Abstract
ABSTRACT Ammonia volatilization (N-NH3) is one of the main pathways of Nitrogen loss reducing nitrogen use efficiency in coffee orchard. This work aimed at quantifying ammonia volatilization (N-NH3) losses from N-sources to be used in coffee plantations fertilization in Brazil. The experiment was conducted in the field on a dystrophic red latosol (Ferralsol in FAO's classification) at the Coffee Research Sector, University of Lavras, MG, Brazil. The experimental design was of complete randomized blocks with three repetitions of the following treatments: conventional urea, ammonium nitrate and urea + 0.15% Cu and 0.4% B, urea + anionic polymers, urea + elementary sulfur (S0) + polymers, and urea + plastic resin. These N sources were split into three doses of 150 kg ha-1 and band applied. The N-NH3 losses by volatilization and variations of pH (H2O) were measured, before and after N application. The N-sources contributed to reduce the soil pH, measured after the third nitrogen fertilization. The N-NH3 losses by volatilization (average from three applications) was as follows: urea + anionic polymers (35.8%) > conventional urea (31.2%) = urea + S0 + polymers (31.0%) > urea + 0.15% Cu + 0.4 % B (25.6%) > urea + plastic resin (8.6%) = ammonium nitrate (1.0%).
Highlights
The agronomic efficiency of conventional fertilizers and the reduction of nitrogen (N) loss are the main objectives in fertility management because these practices reduce the production costs and negative environmental impacts (Trenkel, 2010; Fan et al, 2010)
Considering the value of these innovative fertilizer sources, the aim of this work was to evaluate the N-NH3 loss through the volatilization of the conventional sources of urea and urea coated with 0.15% Cu and 0.4% B, plastic resins and with polymers and elementary sulfur added as polymers
There was a significant influence of the nitrogen fertilizer sources in the in the daily and accumulated N loss for the three N fertilizations of the coffee orchard (p≤0.05)
Summary
The agronomic efficiency of conventional fertilizers and the reduction of nitrogen (N) loss are the main objectives in fertility management because these practices reduce the production costs and negative environmental impacts (Trenkel, 2010; Fan et al, 2010). Technologies directly related to FAE include key soil and crop components such as improving the soil profile to create appropriate conditions for the development of the root system; fertility monitoring and nutrition based on soil and plant analysis; and soil acidity amendment. In this context, a slow and controlled release of stabilized N sources has been a goal to increase the fertilization efficiency and reduce the adverse environmental effects. The objectives of any type of N fertilization are to avoid losses due to volatilization, leaching and denitrification (Chien; Prochnow; Cantarella, 2009; Trenkel, 2010)
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