model, which has two alternative approaches to describe IPA, has been shown in a previous study to describe experimental data reasonably well. That analysis was incomplete, however, as the parameter uncertainties were not estimated. In this study, with the parameterization procedure using the maximum-likelihood method, a robust estimation of the model parameters, including the analysis of their uncertainties, was developed. The model was fitted to a data set obtained in batch experiments using the variable-charge Egmont soil, from New Zealand, and a comprehensive combination of [SO.sub.4] and Ca concentrations. This procedure allowed the analysis of some of the underlying model characteristics and also some inferences about the IPA phenomenon. Overall, it was shown that the proposed adsorption model is a useful tool for the modeling of solutes in soils where IPA occurs. Abbreviations: IPA, ion-pair adsorption; PGA, particle governed approach; SGA, solution governed approach.

The objectives of this study were (1) to compare the bioavailability of arsenic (As) to plants in an As-spiked agricultural soil and a naturally contaminated mine railings, (2) to compare the theoretical ability of various chemical amendments to solubilise As in naturally contaminated mine tailings, and (3) to examine the ability of Brassica juncea (Indian mustard) plants to remove the solubilised As from the soil and tailings. The growth media used for this study included mine tailings from a gold mine in Fiji contaminated with As (683 As mg/kg) due to the presence of arsenopyrite in the mined rock, and a pasture soil from New Zealand (Manawatu sandy loam) amended with lime and/or AS. Brassica juncea was grown in these substrates in a glasshouse. In a separate batch experiment, we examined the theoretical ability of several chemical extractants to solubilise AS from the mine tailings. Of the tested extractants, only hydrochloric acid (HCl) and a mixture containing ammonium oxalate [(N[H.sub.4]).sub.2][C.sub.2][O.sub.4], oxalic acid, and ascorbic acid were effective in extracting AS from the tailings. In the plant growth experiment, solutions of these 2 chemicals were used as soil amendments at 2 different concentrations to increase As uptake by 6-week-old, actively growing B. juncea plants. Arsenic bioavallability as a function of the growth media influenced the germination rate of B. juncea, the As concentration in the plants, and the water-soluble As concentration in the media. There was approximately a 3-fold reduction in the germination of seeds, and a 64- and 380-fold increase in As concentration in plant and soil solution, respectively, in the spiked Manawatu soil compared with the naturally contaminated Fiji mine railings. The spiking of soil with As did not mimic naturally contaminated railings in this experiment. The total amount of As taken up by B. juncea plants increased approximately 9 fold with the addition of the amendments. However, the phytoremediation capacity of B. juncea for As extraction in Fiji mine tailings was too low for efficient remediation even in the presence of solubilising chemicals. Additional keywords: Brassica juncea, bioavallability, liming, mine railings., Introduction Heavy metal contamination of soil is one of the world's major environmental problems, posing significant risks to plants, animals, and humans. Phytoremediation, defined as the use of plants to [...]

Effects of nitrogen losses through nitrate leaching are one of the major environmental issues worldwide. To determine the potential effect of dicyandiamide (DCD), a nitrification inhibitor, on the transformation of urea nitrogen and subsequent nitrate leaching, incubation and column leaching experiments were performed. Tokomaru silt loam soil was treated with urea, DCD, or urea plus DCD. A control was also used. In the laboratory incubation experiment, the conversion of urea to ammonium (i.e. ammonification process or urea hydrolysis) occurred within a day, thereby increasing the soil pH from 5.8 to 6.9. DCD did not affect the ammonification process. However, DCD did slow down the subsequent oxidation of ammonium to nitrate (i.e. nitrification process). The half-life time of ammonium in this soil was increased from 9 days for the urea treatment to 31 days for the urea + DCD treatment. The production of nitrate was 5 times slower when DCD was added. In the leaching experiments, half the columns were leached after 1 day of incubation (Day 1), the other half 7 days later (Day 7). For Day 1, no significant differences in nitrate leaching could be seen between the treatments, as the nitrification had not yet taken place. For Day 7, DCD decreased nitrate leaching by 71% with a corresponding decrease in nitrate-induced cation leaching, including ammonium. Thus, DCD seems to be effective in decreasing both ammonium and nitrate leaching, but its high solubility and thus mobility could be a limitation to its use. The convection-dispersion equation, including source-sink terms for nitrogen transformations, ammonification, and nitrification rate constants, and a factor for nitrification inhibition by DCD, accounting for degradation and efficiency of DCD, could be used reasonably well to simulate nitrate leaching from the column leaching experiments. However, model parameter values for nitrification rate, and efficiency and decay rate for DCD, were different from those obtained from the incubation experiments, which was probably because of the difference in water content of soil between the incubation and leaching experiments. Additional keywords: CDE (convection disperion equation), DCD decay rate, incubation, leaching experiment, ammonium., Introduction The high input of nitrogen (N) fertilisers to intensive pasture production systems poses a risk to the environment. In New Zealand, up to 200kgN/ha is applied annually to grass/clover [...]

Ion retention in variable-charge soils can be enhanced by the presence of certain ions with opposite charge, thereby influencing the movement of these ions through the soil profile. Studies examining these interactions are still incipient, however, especially regarding its modeling. We present results from batch and miscible displacement experiments describing [Ca.sup.2+] and S[O.sub.4.sup.2-] movement in a variable-charge soil from New Zealand. Evidence was found for ion-pair adsorption (IPA) of both [Ca.sup.2+]and S[O.sub.4.sup.2-] The results were modeled using the convection-dispersion equation (CDE), coupled with two different mathematical approaches proposed to account for IPA. The first approach related IPA to the single soil adsorption capacity, which is governed by particle-surface phenomena. For the second approach, IPA was related solely to the soil solution concentration. Both these approaches described the adsorption data from the batch experiment reasonably well, as well as the breakthrough curves from the miscible displacement experiments. The first approach showed better overall agreement. Significant differences were found, however, when the adsorption parameters were identified by fitting models to data from either batch or miscible displacement experiments. Although more studies are needed to better understand IPA, our results showed that the extent of IPA can be large and it should not be ignored when predicting S[O.sub.4.sup.2-] and [Ca.sup.2+] movement in variable-charge soils. Abbreviations: BTC, breakthrough curve; CDE, convection dispersion equation; IPA, ion-pair adsorption; PGA, particle governed approach; SGA, solution governed approach.

To determine the effect of wheel traffic and two different management practices on soil compaction and its consequences on physical and chemical soil properties, we measured penetration resistance, water infiltration, bulk density, macroporosity, chemical mobility, air permeability, and soil strength in a conventional orchard (integrated fruit-production program) with bare (sprayed with herbicides) rows and an organic apple orchard with grassed rows. Resistance measurements were taken both within the tree row and the wheel track, down to a depth of 0.35 to 0.40 m. The results indicate that compaction is greater in the wheel tracks under both management methods. Compaction in the wheel track was higher under organic than conventional management. Organic management resulted in a higher macroporosity in both the row and the wheel-track than conventional management. The 'close-to-saturation' infiltration rate was significantly greater within the row of the organic orchard (0.06 m/h) compared with the row of the conventional orchard (0.02 m/h), and compared with the wheel tracks (0.01 m/h). The precompression stress value in the top 100 mm, a measure of the soil strength, was low on all sites. The chemical mobilities were 57 and 50% in the organic orchard, and 86 and 93% in the conventional orchard, respectively, for wheel track and row. Apart from the compaction in the wheel track of the organic orchard, physical and chemical soil characteristics were in a better condition compared with the conventional orchard. Additional keywords: penetrometer, infiltration, chemical mobility, precompression stress, wheel track., Introduction Intensive trafficking in orchards by heavy machinery can cause soil compaction. This can change the soil structure and pore system (Peng et al. 2004), both pore size distribution and [...]

To link to full-text access for this article, visit this link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2005.07.005 Byline: Tessa Mills (a), Barbara Arnold (a), Siva Sivakumaran (a), Grant Northcott (b), Iris Vogeler (a), Brett Robinson (a), Cara Norling (a), Doris Leonil (c) Abstract: Pentachlorophenol (PCP) is a persistent organic pollutant (POP) previously used as a timber treatment chemical to prevent sap stain and wood rot. Commonly used in wood treatment industries for the last 50 years, there are now many sites worldwide that are contaminated with PCP. Although persistent, PCP is a mobile contaminant and therefore has a propensity to leach and contaminate surrounding environments. Both willow (Salix sp., 'Tangoio') and poplar (Populus sp. 'Kawa') growing in an open-ended plastic greenhouse were found to tolerate soil PCP concentrations of 250mgkg.sup.-1 or less and both species stimulated a significant increase in soil microbial activity when compared to unplanted controls. Both poplar and willow could not survive PCP concentrations above 250mgkg.sup.-1 in soil. Pentachlorophenol degradation occurred in both planted and unplanted pots, but a higher rate of degradation was observed in the planted pots. Soil contaminated by wood-treatment activities often contains co-contaminants such as B, Cr, Cu and As, that are also used as timber preservatives. An additional column leaching experiment, done along side the potted trial, found that PCP, B, Cr, Cu and As were all present in the column leachate. This indicates that although Cu, Cr and As are generally considered immobile in the soil, they were mobilised under our column conditions. If a contaminated site were to be hydraulically 'sealed' using plants, a reticulation irrigation system should be installed to capture any contaminant leachate resulting from heavy rains. This captured leachate can either be independently treated, or reapplied to the site. Our data demonstrate a reduction in soil hydraulic conductivity with repeated application of leachate containing PCP and metal compounds but the soil did not become anaerobic. This would need to be considered in site remediation design. Author Affiliation: (a) HortResearch, Sustainable Landuse Group, Private Bag 11030, Palmerston North, New Zealand (b) HortResearch, Ruakura Research Centre, Private Bag 3123, Hamilton, NZ (c) Universite de la Reunion, Maitrise sciences et techniques,Valorisation chimique et biologique du vegetal, Campus du Moufia, 15 avenue Rene Cassin, BP 7151-97 715 Saint-Denis messag cedex 9, France Article History: Received 16 December 2004; Revised 14 May 2005; Accepted 18 July 2005

Early sowing of winter cereals has been promoted as an alternative to catch crops for reducing nitrogen (N) leaching in intensively managed cropping systems. Underlying data for this are, however, scarce and it is unclear how year‐to‐year variations affect potential reductions in N leaching. Well‐tested cropping system models can be used to assess the impact of early sowing on crop yield and N leaching. We tested the ability of the Agricultural Production System Simulator (APSIM) to simulate grain yield, biomass, phenology, N uptake and N leaching from timely and early‐sown winter cereals. The evaluation was based on two extensive field experiments carried out in Denmark in continuous winter cereals systems with different N fertilization applications, and a farm experiment in Germany with a grass ley/winter wheat crop sequence and two different N fertilization rates. Additionally, observations from growth stages throughout Denmark were used. After changing a few crop model parameters, APSIM reproduced the general effects of N fertilization and crop sequence on yields and N uptake, as well as N leaching. The model was then used to simulate the effect of sowing time on grain yield over a period of 10 years, to capture year‐to‐year variability and enable a better evaluation of the efficacy of early sowing for reducing N leaching. In the continuous winter cereal systems, early sowing reduced N leaching at both sites in Denmark. In contrast, in the grass ley/winter wheat system in Germany early sowing increased N leaching, due to enhanced mineralization of grass residues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Optimum nitrogen (N) fertilization, which aims for high productivity while minimizing N losses to the environment, requires a better understanding of the N leaching behaviour around the recommended N rate. A study was conducted with increasing N fertilization levels over 3 years (2016–2019) with early and timely sown winter cereals (rye and wheat) at two sites in Denmark with different climatic conditions. For winter rye N fertilizer application rates ranged from 0 to 258 kg N ha‒1, and for winter wheat from 0 to 300 kg ha‒1. Grain yields did not respond much to the N application above the recommended rate. Nitrate (NO3) leaching was very low in the first period, but increased in the second and third period. The effect of a potential N carry‐over on marginal N leaching (defined as the additional N leaching per unit of additional N fertilizer applied) is large. Under early sown winter rye, marginal N leaching is reduced from 36 to 14 kg N ha‒1 in the third period following N fertilization of the recommended rate of 170 kg N ha‒1 when carry‐over was accounted for, and under the timely sown winter rye from 68 to 24 kg N ha‒1. Our results show that marginal N leaching around the recommended rate is almost linear at the study site, when carry‐over is accounted for. Thus, the use of precision agriculture, with lower fertilization application rates to areas with high residual soil N, is less effective compared with sites, which have an exponential leaching behaviour. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As commented in our paper (Vogeler et al. 2016) and pointed out by Lynn (2017), there is a large demand for production and environmental analyses on medium and large spatial [...]

To investigate a rapid, nondestructive way of characterizing solute transport properties, time domain reflectometry (TDR) and disk permeametry have been used in combination. Calibration measurements had previously related TDR measurements to both the volumetric water content and the pore water concentration of [Cl.sup.-]. Laboratory measurements from a horizontal TDR probe were used to estimate transport parameters in a soil column by applying a one-dimensional numerical model in an inverse sense. A vertical TDR probe was used to provide independent verification of these parameters. A repacked column of Ramiha silt loam (an Andic Dystrochrept) was used under unsaturated, transient flow conditions. The disk permeameter, set to a pressure head of - 50 mm and containing a solution of 0.032 M KCl, was placed straight onto the repacked soil column, which had an initial water content of 0.32 [m.sup.3] [m.sup.-3]. The soil wet to 0.60 [m.sup.3] [m.sup.-3] However, in the columns only an envelope of [Cl.sup.-] concentration could be obtained, due to exchange between the initially resident [Ca.sup.2+] and the invading [K.sup.+]. This illustrates why cation exchange needs to be considered when TDR is used to infer solute movement. From the numerical simulations, values for the solute dispersivity and the retardation were found to be 2.3 mm and 1.2, respectively. The retardation is shown to be due to the anion-exchange capacity varying with the concentration of the invading soil solution.

BACKGROUND: Nitrogen (N) fertiliser used on crops is among the main sources of water pollution. Reliable measurement of N losses from land uses in catchments is key to designing effective management strategies that minimise those losses at the same time as keeping farms profitable. In the present study, we used a management simulation tool within the Agricultural Production Systems sIMulator (APSIM) to assess the effect of fertiliser management on N leaching from croplands in the Aparima catchment in Southland, New Zealand. The assessment was based on two N‐fertiliser regimes: (i) Scheduled (conventional) where, N‐fertiliser rates and timing of application followed a prescribed programme, and (ii) Soil‐test where, N‐fertiliser rates and timing depended on daily analysis of simulated soil N levels. Four rotations (continuous wheat, pasture‐wheat‐grain oats, wheat‐fodder beet‐peas and wheat‐green oats‐fodder beet‐peas) were used in the evaluation. RESULTS: APSIM simulated crop productivity with reasonable accuracy. Yields were 2% greater, fertiliser N input was 11% lower and leaching was 20% lower under the Soil‐test compared to the Scheduled fertiliser management. These results show the potential of a Soil‐test based fertiliser application to increase fertiliser‐N use efficiency and reduce the risk of N loss to the Southland catchment water systems. CONCLUSION: The present study demonstrates a dynamic farm systems model can be a viable tool to generate valuable data for assessing the productivity and environmental effects of cropping systems at a catchment scale. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Yield increases in forage maize (Zea mays L.) in NW Europe over time are well documented. The driving causes for these, however, remain unclear as there is little information available regarding the role of plant traits triggering this yield progress. Ten different hybrids from the same maturity group, which have typically been cultivated in Northwest Germany from 1970 to recent and are thus representing breeding progress over four decades, were selected for a 2-year field study in northern Germany. Traits that were investigated included leaf area index, leaf architecture, photosynthesis, radiation use efficiency, root mass, root length density, and turnover. Based on a mixed model analysis with these traits as co-variates, parameters related to leaf characteristics, in particular the number and length of leaves, the radiation use efficiency, and the leaf orientation, were identified as most influential on the yield progress (0.13 tons ha-1 year-1). In contrast to our hypothesis, root biomass only increased negligibly in newer hybrids compared to older ones, confirming the 'functional equilibrium' theory for high input production systems. Due to an abundance of nutrients and water in such high input systems, there is no incentive for breeders to select for carbon partitioning toward the rooting system. Breeding evidence to increase forage quality were also negligible, with no change in cob starch concentration, forage digestibility, nor NDF content and NDF digestibility. The observed increase in yield over the last four decades is due to a combination of increased temperature sums (~240 GDD within 40 years), and a higher radiation interception and radiation use efficiency. This higher radiation interception was driven by an increased leaf area index, with a higher number of leaves (16 instead of 14 leaves within 40 years) and longer leaves of newer compared to older hybrids. Future selection and adaptation of maize hybrids to changing environmental conditions are likely to be the key for high productivity and quality and for the economic viability of maize growing and expansion in Northern Europe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of suctions cups is a common practice for estimating nitrate (NO3–N) leaching under agricultural systems despite the various uncertainties associated with the approach. One major uncertainty is water flux, which is required for calculating NO3–N leaching loads from measured concentrations. Another problem is the interpolation of NO3–N concentrations between measurement days. We investigated how differences in water flux, obtained from two different models (EVACROP and APSIM), affect NO3–N leaching loads. The effect of interpolation of NO3–N concentrations based on days or drainage was also addressed. The models were set up according to a 2‐yr field experiment with spring barley (Hordeum vulgare L. Quinch) with different levels of N fertilization rates on a loamy soil at Flakkebjerg, Denmark. Due to small differences in measured NO3–N concentrations between sequential samplings, the method of interpolation did not significantly affect NO3–N leaching in the two periods investigated. Although there is no standard against which leaching losses from different approaches can be tested, results highlight that the modeling of water uptake as affected by N supply influences the amount of drainage and thus calculated NO3–N leaching. Therefore, for experiments with varying N fertilization levels, the APSIM model, which accounts for N nutrition on crop water use, is likely more accurate. For common fertilization rates, the simpler EVACROP seems appropriate. Thus, when using suction cup data for testing models or for evaluating mitigation options for nitrate leaching, the use of an appropriate model for estimating water fluxes is important. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • A modelling approach was used to test different irrigation managements. • In a shallow soil more frequent irrigation resulted in a higher pasture production. • In deep soils pasture production was not affected by irrigation frequency. • Building up of soil water deficits in less frequent irrigation reduced N losses. Abstract While the benefits of irrigation for agricultural production are well established, the effects of irrigation management on production and environmental consequences are not well quantified. We used the APSIM (Agricultural Production Systems sIMulator) model to simulate the effect of six different irrigation management scenarios on pasture production and nitrogen (N) losses from both urine patches and non-urine affected areas using New Zealand farming systems as a test case. Nitrogen losses included nitrate (NO 3) leaching, and gaseous emissions via ammonia (NH 3) volatilisation and denitrification (nitrous oxide (N 2 O) and dinitrogen (N 2) emissions). The effects of different climate and rainfall regimes were simulated for three different soil types – deep, poorly drained (Otokia), deep, well drained (Templeton) and shallow, well drained (Eyre) soils, using 20 years of data from two climate stations with mean annual rainfall amounts of 600 and 800 mm. In the shallow soil with the least plant available water, more frequent irrigation with higher total annual amounts resulted in a significant increase in predicted pasture production compared with less frequent irrigation due to less plant water stress. However, predicted N losses through leaching, denitrification and N 2 O emissions also increased. In the deep soils pasture growth was not affected by the frequency of irrigation, whereas denitrification increased with higher frequency irrigation, especially in the poorly drained soil, leading to increased N 2 O emissions. Based on these modelling results, N losses can be reduced with little effect on production by irrigating less frequently and maintaining soil water deficits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]