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Polymer-Coated Urea Maintains Potato Yields and Reduces Nitrous Oxide Emissions in a Minnesota Loamy Sand.
- Source :
- Soil Science Society of America Journal; Mar/Apr2010, Vol. 74 Issue 2, p419-428, 10p, 3 Charts, 4 Graphs
- Publication Year :
- 2010
-
Abstract
- Irrigated potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) production requires large inputs of N, and therefore has high potential for N loss including emissions of N<subscript>2</subscript>O. Two strategies for reducing N loss include split applications of conventional fertilizers, and single applications of polymer-coated urea (PCU), both of which aim to better match the timing of N availability with plant demand. The objective of this 3-yr study was to compare N<subscript>2</subscript>O emissions and potato yields following a conventional split application (CSA) using multiple additions of soluble fertilizers with single preplant applications of two different PCUs (PCU-1 and PCU-2) in a loamy sand in Minnesota. Each treatment received 270 kg of fertilizer N ha<superscript>-1</superscript> per season. An unfertilized control treatment was included in 2 of 3 yr. Tuber yields did not vary among fertilizer treatments, but N<subscript>2</subscript>O emissions were significantly higher with CSA than PCU-1. During 3 consecutive yr, mean growing season emissions were 1.36, 0.83, and 1.13 kg N<subscript>2</subscript>O-N ha<superscript>-1</superscript> with CSA, PCU-1, and PCU-2, respectively, compared with emissions of 0.79 and 0.42 kg N<subscript>2</subscript>O-N ha<superscript>-1</superscript> in the control. The PCU-1 released N more slowly during in situ incubation than PCU-2, although differences in N<subscript>2</subscript>O emitted by the two PCUs were not generally significant. Fertilizer-induced emissions were relatively low, ranging from 0.10 to 0.15% of applied N with PCU-1 up to 0.25 to 0.49% with CSA. These results show that N application strategies utilizing PCUs can maintain yields, reduce costs associated with split applications, and also reduce N<subscript>2</subscript>O emissions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Subjects :
- SOIL science
HUMUS
PLANT breeding
POTATOES
NITROUS oxide
EMISSIONS (Air pollution)
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 03615995
- Volume :
- 74
- Issue :
- 2
- Database :
- Complementary Index
- Journal :
- Soil Science Society of America Journal
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 48940915
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.2136/sssaj2009.0126