Denitrification losses from an irrigated sandy-clay loam under a wheat-maize cropping system receiving different fertilizer treatments

Abstract

Studies were conducted on denitrification in the plough layer of an irrigated sandy-clay loam under a wheat-maize cropping system receiving different fertilizer treatments. The treatments were: N-100 (urea-N at 100kgha–1year–1), N-200 (urea-N at 200kgha–1year–1), FYM-16 (farmyard manure at 16 tonnes ha–1year–1), FYM-32 (farmyard manure at 32 tonnesha–1year–1) and the control (unfertilized). Averaged across sampling dates during the wheat season, the denitrification rate as measured by the C2H2-inhibition/soil-core incubation method was highest in N-200 (83gNha–1day–1), followed by FYM-32 (60gNha–1day–1, N-100 (51gNha–1day–1), FYM-16 (47gNha–1day–1) and the control (33gNha–1 day–1). During the maize growing season, average denitrification rate was highest in FYM-32 (525gNha–1day–1), followed by FYM-16 (408gNha–1day–1), N-200 (372gNha–1day–1, N-100 (262gNha–1day–1) and the control (203gNha–1day–1). Denitrification loss integrated over the whole vegetation period was at a maximum under FYM-32 (13.9kgNha–1), followed by N-200 (11.8kgNha–1), FYM-16 (10.6kgNha–1) and N-100 (8.0kgNha–1), whereas the minimum was observed for the control (5.8kgNha–1). Under both crops, denitrification was significantly correlated with water-filled pore space and soil NO3–-N. The best multiple regression models accounted for 52% and 70% of the variability in denitrification under wheat and maize, respectively. Results indicated that denitrification is not an important N loss mechanism in this well-drained, irrigated sandy-clay loam under a wheat-maize cropping system receiving fertilizer inputs in the range of 100–200kgNha–1year–1.