Effects of varying nitrogen doses on yield,yield components and artemisinin content of Artemisia annua L.

Artemisia annua L. is an aromatic-antibacterial herb that destroys malarial parasites, lowers fevers and checks bleeding, and of which the secondary compound of interest is artemisinin. The objective of the present study was to determine yield, yield components and artemisinin content of A. annua L. grown under four nitrogen applications (0, 40, 80 and 120 kg ha⁻¹) in the Çukurova region of Turkey in 2004 and 2005. Field trials were conducted at Çukurova University, Agricultural Faculty Field Crops Department. In the study, plant height, number of branches, fresh herbage yield, dry herbage yield, fresh leaf yield, dry leaf yield, essential oil content and artemisinin content (by high performance liquid chromatography, HPLC) were examined. By analysis of variance, nitrogen doses had no any statistical effect on the traits investigated except for artemisinin content. Artemisinin content of the dried leaves were significantly affected by nitrogen applications, which varied from 6.32 to 27.50 mg 100 g⁻¹. Contents were from 120 and 80 kg ha⁻¹ nitrogen for the years of 2004 and 2005, respectively.     

Foliar sprays of concentrated urea at maturity of pigeonpea to induce defoliation and increase its residual benefit to wheat

The pigeonpea (Cajanus cajan (L.) Millsp.) crop retains appreciable amounts of green foliage even after reaching physiological maturity, which if allowed to defoliate, could augment the residual benefit of pigeonpea to the following wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) in a pigeonpea–wheat rotation. The effect of addition of leaves present on mature pigeonpea crop to the soil was examined on the following wheat during the 1999/2000 growing season at Patancheru (17°4′N, 78°2′E) and during the 2001–2003 growing seasons at Modipuram (29°4′N, 77°8′E). At Patancheru, an extra-short-duration pigeonpea cultivar ICPL 88039 was defoliated manually and using foliar sprays of 10% urea (30 kg/ha) and compared with a millet (Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R.Br.) crop, naturally senesced leaf residue and no-leaf residue controls. At Modipuram, the effect of 10% urea spray treatment on mature ICPL 88039 was compared with the unsprayed control. At both locations, the rainy season crops were followed by a wheat cultivar UP 2338 at four nitrogen levels applied in a split plot design, which at Patancheru were 0, 30, 90 and 120 kg N ha⁻¹ and at Modipuram 0, 60, 120 and 180 kg N ha⁻¹. At Patancheru, urea spray added 0.5 t ha⁻¹ of extra leaf litter to the soil within a week without significantly affecting pigeonpea yield. This treatment, however, increased mean wheat yield by 29% from 2.4 t ha⁻¹ in the no-leaf residue pigeonpea or pearl millet plots to 3.1 t ha⁻¹. At Modipuram, the foliar sprays of urea added more leaf litter to the soil than at Patancheru. Here, increase in subsequent wheat yield due to additional pigeonpea leaf litter was 7–8% and net profit 21% more than in the unsprayed control. The addition of pigeonpea leaf litter to the soil resulted in a saving of 40–60 kg N for the following wheat crops in both the environments. The results demonstrated that pigeonpea leaf litter could play an important role in the fertilizer N economy in wheat. The urea spray at maturity of the standing pigeonpea crop significantly improved this contribution in increasing wheat yield, the effect of which was additional to the amount of urea used for inducing defoliation. The practice, if adopted by farmers, may enhance sustainability of wheat production system in an environmentally friendly way, as it could reduce the amount of fertilizer N application to soil and enhance wheat yield.     

Improved guayule lines outperform old lines in south-east Queensland

Guayule (Parthenium argentatum Gray) is a source of high quality rubber and low-allergenic latex as well as resin for use as a wood preservative. Demand for high value latex products has increased with the advent of deadly diseases such as AIDS. The objective of this study was to evaluate the performance of six improved guayule lines (AZ-1 to AZ-6) in south-east Queensland: released jointly by the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and The University of Arizona. Trials were conducted at two sites, Chinchilla and Gatton. Overall performance of improved lines for plant growth and yield of dry matter, rubber and resin was better at both Gatton and Chinchilla than the standard check lines (N 565 and 11591). AZ-1 and AZ-2 maintained the best combinations of desirable traits, including plant uniformity, early vigorous growth, increased dry matter, and increased rubber and resin yields. Of these two, AZ-2 had more uniform plant growth and has commercial potential for Queensland production areas. In the summer harvest at Gatton, 32-month-old AZ-1 and AZ-2 produced rubber yields of 789 kg/ha and 771 kg/ha, respectively, while controls, N 565 and 11591 produced 675 kg/ha and 618 kg/ha, respectively. At Chinchilla, at 33 months, spring harvested AZ-1 and AZ-2 produced rubber yields of 717 kg/ha and 787 kg/ha; these yields were significantly higher than N 565 and 11591 which produced 385 kg/ha and 380 kg/ha, respectively. Thus, rubber yields of AZ-1 and AZ-2 were consistently high across sites. AZ-1 and AZ-2 produced resin yields of 1158 kg/ha and 1115 kg/ha at Gatton and 1318 kg/ha and 1476 kg/ha at Chinchilla. This compared with a mean of 612 kg/ha and 352 kg/ha for the standard check lines at Gatton and Chinchilla. Thus resin yields of AZ-1 and AZ-2 were consistently high across sites. Rubber content appeared to be influenced by time of harvest although this effect is compounded with plant age. At Gatton, in spring, 17-month-old plants produced a mean rubber content of 7.7% (all lines), while, in summer, when the plants were 32-month-olds, rubber content dropped to 6.4%. At Chinchilla, 33-month-old plants harvested in spring produced a mean rubber content of 7.4%, similar to the spring value at Gatton. By contrast, resin content appeared to be little affected by season.     

The effect of late-season urea spraying on grain yield and quality of winter wheat cultivars under low and high basal nitrogen fertilization

The late-season foliar application of urea may increase yield and grain quality of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). Limited information is available regarding the effect of late urea spraying on the performance of wheat cultivars under various basal N fertilization rates. Field experiments were conducted during 2000 through 2002 to evaluate the responses of six winter wheat cultivars to foliar urea (30 kg N ha⁻¹) treatment around flowering at low (67 kg N ha⁻¹) and high (194 kg N ha⁻¹) basal N fertilization rates. Following urea spraying at low N rate, all cultivars increased grain yields to a similar extent (by an average of 7.8% or 509 kg ha⁻¹) primarily due to an increase in the 1000-kernel weight. No yield response to the late-season urea treatment occurred at high basal N rate where grain yields averaged 24.9% (1680 kg ha⁻¹) higher than those at low N rate. In contrast, late foliar urea application similarly improved grain quality at both low and high N rates by an average of 5 g kg⁻¹ (4.5%) for protein content, 3.2 cm³ (11.9%) for Zeleny sedimentation, and 20 g kg⁻¹ (8.6%) for wet gluten. These quality increments were consistent in all growing seasons regardless of significant variations in grain yields and protein concentrations across years. However, most cultivars failed to achieve breadmaking standards at low N rate as quality increments associated with the urea treatment were relatively small when compared to those achieved by high basal N rate. Late urea spraying had no effect on the falling number, whereas some cultivars showed small, but significant reduction in the gluten index at both N rates. Cultivars improved the hectolitre weight with the late-season urea treatment only at low N rate. Significant cultivar × urea interactions existed for most quality traits, which were due to the cultivar differences in the magnitude of responses. Thus, late-season urea spraying consistently produced larger yields at low basal N rate, and resulted in cultivar-dependent increases in protein content, Zeleny sedimentation, and wet gluten at both low and high N rates.     

Effects of N application on agronomic and environmental parameters in silage maize production on sandy soils

The current nitrogen (N) use in silage maize production can lead to considerable N losses to the environment. Maize growers fear that a reduction of N inputs needed to minimize N losses might depress yields. The objective of this study was therefore to quantify: (1) the response of silage maize dry matter (DM) yields to N, (2) the economically optimal N reserve, and (3) the trade-off between silage maize DM yield and N losses. The indicators of N losses used in this study were the difference between N input and N uptake and the post-harvest residual soil mineral N. Regression models were used to fit DM yields and N uptakes of silage maize measured in 25 experiments on sandy soils in the Netherlands to the sum (SUMN) of the soil mineral N reserve (SMN_early) in March–April, plus mineral N in fertilizer, plus ammonium N in spring-applied slurry. The values obtained for the economically optimal SUMN in the upper 30 and 60 cm of soil were, respectively, 173 and 195 kg N ha⁻¹, when we assumed that the value of 1 kg fertilizer N equals the value of 5 kg silage DM. The economically optimal SUMN was not significantly related to the attainable DM yield. The apparent N recovery (ANR) of maize averaged 53% at the economically optimal SUMN. The ANR rose considerably, however, when N was applied at lower rates, indicating that N losses may be considerably smaller in less intensive maize cropping. When maize was fertilized at 100 kg N ha⁻¹ below the economic optimum, the ANR was 73%, the difference between the mineral N input and the N crop uptake decreased by 57 kg N ha⁻¹ and the soil mineral N residue at the end of the growing season (0–60 cm) decreased by 24 kg N ha⁻¹. The associated reduction in DM yield averaged 16%. Fertilizer prices would have to be as much as four times higher to make maize growers spontaneously reduce the application rates by a 100 kg N ha⁻¹, however. It is concluded that adjusting the N input to a level below the economically optimal rate can reduce the risks for N losses to the environment associated with conventional maize production, with a limited effect on silage yields.     

Soil fertility management in irrigated rice systems in the Sahel and Savanna regions of West Africa: Part I. Agronomic analysis

Yield, input use, productivity and profitability of irrigated rice systems were analyzed based on surveys in Senegal (Thiagar and Guédé), Mali (Office du Niger) and Burkina Faso (Kou Valley). The objective was to determine agronomic factors contributing to farmers' fertilizer-use efficiency and productivity, given current farmer practices. (A second paper addresses profitability and risk issues). Grain yields were highly variable, within and across sites. Minimum grain yield was 0.2 t ha⁻¹ (Thiagar), maximum recorded grain yield was 8.7 t ha⁻¹ (Office du Niger). The yield gap between actual farmers' yield and simulated potential or maximum attainable farmers' yield ranged from 0.6 to 5.7 t ha⁻¹ (Kou), 1.8 to 8.2 t ha⁻¹ (Thiagar), 0.3 to 6.3 t ha⁻¹ (Office du Niger), 0.8 to 5.7 t ha⁻¹ (Guédé), indicating considerable scope for improved yield. Physiological nitrogen efficiency (δ grain yield/δ N uptake) was mostly between 40 and 80 kg grain kg⁻¹ plant N. Apparent recovery of fertilizer N was highly variable (average: 30–40% of applied N). Timing of N fertilizer application by farmers was extremely variable and often did not coincide with critical growth stages of the rice plant. Other agronomic constraints included: use of relatively old (>40 days) seedlings at transplanting (Kou, Office du Niger), P and/or K deficiency (Office du Niger), unreliable irrigation water supply (Kou, dry season), delayed start of the wet growing season resulting in yield losses of up to 20% due to cold-induced spikelet sterility (Kou, Guédé, Office du Niger), weed problems (Thiagar), and late harvesting (Thiagar). Discussions during meetings with farmers at the survey sites revealed that farmers lacked knowledge on (i) optimal timing, dosage and mode of fertilizer application, (ii) optimal sowing dates to avoid yield loss due to cold- or heat-induced sterility, and (iii) the importance of N as the main limiting factor to yield. Possibilities to achieve a sustainable increase in rice productivity and profitability in West African irrigation systems are discussed.     

Large applications of fertilizer N at planting affects seed protein and oil concentration and yield in the Early Soybean Production System

An inverse relationship between soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] seed protein and oil concentration is well documented in the literature. A negative correlation between protein and yield is also often reported. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of high rates of N applied at planting on seed protein and oil. Nitrogen was surface-applied at soybean emergence at rates of 290 kg ha⁻¹ in 2002, 310 kg ha⁻¹ in 2003, and 360 kg ha⁻¹ in 2004. Eight cultivars ranging from Maturity Group II–IV were evaluated under the Early Soybean Production System (ESPS). However, not all cultivars were evaluated in all 3 years. Glyphosate herbicide was used in all 3 years and a non-glyphosate herbicide treatment was applied in 2002. Cultivars grown in 2003 were also evaluated under an application of 21.3 kg ha⁻¹ of Mn. All cultivar, herbicide, and Mn treatments were evaluated in irrigated and non-irrigated environments with fertilizer N (PlusN treatment) or without fertilizer N (ZeroN treatment). When analyzed over all management practices (years, cultivars, herbicide, and Mn treatments), the PlusN treatment resulted in a significant decrease in protein concentration (2.7 and 1.9%), an increase in oil concentration (2.2 and 2.7%), and a decrease in the protein/oil ratio (4.7 and 4.6%) for the irrigated and non-irrigated environments, respectively. However, the overall protein and oil yield increased with the application of fertilizer N at planting (protein: 5.0% irrigated, 12.7% non-irrigated and oil: 9.9% irrigated and 18.9% non-irrigated). These increases were due to the increase in seed yield with the application of large amounts of fertilizer at planting. Additionally, a significant correlation (r = 0.45, P = 0.0001) was found between seed protein concentration and seed yield. No significant correlation was found between seed oil concentration and seed yield. The data demonstrate the inverse relationship between protein and oil and indicate that large amounts of N applied at planting do not change this relationship.     

Uptake and balance of fertilizer nitrogen applied to sugarcane

During the 2000/2001 and 2001/2002 cropping seasons, a study was conducted at the Tanganyika Planting Company (TPC) estate in Tanzania, to investigate the uptake and balance of mineral N applied as urea (60 kg ha⁻¹) and ammonium sulphate (AS) (40 kg ha⁻¹) on a saline (pH 8.8) and a non-saline (pH 7.8) soil. Both fertilizers were labelled with 10 at.% ¹⁵N excess. The results showed high recoveries (>90%) in the sugarcane plant growing on a non-saline soil for N applied as both urea and ammonium sulphate. On a saline soil, recoveries were lower but depended on the form of N, being lower (∼34%) with urea than with ammonium sulphate (∼77%). These lower recoveries of N in the plant were also associated with lower recoveries in the soil–plant system and imply that there were significant losses of N to the environment in this soil. Possible causes for the losses were discussed.     

Interactions between non-flooded mulching cultivation and varying nitrogen inputs in rice–wheat rotations

A 3-year field experiment examined the effects of non-flooded mulching cultivation and traditional flooding and four fertilizer N application rates (0, 75, 150 and 225 kg ha⁻¹ for rice and 0, 60,120, and 180 kg N ha⁻¹ for wheat) on grain yield, N uptake, residual soil N_min and the net N balance in a rice–wheat rotation on Chengdu flood plain, southwest China. There were significant grain yield responses to N fertilizer. Nitrogen applications of >150 kg ha⁻¹ for rice and >120 kg ha⁻¹ for wheat gave no increase in crop yield but increased crop N uptake and N balance surplus in both water regimes. Average rice grain yield increased by 14% with plastic film mulching and decreased by 16% with wheat straw mulching at lower N inputs compared with traditional flooding. Rice grain yields under SM were comparable to those under PM and TF at higher N inputs. Plastic film mulching of preceding rice did not affect the yield of succeeding wheat but straw mulching had a residual effect on succeeding wheat. As a result, there was 17–18% higher wheat yield under N0 in SM than those in PM and TF. Combined rice and wheat grain yields under plastic mulching was similar to that of flooding and higher than that of straw mulching across N treatments. Soil mineral N (top 60 cm) after the rice harvest ranged from 50 to 65 kg ha⁻¹ and was unaffected by non-flooded mulching cultivation and N rate. After the wheat harvest, soil N_min ranged from 66 to 88 kg N ha⁻¹ and increased with increasing fertilizer N rate. High N inputs led to a positive N balance (160–621 kg ha⁻¹), but low N inputs resulted in a negative balance (−85 to −360 kg ha⁻¹). Across N treatments, the net N balances of SM were highest among the three cultivations systems, resulting from additional applied wheat straw (79 kg ha⁻¹) as mulching materials. There was not clear trend found in net N balance between PM and TF. Results from this study indicate non-flooded mulching cultivation may be utilized as an alternative option for saving water, using efficiently straw and maintaining or improving crop yield in rice–wheat rotation systems. There is the need to evaluate the long-term environmental risks of non-flooded mulching cultivation and improve system productivity (especially with straw mulching) by integrated resource management.     

Effect of irrigation and nitrogen fertilization on biomass yield and efficiency of energy use in crop production of Miscanthus

The perennial C₄ grass Miscanthus has been proposed as a biomass energy crop in Europe. Effects of crop age, irrigation and nitrogen fertilization on biomass and energy yields and N content of Miscanthus were investigated and the energy costs of production determined. After an establishment period of 1 year, cultivation of Miscanthus resulted in a dry matter production of over 37 t ha⁻¹ year⁻¹ over a period of 4 years. Irrigation and nitrogen level greatly affected Miscanthus biomass yield. In absence of N fertilization, irrigation did not modify biomass yield and the effect of irrigation increased with the increase in N level. The average N response ranged from 37 to 50 kg biomass kg⁻¹ N applied. Because the calorific value of Miscanthus biomass (16.5 MJ kg⁻¹) was not affected by irrigation and N fertilization, energy production depended exclusively on biomass yield. Maximum energy yield was 564 GJ ha⁻¹ year⁻¹. Without N supply and irrigation, energy yield was 291 GJ h⁻¹. Net energy yield, calculated as the difference between energy output and input, but without inclusion of drying costs, was 543 GJ ha⁻¹ with N fertilization and irrigation and 284 GJ ha⁻¹ without; the ratios of energy output to input in crop production were 22 and 47, respectively.     

Submergence tolerance and yield performance of lowland rice as affected by agronomic management practices in eastern India

Rice is subjected to excessive waterlogging and flash-flooding on large areas in south and south-east Asia. Besides cultivars, submergence tolerance of plants is influenced by various agronomic practices. A field experiment was conducted at Cuttack, India during 1994–1995 to study the effect of method of stand establishment (direct seeding and transplanting), vigour of seed (low and high-density) or seedlings (N-fertilized and unfertilized), plant population (normal and 50% more) and N fertilizer (single basal and split application) on yield performance of lowland rice under conditions of natural submergence and simulated flash-flooding (impounding up to 90 ± 3 cm depth for 10 days at vegetative stage). Flooding reached a maximum depth of 80 cm in 1994 and 52 cm in 1995 under natural submergence. The crop performance was better in 1994 due to timely sowing in dry soil and delayed accumulation of water (43 days after sowing) than in 1995 when sowing was done late in saturated soil followed by early water accumulation (28 days after sowing). Grain yield of rice decreased by 30.0–33.6% due to simulated flash-flooding compared with natural submergence, and by 21.4–33.1% due to transplanting in July compared with direct seeding in May-end/early June. The yield of direct-sown crop increased by using high-density seed of 22.9–23.0 mg weight (5.2–9.0%), higher seed rate of 600 m⁻² (2.2–2.3%) and basal fertilization at 40 kg N ha⁻¹ (19.4–25.7%) compared with low-density seed (19.4–20.1 mg), 400 seed m⁻² and no N, respectively. The yield of transplanted crop increased by using N-fertilized seedlings of 0.49–1.65 g weight (29.5–38.5%), higher number of seedlings at 155 m⁻² (3.5–16.7%) and basal fertilization at 40 kg N ha⁻¹ (31.9–32.5%) compared with unfertilized seedlings (0.19–0.79 g), 115 seedlings m⁻² and no N. Split application of 40 kg N ha⁻¹ — 50% each at basal and top dressing (105–115 days of growth after flash-flooding) — improved yield significantly (10.1–13.1%) over single basal application under simulated flash-flooding, but not under natural submergence conditions. Regression analysis indicated that relative contribution of various factors in increasing grain yield was in order: N fertilizer > seed density > seed m⁻² in direct-sown rice, and N fertilizer > seedlings m⁻² > seedling dry weight in transplanted rice. It was concluded that grain yield of flood-prone lowland rice can be increased by establishing the crop early through direct seeding using high-density seed and basal N fertilization.     

Long-term effects of inorganic and organic fertilizer sources on yield and nutrient accumulation of lowland rice

Deceleration in rice (Oryza sativa L.) yield over time under fixed management conditions is a concern for countries like Bangladesh, where rice is the primary source of calories for the human population. Field experiments were conducted from 1990 to 1999 on a Chhiata clay loam soil (Hyperthermic Vertic Endoaquept) in Bangladesh, to determine the effect of different doses of chemical fertilizers alone or in combination with cow dung (CD) and rice husk ash (ash) on yield of lowland rice. Two rice crops—dry season rice (December–May) and wet season rice (July–November) were grown in each year. Six treatments—absolute control (T₁), one-third of recommended fertilizer doses (T₂), two-thirds of recommended fertilizer doses (T₃), full doses of recommended fertilizers (T₄), T₂+5 t CD and 2.5 t ash ha⁻¹ (T₅) and T₃+5 t CD and 2.5 t ash ha⁻¹ (T₆) were compared. The CD and ash were applied on dry season rice only. The 10-year mean grain yield of rice with T₁ was 5.33 t ha⁻¹ per year, while the yield with T₂ was 6.86 t ha⁻¹ per year. Increased fertilizer doses with T₃ increased the grain yield to 8.07 t ha⁻¹ per year, while the application of recommended chemical fertilizer doses (T₄) gave 8.87 t ha⁻¹ per year. The application of CD and ash (T₅ and T₆) increased rice yield by about 1 t ha⁻¹ per year over that obtained with chemical fertilizer alone (T₂ and T₃, respectively). Over 10 years, the grain yield trend with the control plots was negative, but not significantly, both in the dry and wet seasons. Under T₃ through T₆, the yield trend was significantly positive in the dry season, but no significant trend was observed in the wet season. The treatments, which showed positive yield trend, also showed positive total P uptake trend. Positive yield trends were attributed to the increasing P supplying power of the soil.     

Effect of N rate,timing and splitting and N type on bread-making quality in hard red spring wheat under rainfed Mediterranean conditions

Three different experiments were designed to study the effects of N fertilizer rate, timing and splitting, and the response to combined application of N and S fertilizer on the bread-making quality of hard red spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) over a 3-year period in Vertisols under rainfed Mediterranean conditions. The following parameters were analyzed: grain yield, test weight, grain protein content, gluten index and alveograph parameters (W: alveogram index; P: dough tenacity; L: dough extensibility; P/L: tenacity–extensibility ratio). The N rate experiment included rates of 0, 100, 150 and 200 kg N ha⁻¹ applied on four different sites. The experiment was designed as a randomized complete block with four blocks. For the experiment on N timing and splitting, a single rate of 150 kg N ha⁻¹ was used, different fractions being applied at sowing, tillering and stem elongation, at a single site; again, experimental design was a randomized complete block with four blocks. Finally, for the experiment on the response to combined application of N and S fertilizer, a single fertilizer dose of 150 kg N ha⁻¹ was applied in two forms (urea+ammonium nitrate and urea+ammonium nitrosulfate) with one leaf application at ear emergence (zero, 25 kg S ha⁻¹, 25 kg N ha⁻¹, $\text{25}\text{kg}\text{S}\text{ha}{}^{\mathrm{-1}}\text{+25}$ kg N ha⁻¹ and 50 kg N ha⁻¹), also at a single site, using a split-plot design with four replications. Year-on-year variation in rainfall led to marked variations in wheat yield, grain protein content and bread-making quality indices. A close correlation was observed between rainfall over the September–May period and both grain yield and grain protein content (optimum values for both being recorded in the rainfall range 500–550 mm) as well as the alveogram index. A negative correlation was observed between mean maximum temperatures in May and both test weight and alveogram index (W). N fertilizer rate had a more consistent effect on bread-making quality than on grain yield. The highest values for grain yield were recorded at an N rate of 100 kg ha⁻¹, while maximum grain protein content values were recorded at 150 kg ha⁻¹. Application of half or one-third of total fertilizer N at stem elongation improved grain yield and grain protein content with respect to applications at sowing alone or at both sowing and tillering. Increased N rates led to a considerable increase in W values and to a reduction in the P/L ratio, thus improving dough balance, with a negative effect on the gluten index. Leaf application of N at ear emergence only affected grain protein content and the W index. Soil or leaf application of S had no effect on protein quality indices. The response of grain yield and grain protein content to fertilizer N differed from that reported for temperate climates.     

Using legumes to enhance nitrogen fertility and improve soil condition in cotton cropping systems

Many Australian cotton growers now include legumes in their cropping system. Three experiments were conducted between 1994 and 1997 to evaluate the rotational effects of winter or summer legume crops grown either for grain or green manuring on following cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.). Non-legume rotation crops, wheat (Triticum aestivum) and cotton, were included for comparison. Net nitrogen (N) balances, which included estimates of N associated with the nodulated roots, were calculated for the legume phase of each cropping sequence. Faba bean (Vicia faba — winter) fixed 135–244 kg N ha⁻¹ and soybean (Glycine max — summer) fixed 453–488 kg N ha⁻¹ and contributed up to 155 and 280 kg fixed N ha⁻¹, respectively, to the soil after seed harvest. Green-manured field pea (Pisum sativum — winter) and lablab (Lablab purpureus — summer) fixed 123–209 and 181–240 kg N ha⁻¹, respectively, before the crops were slashed and incorporated into the topsoil.In a separate experiment, the loss of N from ¹⁵N-labelled legume residues during the fallow between legume cropping and cotton sowing (5–6 months following summer crops and 9 months after winter crops) was between 9 and 40% of ¹⁵N added; in comparison, the loss of ¹⁵N fertilizer (urea) applied to the non-legume plots averaged 85% of ¹⁵N added. Little legume-derived ¹⁵N was lost from the system during the growth of the subsequent cotton crop.The improved N fertility of the legume-based systems was demonstrated by enhanced N uptake and lint yield of cotton. The economic optimum N fertilizer application rate was determined from the fitted N response curve observed following the application of N fertilizer at rates between 0 and 200 kg N ha⁻¹ (as anhydrous ammonia). Averaged over the three experiments, cotton following non-legume rotation crops required the application of 179 kg N ha⁻¹, whilst following the grain- and green-manured legume systems required only 90 and 52 kg N ha⁻¹, respectively.In addition to improvements in N availability, soil strength was generally lower following most legume crops than non-legume rotation crops. Penetrometer resistance during the growth of the subsequent cotton crop increased in the order faba bean, lablab, field pea, wheat, cotton, and soybean. It is speculated that reduced soil strength contributed to improvement in lint yields of the following cotton crops by facilitating the development of better root systems.     

Effect of timing of defoliation on wheat (Triticum aestivum) in central Queensland: 2. N uptake and relative N use efficiency

Aspects of nitrogen uptake and use efficiencies were studied in trials quantifying the impact of artificial defoliation on wheat yield and protein content. Late defoliation (after ca. 50 days after sowing, especially in later sowings) led to an increase of hay production, a reduction of N as grain, and nearly always an increase in total N removal. The optimum range of N removal in hay by defoliation was 8–12 kg ha⁻¹ leading to a maximum grain N of 75–79 kg ha⁻¹ and a significantly greater total N recovery and use efficiency. This may be due to greater uptake per se, to reduced plant volatilization of N, or to a combination of the two. The ecological consequence of capturing more N in hay before it is possibly volatilized from plants later in the season is an added benefit to defoliation.     

Nitrogen efficiency in wheat under rainfed Mediterranean conditions as affected by split nitrogen application

A 3-year field experiment in rainfed Vertisol was designed to study the effects of timing and splitting of N fertilizer on the efficiency of nitrogen in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). A single rate of 150 kg N ha⁻¹ was used, different fractions being applied at sowing, tillering and stem elongation. The experiment was designed as a randomized complete block with four blocks. At the same time, a ¹⁵N experiment was conducted within the main experiment area, with microplots, to quantify N uptake from fertilizer and soil. Mean wheat use of N fertilizer ranged from 14.1% when applied at sowing to 54.8% when applied as a top dressing at the beginning of stem elongation. The mean annual contribution of soil residual N and mineralization was 152 kg N ha⁻¹, representing a considerable proportion of total wheat N uptake, ranging from 83.2% when N fertilizer was applied in the fall to 49.4% when it was applied at stem elongation. This would account for the poor and inconsistent response of grain yield and N efficiency indices, and for the importance of soil N in Vertisols for predicting wheat N fertilizer requirements, due to the carryover effect. Application of N fertilizer to wheat preferably as a top dressing, between tillering and stem elongation, is a strategy to be recommended from the standpoint both of the environment and of farmer returns.     

The efficiency of nitrogen fertiliser for rice in Bangladeshi farmers’ fields

Bangladesh is currently self sufficient in rice (Oryza sativa L.), which accounts for approximately 80% of the total cropped area, and 70% of the cost of crop production. However, farmers are increasingly concerned about the perceived decline in productivity, expressed as the return on fertiliser inputs. Agronomic efficiency is a measure of the increase in grain yield achieved per unit of fertiliser input that can provide a way to quantify the observation of farmers. This study indicates that the yields achieved where only P and K fertiliser were applied ranged from 3–5 t ha⁻¹, indicating good soil fertility, particular in terms of soil N supply (37–112 kg N ha⁻¹). However, at recommended rates and at rates used by farmers, the yield response to application of fertiliser N was low. Data shows that grain yields were significantly correlated in both years (R² = 0.77 and R² = 0.67) with plant uptake in nitrogen. The internal nitrogen use efficiency seems to confirm that sink formation was limited by factors other than nitrogen. Low agronomic efficiency (5–19 kg grain kg⁻¹ N) was caused by poor internal efficiency (45–73 kg grain kg⁻¹ N), rather than low supply of soil N or loss of fertiliser N. Thus, often the applications of large amounts of N fertiliser (39–175 kg N ha⁻¹) by farmers to increase yields of high yielding variety Boro rice were not justified agronomically and ecologically. A rate of 39 kg N ha⁻¹ is very low, hardly an environmental threat. No one single factor could be identified to explain the low internal efficiency. Therefore, it is concluded that the data presented tend to confirm the indication that yields are limited by a factor other than nitrogen, which could be crop establishment, plant density, water or pest management, micro-nutrients deficiency, poor seed and transplanted seedling quality, varieties and low radiation.     

Nutrient and assimilate partitioning in two tropical maize cultivars in relation to their tolerance to soil acidity

The use of Al-tolerant and P-efficient maize cultivars is an important component of a successful production system on tropical acid soils with limited lime and P inputs. Grain yield and secondary plant traits, including root and aboveground biomass, nutrient content and leaf development, were evaluated from 1996 to 2002 in field experiments on an Oxisol in order to identify maize characteristics useful in genetic improvement. Here we present the results of the 2002 trial and compare them with previous results. The aim of this experiment was to assess the effect of assimilate and nutrient partitioning on the growth and grain yield of two tropical cultivars having different Al tolerance (CMS36, tolerant, Spectral, moderately tolerant). The soil had an Al saturation of 36% in topsoil (pH 4.5) and >45% below 0.3 m depth (pH 4.2). Measurements made from emergence to grain filling included: root, stem and leaf biomass, P and N content, leaf area index (LAI), radiation use efficiency (RUE), soil available N and root profiles at anthesis. The experiments consisted of two P treatments, zero applied or 45 kg P ha⁻¹ (−P and +P). All the treatments received N and K fertilizers. In −P, root biomass and LAI at anthesis were twice as great in CMS36 as in Spectral. In +P the differences between cultivars were negligible. Roots were deeper in CMS36 due to its higher Al tolerance. Total biomass and grain yield were not strongly related to root biomass and LAI. Other factors such as the leaf biomass and the amount of nutrients per unit leaf area were highly correlated with RUE and biomass. In −P, Spectral had the same total biomass but a higher grain yield than CMS36 (2.1 Mg ha⁻¹ versus 1.5 Mg ha⁻¹). This was due to a higher leaf P content (+40%), a greater RUE (+74%), and a lower number of sterile plants. In +P, CMS36 had higher total biomass and grain yield (4.1 Mg ha⁻¹ versus 3.1 Mg ha⁻¹). This was due to its higher leaf P (+25%) and leaf N (+43%) contents, and an increased RUE (+130%) that were associated with higher P and N uptake. Our results indicated that although root tolerance to Al toxicity is necessary for good crop performance on acid soils, assimilate and nutrient partitioning in the aboveground organs play a major role in plant adaptation and may partially compensate for a lower root tolerance.     

Estimation of the N fertiliser requirement of cotton grown after legume crops

In a series of legume-based cropping systems experiments, the economic optimum N fertiliser rate for cotton ranged from 0 to 186 kg N ha⁻¹ depending on the cropping system and soil N fertility. The economic optimum N fertiliser rate was closely correlated with pre-sowing soil nitrate-N (0–30 cm) and petiole nitrate-N (at early flowering). Pre-sowing soil nitrate-N and petiole nitrate-N were also strongly correlated with cotton N uptake at late boll-filling and lint yield of unfertilised cotton.These analyses allow for the estimation of the N fertiliser requirement, providing revised calibrations that more precisely estimate the N-fertiliser requirement of irrigated cotton crops where legume cropping has substantially improved soil N fertility. Such management tools are essential to avoid the problems associated with over- or under-fertilizing cotton crops.The importance of optimising N fertiliser application was demonstrated by examining the effects of crop N nutrition on cotton maturity and fibre quality. Crop maturity (rate of boll opening) was delayed by 1 day for each 83, 16 or 24 kg fertiliser N applied per hectare in the three experiments. Increasing N fertiliser rates generally increased fibre length, and tended to increase fibre strength, whereas micronaire tended to decline.