Nitrate nitrogen in the soil profile and drainage water as influenced by manure and mineral fertilizer application in a Barley–Carrot production system

Abstract

Nitrate-N (NO3−-N) is a ubiquitous pollutant in both surface and groundwater in many agro-ecosystems. This has elicited a concerted effort to identify management strategies that mitigate NO3−–N pollution, without compromising crop yield. This study was conducted on a field site located at the Bio-Environmental Engineering Centre (BEEC) in Truro, NS, Canada during 1999 and 2000. The site has been used since 1997 to investigate the relative effect of inorganic versus organic fertilizer (liquid hog manure; LHM) applied at rates (70 kg N ha−1) on NO3−-N leaching from a carrot rotation system. NO3−-N concentrations were monitored in both the soil profile and in tile drainage effluents from eight treatment plots. The LHM treatment elicited significantly (P 10 mg L−1. The total NO3−-N load was greater for the LHM treatment when compared to the IF treatment in 1999. Barley and carrot yields were unaffected by treatment applications.