Effektive Durchwurzelungstiefe,Sickerwasserbildung und Nitratverlagerung in tiefgründigen Lößböden eines Trockengebietes

Effective rooting depth, percolation water, and nitrate leaching in deeply developed loess soils of a water‐shortage area In 14 deeply developed loess soils, high amounts of mineral nitrogen (N) were measured within the first meter, whereas several nitrate depth profiles up to more than three meters resulted in low and medium nitrate values. The maximum depth of water uptake was measured in two years on four representative sites with regard to soil and crop properties. The maximum depth of water uptake was always considerably deeper than 200 cm, with a maximum of 290 cm (alfalfa). It is assumed that roots take up nitrogen even in this depth. The calculation of the effective rooting depth resulted in noticeably higher values (for wheat between 160 cm and 185 cm) than those given by the ”︁German Instructions for Soil Mapping” (AG Boden, 1994), the ”︁Regulations of the German Organisation for Water Management and Land Improvement” (DVWK, 1995) or the ”︁German Institute for Standardization” (DIN, 1998). As a result of low annual precipitation (normally less than 600 mm), only a minor part of the high amounts of nitrate within the root zone was leached into deeper soil layers. We conclude that it is not possible to predict the potential groundwater pollution with nitrate on the basis of the mineral N content in the first meter of the soil profile.