Recovery of 15N-labelled fertiliser by a perennial ryegrass seed crop and a subsequent wheat crop

Abstract

Large amounts of nitrogen (N) fertiliser (150–200 kg N/ha) are currently being applied to perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenneL.) seed crops in New Zealand. Due to increasing requirements for efficient use of N fertilisers and minimising nitrate contamination of the environment, a field experiment was established using 15N-labelled fertiliser to follow the fate of applied N. Urea-15N was applied to a perennial ryegrass seed crop in April (30 kg N/ha), August (30 kg N/ha), September (60 kg N/ha) and October (60 kg N/ha). The urea-15N was applied in solution and watered in to minimise volatilisation loss. At the time of harvest (December), 9% of the applied 15N was in the seed, 29% in the straw, 19% in the roots and 39% in the soil organic matter. Losses of 15N were minimal as the N was applied in several applications, each one at a relatively low rate, and at times when leaching was unlikely to occur. Ryegrass plants used a greater proportion of the N applied in September and October (61–65%) compared with that applied in April (44%). Consequently more N was recovered from the soil in the autumn application (57%) than from the September and October applications (28–44%). The availability of the residual fertiliser N to a subsequent wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) crop was studied in a glasshouse experiment. The residual fertiliser N was present in the soil and ryegrass roots and stubble. The wheat plants only recovered 7–9% of this residual N. Most of the N taken up by the wheat came from the soil organic N pool. Overall, applying a total of 180 kg N/ha to the ryegrass appeared to have minimal direct impact on the environment. In the short term N not used by the ryegrass plants contributed to the soil organic N pool.