Abstract
A 15N abundance technique was employed to identify the source of NO3-N in groundwater under three commercial citrus production sites in central Florida. Water samples were collected from 0 to 300 and 300 to 600 cm depths in the surficial aquifer and analyzed for NO3-N and delta N-15 (δ 15N). Groundwater samples were also collected in a residential area adjacent to one of the citrus groves and analyzed for NO3-N and δ 15N. The δ 15N values were in the range of +1 to +10% in both depths underneath the citrus groves. The range of δ 15N measured in this study represents the range expected for groundwater that was impacted by NO3-N originated from mineralization of organic N from the soil as well as from the crop residue. There are occasional high δ 15N values which are indicative of the effects of NH3 volatilization losses of applied fertilizer N. The range of δ 15N values for groundwater samples collected from the residential area adjacent to the citrus groves was very similar to that from the groundwater underneath the citrus groves. Thus, the source of NO3-N that impacted the groundwater under the citrus groves also impacted the groundwater in the adjacent residential area.
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