Influence of urea on biological N2 fixation and N transfer from Azolla intercropped with rice

• Published in: Plant and soil 2003-03, Vol.250 (1), p.105-112
• Main Authors: CISSE, Madiama, VLEK, Paul L. G
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Biological and medical sciences; Dry matter; Floodwater; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Mineralization; Nitrogen; Nitrogen fixation; Rice; Synergism; Urea
• ISSN: 0032-079X; 1573-5036
• DOI: 10.1023/A:1022830423154

The N^sub 2^ fixed by Azolla before and after urea application during the rice cycle, the mineralisation of Azolla-N as well as its availability to rice was studied in two greenhouse experiments conducted in 1996 and 1997 and in June 1998 in Goettingen (Germany). Dry matter production of the various rice parts of experiment 1 showed a clear positive synergism between treatment with Azolla and urea with a resulting apparent N recovery by rice increasing from 40% (without Azolla) to 57% in the presence of Azolla. Part of this increase may be due to N fixed biologically by Azolla and transferred to the rice. The second experiment shed some light on the role of BNF. Using an iterative method of estimation, the daily rate of N fixation was estimated at 0.6 - 0.7 kg N ha^sup -1^. The rate was not so much affected by the age of the Azolla crop. At this rate, the BNF would amount to up to 100 kg N ha^sup -1^ over a 130-day season. Assuming that BNF may be inhibited for a period of 5 - 10 days following urea application due to high levels of N in the floodwater, this might reduce the BNF by between 6 and 14 kg N ha over the season. Using the mean-pool-abundance concept, it was estimated that around 75 - 80% of the Azolla-N mineralized during the growth period was actually absorbed by the rice plants. Of the N taken up by rice around 28% was derived from the biologically fixed Azolla N, the remainder was urea N cycled through the Azolla. Azolla also seems to help sustain the soil N supply by returning N to the soil in quantities roughly equal to those extracted from the soil by the rice plant.[PUBLICATION ABSTRACT]