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ARS Home » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #87614

Title: NITROGEN LEACHING WITH ALTERNATE AND EVERY FURROW IRRIGATION AND FERTILIZERBANDS

Author
item Benjamin, Joseph
item Ahuja, Lajpat
item PORTER, LYNN - RETIRED-ARS-SPN UNIT
item Duke, Harold

Submitted to: Agronomy Abstracts
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 10/1/1996
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Furrow Irrigation is commonly used to supply supplemental water to row-crop fields. We hypothesized that less nitrogen fertilizer leaching would occur if fertilizer was placed in the nonirrigated furrow of an alternate furrow irrigation system or in the row of either alternate or every furrow irrigation. 15N labeled (NH4)2SO4 was applied in bands either in the row or rin the furrow in 1994 and 1995. Irrigation water was applied either in every furrow or in alternate furrows. Soil samples were collected in a grid across each furrow and row in both years. Fertilizer N leached to about 1 m under the irrigated furrow but less than 0.5 m for fertilizer placed in the nonirrigated furrow or in the row. A problem could occur with N placed in the nonirrigated furrow because the furrow did no wet during irrigation, making the fertilizer less available for plant uptake. The row position did wet during irrigation so the fertilizer would be available for plant uptake eand also have less leaching potential.