Effects of Irrigation Water Quality and Nitrogen Rate on the Recovery of 15N Fertilizer by Sorghum in Field Study

• Published in: Communications in Soil Science and Plant Analysis 2013-10, Vol.44 (18), p.2647-2655
• Main Authors: Khelil, Mohamed Naceur, Rejeb, Saloua, Henchi, Belgacem, Destain, Jean Pierre
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Agronomy. Soil science and plant productions; Biological and medical sciences; Fertilizers; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; General agronomy. Plant production; Irrigation; N fertilizer, nitrogen balance, sorghum, treated wastewater; Nitrogen; Nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium fertilizations; Soil sciences; Soil-plant relationships. Soil fertility. Fertilization. Amendments; Water quality
• ISSN: 0010-3624; 1532-2416; 1532-4133
• DOI: 10.1080/00103624.2013.813032

The effects of 15 N-labeled ammonium nitrate on yield, uptake of nitrogen (N) by sorghum (Sorghum sudanense, Piper), and on N remaining in the soil were studied in a field experiment with different N rates (0, 50, and 100 kg N ha −1 ) and with two irrigation water qualities, well water (WW) and treated wastewater (TWW). Treated wastewater irrigation increased dry matter and N yield compared to WW. At equal N rates, recovery of 15 N-labeled fertilizer by plants increased with TWW irrigation compared to WW (36% versus 23%). Neither fertilizer rate nor water quality had an effect on the 15 N-labeled fertilizer remaining in the 0- to 60-cm layer of soil. On average 41% in the TWW treatment (49-33%) and 38% in WW treatment was mostly present in the surface 20-cm layer. Losses of 15 N-labeled fertilizer were unaffected by irrigation water quality (35%) and increased with N application rate in TWW (4% versus 31%).