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Nitrate Leaching Losses from Monolith Lysimeters as Influenced by Nitrapyrin
Author(s) -
Owens L. B.
Publication year - 1987
Publication title -
journal of environmental quality
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.888
H-Index - 171
eISSN - 1537-2537
pISSN - 0047-2425
DOI - 10.2134/jeq1987.00472425001600010007x
Subject(s) - lysimeter , nitrification , leaching (pedology) , loam , leachate , urea , chemistry , nitrate , zoology , agronomy , nitrogen , environmental science , environmental chemistry , soil water , soil science , biology , organic chemistry
Three monolith lysimeters, each with a surface area of 8.1 m 2 and a depth of 2.4 m, were planted to no‐till corn ( Zea mays L.) for 6 consecutive years. The lysimeters contained a Rayne silt loam (Typic Hapludult), a well‐drained residual soil. Urea was placed in a slot approximately 10‐cm deep and 10 to 15 cm from the corn row at a rate of 336 kg N/ha. The urea applied to two of the lysimeters was treated with nitrapyrin [2‐chloro‐6‐(trichloromethyl)pyridine], a nitrification inhibitor, and applied untreated on the third lysimeter. Two years of unfertilized meadow immediately preceded the corn. Concentrations of NO − 3 ; in the leachate from the lysimeters were higher during the corn years than during the meadow period. Concentrations showed seasonal variations during the last 3 yr of the study, but showed no increasing trend. The leachate from the lysimeters receiving the nitrapyrin treated urea had seasonally flow‐weighted NO − 3 ; concentrations ranging from 6 to 40 mg/L, while the leachate from the lysimeter receiving untreated urea had seasonally flow‐weighted NO − 3 ;‐N concentrations ranging from 20 to 54 mg/L. Nitrate‐N losses showed a similar treatment difference. The 6‐yr annual average NO − 3 ; loss was 117 and 160 kg/ha from the lysimeters with the treated urea and untreated urea, respectively. This study demonstrates that nitrification inhibitors such as nitrapyrin, have a potential to reduce NO − 3 ; leaching when applied with ammoniacal fertilizers.