Nitrogen Balance and Fertigation Use Efficiency in a Field Coffee Crop |
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| Authors: | Isabeli Pereira Bruno Klaus Reichardt Rafael Pivotto Bortolotto Victor Meriguetti Pinto Osny Oliveira Santos Bacchi Durval Dourado-Neto |
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| Institution: | 1. Department of Crop Production, University of S?o Paulo, Escola Superior de Agricultura “Luiz de Queiroz”, Piracicaba, Brazilisabelibruno@gmail.com;3. Laboratory of Soil Physics, University of S?o Paulo, Center for Nuclear Energy in Agriculture, Piracicaba, Brazil;4. Department of Crop Production, University of S?o Paulo, Escola Superior de Agricultura “Luiz de Queiroz”, Piracicaba, Brazil |
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| Abstract: | Brazil is a major world coffee producer, using increasing quantities of nitrogen (N) fertilizer as the monoculture expands across the savannas. The fate and efficiency of this fertilizer N were evaluated for one complete cropping cycle using 15N tracer, permitting an N balance at harvest. Annual rates of 200, 400, 600, and 800 kg N ha?1 year?1 of 15N-labeled urea and an unfertilized control were applied every 14 days via fertigation. The N concentration, percentage of N derived from fertilizer, quantity of N derived from fertilizer, and percentage of nitrogen derived from fertilizer per N rate was assessed for 8-year-old coffee trees. The most efficient N use was with 200 kg ha?1 year?1 because it presented the lowest losses and highest N recoveries in the crop. Conversely, the least sustainable rate was 800 kg ha?1 year?1, which presented the greatest losses and the lowest N recovery in the whole plant. |
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| Keywords: | N loss 15N Coffea arabica N recovery |
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