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Nitrate Leaching through Lysimeters in a Corn‐Soybean Rotation
Author(s) -
Owens L. B.,
Edwards W. M.,
Shipitalo M. J.
Publication year - 1995
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/sssaj1995.03615995005900030039x
Subject(s) - lysimeter , loam , leaching (pedology) , agronomy , mollisol , environmental science , fertilizer , tillage , secale , chemistry , soil water , soil science , biology
Leaching of NO 3 ‐N can be excessive under continuous corn ( Zea mays L.) production. To reduce NO 3 ‐N losses, corn might be rotated with soybean [ Glycine max (L.) Merr.], which does not require fertilizer N. Six large, undisturbed monolith lysimeters (8.1‐m 2 surface area, 2.4 m deep) were used to investigate NO 3 ‐N leaching in a 6‐yr cornsoybean rotation study in eastern Ohio. Four lysimeters (Y103 A, B, C, and D) contained a moderately well‐drained Keene silt loam (fine‐silty, mixed, mesic Aquic Hapludalf) on a 6% slope, and two lysimeters (Y102 A and C) contained a well‐drained Rayne silt loam on a 13% slope (fine‐loamy, mixed, mesic Typic Hapludult). In the spring of each year, 224 kg N/ha as NH 4 NO 3 was surface applied, and a rye ( Secale cereale L.) winter cover crop was used following soybean. Nitrate‐N levels in lysimeter percolate varied seasonally from 1 to 20 mg/L and on a 2‐yr cycle, showing the influence of the crop rotation. The highest NO 3 ‐N levels usually occurred during the dormant season following corn. During the 6 yr of the study, the flow‐weighted average NO 3 ‐N concentration in the percolate was 10.5 and 14.3 mg/L from the Y103 and Y102 lysimeters, respectively. Mean annual NO 3 ‐N losses in the percolate were 31.6 and 47.1 kg/ha, respectively. These NO 3 ‐N losses are smaller than losses from continuous corn production previously measured with the same lysimeters. Thus, a corn‐soybean rotation may be one strategy for reducing NO 3 ‐N loading to groundwater.