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The Influence of Plant Residues on Denitrification Rates in Conventional and Zero Tilled Soils
Author(s) -
Aulakh M.S.,
Rennie D. A.,
Paul E. A.
Publication year - 1984
Publication title -
soil science society of america journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.836
H-Index - 168
eISSN - 1435-0661
pISSN - 0361-5995
DOI - 10.2136/sssaj1984.03615995004800040018x
Subject(s) - straw , denitrification , agronomy , plough , soil water , environmental science , tillage , water content , no till farming , fertilizer , moisture , chemistry , conventional tillage , nitrogen , zoology , soil science , soil fertility , biology , geology , geotechnical engineering , organic chemistry
A field study was conducted with treatments consisting of a factorial combination of N (0 or 100 kg N ha −1 as (NH 4 ) 2 SO 4 , straw (0 or 3000 kg ha −1 ), and two tillage treatments. Ground straw was mixed with the plow layer of soil in the conventional till (CT) plots and chopped straw was spread over the surface of the zero till (ZT) plots. Wheat ( Triticum aestivum L.) was grown as the test crop. Gaseous losses of N were measured using the acetylene inhibition‐soil core technique and compared with loss estimates obtained from the imbalance in the N budget of 15 N‐treated microplots located within the larger yield plots. When adequate inorganic N was present, the incorporation of straw in CT soil or the application of straw on the surface of ZT soil approximately doubled the accumulative gaseous N losses. The straw apparently increased the supply of energy material available to denitrifying organisms, and also increased surface soil moisture content (particularly during the month of June). This further stimulated denitrification in ZT soil. Unaccounted 15 N on the fertilizer N balance studies agreed closely with cumulative N losses using the acetylene inhibition technique.