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Uptake of Point Source Depleted 15 N Fertilizer by Neighboring Corn Plants
Author(s) -
Hodgen P. J.,
Ferguson R. B.,
Shanahan J. F.,
Schepers J. S.
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
agronomy journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.752
H-Index - 131
eISSN - 1435-0645
pISSN - 0002-1962
DOI - 10.2134/agronj2008.0186
Subject(s) - fertilizer , agronomy , ammonium nitrate , biomass (ecology) , canopy , environmental science , growing season , ammonium , biology , chemistry , botany , organic chemistry
Ground‐based active (self‐illuminating) sensors make it possible to collect canopy data that are useful for making on‐the‐go N fertilizer application decisions. These technologies raise questions about plant‐to‐plant competition for targeted fertilizer N applications. This study evaluated the extent to which fertilizer N applied to an individual corn ( Zea mays L.) plant might be intercepted by adjacent plants in the row. Depleted 15 N ammonium‐nitrate was injected under the center maize plant while the four neighboring plants on each side in the row received the same rate as natural abundance ammonium‐nitrate fertilizer. Aboveground biomass was collected 10 (at V12) and 7 (at R1) d after each fertilizer application. Plants were separated into three components at each sampling date. The uptake pattern of depleted 15 N indicated an individual maize plant acquires most of its in‐season N from an area within a ∼40‐cm radius. Adjacent plants ∼18‐cm away from the tagged‐N source contained 32 to 40% of the total depleted 15 N that was taken up by all nine plants in the sequence. Maize plants ∼36 cm from the point source only acquired 5 to 13% of the depleted 15 N source that was taken up by all nine plants. It is presently impractical to position in‐season by‐plant N applications beneath plants as done in this study. Surface applications of liquid N near target plants is presently possible, but the relative effectiveness would likely be less than for injection of the fertilizer beneath each plant.